“THE SCOREBOARD”
===============================================================
INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD
WEDNESDAY
ANGOLA 70 BELLMONT 45
BEECH GROVE 84 PHALEN ACADEMY 66
FORT WAYNE DWENGER 60 EAST NOBLE 59
GRIFFITH 49 RIVER FOREST 48
HAGERSTOWN 68 MUNCIE BURRIS 43
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 85 MUNCIE CENTRAL 51
INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON 63 INDIANAPOLIS METROPOLITAN 55
NORTHEAST DUBOIS 38 SPRINGS VALLEY 16
NORTHVIEW 76 DANVILLE 55
SOUTH NEWTON 63 DONOVAN (ILL.) 52
WHEELER 55 TRI-TOWNSHIP 33
==========================================================
THURSDAY SCHEDULE
ALL TIMES EASTERN
BLOOMINGTON SOUTH AT SOUTHPORT 7:30 PM
BORDEN AT HENRYVILLE 7:30 PM
BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL AT MADISON 7:30 PM
CASCADE AT OWEN VALLEY 12:00 PM
CHRISTEL HOUSE AT WARREN CENTRAL 7:30 PM
CONNERSVILLE AT EAST CENTRAL 7:30 PM
CULVER AT ARGOS 7:30 PM
DELTA AT NEW CASTLE 7:30 PM
EDINBURGH AT TRI 7:30 PM
ELWOOD AT GEO NEXT GENERATION 6:00 PM
GRIFFITH AT HIGHLAND 8:00 PM
HAMMOND MORTON AT CALUMET 8:00 PM
HOBART AT ANDREAN 8:00 PM
JEFFERSONVILLE AT JENNINGS COUNTY 7:30 PM
MARQUETTE CATHOLIC AT OREGON-DAVIS 7:30 PM
MARTINSVILLE (ILL.) AT DUGGER UNION 6:30 PM
MEDORA AT CHRISTIAN ACADEMY MADISON 7:30 PM
MOORESVILLE CHRISTIAN AT EMINENCE 7:00 PM
NORTH DECATUR AT JAC-CEN-DEL 7:30 PM
RUSHVILLE AT BATESVILLE 7:30 PM
SEVEN OAKS AT INDIANA DEAF 6:00 PM
ST. THOMAS MORE AT VICTORY CHRISTIAN 8:00 PM
TRINITY LUTHERAN AT CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 7:30 PM
WINAMAC AT NORTH WHITE 7:30 PM
GIAC TOURNAMENT
VICTORY COLLEGE PREP AT PURDUE BROAD RIPPLE 6:00 PM R1
CENTRAL CHRISTIAN AT IRVINGTON PREP 6:00 PM R1
PUTNAM COUNTY TOURNAMENT
GREENCASTLE AT SOUTH PUTNAM 6:00 PM R1
CLOVERDALE VS. NORTH PUTNAM 7:30 PM R1
===================================================================
INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD
INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL REGIONAL MATCH-UPS
NORTHERN HOSTS
LAPORTE
BRACKET
CLASS 2A | 4 PM CT | ANDREAN VS. BREMEN
CLASS 4A | 7 PM CT | PENN VS. CROWN POINT
MARION
BRACKET
CLASS 1A | 1 PM ET | CARROLL (FLORA) VS. MONROE CENTRAL
CLASS 2A | 4 PM ET | OAK HILL VS. ALEXANDRIA MONROE
JIMTOWN
BRACKET
CLASS 1A | 4 PM ET | MARQUETTE CATHOLIC VS. FREMONT
CLASS 4A | 7 PM ET | VALPARAISO VS. NORTHRIDGE
BELLMONT
BRACKET
CLASS 3A | 1 PM ET | EAST NOBLE VS. BELLMONT
CLASS 4A | 4 PM ET | FORT WAYNE SNIDER VS. NORWELL
WINAMAC COMMUNITY
BRACKET
CLASS 3A | 4 PM ET | KANKAKEE VALLEY VS. FAIRFIELD
CLASS 3A | 7 PM ET | CULVER ACADEMY VS. HIGHLAND
LAPEL
BRACKET
CLASS 2A | 1 PM ET | LAPEL VS. RENSSELAER CENTRAL
CLASS 3A | 4 PM ET | CONNERSVILLE VS. MACONAQUAH
WARSAW COMMUNITY
BRACKET
CLASS 1A | 4 PM ET | WEST CENTRAL VS. ELKHART CHRISTIAN
CLASS 2A | 7 PM ET | WHITKO VS.EASTSIDE
FRANKFORT
BRACKET
CLASS 1A | 1 PM ET | NORTH MIAMI VS. FOUNTAIN CENTRAL
CLASS 4A | 4 PM ET | MCCUTCHEON VS. HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN
SOUTHERN HOSTS
GREENFIELD-CENTRAL
BRACKET
CLASS 2A | 4 PM ET | HERITAGE CHRISTIAN VS. UNION COUNTY
CLASS 4A | 7 PM ET | PENDLETON HEIGHTS VS. CENTER GROVE
BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE
BRACKET
CLASS 4A | 1 PM ET | COLUMBUS NORTH VS. EVANSVILLE REITZ
CLASS 4A | 4 PM ET | BLOOMINGTON SOUTH VS. FLOYD CENTRAL
GREENCASTLE
BRACKET
CLASS 3A | 4 PM ET | RONCALLI VS. CATHEDRAL
CLASS 4A | 7 PM ET | LAWRENCE CENTRAL VS. PIKE
CHARLESTOWN
BRACKET
CLASS 2A | 1 PM ET | EASTERN (PEKIN) VS. AUSTIN
CLASS 3A | 4 PM ET | SILVER CREEK VS. JENNINGS COUNTY
TERRE HAUTE NORTH VIGO
BRACKET
CLASS 2A | 4 PM ET | PARKE HERITAGE VS. MONROVIA
CLASS 3A | 7 PM ET | BREBEUF JESUIT VS. NORTHVIEW
BOONVILLE
BRACKET
CLASS 2A | 1 PM CT | EVANSVILLE MATER DEI VS. NORTH KNOX
CLASS 3A | 4 PM CT | WASHINGTON VS. EVANSVILLE CENTRAL
SHELBYVILLE
BRACKET
CLASS 1A | 4 PM ET | TRI VS. GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN
CLASS 1A | 7 PM ET | TINDLEY VS. TRINITY LUTHERAN
JASPER
BRACKET
CLASS 1A | 1 PM ET | EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN VS. WHITE RIVER VALLEY
CLASS 1A | 4 PM ET | BORDEN VS. ORLEANS
========================================================
INDIANA WRESTLING
SEMI-STATE
BRACKETING IS HOSTED BY USABRACKETING.COM. CREATE A FREE ACCOUNT TO VIEW RESULTS. USER GUIDE
1. EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL (JOHN C. BARATTO ATHLETIC CENTER)
9 AM CT
WATCH ON IHSAATV.ORG
FEEDER REGIONALS: CROWN POINT, HOBART, LOGANSPORT, PENN.
2. FORT WAYNE SOUTH SIDE (ALLEN COUNTY WAR MEMORIAL COLISEUM)
9 AM ET
WATCH ON IHSAATV.ORG
FEEDER REGIONALS: CARROLL (FORT WAYNE), GOSHEN, JAY COUNTY, PERU.
3. NEW CASTLE (NEW CASTLE FIELDHOUSE)
9 AM ET
WATCH ON IHSAATV.ORG
FEEDER REGIONALS: NORTH MONTGOMERY, PENDLETON HEIGHTS, PERRY MERIDIAN, RICHMOND.
4. EVANSVILLE F. J. REITZ (FORD CENTER)
9 AM CT
WATCH ON IHSAATV.ORG
FEEDER REGIONALS: BLOOMINGTON SOUTH, CASTLE, JEFFERSONVILLE, MOORESVILLE.
================================================================
INDIANA STATE WRESTLING ASSOCIATION: https://www.iswa.com/
INDIANA MAT: https://indianamat.com/
================================================================
INDIANA GIRLS SWIMMING AND DIVING
STATE FINALS
FRIDAY, FEB. 13, 2026
GATES OPEN AT 4:30 PM ET / 3:30 PM CT
6 PM ET / 5 PM CT | SWIMMING PRELIMINARIES
HEAT SHEETS | PSYCH SHEETS | PRELIM RESULTS
SATURDAY, FEB. 14, 2026
GATES OPEN AT 6:45 AM ET / 5:45 AM CT
9 AM ET / 8 AM CT | DIVING PRELIMINARIES, SEMIFINALS
1 PM ET / 12 PM CT | CHAMPIONSHIP/CONSOLATION FINALS IN ALL SWIMMING EVENTS; DIVING FINALS
===================================================================
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCORES
VIRGINIA TECH 76 #20 CLEMSON 66
#14 FLORIDA 86 GEORGIA 66
#6 UCONN 80 BUTLER 70
#16 TEXAS TECH 78 COLORADO 44
#2 MICHIGAN 87 NORTHWESTERN 75
MARYLAND 77 IOWA 70
OHIO STATE 89 USC 82
SYRACUSE 107 CALIFORNIA 100 2OT
ALABAMA 93 OLE MISS 74
BUFFALO 63 BALL STATE 53
TOLEDO 90 WESTERN MICHIGAN 79
SETON HALL 87 PROVIDENCE 80
BOWLING GREEN 68 NORTHERN ILLINOIS 52
WAKE FOREST 83 GEORGIA TECH 67
STANFORD 70 BOSTON COLLEGE 64
CINCINNATI 91 KANSAS STATE 62
TENNESSEE 73 MISSISSIPPI STATE 64
DEPAUL 72 CREIGHTON 71
NEW MEXICO 70 GRAND CANYON 64
PENN STATE 63 WASHINGTON 60
HCAC
TRANSYLVANIA 83 FRANKLIN 68
ROSE HULMAN 64 MT. ST. JOSEPH 60
BEREA 77 EARLHAM 49
BLUFFTON 73 MANCHESTER 68
ANDERSON 80 HANOVER 71
=================================================================
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCORES
#1 UCONN 94 CREIGHTON 44
#19 WEST VIRGINIA 106 CENTRAL FLORIDA 56
#15 IOWA 65 #25 WASHINGTON 56
#2 UCLA 86 #13 MICHIGAN STATE 63
CENTRAL MICHIGAN 86 AKRON 79
IU INDY 64 OAKLAND 57
VILLANOVA 78 XAVIER 38
ILLINOIS 92 WISCONSIN 60
PROVIDENCE 73 BUTLER 64
SETON HALL 70 MARQUETTE 58
COLORADO 73 HOUSTON 63
ARIZONA STATE 71 UTAH 61
SAN DIEGO STATE 64 COLORADO STATE 61
NEW MEXICO 66 SAN JOSE STATE 61
NEVADA 76 AIR FORCE 59
WYOMING 82 UNLV 72
FRESNO STATE 75 BOISE STATE 69
HCAC
BLUFFTON 94 MANCHESTER 70
ANDERSON 76 HANOVER 73
MT. ST. JOSEPH 70 ROSE HULMAN 55
BEREA 70 EARLHAM 61
TRANSYLVANIA 80 FRANKLIN 59
===============================================================
MEN’S COLLEGE HOCKEY SCORES
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
===============================================================
MEN’S COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL SCORES
USC 3 UC IRVINE 2
UC SAN DIEGO 3 CUI 0
================================================================
COLLEGE WRESTLING SCORES
NO MATCH’S SCHEDULED
================================================================
DIVISION 1 COLLEGE SOFTBALL SCORES
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
=================================================================
DIVISION 1 COLLEGE BASEBALL SCORES
NO GAME SCHEDULED
=================================================================
NBA SCORES
CLEVELAND 138 WASHINGTON 113
MILWAUKEE 116 ORLANDO 108
CHARLOTTE 110 ATLANTA 107
DETROIT 113 TORONTO 95
INDIANA 115 BROOKLYN 110
BOSTON 124 CHICAGO 105
NEW YORK 138 PHILADELPHIA 89
MIAMI 123 NEW ORLEANS 111
MINNESOTA 133 PORTLAND 109
LA CLIPPERS 105 HOUSTON 102
OKLAHOMA CITY 136 PHOENIX 109
UTAH 121 SACRAMENTO 93
DENVER 122 MEMPHIS 116
SAN ANTONIO 126 GOLDEN STATE 113
=================================================================
NHL SCORES
NO GAMES SCHEDULED (OLYMPIC BREAK)
=================================================================
2026 NFL COMBINE PARTICIPANTS
QUARTERBACKS
- Drew Allar, Penn State
- Luke Altmyer, Illinois
- Carson Beck, Miami
- Jalon Daniels, Kansas
- Joe Fagnano, UConn
- Taylen Green, Arkansas
- Haynes King, Georgia Tech
- Cade Klubnik, Clemson
- Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
- Behren Morton, Texas Tech
- Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
- Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
- Cole Payton, North Dakota State
- Sawyer Robertson, Baylor
- Ty Simpson, Alabama
RUNNING BACKS
- Kaytron Allen, Penn State
- Max Bredeson, Michigan
- Demond Claiborne, Wake Forest
- Jonah Coleman, Washington
- CJ Donaldson, Ohio State
- Rahsul Faison, South Carolina
- Eli Heidenreich, Navy
- Roman Hemby, Indiana
- Robert Henry Jr., UTSA
- Emmett Johnson, Nebraska
- Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
- Seth McGowan, Kentucky
- Jam Miller, Alabama
- Le’Veon Moss, Texas A&M
- Jadarian Price, Notre Dame
- Adam Randall, Clemson
- Desmond Reid, Pittsburgh
- Nicholas Singleton, Penn State
- J’Mari Taylor, Virginia
- Mike Washington Jr., Arkansas
- Noah Whittington, Oregon
WIDE RECEIVERS
- Aaron Anderson, LSU
- Vinny Anthony II, Wisconsin
- Chris Bell, Louisville
- Dillon Bell, Georgia
- Skyler Bell, UConn
- Malik Benson, Oregon
- Germie Bernard, Alabama
- Denzel Boston, Washington
- Zachariah Branch, Georgia
- Chris Brazzell II, Tennessee
- Barion Brown, LSU
- Deion Burks, Oklahoma
- Jeff Caldwell, Cincinnati
- Josh Cameron, Baylor
- Kevin Coleman Jr., Missouri
- KC Concepcion, Texas A&M
- Omar Cooper Jr., Indiana
- CJ Daniels, Miami
- Caleb Douglas, Texas Tech
- Malachi Fields, Notre Dame
- Emmanuel Henderson Jr., Kansas
- Chris Hilton Jr., LSU
- Jordan Hudson, SMU
- Ted Hurst, Georgia State
- Caullin Lacy, Louisville
- Bryce Lance, North Dakota State
- Ja’Kobi Lane, USC
- Kendrick Law, Kentucky
- Makai Lemon, USC
- Eric McAlister, TCU
- Donaven McCulley, Michigan
- Eric Rivers, Georgia Tech
- Chase Roberts, BYU
- Elijah Sarratt, Indiana
- De’Zhaun Stribling, Mississippi
- J. Michael Sturdivant, Florida
- Carnell Tate, Ohio State
- Zavion Thomas, LSU
- Brenen Thompson, Mississippi State
- Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State
- Reggie Virgil, Texas Tech
- Harrison Wallace III, Mississippi
- Jalen Walthall, Incarnate Word
- Kaden Wetjen, Iowa
- Antonio Williams, Clemson
- Colbie Young, Georgia
TIGHT ENDS
- Dallen Bentley, Utah
- Nate Boerkircher, Texas A&M
- Josh Cuevas, Alabama
- Oscar Delp, Georgia
- Khalil Dinkins, Penn State
- Jack Endries, Texas
- John Michael Gyllenborg, Wyoming
- Matthew Hibner, SMU
- Justin Joly, N.C. State
- Will Kacmarek, Ohio State
- Jaren Kanak, Oklahoma
- Miles Kitselman, Tennessee
- Max Klare, Ohio State
- Marlin Klein, Michigan
- Tanner Koziol, Houston
- RJ Maryland, SMU
- Lake McRee, USC
- Riley Nowakowski, Indiana
- Eli Raridon, Notre Dame
- DJ Rogers, TCU
- Sam Roush, Stanford
- Joe Royer, Cincinnati
- Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon
- Bauer Sharp, LSU
- Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt
- Michael Trigg, Baylor
- Dae’Quan Wright, Mississippi
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
- Chris Adams, Memphis
- Austin Barber, Florida
- Evan Beerntsen, Northwestern
- Markel Bell, Miami
- Chase Bisontis, Texas A&M
- Jude Bowry, Boston College
- Parker Brailsford, Alabama
- Joshua Braun, Kentucky
- Travis Burke, Memphis
- Jager Burton, Kentucky
- DJ Campbell, Texas
- Fernando Carmona, Arkansas
- Kage Casey, Boise State
- Pat Coogan, Indiana
- Anez Cooper, Miami
- Dametrious Crownover, Texas A&M
- Enrique Cruz Jr., Kansas
- J.C. Davis, Illinois
- Garrett DiGiorgio, UCLA
- Gennings Dunker, Iowa
- Fa’alili Fa’amoe, Wake Forest
- Spencer Fano, Utah
- Jalen Farmer, Kentucky
- Monroe Freeling, Georgia
- Matt Gulbin, Michigan State
- Alex Harkey, Oregon
- Sam Hecht, Kansas State
- Alan Herron, Maryland
- Max Iheanachor, Arizona State
- Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State
- Logan Jones, Iowa
- Connor Lew, Auburn
- Caleb Lomu, Utah
- Francis Mauigoa, Miami
- Blake Miller, Clemson
- Micah Morris, Georgia
- Febechi Nwaiwu, Oklahoma
- Brian Parker II, Duke
- Diego Pounds, Mississippi
- Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon
- Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
- Ar’maj Reed-Adams, Texas A&M
- Jaeden Roberts, Alabama
- Keylan Rutledge, Georgia Tech
- Billy Schrauth, Notre Dame
- Drew Shelton, Penn State
- Jake Slaughter, Florida
- Beau Stephens, Iowa
- Logan Taylor, Boston College
- Caleb Tiernan, Northwestern
- Keagen Trost, Missouri
- Dillon Wade, Auburn
- Aamil Wagner, Notre Dame
- Carver Willis, Washington
- Isaiah World, Oregon
- Jeremiah Wright, Auburn
- Trey Zuhn III, Texas A&M
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
- Vincent Anthony Jr., Duke
- David Bailey, Texas Tech
- Rueben Bain Jr., Miami
- Cameron Ball, Arkansas
- Caleb Banks, Florida
- Jaishawn Barham, Michigan
- Nick Barrett, South Carolina
- Rayshaun Benny, Michigan
- DeMonte Capehart, Clemson
- Brandon Cleveland, N.C. State
- Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati
- Keyron Crawford, Auburn
- Caden Curry, Ohio State
- Dani Dennis-Sutton, Penn State
- Zane Durant, Penn State
- Bryson Eason, Tennessee
- Deven Eastern, Minnesota
- Logan Fano, Utah
- Keldric Faulk, Auburn
- Skyler Gill-Howard, Texas Tech
- George Gumbs Jr., Florida
- David Gusta, Kentucky
- Gracen Halton, Oklahoma
- Zxavian Harris, Mississippi
- Romello Height, Texas Tech
- Cashius Howell, Texas A&M
- Aidan Hubbard, Northwestern
- Lee Hunter, Texas Tech
- Quintayvious Hutchins, Boston College
- Gabe Jacas, Illinois
- Darrell Jackson Jr., Florida State
- Bobby Jamison-Travis, Auburn
- Marvin Jones Jr., Oklahoma
- Joshua Josephs, Tennessee
- Tim Keenan III, Alabama
- Nyjalik Kelly, UCF
- Malachi Lawrence, UCF
- Max Llewellyn, Iowa
- Anthony Lucas, USC
- Jackie Marshall, Baylor
- Chris McClellan, Missouri
- Kayden McDonald, Ohio State
- Akheem Mesidor, Miami
- Christen Miller, Georgia
- Derrick Moore, Michigan
- Trey Moore, Texas
- Tyler Onyedim, Texas A&M
- Domonique Orange, Iowa State
- LT Overton, Alabama
- T.J. Parker, Clemson
- Patrick Payton, LSU
- Kaleb Proctor, Southeastern Louisiana
- Jack Pyburn, LSU
- Albert Regis, Texas A&M
- Mason Reiger, Wisconsin
- Tyreak Sapp, Florida
- Gary Smith III, UCLA
- R Mason Thomas, Oklahoma
- Nadame Tucker, Western Michigan
- Damonic Williams, Oklahoma
- Wesley Williams, Duke
- Peter Woods, Clemson
- Zion Young, Missouri
LINEBACKERS
- CJ Allen, Georgia
- Lander Barton, Utah
- Wesley Bissainthe, Miami
- Bryce Boettcher, Oregon
- Kendal Daniels, Oklahoma
- Kaleb Elarms-Orr, TCU
- Keyshaun Elliott, Arizona State
- Aiden Fisher, Indiana
- Eric Gentry, USC
- Jake Golday, Cincinnati
- Owen Heinecke, Oklahoma
- Anthony Hill Jr., Texas
- Justin Jefferson, Alabama
- Jack Kelly, BYU
- Deontae Lawson, Alabama
- Kyle Louis, Pittsburgh
- Red Murdock, Buffalo
- Namdi Obiazor, TCU
- Harold Perkins Jr., LSU
- Arvell Reese, Ohio State
- Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech
- Jimmy Rolder, Michigan
- Karson Sharar, Iowa
- Xavian Sorey Jr., Arkansas
- Sonny Styles, Ohio State
- Josiah Trotter, Missouri
- Scooby Williams, Texas A&M
- Wade Woodaz, Clemson
- Taurean York, Texas A&M
DEFENSIVE BACKS
- Keith Abney II, Arizona State
- Marcus Allen, North Carolina
- Jadon Canady, Oregon
- Brandon Cisse, South Carolina
- Bud Clark, TCU
- Tacario Davis, Washington
- Mansoor Delane, LSU
- Charles Demmings, Stephen F. Austin
- Thaddeus Dixon, North Carolina
- Caleb Downs, Ohio State
- Daylen Everette, Georgia
- Bishop Fitzgerald, USC
- Andre Fuller, Toledo
- Jaylon Guilbeau, Texas
- TJ Hall, Iowa
- Ahmari Harvey, Georgia Tech
- A.J. Haulcy, LSU
- Colton Hood, Tennessee
- Jalen Huskey, Maryland
- Davison Igbinosun, Ohio State
- Domani Jackson, Alabama
- Chris Johnson, San Diego State
- Dalton Johnson, Arizona
- Jalon Kilgore, South Carolina
- Will Lee III, Texas A&M
- Hezekiah Masses, Cal
- Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
- Latrell McCutchin Sr., Houston
- Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo
- Devin Moore, Florida
- Louis Moore, Indiana
- Ahmaad Moses, SMU
- Malik Muhammad, Texas
- Julian Neal, Arkansas
- Xavier Nwankpa, Iowa
- VJ Payne, Kansas State
- D’Angelo Ponds, Indiana
- Toriano Pride Jr., Missouri
- Ephesians Prysock, Washington
- Kamari Ramsey, USC
- Chandler Rivers, Duke
- Keionte Scott, Miami
- DeShon Singleton, Nebraska
- Avery Smith, Toledo
- Genesis Smith, Arizona
- Robert Spears-Jennings, Oklahoma
- Treydan Stukes, Arizona
- Lorenzo Styles Jr., Ohio State
- Michael Taaffe, Texas
- Avieon Terrell, Clemson
- Dillon Thieneman, Oregon
- Jakobe Thomas, Miami
- Zakee Wheatley, Penn State
- Collin Wright, Stanford
SPECIALISTS
- Tommy Doman Jr., Florida
- Ryan Eckley, Michigan State
- Trey Smack, Florida
- Drew Stevens, Iowa
- Jack Stonehouse, Syracuse
- Brett Thorson, Georgia
- Dominic Zvada, Michigan
===================================================================
WOMEN’S PRO VOLLEYBALL SCORES
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
===================================================================
NATIONAL SPORTS NEWS RELEASES
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
TOP 25 ROUNDUP: NO. 2 MICHIGAN RALLIES FROM 16-POINT DEFICIT TO BEAT NORTHWESTERN
L.J. Cason scored 18 points and Yaxel Lendeborg notched a double-double of 15 points and 12 rebounds to help No. 2 Michigan rally for an 87-75 victory against host Northwestern on Wednesday in Evanston, Ill.
Michigan faced its largest halftime deficit, nine points, and trailed by a season-high 16 when the Wildcats’ Angelo Ciaravino hit a jumper in the paint to cap an 8-2 run with 14:22 left.
The Wolverines (23-1, 13-1 Big Ten) regrouped behind torrid shooting. Trey McKenney drilled a 3-pointer to put Michigan ahead 68-67 with 7:14 to go for its first lead since 10-8.
Northwestern’s Jayden Reid responded with a jumper the next time down the floor, but Michigan had the answer, never relinquishing the advantage after the 5:51 mark and leading by as many as 12 points.
No. 6 UConn 80, Butler 70
Solo Ball scored 24 points to lead the Huskies to a hard-fought Big East victory over the Bulldogs in Indianapolis.
Tarris Reed Jr. added 16 points along with 10 boards and seven assists for UConn (23-2, 13-1 Big East), which bounced back from its first loss in nearly three months. Braylon Mullins added 15 points and Silas Demary Jr. scored 11 with 10 assists as the Huskies shot 50.8% from the field.
Drayton Jones scored 15 points to lead Butler (13-12, 4-10), which has lost five in a row. Yohan Traore added 14 with five boards while Evan Haywood scored 12.
No. 14 Florida 86, Georgia 66
Led by Xaivian Lee’s 18 points, the Gators put five players in double figures and rolled past Georgia in Athens, Ga.
Florida retained first place in the Southeastern Conference with its fourth straight victory. Lee was 7-for-14 from the floor, including three 3-pointers, and had seven assists. Florida (18-6, 9-2 SEC) also got 15 points from Boogie Fland, 12 points each from Isaiah Brown and Alex Condon, and 11 points from Thomas Haugh. Rueben Chinyelu had 20 rebounds, one shy of matching his season high.
Georgia (17-7, 5-6) got 17 points and 11 rebounds from Blue Cain for his second double-double of the season, 15 points from Marcus “Smurf” Millender and 11 points from Kanon Catchings.
No. 16 Texas Tech 78, Colorado 44
The Red Raiders bolted to a big lead quickly against the Buffaloes and then ran away and hid in the second half on the way to a rout in Lubbock, Texas.
In a dominant tune-up for a national showdown at No. 1 Arizona on Saturday, Texas Tech (18-6, 8-3 Big 12) snatched the lead for good barely three minutes in. J.T. Toppin dominated the interior with 16 points and 18 rebounds, while Christian Anderson scored 14 points and dished out seven assists. Donovan Atwell led the Red Raiders with 20 points, bolstered by 6-of-10 shooting from 3-point range.
Isaiah Johnson led the Buffaloes (14-11, 4-8) with 13 points and was one of two Colorado players who shot 50% or higher from the floor. He was 5 of 9, while Ian Inman was 4 of 7, all four shots he hit coming from 3-point territory in the first half.
Virginia Tech 76, No. 20 Clemson 66
Jailen Bedford had 23 points and four 3-pointers and the Hokies took a big step off the NCAA Tournament bubble with a road win over the Tigers.
The Hokies (17-8, 6-6 ACC) shot 52% from the floor, 52.4% from 3-point range and racked up the second-most points Clemson has allowed in ACC play. Ben Hammond had 19 points and three 3-pointers for Virginia Tech, which made all 13 of its free throw attempts.
Clemson, which shot 45.5% from the floor and 31.3% from beyond the arc, was led by Carter Welling’s 19 points, and Ace Buckner and Nick Davidson each had 16 off the bench. The Tigers (20-5, 10-2) lost a four-game winning streak.
==============================================================
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
WOMEN’S TOP 25 ROUNDUP: LAUREN BETTS, NO. 2 UCLA DOWN MICHIGAN ST.
Lauren Betts went 10-for-14 from the floor, scoring 22 points, leading No. 2 UCLA to an 86-63 blowout of No. 13 Michigan State on Wednesday in East Lansing, Mich.
Kiki Rice added 18 points, Gabriela Jaquez recorded 13 and Gianna Kneepkens had 12 for the Bruins (24-1, 14-0 Big Ten), who extended their winning streak to 18 games. Rice and Betts each posted seven rebounds and five assists.
Jaquez scored eight points in the first quarter as the Bruins jumped out to a 23-9 lead, and the margin grew to 44-20 by halftime. Overall, UCLA shot 56.5% from the floor and made 7 of 18 3-point attempts (38.9%) while limiting Michigan State to 30.9% field-goal shooting and 9-of-26 accuracy (34.6%) from beyond the arc.
Rashunda Jones finished with 15 points as the Spartans (20-5, 9-5) lost for the third time in four games. Emma Shumate tallied 12 while Kennedy Blair amassed 10 points and six assists.
No. 1 UConn 94, Creighton 44
Allie Ziebell came off the bench to sink five 3-pointers and score 20 points as the unbeaten Huskies trounced the Bluejays in Storrs, Conn.
Azzi Fudd put up 19 points, Sarah Strong added 16 and Ashlynn Shade contributed 13 for UConn (26-0, 15-0 Big East), which has produced a winning margin of 30-plus in all but four games this season. The Huskies shot 57.1% from the floor and 53.8% (14 of 26) from 3-point range.
Elizabeth Gentry topped Creighton (12-13, 8-8) with 12 points, and Kennedy Townsend scored 10. The Bluejays hit just 22.6% of their field-goal attempts and 26.3% (10 of 38) from long distance.
No. 15 Iowa 65, No. 25 Washington 56
An 11-0 run to open the second quarter sparked the Hawkeyes to a victory over the Huskies in Iowa City.
Washington led 25-19 after one quarter before Hannah Stuelke and Chazadi Wright combined for nine of the points in the surge that gave Iowa (19-5, 10-3 Big Ten) the lead for good. Wright finished with 21 points while Stuelke amassed 14 points and 16 rebounds as the Hawkeyes snapped a three-game losing streak.
The Huskies (18-7, 8-6) got 19 points from Elle Ladine and 14 from Sayvia Sellers. Washington was hurt by committing 19 turnovers to Iowa’s nine.
No. 19 West Virginia 106, UCF 56
Reserve Riley Makalusky scored 20 points in 20 minutes as the Mountaineers posted their second-highest point total of the season in a rout of the Knights at Morgantown, W.Va.
Kierra Wheeler chipped in 18 points and nine rebounds for West Virginia (21-5, 11-3 Big 12), who won their fourth game in a row. Jordan Harrison logged 12 points and eight assists, Gia Cooke also had 12 points, and Sydney Shaw registered 10 points and nine rebounds.
Mahogany Chandler-Roberts totaled 12 points and seven rebounds for UCF (10-14, 2-11), which dropped its sixth consecutive game.
===================================================================
NBA
NBA ROUNDUP: KAWHI LEONARD, CLIPPERS NIP ROCKETS IN FINAL SECONDS
Kawhi Leonard completed a tiebreaking three-point play with two seconds remaining to lift the visiting Los Angeles Clippers to a 105-102 comeback victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.
Leonard scored 19 of his game-high 27 points in the fourth quarter to lead the rally from a 15-point deficit. His spinning fadeaway came despite a foul from Jae’Sean Tate and gave the Clippers their final lead in a back-and-forth closing period. Tari Eason missed a corner 3-point attempt at the buzzer for the Rockets.
Leonard, who added a team-high 12 rebounds plus a game-high four steals, paced six Clippers in double figures. Kris Dunn and Bennedict Mathurin scored 16 points apiece for Houston, which committed 21 turnovers while seeing a two-game winning streak end.
Kevin Durant led the Rockets with 21 points while Reed Sheppard added 17 points and five 3-pointers off the bench. Jabari Smith Jr. chipped in with 16 points and 12 rebounds, and Alperen Sengun posted 16 points, nine rebounds and six assists.
Jazz 121, Kings 93
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 23 points while Lauri Markkanen added 19 points and seven rebounds to lead Utah past Sacramento in Salt Lake City, handing the Kings their 14th consecutive loss.
The Kings equaled the franchise-worst skid, first done by the Cincinnati Royals in 1959-60 and matched by the Royals in 1971-72.
Isaiah Collier tallied 12 points and 14 assists to help the Jazz win their second straight game, and Brice Sensabuagh chipped in 19 points off the bench. DeMar DeRozan led Sacramento with 20 points and Devin Carter added 19.
Nuggets 122, Grizzlies 116
Nikola Jokic had 26 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists to counter his nine turnovers, Jamal Murray finished with 23 points, and host Denver held off Memphis.
It was Jokic’s 20th triple-double this season and 184th of his career. Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 21, Christian Braun had 14, Julian Strawther contributed 11 and Bruce Brown had 10 for Denver, which enters the All-Star break third in the Western Conference.
GG Jackson scored a season high with 21 points, Ty Jerome added 19 points, Jaylen Wells scored 17, Olivier-Maxence Prosper had 14 points and Taylor Hendricks 10 for Memphis, which has lost four in a row.
Spurs 126, Warriors 113
De’Aaron Fox led a balanced attack with 27 points, five reserves combined for 57 points on the second night of a back-to-back, and San Antonio rallied from 16 down to overtake Golden State in San Francisco.
Victor Wembanyama backed Fox with 26 points for the Spurs, who swept the Los Angeles Lakers and the Warriors on consecutive nights to take a six-game winning streak into the All-Star break. Wembanyama also found time for a team-high nine rebounds and four assists.
Draymond Green, De’Anthony Melton and Moses Moody had 17 points apiece for the Warriors, who lost despite outscoring the Spurs 48-30 from beyond the arc. Fifteen of Melton’s points came on five long-range hoops.
Bucks 116, Magic 108
Cam Thomas scored 34 points off the bench as visiting Milwaukee snapped Orlando’s three-game winning streak.
Kevin Porter Jr. paired 18 points with 11 assists and 10 rebounds for the Bucks, who earned their fourth win in five games. Ousmane Dieng contributed 17 points and Jericho Sims posted a career-high 17 points to go with 11 rebounds.
The Magic’s Desmond Bane scored 31 points while equaling his career best with eight 3-pointers. Paolo Banchero added 17 points, and Jalen Suggs combined 16 points with 10 assists.
Thunder 136, Suns 109
Jalen Williams scored 19 of his 28 points in the third quarter and Oklahoma City routed short-handed host Phoenix for the second time this season.
Reserve Isaiah Joe had 21 points, tying a season high with six 3-pointers, and Kenrich Williams added 15 points off the bench for the Thunder, who built a 29-point lead in the second quarter and led 103-66 late in the third.
Dillon Brooks scored 23 points and Royce O’Neale scored 12 on four 3-pointers for the Suns, who have lost four of six. Williams, playing his second game after missing the previous 10 with a hamstring injury, was 11 of 12 from the field and had five assists and four rebounds.
Celtics 124, Bulls 105
Payton Pritchard came off the bench to score a game-high 26 points and Nikola Vucevic added 19 points and 11 rebounds to lead Boston to a victory over visiting Chicago.
Vucevic was traded to Boston last week in a deal that sent Anfernee Simons from the Celtics to the Bulls. Simons had seven points and five rebounds in the loss. Pritchard added eight assists and five rebounds for Boston, which shot 51.6% from the field. The Celtics, who shot 40% (18 of 45) from 3-point territory, received 24 points from Jaylen Brown.
Rob Dillingham scored a team-high 16 points for the Bulls. Chicago’s Matas Buzelis had 15 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots. Collin Sexton tossed in 15 and Guerschon Yabusele finished with 13 for Chicago, which was outrebounded 48-34.
Pistons 113, Raptors 95
Cade Cunningham scored 18 of his 28 points in the second quarter and visiting Detroit defeated Toronto.
Cunningham, who hit 6 of 11 3-point attempts, added seven rebounds, nine assists and three steals for the Pistons, who have won three straight and eight of their last 10. The Pistons never trailed as Paul Reed added 22 points and four blocked shots and Tobias Harris had 12 points and 12 rebounds. Duncan Robinson posted 13 points.
Immanuel Quickley scored 18 points for the Raptors, who ended a 3-2 homestand. Scottie Barnes scored 17, RJ Barrett had 16, Brandon Ingram added 13 and Gradey Dick chipped in 10. Toronto’s Jakob Poeltl played for the first time since Dec. 21 after being out with a strained back and scored nine points with six rebounds.
Cavaliers 138, Wizards 113
Sam Merrill scored a career-high 32 points and made nine 3-pointers, and Donovan Mitchell had 30 points as Cleveland led from wire to wire in a victory over visiting Washington.
James Harden posted 13 points and 11 assists in his home debut for Cleveland, which won its fifth straight and is 10-1 since Jan. 21 to move into fourth place in the Eastern Conference. Jarrett Allen added 21 points and made all eight of his field-goal attempts.
Kyshawn George scored 17 points and Jamir Watkins had 16 for the Wizards, who have lost three in a row and 14 of their last 18. Sharife Cooper came off the bench with 11 points, five rebounds and five assists.
Knicks 138, 76ers 89
Jose Alvarado made eight 3-pointers and scored a season-high 26 points as visiting New York rolled to a victory over Philadelphia in both teams’ final game before the All-Star break.
Mikal Bridges added 22 points for New York, which led by as many as 52 in closing the first half of the season with its 10th win in 12 games. Karl-Anthony Towns chipped in with 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Knicks.
With Joel Embiid (knee) and Paul George (suspension) sitting out, Tyrese Maxey was the lone star on the court for Philadelphia. He scored 32 points, while VJ Edgecombe added 14 for the Sixers, who fell to 1-3 in their last four games.
Pacers 115, Nets 110
Rookie Kam Jones hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 16.8 seconds left as Indiana stormed back from an 18-point deficit and earned a victory over Brooklyn in New York.
The Pacers eked out their second straight close victory and improved to 9-9 in their past 18 following a 6-31 start. Jarace Walker led Indiana with 23 points, 14 of them in the second half, and Micah Potter added a career-high 19 points and 12 rebounds.
Rookie Noah Traore led the Nets with 20 points while Day’Ron Sharpe and Ziaire Williams contributed 19 apiece. Brooklyn was unable to match a season best with a third straight win.
Timberwolves 133, Trail Blazers 109
Julius Randle scored 41 points on 14-for-24 shooting, and Minnesota pulled away for a win over Portland in Minneapolis.
Jaden McDaniels added 21 points on 7-for-13 shooting for Minnesota, which enters the NBA All-Star break with back-to-back victories. Rudy Gobert finished with 17 points and eight rebounds, and Anthony Edwards scored 14 points.
Jrue Holiday scored 23 points and made five 3-pointers to lead Portland, ending their three-game winning streak. Scoot Henderson added 18 points, and Vit Krejci contributed 17 points.
Heat 123, Pelicans 111
Bam Adebayo scored 27 points and grabbed 14 rebounds as visiting Miami continued its dominance over New Orleans.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 23 points off the bench and Kel’el Ware had 16 points and 12 rebounds for Miami, which has won four straight against New Orleans and 11 of the past 12 meetings. Simone Fontecchio scored 15 points and Kasparas Jakucionis had 11.
Zion Williamson led the Pelicans with 25 points on 12-of-19 shooting. Trey Murphy III added 19 points and six assists before exiting late in the third quarter with right shoulder soreness. Jeremiah Fears had 13 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.
Hornets 110, Hawks 107
Brandon Miller scored 31 points and short-handed Charlotte defeated visiting Atlanta in the final game for both teams prior to the All-Star break.
LaMelo Ball provided 24 points and six assists as the Hornets won for the 10th time in 11 games. Kon Knueppel contributed 18 points and PJ Hall, who hadn’t played in an NBA game in more than a month, turned in 11 points and 10 rebounds in 17 minutes as Charlotte won despite sputtering on offense over the final 5 1/2 minutes.
Dyson Daniels led the Hawks with 21 points, Jalen Johnson posted 19 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists, Onyeka Okongwu had 18 points and CJ McCollum supplied 17 points.
MAVS F COOPER FLAGG (FOOT) OUT THROUGH ALL-STAR BREAK
NBA Rookie of the Year front-runner Cooper Flagg of the Dallas Mavericks has a left midfoot sprain and will be sidelined through All-Star weekend, the team announced Wednesday.
Flagg, 19, sustained the sprain against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday, with an MRI on Wednesday revealing the injury, the Mavericks announced.
Per ESPN, the former Duke star is expected to return to the lineup when the Mavericks open the second half on Feb. 20 against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis.
Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, will miss Dallas’ Thursday road game against the Los Angeles Lakers and the Rising Stars Game on Friday, part of All-Star weekend in Inglewood, Calif.
Flagg leads all rookies with an average of 20.4 points per game and also is producing 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 34.1 minutes per contest over 49 games this season.
His 49-point performance in a road loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Jan. 29 broke the NBA record for the highest-scoring outing by a teen.
====================================================================
COLLEGE BASEBALL
BIG TEN RELEASES PRESEASON BASEBALL POLL AND PLAYERS TO WATCH LIST
ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference announced its preseason baseball poll and players to watch list on Wednesday.
Coming off an appearance at the 2025 NCAA Men’s College World Series, UCLA is the unanimous choice to capture the 2026 Big Ten Baseball Championship, according to the Big Ten Preseason Poll. The Bruins received 17 first-place votes in balloting conducted by the conference’s head coaches.
UCLA, Oregon, USC and Nebraska (in that order) occupy the top spots in the poll – four programs that appeared in the NCAA Tournament last spring. Indiana and Iowa round out the poll which projected the top six spots.
UCLA is the nation’s top-ranked team in the Baseball America and D1Baseball preseason polls while Oregon is ranked as high as 13th by Perfect Game.
Coaches also selected three student-athletes from their respective squads to comprise the 51-member Big Ten Players to Watch List.
The watch list features seven players who earned All-Big Ten honors last season, including first teamers in Oregon’s Ryan Cooney and UCLA’s Roch Cholowsky. Cholowsky, the reigning Big Ten Player of the Year, was named National Player of the Year by the ABCA, Baseball America and Perfect Game last season.
The Big Ten baseball season commences Friday with Big Ten games beginning March 6.
BIG TEN PRESEASON POLL
1. UCLA
2. Oregon
3. USC
4. Nebraska
5. Indiana
6. Iowa
BIG TEN PLAYERS TO WATCH LIST
| NAME | SCHOOL | YEAR | POSITION(S) | HOMETOWN |
| Nick Groves | Illinois | Sr. | OF | Bayfield, Ontario |
| Regan Hall | Illinois | Jr. | LHP | Albuquerque, N.M. |
| Collin Jennings | Illinois | Jr. | OF | Orland Park, Ill. |
| Jackson Bergman | Indiana | Sr. | RHP | Hicksville, Ohio |
| Hogan Denny | Indiana | So. | C/OF | Mooresville, Ind. |
| Jake Hanley ^ | Indiana | So. | 1B | Mason, Ohio |
| Tyler Guerin | Iowa | So. | RHP/1B | Shoreview, Minn. |
| Gable Mitchell | Iowa | Sr. | INF | Iowa City, Iowa |
| Caleb Wulf | Iowa | Sr. | INF | West Liberty, Iowa |
| Ty Kaunas | Maryland | Fr. | SS | Jefferson, Md. |
| David Mendez | Maryland | Jr. | 2B | Aldie, Va. |
| Lance Williams | Maryland | So. | RHP | Shenandoah, Va. |
| Tate Carey | Michigan | So. | RHP | Windsor, Ontario |
| Gavin DeVooght | Michigan | Jr. | RHP | Walled Lake, Mich. |
| Noah Miller | Michigan | R-So. | C | Monroe, Mich. |
| Nolan Higgins | Michigan State | Sr. | RHP | Wixom, Mich. |
| Ryan McKay ^ | Michigan State | Jr. | 2B | Clarkston, Mich. |
| Randy Seymour | Michigan State | Sr. | 1B | Frankfort, Ill. |
| Weber Neels ^ | Minnesota | Sr. | C | Cottage Grove, Minn. |
| Cole Selvig | Minnesota | Jr. | RHP | Eau Claire, Minn. |
| Charlie Sutherland | Minnesota | Jr. | UTL | Duluth, Minn. |
| Jett Buck | Nebraska | Sr. | INF | Kansas City, Mo. |
| Ty Horn | Nebraska | Jr. | RHP | Halstead, Kan. |
| Case Sanderson | Nebraska | Jr. | INF | Nevada, Mo. |
| Sam Hliboki | Northwestern | Gr. | RHP | Los Angeles, Calif. |
| Ryan Kucherak | Northwestern | Jr. | SS | Chandler, Ariz. |
| Jack Lausch | Northwestern | Sr. | OF | Chicago, Ill. |
| Mason Eckelman | Ohio State | Jr. | C | Broadview Heights, Ohio |
| Lee Ellis | Ohio State | Jr. | INF | White Plains, Md. |
| Gavin Kuzniewski | Ohio State | So. | RHP | Fishers, Ind. |
| Ryan Cooney + | Oregon | Jr. | 2B | Portland, Ore. |
| Maddox Molony * | Oregon | Jr. | SS | Springfield, Ore. |
| Cal Scolari | Oregon | So. | RHP | Reno, Nevada |
| Michael Anderson | Penn State | Sr. | INF/RHP | Havertown, Pa. |
| Colin Fitzgerald | Penn State | R-Sr. | RHP | Lititz, Pa. |
| Bryce Molinaro | Penn State | R-Jr. | INF | Drums, Pa. |
| Dylan Drake | Purdue | Jr. | INF | Sacramento, Calif. |
| Aaron Manias | Purdue | R-Sr. | INF/OF | Uxbridge, Ontario |
| Cole Van Assen | Purdue | Jr. | RHP | Tinley Park, Ill. |
| Peyton Bonds | Rutgers | Jr. | OF | Franklin, N.J. |
| Chase Krewson | Rutgers | Jr. | OF | Bridgeville, Pa. |
| Charlie Meglio | Rutgers | Jr. | INF | Jackson, N.J. |
| Roch Cholowsky + | UCLA | Jr. | SS | Chandler, Ariz. |
| Mulivia Levu ^ | UCLA | Jr. | 1B | Huntington Beach, Calif. |
| Logan Reddemann | UCLA | Jr. | RHP | Palmdale, Calif. |
| Mason Edwards | USC | Jr. | LHP | Los Angeles, Calif. |
| Adrian Lopez | USC | Jr. | INF | Baldwin Park, Calif. |
| Adam Troy | USC | R-Jr. | RHP | Houston, Texas |
| Hayden Lewis | Washington | Sr. | RHP | Scottsdale, Ariz. |
| Casen Taggart | Washington | Gr. | 1B | Everett, Wash. |
| Jackson Thomas | Washington | Gr. | RHP | Mesa, Ariz. |
+ 2025 All-Big Ten First Team
^ 2025 All-Big Ten Second Team
* 2025 All-Big Ten Third Team
2026 HCAC BASEBALL PRESEASON POLL
CARMEL, Ind – The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) has announced the results of its baseball preseason coaches’ poll on Wednesday morning with 2025 HCAC Baseball Tournament runner-up Transylvania predicted, in a vote amongst league coaches, to take the top spot as HCAC Champions in 2026. The Pioneers earned 76 points in the poll and seven of a possible 10 first place votes.
Rose-Hulman, last year’s No. 3 seed in the tournament, is looking to make a jump this year as it was picked second in the voting. Reigning HCAC Baseball Champion Manchester and Franklin each garnered 58 points to tie for third on this year’s ballot. The Spartans also received two first place votes. Rounding out the the top-5 was Anderson with 55 points and the last remaining first place selection.
The Pios return four All-Conference honorees from last year, including three First Team selections. Included in that group are reigning HCAC Pitcher of the Year Drew Bowles (Lexington, Ky.) and the league’s Newcomer of the Year Giancarlo Gonzalez (Lexington, Ky.). Joining the two Transylvania hurlers are First Team outfielder Ethan Dillon (Louisville, Ky.) and Second Teamer Baxter Tedesco (Louisville, Ky.).
Following the regular season, the 2026 HCAC Baseball Championship is scheduled to take place Thursday-Sunday, May 7-10 at Kokomo Municipal Stadium in Kokomo, Ind. The top six teams at the end of the regular season will qualify for the double-elimination tournament with the winner earning the league’s automatic qualifier into the 2026 NCAA Division III Baseball Championship.
2026 HCAC Baseball Preseason Coaches’ Poll Results
| 1. | Transylvania | 76 (7) |
| 2. | Rose-Hulman | 65 |
| T3. | Manchester | 58 (2) |
| T3. | Franklin | 58 |
| 5. | Anderson | 55 (1) |
| 6. | Mount St. Joseph | 46 |
| T7. | Earlham | 33 |
| T7. | Hanover | 33 |
| 9. | Bluffton | 17 |
| 10. | Berea | 9 |
========================================================================
2026 Team-by-Team Capsules
TRANSYLVANIA PIONEERS (LEXINGTON, KY.)
Predicted 2026 HCAC Finish = First Place with 76 poll points and seven first place votes.
Head Coach = Zack Getsee
2025 Results = 23-21 Overall, 13-9 HCAC (4th place)
Returning HCAC All-Conference Players = 4
- (1st Team) Drew Bowles, Junior Pitcher, Lexington, Ky. (2025 HCAC Pitcher of the Year)
- (1st Team) Giancarlo Gonzalez, Sophomore Pitcher, Lexington, Ky. (2025 HCAC Newcomer of the Year)
- (1st Team) Ethan Dillon, Sophomore Outfielder, Louisville, Ky.
- (2nd Team) Baxter Tedesco, Sophomore Infielder, Louisville, Ky.
Other Players to Watch in 2026 =
- Chris Hedinger, Junior Outfielder, Jasper, Ind.
- Nathan Hale, Junior Pitcher, Crestwood, Ky.
- Seita Shiratori, Senior Infielder, Toyko, Japan
- Calvin Schubert, Senior Outfielder, Louisville, Ky.
ROSE-HULMAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY FIGHTIN’ ENGINEERS (Terre Haute, Ind.)
Predicted 2026 HCAC Finish = Second place with 65 poll points.
Head Coach = Adam Rosen
2025 Results = 23-19 Overall, 14-8 HCAC (3rd place)
Returning HCAC All-Conference Players = 3
- (1st Team) Connor O’Connell, Senior First Base/Third Base, Fort Myers, Fla.
- (1st Team) Jackson Harms, Sophomore Outfielder, Irving, Texas
- (HM) Mason Rasmussen, Senior Catcher, Lake Barrington, Ill.
Other Players to Watch in 2026 =
- Brad Nardi, Junior Pitcher/Outfielder, Avon, Ind.
- Tyler Orr, Senior Pitcher, Newburgh, Ind.
- Jackson Summers, Junior Outfielder/Pitcher, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.
MANCHESTER UNIVERSITY SPARTANS (North Manchester, Ind.)
Predicted 2026 HCAC Finish = Tied for third place with 58 poll points and two first place votes.
Head Coach = Rick Espeset (2025 Coach of the Year)
2025 Results = 29-14 Overall, 15-7 HCAC, Co-Regular Season and Tournament Champions
Returning HCAC All-Conference Players = 4
- (1st Team) Joel Kennedy, Senior Designated Hitter, Mooreland, Ind.
- (2nd Team) Michael Dierckman, Junior Outfielder, Fort Wayne, Ind.
- (2nd Team) Ty Layson, Senior Pitcher, Fort Wayne, Ind.
- (HM) Cam Bortone, Sophomore First Base, South Bend, Ind.
FRANKLIN COLLEGE GRIZZLIES (Franklin, Ind.)
Predicted 2026 HCAC Finish = Tied for third place with 58 poll points.
Head Coach = Lance Marshall
2025 Results = 21-20 Overall, 12-10 HCAC (Tied 5th Place, No. 6 tournament seed)
Returning HCAC All-Conference Players = 4
- (1st Team) Garrett DeHart, Senior Shortstop, Smyrna, Ga.
- (1st Team) Josh Girvan, Sophomore Second Base, Zionsville, Ind.
- (2nd Team) Ian Nuckles, Junior Outfielder, Martinsville, Ind.
- (HM) Nic Deering, Sophomore Outfielder, New Palestine, Ind.
Other Players to Watch in 2026 =
- Luke Harmon, Junior Pitcher, Columbus, Ind.
- Drew Helton, Sophomore Infielder, Whiteland, Ind.
- Dyllan Redmon, Senior Infielder, Columbus, Ind.
- Caden Wilburn, Senior Pitcher, Martinsville, Ind.
ANDERSON UNIVERSITY RAVENS (Anderson, Ind.)
Predicted 2026 HCAC Finish = Fifth Place with 26 poll points and one first place vote.
Head Coach = Tyler Rubasky
2025 Results = 26-16 Overall, 15-7 HCAC, Co-Regular Season Champions (No. 2 tournament seed)
Returning HCAC All-Conference Players = 4
- (1st Team) Zac Stawski, Junior Outfielder, Granger, Ind.
- (1st Team) Griffin Wolf, Senior First Base, Carmel, Ind.
- (2nd Team) Trey Dorton, Senior Outfielder, Westfield, Ind.
- (2nd Team) Dylan Hogan, Senior Infielder, Floyd Knobs, Ind.
MOUNT ST. JOSEPH LIONS (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Predicted 2026 HCAC Finish = Sixth place with 46 poll points.
Head Coach = Jeff Newman
2025 Results = 26-17 Overall, 12-10 HCAC (Tied for 5th place, No. 5 tournament seed)
Returning HCAC All-Conference Players = 3
- (2nd Team) Brennan Martin, Senior First Base/Designated Hitter, Cincinnati, Ohio
- (2nd Team) Nolan Miller, Junior Pitcher, Cincinnati, Ohio
Other Players to Watch in 2026 =
- Jackson Bucks, Junior Pitcher, Hebron, Ky.
- Zach deSylva, Sophomore Pitcher, Fort Thomas, Ky.
- Jordan Harley, Senior Outfielder, Batavia, Ohio
- Josh Isaacs, Junior Pitcher, Fairfield, Ohio
EARLHAM COLLEGE QUAKERS (Richmond, Ind.)
Predicted 2026 HCAC Finish = Tied for Seventh place with 33 poll points.
Head Coach = Steve Sakosits
2025 Results = 17-21 Overall, 10-12 HCAC (Tied for 7th place)
Returning HCAC All-Conference Players = 2
- (2nd Team) Mitchell Roether, Senior First Base, Dayton, Ohio
- (HM) Noah Rosato, Senior First Base, Elizabethton, Tenn.
Other Players to Watch in 2026 =
- Casey Blevins, Sophomore Pitcher, Richmond, Ind.
- Sean Jeffries, Senior Infielder, Gilbert, Ariz.
- Jonathan Jimenez, Senior Outfielder, Rising Sun, Ind.
HANOVER COLLEGE PANTHERS (Hanover, Ind.)
Predicted 2026 HCAC Finish = Tied for Seventh Place with 33 poll points.
Head Coach = Grant Bellak
2025 Results = 15-24 Overall, 10-12 HCAC (Tied for 7th place)
Returning HCAC All-Conference Players = 3
- (2nd Team) John Girard, Senior Pitcher, Richmond, Ky.
- (2nd Team) Josh Simpson, Senior Utility, Bardstown, Ky.
- (HM) Wyatt Colvin, Sophomore Pitcher, Prospect, Ky.
Players to Watch in 2026 =
- Ashton Carie, Junior Pitcher, Madison, Ind.
- Trevor Jones, Senior Infielder, Indianapolis, Ind.
- Dylan Lloyd, Sophomore Pitcher, Colerain, Ohio
- Wesley Stiller, Junior Outfielder, Greenfield, Ind.
BLUFFTON UNIVERSITY BEAVERS (Bluffton, Ohio)
Predicted 2026 HCAC Finish = Ninth Place with 17 poll points.
Head Coach = James Grandey
2025 Results = 9-29-1 Overall, 6-16 HCAC (9th place)
Returning HCAC All-Conference Players = 1
- (HM) Ayden Spriggs, Senior Third Base, North Lewisburg, Ohio
Players to Watch in 2026 =
- Matthew Becher, Junior Pitcher, Fishers, Ind.
- Brandon North, Junior Catcher/First Base, Hilliard, Ohio
- Riley Reyna, Junior Pitcher, Wellington, Ohio
BEREA COLLEGE MOUNTAINEERS (Berea, Ky.)
Predicted 2026 HCAC Finish = Tenth Place with 9 poll points.
Head Coach = Frank Pufall
2025 Results = 9-29 Overall, 3-19 HCAC (10th place)
Players to Watch in 2026 =
- Ty Palmgren, Sophomore Outfielder/Pitcher, Hudson, Fla.
- Giovanny Ortiz, Junior Utility, Orocovis, Puerto Rico
======================================================================
NASCAR
KYLE BUSCH WINS POLE FOR DAYTONA 500 IN 21ST ATTEMPT
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Kyle Busch delivered the best Daytona 500 qualifying effort of his championship NASCAR career Wednesday night at Daytona International Speedway, claiming his first ever pole position for the Great American Race (Sunday, 2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Busch’s No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet was quickest in first-round qualifying and answered the work resoundingly with an even faster lap (183.651 mph) in the 10-car final round — besting Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chase Briscoe by only .064 mph to set the front row.
Busch, 40, and Briscoe, 31 — the 2025 Daytona 500 polesitter — locked into the 41-car field along with 23XI Racing’s Corey Heim and JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier, who claimed the two open positions up for grabs Wednesday. The remainder of the field will be settled Thursday in the America 250 Florida Duel at Daytona races (7 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) with the 500 starting positions to be based on the Duels’ finishing order.
This will mark Busch’s 21st start in the Daytona 500 — and no previous driver has won the race with more than 20 starts. The late NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt scored his only Daytona 500 victory in his 20th start for Busch’s team owner, NASCAR Hall of Famer Childress.
“Certainly, here on a Wednesday night, being able to qualify on my first pole for the Daytona 500, that’s pretty special,” said a grinning Busch. “I’ve had one other speedway pole down here in Daytona for the summer race. This feels good. Feels really good for RCR as a group.
“Just a valiant effort by everybody here,” the two-time series champion added. “It would be really nice to be doing an interview like this about being No. 1 come Sunday night.”
Briscoe was encouraged by his showing as well, noting with a laugh that more typically it’s the Hendrick Motorsports team that has dominated Daytona 500 front row qualifying in recent years.
“It’s cool for sure to be able to consistently (perform) two years in a row now,” said Briscoe, who drives the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. “It’s really a testament to the folks back at JGR. We’ve made so many improvements on our superspeedway program. This race really comes down to, at least in qualifying, attention to detail, just doing every little thing. …
“It’s the kid in me. … Being in the front row for two years in a row at the Daytona 500, it’s a really big deal.”
It was certainly a thrilling start to the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series points season, the qualifying session featured a great battle among all three series manufacturers — with four Chevrolets, three Fords and three Toyotas making up the final round. Nine of the 10 cars that advanced bettered the pole speed from a year ago.
Last week’s Clash preseason-opening race winner Ryan Preece was third fastest in the No. 60 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford with Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin, a three-time Daytona 500 winner, fourth quickest followed by Heim, the only one of eight “open” cars to make the 10-car final round.
“Just kind of nerve-wracking for sure to say the least,” the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Heim conceded of earning his first ever Daytona 500 start in the No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota.
Front Row Motorsports driver Noah Gragson had his qualifying lap disallowed after he used his hand to affect airflow, violating a new NASCAR rule that took effect this year. He will start last in his Duel race.
“I completely forgot about that rule,” Gragson said, “That one’s on me.”
=====================================================================
GOLF NEWS
GOLF GLANCE: PEBBLE BEACH HOSTS SIGNATURE EVENT; LIV PARTIES DOWN UNDER
The PGA Tour kicks off the 2026 signature event slate at famed Pebble Beach, while LIV Golf returns to its highly popular Australian stop.
PGA TOUR
THIS WEEK: AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Pebble Beach, Calif., Feb. 12-15
Course: Pebble Beach Golf Links (Pebble Beach: Par 72, 6,972 Yards; Spyglass Hill: Par 72, 7,071 Yards)
Purse: $20M (Winner: $3.6M)
Defending Champion: Rory McIlroy
FedEx Cup Leader: Chris Gotterup
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday: 3-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday: 1-3 p.m. (GC), 3-7 p.m. (CBS); Sunday: 1-3 p.m. (GC), 3-6:30 p.m. (CBS)
Streaming (ESPN+): Thursday-Friday: 11:45 a.m.-7 p.m. ET; Saturday: 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday: 11 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
X: @ATTProAm
NOTES: This is the first of nine signature events in 2026, featuring limited fields and increased purses. It’s the first signature event to be held at Pebble Beach, which will host its 80th pro-am on tour this year. Amateurs will compete alongside 80 professionals at each of the two courses, with the professionals competing at Pebble Beach over the final two rounds. … The field includes 18 of the top 20 players in the Official World Golf Ranking. This marks the PGA Tour season debut of defending champion and World No. 2 Rory McIlroy. … Jake Knapp was one of the final players into the field, earning a spot via the AON Swing 5 with his eighth-place finish in Phoenix, knocking Andrew Putnam out. Others in the top 5 were Pierceson Coody, Ryo Hisatsune, Matt McCarty and Patrick Rodgers. … Sahith Theegala is in the field on a sponsor exemption along with Tony Finau, Billy Horschel and Keith Mitchell. … 2017 champion Jordan Spieth makes his 14th career start in the event, where he owns six top-10s. He is making his 77th start since his most recent victory at the 2022 RBC Heritage Open.
BEST BETS: Scottie Scheffler (+295 at DraftKings) has won seven of his past 15 worldwide starts. After winning the AmEx, he finished T3 last week falling one shot short of a playoff despite opening with a 73. … Rory McIlroy (+1300) won by two strokes here last year. He opened 2025 with a T3 in Dubai before a T33 the following week. … Si Woo Kim (+2500) is a career-best 26th in the world with four top-4s and no worse than a T11 in his past six starts. … Reigning FedEx Cup champion Tommy Fleetwood (+2800) also makes his PGA Tour season debut after a 25th and T41 in the two-event Dubai swing. … Justin Rose (+2800) is coming off a seven-shot win at Torrey Pines just two weeks ago and enters as the No. 3 player in the world. … Gotterup (+3000) has won two of his first three starts this year and has four wins in his past 10 starts on tour. This is his Pebble Beach debut. … Hideki Matsuyama (+3200) led until the 72nd hole last week and has finished T13 or better in six consecutive worldwide starts.
Last Tournament: WM Phoenix Open (Gotterup)
Next Tournament: The Genesis Invitational, Pacific Palisades, Calif., Feb. 19-22
LIV GOLF LEAGUE
THIS WEEK: LIV Golf Adelaide, Feb. 12-15
Course: The Grange Golf Club (Par 72, 7,111 Yards)
Purses: Individual: $30M (Winner: $4M); Team: $10M (Winners: $3M)
Defending Champion: Individual: Joaquin Niemann; Team: Fireballs GC
2026 Season Leaders: Individual: Elvis Smylie; Team: Ripper GC
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Wednesday: 8 p.m. ET (Fox Sports App), 12 a.m. (FS1); Thursday: 8 p.m. (FS2), 11 p.m. (FS1); Friday: 10 p.m. (FS2), 12 a.m. (FS1); Saturday: 8 p.m. (FS1); 11 p.m. (Fox)
X: @livgolf_league
NOTES: More than 102,000 fans attended the 2025 event, and this year’s event marks the start of Adelaide’s festival season. The 165-yard 12th hole has been dubbed the “Watering Hole.” … Smylie moved to No. 77 in the Official World Golf Ranking with last week’s victory. … The daily shotgun start includes 13 teams and 57 total players, including five wild cards. … Phil Mickelson (personal) and Lee Westwood (injury) will miss their second consecutive event. Wade Ormsby will replace Mickelson for the HyFlyers and Ben Schmidt will replace Westwood for the Majesticks. The Cleeks’ Martin Kaymer will also be replaced by John Catlin.
Last Event: LIV Golf Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Individual: Smylie; Team: Ripper GC)
Next Event: LIV Golf Hong Kong, March 5-8
PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
THIS WEEK: Chubb Classic, Naples, Fla., Feb. 13-15
Course: Tiburon Golf Club, Black Course (Par 72, 6,897 Yards)
Purse: $1.8M (Winner: $270,000)
Defending Champion: Justin Leonard
Charles Schwab Cup leader: Stewart Cink
HOW TO WATCH
TV: Friday: 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday: 3-5:30 p.m. (Golf Channel)
X: @ChampionsTour
NOTES: The 54-hole event returns to Naples, Fla. for the 39th consecutive year. … Last year marked Leonard’s maiden win on the Champions tour. Bernhard Langer has won the event five times, most recently in 2024. … Langer and Davis Love III represent the two World Golf Hall of Fame members in the field.
Last Tournament: Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai, Ka’upulehu-Kona, Hawaii, Jan. 22-24 (Cink)
Next Tournament: James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational, Boca Raton, Fla., March 6-8
LPGA TOUR
THIS WEEK: OFF.
Race to the CME Globe Leader: Nelly Korda
Next Tournament: Honda LPGA Thailand, Pattaya, Chonburi, Feb. 19-22
DP WORLD TOUR
THIS WEEK: OFF.
Race to Dubai Leader: Patrick Reed
Last Tournament: Qatar Masters (Reed)
Next Tournament: Kenya Open, Nairobi, Feb. 19-22
=====================================================================
INDIANA SPORTS RELEASES
INDIANA PACERS
PACERS BEAT NETS 115-110 AS KAM JONES HITS KEY 3 WITH 16 SECONDS LEFT
NEW YORK (AP) — Jarace Walker had 23 points, Kam Jones secured the victory with a 3-pointer with 16 seconds remaining, and the short-handed Indiana Pacers beat the Brooklyn Nets 115-110 on Wednesday night.
Micah Potter had 19 and Ethan Thompson had 15 for the Pacers, who won for the second straight night after winning in overtime over the New York Knicks on Tuesday night to end a four-game losing streak.
Potter shot 6 of 8 from the field and 6 for 8 from the line. He scored 14 in the second half.
Nolan Traore had 20 points to lead the Nets, who had won two in a row. Day’Ron Sharpe had 19 points and 12 rebounds and Ziaire Williams also had 19.
The Pacers played without eight key players, including T.J. McConnell (right hamstring soreness); Andrew Nembhard (lower back injury management); Aaron Nesmith (lower back soreness); Pascal Siakam (left hamstring soreness); and Ivica Zubac (left ankle sprain).
Brooklyn jumped to a 31-18 lead after one quarter and led 64-53 at halftime. The Pacers put the game away in the fourth, outscoring the Nets 31-20 in the quarter.
The Nets turned the ball over 16 times, six more times than the Pacers.
Up next
Pacers: Play at Washington on Thursday, Feb. 19.
Nets: At Cleveland on Thursday, Feb. 19.
=====================================================================
FUEL HOCKEY
FUEL FALL 2-1 TO WHEELING ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT
FISHERS– The Indy Fuel hosted the Wheeling Nailers on Wednesday night. After scoring the game’s first goal early in the first period, the Fuel ultimately fell 2-1 to the Nailers in regulation.
1ST PERIOD
Indy’s Sahil Panwar took the game’s first penalty at 5:45. He sat for interference. Despite being on the penalty kill, Tyler Paquette scored shorthanded for the Fuel at 8:00 to make it 1-0.
The rest of the period remained even between the two teams, ending 7-7 in shots in the first frame.
2ND PERIOD
At 1:19, Jadon Joseph took a slashing penalty which put the Fuel on the penalty kill again. They were able to kill it off.
Wheeling’s Max Graham took a tripping penalty at 6:25. This gave the Fuel their first power play of the game but they could not score.
Graham took another penalty at 17:05 for roughing, but the Nailers killed it off.
At 19:31, Matthew Quercia took an interference penalty that would carry over into the third period as no one scored before time expired.
The Nailers were outshooting the Fuel, 17-15 at the end of the second period.
3RD PERIOD
Wheeling killed off that penalty quickly before Indy took possession of the puck and held a lot of the momentum.
At 6:35, Indy’s Nick Grima took a slashing penalty which put the Fuel on the penalty kill. Less than a minute later, Quercia also took a slashing penalty. Both penalties were killed off.
Indy’s Michael Marchesan took a cross checking penalty at 12:17 which led to a game-tying goal from Wheeling Connor Lockhart on the power play.
The Fuel went back to the power play with 1:56 to go after a delayed slashing penalty on Wheeling’s Zach Urdahl. That lasted three seconds as Jesse Tucker took a hooking penalty off the next faceoff.
Lockhart scored his second goal of the game to give Wheeling the 2-1 lead at 19:22.
Indy pulled Mitchell Weeks from the net with about thirty seconds to go in regulation but the Fuel could not score in time.
Wheeling outshot the Fuel, 29-22 to close out the game.
======================================================================
INDIANA BASEBALL
THREE NAMED TO BIG TEN PLAYERS TO WATCH LIST
ROSEMONT, Ill. – Ahead of the beginning of the 2026 baseball season, the Big Ten released its “Players to Watch” list and its preseason coaches’ poll. The Hoosiers had three players selected to the watch list and were picked fifth in the conference by a vote of the 17 managers. UCLA, the defending co-champions, were a unanimous selection to win the league.
Sophomore first baseman Jake Hanley, sophomore catcher Hogan Denny and senior right-handed pitcher Jackson Bergman were nominated by IU’s coaching staff as the program’s three watch list selections in the Big Ten. Each school provided three players for a total of 51 conference athletes.
Hanley is coming off one of the best freshman campaigns in program history. The Big Ten Freshman of the Year and all-conference selection hit .333 with 14 home runs and 52 RBIs in his debut season. He started all 56 games at first base and finished the year as a national finalist for the ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove award. Hanley is the cornerstone of IU’s offense in 2026 and will be the first name on the lineup card for head coach Jeff Mercer this year.
Denny made the Opening Day lineup in 2025 and powered his way to a .292 average over 50 appearances. He featured in the outfield and at second base but was a mainstay as the team’s designated hitter. The Mooresville, Indiana native will help anchor the middle of IU’s lineup and will both catch and play the outfield as a sophomore this year. He hit six home runs and provided 24 RBIs in his first season on campus.
Bergman, a towering transfer arm from Toledo, has the stuff to be a weekend regular on IU’s pitching staff. Over 132.2 career innings in the MAC, Bergman worked a 4.68 earned run average and had just 48 walks in three years. The veteran from Ohio has worked into the mid-90s and impressed in the fall with great command of his pitches. IU has had great success with turning transfer arms into professional prospects in Bloomington.
As a team, Mercer’s crew was picked fifth by the respective coaches. D1 Baseball had the Hoosiers sixth in the preseason poll, right on the outside looking in of the NCAA Tournament field. IU will face three of the top six teams in the preseason Big Ten projections this year. The Hoosiers open the season this weekend with a three-game set at No. 11 North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
Big Ten Preseason Players to Watch
• RHP Jackson Bergman, Sr.
• C/OF Hogan Denny, So.
• 1B Jake Hanley, So.
Big Ten Preseason Poll
1. UCLA (unanimous)
2. Oregon
3. USC
4. Nebraska
5. Indiana
6. Iowa
====================================================================
INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL WEST COAST SWING STARTS AT USC ON THURSDAY
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana opens its west coast trip on Thursday night at USC. Tipoff at Galen Center is slated for 10 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network.
GAME DAY INFO
Indiana (14-11, 3-10 B1G) at USC (15-9, 7-6 B1G)
Thursday, February 12, 2026 • 10 p.m. ET
Galen Center • Los Angeles, Calif.
Broadcast: BTN (Ann Schatz, Elise Woodward)
Radio: B97 (Austin Render)
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
ABOUT THE TROJANS
USC is on a four-game win streak including a pair on the road at Northwestern and Illinois last week. Freshman guard Jazzy Davidson is having an impressive rookie campaign and leads the Trojans with 16.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game and was named this week’s Big Ten Freshman of the Week. Three others add double figures including senior guard Kara Dunn (15.9 ppg.) while senior guard Londynn Jones and sophomore guard Kennedy Smith add 10.8 ppg. each.
SERIES HISTORY
USC leads 3-0
LAST MEETING
3/7/25, L, 79-84 (Indianapolis)
NOTES
Senior guard Shay Ciezki earned her third Big Ten Player of the Week honor on Monday (Feb. 9) as she was named the co-player of the week with UCLA’s Kiki Rice. In a pair of wins last week she averaged 30.0 points, 10.5 rebounds shooting 57.9 percent from the floor, 46.2 percent from the 3-point line and 83.3 percent at the free throw line. Ciezki scored team-highs with 31 points and a career-high five steals at Wisconsin and nearly had a triple double against Purdue with 29 points, a career-high 12 rebounds and eight assists.
Indiana picked up its third win-in-a-row with a 74-59 victory over Purdue on Sunday behind Ciezki’s near triple double with 29 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists. Junior forward Edessa Noyan recorded her first double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds in the win.
Ciezki continues to be one of the nation’s best scorers. She is the Big Ten’s leading scorer (and fourth nationally) with 24.0 points per game also ranks second in the nation in scoring (602 points). Ciezki is now ninth in a single season in points scored and is nine points away from becoming IU’s 34th member of the 1,000-point club. For her career, Ciezki has scored 1,748 points. She is part of the elusive 50/40/90 club, as she shoots 54.4 percent from the floor, 46.6 percent from the 3-point line and 90.7 percent at the free throw line.
UP NEXT
Indiana stays in LA to face No. 2/2 UCLA on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on Peacock.
======================================================================
PURDUE MEN’S GOLF
EASTERBROOK POSTS TOP-10 FINISH AT PUERTO RICO CLASSIC
RIO GRANDE, P.R. – The Purdue men’s golf team wrapped up play at the Puerto Rico Classic on Wednesday, finishing 13th in the elite tournament held at the Grand Reserve Golf Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.
The Boilermakers totaled a 54-hole score of 9-under par 855 (283-284-288) to finish 13th out of 15 teams. No. 1-ranked Virginia won the tournament at 55-under par 809, outdistancing No. 2-ranked LSU (-37). Tennessee (-36), Oklahoma (-33) and South Carolina (-28) rounded out the top five.
Sam Easterbrook led the Boilermakers with a T-9 showing at 10-under par 206 (69-67-70), his 12th career top-10 showing, good for the ninth-most top-10 finishes in school history. It marks his second straight year of finishing in the top 10 at the Puerto Rico Classic after winning medalist honors a year ago.
Supapon Amornchaichan finished tied for 48th at 2-under par 214 (72-71-71). Jenson Forrester (71-73-75) and Will Harvey (71-75-73) tied for 71st at 3-over par 219, while Kentaro Nanayama was T-75 at 4-over par 220 (73-73-74).
Playing as individuals, Andre Zhu was tied for 48th at 2-under par 214 (68-73-73), while Yilin Sun was 85th at 16-over par 232 (80-76-76).
Purdue will be off until the end of March when it heads to South Carolina for the Hootie at Bulls Bay.
=======================================================================
PURDUE BASEBALL
BASEBALL REPRESENTED ON PRESEASON WATCH LISTS
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (PurdueSports.com) – Two returnees and two newcomers represented Purdue Baseball on preseason watch lists released this week by the Big Ten Conference and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
Projected to be Purdue’s new closer, senior righthander Jake Kramer was among the 104 pitchers nationally named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year preseason watch list. The honor recognizes the nation’s top relief pitcher. Kramer earned 11 wins and 27 saves in 59 appearances over his first three collegiate seasons at California (PA). He was a two-time NCBWA Division II All-American.
Meanwhile, Dylan Drake, Aaron Manias and Cole Van Assen were the Boilermakers spotlighted on the conference’s annual list of Big Ten Players to Watch. Manias posted a 1.000 OPS last season, Van Assen led the team in innings pitched a year ago and Drake is a projected starter as a middle infielder.
Manias was third-team Academic All-America in 2025, earning a 4.0 GPA during his first school year at Purdue while making starts at three different positions (DH, LF, 2B) on the field. He connected for nine doubles and nine home runs, registering a .294/.430/.579 slash line. Manias batted .361 with runners in scoring position while collecting 43 RBI.
Van Assen surrendered just two home runs in his team-leading 67 1/3 innings pitched as a sophomore last season. His 14 starts were also a team high, earning a save in the middle game win at Minnesota in his lone relief appearance. The righthander really hit his stride in the second half of the season, posting a 2.67 ERA and 24 strikeouts vs. 10 walks over 30 1/3 innings from April 5 through May 10. Van Assen will ascend to Purdue’s Friday starter while headlining the weekend rotation this season.
Drake is projected to have an instant impact as a lefthanded hitting shortstop. He joined the Boilermakers over the summer after being selected as Sacramento City College’s Athlete of the Year for the 2024-25 school year. He batted .395/.497/.621 as a sophomore, returning to the lineup for the 3C2A (California CC Association) Super Regionals after being sidelined in April due to a broken collarbone. While compiling a .354/.460/.497 slash line across his two seasons at Sac City, he had more free passes than strikeouts both years (57 BB/HBP vs. 49 K total).
Kramer earned 10 saves in 2024 and then broke the California (PA) record again the following year with 11 saves. He was dominant as a sophomore, posting a 1.47 ERA, 0.78 WHIP and .155 batting average against. In 93 career innings for the Vulcans, Kramer had 86 strikeouts vs. 69 hits and 22 walks allowed. His 27 career saves were school and conference all-time records.
Van Assen, Manias, Drake and Kramer will lead the Boilermakers into action for their season-opening series vs. Portland at Constellation Field in Sugar Land, Texas. Purdue has compiled a 14-2 record the Triple-A stadium in suburban Houston dating back to 2022. Friday’s Opening Day game is set for a 5 p.m. ET first pitch.
=======================================================================
NOTRE DAME HOCKEY
HOCKEY PREPARES FOR HOME TILTS AGAINST MINNESOTA
By: Connor Toomey
South Bend, Ind. – The Notre Dame Fighting Irish hockey team returns to Compton Family Ice Arena this weekend to take part in the regular season series finale against the Golden Gophers of Minnesota this Friday & Saturday (February 13-14). Friday night’s tilt is scheduled for 7pm as fans are invited to Country Night at Lefty Rink. Fans will enjoy country music and contests throughout the night. On Valentine’s Day, the Irish close out the series with Minnesota in the series finale at 6pm inside Compton Family Ice Arena.
This weekend will mark the 86th & 87th matchups between both programs. The Irish and Golden Gophers will add to their final scripts of the 2025-26 season series after previously meeting in 3M Arena at Mariucci back in November. Notre Dame looks to even the season series up after previously dropping two tightly contested games in Minneapolis.
Dating back to the 1924-25 season, the Irish currently trail in the all-time series with a record of 30-49-6. At home, Notre Dame is down at the moment in the series with the Gophers with 10 wins, 16 losses, and six ties. The Irish eagerly look to get back in the win column at home after the Gophers bested them at home in last season’s series in South Bend.
The last time out against Minnesota, Notre Dame defenseman Michael Mastrodomenico notched his third goal on the season off of assists from Cole Knuble & Paul Fischer. Sophomore netminder, Nicholas Kempf recorded 62 saves in the November weekend tilt.
The Irish return home after a hard fought and closely contested series with the Wisconsin Badgers. Junior forward Evan Werner earned conference honors after a five-point weekend in Madison. Named the Big Ten Third Star of the Week, Werner recorded his first collegiate hat-trick on Friday night in an incredible comeback effort to force overtime. With four points on Friday and a goal in Saturday’s contest, the junior took over as the team’s points leader with 28 (15 goals & 13 assists).
To build off of his impressive offensive weekend against Wisconsin, Werner also contributed to the Irish powerplay unit. The special teams unit for Notre Dame is ranked fifth in the nation on the powerplay with a 28.6-percent success rate. On the weekend in Madison, the Irish were successful on 40-percent of their opportunities with Werner scoring two goals on the team’s five different opportunities on the man-up advantage. His two scores on the powerplay led the country over the weekend and gave him his sixth on the season, which is tied for a team-best with junior forward Danny Nelson.
As the Irish return to the confines of Compton Family Ice Arena, they look to carry the strong play and effort that they have been building over the past few weeks. With Notre Dame closing out their regular season series with the Golden Gophers, the Irish enter the weekend ready to add an exciting regular season finale to the 101 year old feud on ice with Minnesota.
SERIES OVERVIEW
Opponent: Minnesota (Feb. 13/14)
Location: South Bend, Ind.
Schedule: Fri. 7:00 PM | Sat. 6:00 PM
TV/Streaming: Peacock
Live Stats: FightingIrish.com
Radio: fightingirish.com/radioaffiliates/
=======================================================================
BUTLER MEN’S BASKETBALL
LATE SECOND-HALF RUN LIFTS NO. 6/5 UCONN TO 80-70 WIN OVER BUTLER
A timely 10-0 run late in the second half proved to be the difference as No. No. 6/5 Connecticut took an 80-70 win over Butler Wednesday evening at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Solo Ball had a game-high 24 points for the Huskies while both Tarris Reed Jr. and Silas Demary Jr. posted double-doubles.
With the win, UConn is now 23-2 and 13-1 in BIG EAST play. The Bulldogs fall to 13-12 (4-10).
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Neither team led by more than six in a back-and-forth first half that had UConn enter the locker room with a 41-38 advantage.
UConn built an eight-point lead (62-54) with 10:48 remaining in the game before the Bulldogs countered by scoring eight of the next 10 points to cut the lead to 64-62.
That is when the UConn 10-0 spurt pushed the lead to 12 with 4:32 remaining in the contest, which was the largest lead of the game at that point.
TIP-INS:
UConn was 13-for-31 from three-point range (42 percent), led by six three-pointers from Ball. The Huskies shot 51 percent for the game from the field.
Butler countered by shooting 46 percent from the field and 8-for-21 from behind the arc.
Drayton Jones led Butler with 15 points; he made all six of his attempts from the field.
Yohan Traore (14), Evan Haywood (12) and Jamie Kaiser Jr. (10) also reached double figures for the Bulldogs. Traore and Kaiser contributed to a 26-8 bench scoring advantage for Butler.
Michael Ajayi had seven points, six assists, five rebounds, three blocks and three steals for Butler.
Finley Bizjack had five assists but the BIG EAST’s second-leading scorer was limited to five points in the contest before exiting the game late in the second half with a left wrist injury. He will be further evaluated tomorrow.
UConn, led by Reed’s 10, had a 33-26 rebounding advantage. This was only the seventh time in 25 games that Butler has been out-rebounded.
Both teams committed eight turnovers. UConn had 22 assists on 30 made field goals while Butler had 21 assists on 25 makes.
Reed has 16 points and 10 rebounds to go along with seven assists while Demary scored 11 points and added 10 assists.
Braylon Mullins scored 15 points for UConn.
UConn has won all 13 match-ups against Butler, as the teams first met in the 2011 NCAA national championship game in Houston, the second of the Bulldogs’ back-to-back runs to the Final Four. The remaining 12 match-ups in the series have come since the 2020-21 season when the Huskies re-joined the BIG EAST Conference.
This was the second meeting between the teams this season as UConn defeated Butler, 79-60, Dec. 16 in Hartford.
Freshman guard Azavier Robinson will miss the remainder of the 2025-26 season due to a left wrist injury that requires surgery.
The game served as Butler’s annual Project 44 game, honoring the legacy of the late Andrew Smith.
UP NEXT: The Bulldogs continue a two-game homestand, hosting Seton Hall Sunday at 6 p.m. at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The Butler Athletics Hall of Fame Class will be recognized during the game. Tickets are still available for the tip, which will also air nationally on FS1.
=======================================================================
BUTLER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
BUTLER DROPS ROAD BATTLE AT PROVIDENCE 73-64
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Butler fell to the Providence College Friars 73-64 on Wednesday evening in Providence, Rhode Island. With the loss Butler slides to 9-16 on the season and 3-12 in BIG EAST play while the Friars improve to 12-14 overall and 5-10 in conference action.
BULLDOG HIGHLIGHTS
Kennedy Langham led a trio of Bulldogs in double figures with 12 points on an efficient 4-for-5 shooting performance from the floor. Lily Zeinstra (10) and Nevaeh Jackson (10) rounded out the Bulldogs in double figures.
Saniya Jackson led the squad on the glass, pulling down six rebounds.
Mallory Miller paced the offense, dishing out four assists in the contest.
Butler shot 23-for-53 (43.4%) from the floor and shot 4-for-16 (25%) from beyond the arc.
BU forced 17 PC turnovers.
Anna Wypych made her first collegiate start.
PROVIDENCE HIGHLIGHTS
Sabou Gueye led all scorers with 19 points on 8-for-14 shooting from the floor. Teneisia Brown (16), Orlagh Gormley (13) and Nalani Kaysia (10) rounded out the Friars in double figures.
Gueye and Brown led PC on the glass, pulling down a game-high eight rebounds apiece.
Ashley Dinges paced the Friar offense, dishing out four assists.
Providence shot 26-for-51 (51%) from the floor and shot 4-for-12 (33.3%) from beyond the arc.
PC outrebounded Butler 36-25.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Both sides traded buckets to open the game after the Friars got on the board first. Providence held the narrow 9-8 advantage at the media timeout of the first quarter. Butler closed the first frame with the narrow 20-18 lead after a buzzer-beater three from Gabby Wilke.
Providence strung together a 7-0 run early in the second quarter as the Friar lead grew to as many as six (29-23). Both sides continued to go back and forth throughout the frame. PC finished the quarter on a 7-2 run and took the 35-28 lead into the half.
Both sides continued to go back and forth in the third, trading buckets on nearly every possession. PC held an eight-point lead (49-41) at the end of the third frame as the Bulldogs looked to claw back in the final 10 minutes of action.
PC attempted to put the Bulldogs away early in the fourth as the PC lead grew to as many as 12 (58-46). BU would not go away as the Dawgs were able to cut the deficit to seven with under a minute left in the game. BU was unable to complete the comeback, as the Friars secured the 73-64 victory at the final whistle.
UP NEXT
The Bulldogs will be back in action on Saturday, Feb. 14 as the St. John’s Red Storm visit Hinkle Fieldhouse for a BIG EAST Conference matchup. Tip-off between the two sides is scheduled for 2 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with Kelsie Kasper and Alexis Ayala on the call.
======================================================================
IU INDY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
JAGS EARN HOME VICTORY OVER OAKLAND
INDIANAPOLIS – The IU Indy women’s basketball team closed the game on a decisive fourth-quarter run to secure a 64-57 Horizon League victory over Oakland inside The Jungle on Tuesday night. With the win, the Jaguars improved to 11-13 overall and 7-8 in league play, earning their third consecutive victory.
After a tightly contested first three quarters that featured seven ties and six lead changes, IU Indy used defensive pressure and timely free throws down the stretch to pull away and protect its home floor.
Oakland came out shooting efficiently, hitting 11-of-16 from the field in the opening period to take a 24-20 lead after one. The Jaguars kept pace behind early buckets from Nevaeh Foster and Destini Craig, but the Golden Grizzlies’ hot start gave them a slight edge heading into the second.
IU Indy settled in during the second stanza, tightening up defensively and finding rhythm offensively. The Jaguars knocked down five field goals and added seven free throws in the quarter, trimming the deficit to just two points at halftime, 40-38. Craig continued to attack the paint, while Foster stretched the defense from beyond the arc to keep IU Indy within striking distance.
The back-and-forth battle continued in the third, with neither team able to create separation. IU Indy shot 4-of-14 in the period but stayed aggressive at the free throw line, converting six attempts to keep the game level. The Jaguars and Golden Grizzlies entered the final quarter deadlocked at 54-54, setting up a decisive final 10 minutes.
Defense proved to be the difference for the Jaguars. IU Indy held Oakland to just three points in the fourth quarter, limiting the Golden Grizzlies to 1-of-14 shooting in the period. The Jaguars capitalized at the line and converted key opportunities in transition to outscore Oakland 10-3 in the final frame and secure the seven-point win.
Nevaeh Foster led the Jaguars with 17 points, knocking down four three-pointers and adding seven rebounds. Destini Craig added 15 points, five rebounds and three assists, while going 5-of-10 from the field. Ariana Williams provided a spark off the bench with nine points, contributing to IU Indy’s 16 bench points on the night. Hailey Smith added five points and eight rebounds. As a team, the Jaguars forced 20 Oakland turnovers and converted them into 25 points, a key factor in the victory.
IU Indy will return to action on Sunday, February 15, when the Jaguars host Youngstown State inside The Jungle. The Jags and Penguins are set for a 1:00 PM tip.
=======================================================================
IU INDY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
WOMEN’S GOLF FINISHES STRONG IN FINAL ROUND OF BGSU WOMEN’S INTERCOLLEGIATE
LITCHFIELD PARK, Ariz. – The IU Indianapolis women’s golf team posted a final round 312 on Wednesday (Feb. 11) at the BGSU Women’s Intercollegiate on the Blue Course at Wigwam Resort, finishing 14th overall at 938 (317-309-312). However, the Jaguars closed the round well, finally finding their stride over the final five holes of the tournament.
Freshman Olivia Aronhalt shot a team-best, 5-over 76 and sophomore Alexandra Chiew finished at 77. Senior Yanah Rolston shook off a tough opening nine to finish at 79, playing the back nine to an even par 35. Freshman Li (Sherry) Xia rounded out the scoring four at 80 and classmate Emma Frauhiger shot 84.
Xia was the low Jaguar for the 54-hole tournament at 226 (71-75-80), tying for 32nd among the 84-player field.
“Honestly, it’s just been so nice to be out here. The warm weather, the palm trees and the quality of the grass make it such a great place to compete,” Xia said. “We haven’t played on conditions like this in a long time, so we’re really enjoying every moment. It’s been a great start for us!”
Rolston finished the tournament at 235 (78-78-79) and Aronhalt closed at 239 (82-81-76).
Chiew and Frauhiger finished in succession at 244 and 246, respectively.
UTEP won the tournament at 11-over 863 while UT Arlington was second overall at 868. UTEP’s Amelia Fridlund collected medalist honors at 3-under 210, winning by one stroke.
The Jaguars won’t compete again until the Huntsville.org Intercollegiate in Owens Cross Roads, Ala., on Mar. 2-3.
======================================================================
BALL STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL
MEN’S BASKETBALL FALLS 63-53 TO BUFFALO
MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State men’s basketball team trailed by four points with just over five minutes to play but couldn’t finish off the comeback in a 63-53 setback to Buffalo on Wednesday night at Worthen Arena.
Facing a 55-46 deficit with under eight minutes to play, Davion Hill made a layup, and then Juwan Maxey hit a 3-pointer at the 5:24 mark of the second half to cut Buffalo’s edge to 55-51. The Bulls scored 8 of the final 10 points of the game to take the road win.
Hill paced Ball State with 14 points and collected four rebounds, while Maxey (11 points, three rebounds) and Devon Barnes (10 points, two assists) also scored in double figures for the hosts.
Ball State (8-16, 3-8 Mid-American Conference) got out to a 3-0 lead on an Armoni Zeigler 3-pointer and regained advantages at 8-7 and 10-9 following a 3-pointer by Elmore James IV and dunk from Preston Copeland. The Cardinals scored the final five points of the period on a triple from Maxey and layup by Hill to go into the halftime break down 30-27.
Buffalo (15-10, 5-7 MAC) got a game high 20 points, eight rebounds and four blocks from Tim Oboh as he, Angelo Brizzi (17 points) and Ryan Sabol (12) combined for all but 14 of the Bulls’ points on the night.
Armoni Zeigler contributed seven points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals, while Kayden Fish chipped in six points and five rebounds.
The visitors won the rebounding battle 33-30 and had 10 more points in the paint (30-20). Ball State got more bench points (31-3) but committed two more turnovers (13-11).
The Cardinals shot 35.2 percent (19-54) from the field including 33.3 percent (8-24) from distance while going 77.8 percent (7-9) on free throws. The Bulls went 43.8 percent (21-48) on field goals, 31.6 percent (6-19) on 3-pointers and 88.2 percent (15-17) at the foul line.
Ball State remains home to host Kent State at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
======================================================================
BALL STATE MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
MVB PREPARES FOR MCKENDREE AND LINDENWOOD
This Week in Ball State Men’s Volleyball: The Ball State men’s volleyball program continues conference action this week as it welcomes No. 12 McKendree and No. 13 Lindenwood. Friday’s matchup is Club Team Day, where players and coaches who show proof of membership gain $7 tickets to see the Cardinals vs. the Lions.
Last Serve: Ball State opened its conference schedule with back-to-back sweeps over Queens (Feb. 5 and 6). Patrick Rogers led the offensive effort with a total of 24 kills, six aces and 13 digs between the two nights. Ryan Louis added 16 kills with five blocks and four digs. On the defensive side, Braydon Savitski-Lynde tallied nine blocks versus the Royals, while Lucas Machado had 10 digs. Machado also guided the floor with 57 total assists. With the two wins, the Cardianals extended its home and overall winning streak to seven as it sits at six-consecutive sweeps and 2-0 to begin MIVA competition.
Rogers AVCA POTY Watch List: Senior outside hitter Patrick Rogers has been named as one of 15 members honored in the first ever watch list for the American Volleyball Coaches Association Player of the Year award. The inaugural watch list was compiled by the AVCA National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Awards committee. Semifinalists for the award are to be announced in early April, and the final four will be named prior to the 2026 National Collegiate Championship May 9-11. The 2026 AVCA Player of the Year is to be revealed during the championship banquet.
Sweepin’ the Competition: Along with its seven-match winning streak, the Cardinals have won a total of 18 straight sets, beginning Jan. 22 versus Maryville to complete six consecutive sweeps. Ball State last reached that mark during the 1995 season, going 6-0 from Feb. 5-18. Since then, the longest stretch of sweeps happened in the 2006 season which saw 23 straight from Jan. 20-Feb. 11. The longest streak in program history stands at 33 consecutive sets won from Feb. 19-April 4, 1970.
Unbeaten at Worthen: The Cardinals have begun the 2026 campaign with an unblemished 7-0 start inside its home Worthen Arena. Ball State last saw this type of success at home at the start of the season in 2024, reaching 7-0 before eventually falling to Hawai’i in four sets. The team finished that year with a 15-4 record at home. Including last year’s 3-1 Senior Day win over McKendree (March 29), Ball State holds an 8-0 streak on its home court. Since 2000, the longest home winning streak in program history is 26, spanning from March 16, 2001-Jan. 31, 2003.
10-1 start to the Iandolo Era: After taking the reigns of the program this past summer, head coach Mike Iandolo has marched the Cardinals to a 10-1 start in his first year in the position, with its sole loss so far being at the hands of No. 1 UCLA (Jan. 17).
Match History – McKendree: Ball State holds a 17-8 advantage in the all-time series, including a 11-2 record in matches hosted inside Worthen Arena. In 2025, the two teams split the series, with the Bearcats winning the first matchup on Feb. 22 in five sets (24-26, 25-23, 22-25, 25-21, 10-15). Ball State took the last outing with a 3-1 victory at home on March 29 for the Cardinals’ Senior Day (25-13, 24-26, 25-23, 25-23).
Scouting McKendree: The Bearcats enter Muncie 6-4 on the season, including a 1-1 start to MIVA play after taking three straight sets over No. 14 Lewis (Feb. 4) before falling to No. 8 Loyola Chicago in three (Feb. 6). In ranked action, McKendree is 3-3 in 2026. The program opened its season with losses to No. 1 UCLA (Jan. 9) and No. 2 Long Beach State (Jan. 10), but responded with two straight over No. 13 Penn State (Jan. 23 and 24).
Graduate outside hitter Tyler Tripp has been a key contributor to the Bearcats’ defense, winning back-to-back MIVA defensive player of the week honors this season (Jan. 20 and 27). Tripp ranks sixth in the conference in digs (1.93/set) and 23rd in blocks (0.63/set). On offense, Tripp is eighth in kills (3.17/set) on .275 hitting.
Middle blocker Rolen Lively leads McKendree at the net, averaging 1.06 blocks per set, ranking fifth in the MIVA.
The digging effort is paced by setter Nathan Flayter, who ranks third in the conference with 2.24 per set. McKendree has a total of four players who sit in the top 10 in this statistic.
As a whole, the Bearcats rank fifth in the MIVA in blocks (2.21/set) and first in digs (10.24/set).
McKendree’s offense is led by outside Sam Hoskin, who ranks fourth in the MIVA in kills with 3.44 per set on .384 hitting. Hoskins shared the MIVA Co-Offensive Player of the Week honor with Patrick Rogers earlier this season (Jan. 27).
The team collectively sits at fifth in the MIVA in kills (12.82/set), third in assists (12.29/set), seventh in hitting percentage (.278) and sixth in points (16.29/set).
Match history – Lindenwood: Ball State owns the all-time series against the Lions with a mark of 25-5, including 16-1 in Muncie. In 2025, the Cardinals claimed both contests over Lindenwood, taking three straight sets (25-15, 25-17, 25-22) on Jan. 20 and topping the squad in four sets (25-18, 25-20, 19-25, 28-26) on March 1.
Scouting Lindenwood: The Lions have won eight straight matches this season after opening the campaign with a loss to No. 2 Long Beach State in straight sets (Jan. 9). Lindenwood began conference action last week with victories over No. 8 Loyola Chicago (Feb. 4) and No. 14 Lewis (Feb. 6). In total, Lindenwood is 3-1 in ranked competition, including a 3-1 win over No. 17 CSUN (Jan. 16). At No. 13 in the AVCA Poll, the Lions see its highest ranking in program history. Prior to Friday’s meeting, Lindenwood visits PFW on Feb. 12.
Senior setter Zach Solomon made history by being named the AVCA National Player of the Week on Feb. 10, becoming the first player in Lindenwood’s history to earn the honor. Solomon has also earned two MIVA Offensive Player of the Week honors this season (Jan. 20 and Feb. 10). In 2026, Solomon leads the league in service aces (0.81/set) and ranks second in assists (10.94/set). Both those statistics place Solomon third in the country.
Brendan Louthain leads the attack with 3.23 kills per set on .287 hitting, sitting seventh in the MIVA, while also ranking sixth in points (4.11/set).
As a unit, Lindenwood is first in the MIVA in aces (2.68/set), fourth in kills (12.94/set), fourth in assists (12.23/set) and second in points (17.71/set).
On the defensive front, Amir Grant ranks 12th in the conference in blocks (0.80/set) while Lincoln Geist ranks 10th in digs (1.67/set)
Combined, the Lions lead the MIVA in opponent hitting percentage (.204) while ranking ninth in digs (6.94/set) and sixth in blocks (2.10/set).
AVCA Top 20 Poll: Ball State entered the 2026 season ranked #16 in the AVCA National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Preseason Poll with a total of 144 points. After improving to 10-1 with sweeps over Queens, The Cardinals sit at ninth with a total of 301 votes. The only MIVA team placed higher than Ball State is No. 8 Loyola Chicago (6-4, 1-1 MIVA).
========================================================================
BALL STATE BASEBALL
BASEBALL PICKED THIRD IN MAC PRESEASON POLL
The Ball State baseball team has been picked to finish third in the Mid-American Conference by the league’s head coaches in the MAC preseason poll released Wednesday afternoon.
The Cardinals got two first place votes to win the regular season crown and two to win the conference tournament. Miami (six first place votes, 114 points) and Kent State (four first place votes, 111 points) were the teams picked ahead of Ball State.
Complete poll results can be found below.
Ball State went 36-22 (21-9 MAC) in the 2025 season for a third-place finish in the regular season standings.
The Cardinals return two-time First Team All-MAC selection Keegan Johnson along with veteran relievers Owen Quinn, John Chambers, Alex Burden and Zach Leduc to headline the pitching staff. Senior Gavin Balius is the team’s leading returning hitter after tallying 54 hits for a .303 average and stealing a team-best 22 bases in 2025.
The season opener is set for Noon on Friday against St. John’s in DeLand, Fla.
2026 MAC Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll
(First Place Votes)
Miami (6) – 114 points
Kent State (4) – 111 points
Ball State (2) – 107 points
Toledo – 86 points
Bowling Green – 83 points
Western Michigan – 65 points
Central Michigan – 54 points
Northern Illinois – 42 points
Eastern Michigan – 41 points
Akron – 40 points
Ohio – 36 points
UMass – 13 points
Tournament Champion: Miami – 4; Kent State – 3; Ball State – 2; Toledo – 2; Bowling Green – 1
=======================================================================
INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
TREES OPEN IOWA ROAD TRIP THURSDAY IN CEDAR FALLS
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State begins its two-game Iowa road swing Thursday night when it visits Northern Iowa for a 7 p.m. tip in Cedar Falls.
Thursday’s game will be aired on ESPN+, and John Sherman will also have the radio call on WVIG-FM/105.5 The Legend.
Last Time Out
Jayci Allen led a trio of double-digit scorers for Indiana State with 13 points off the bench Saturday afternoon, but the Sycamores allowed visiting Bradley to hit 13 threes on a 52 percent clip in an 85-75 defeat inside Hulman Center.
Samiyah Briggs and Kennedy Claybrooks followed with 12 and 10 points, respectively. Amerie Flowers pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds, and Clemisha Prackett added seven points off the bench. Claybrooks also tallied a game-high four steals and a team-high four assists, while Da’Naria Washington contributed two blocks on the defensive end.
Bradley built momentum through key runs to pull away from Indiana State after a slow start. The Sycamores gained an early edge and held a slim lead after the first quarter, but the Braves used a strong second-quarter surge to take a narrow advantage into halftime. Bradley carried that momentum into the third quarter with an early run to create separation, hitting eight threes in the second half. Despite the Sycamores’ effort down the stretch, the Braves maintained control late to secure an 85-75 victory.
Stepping Up
Indiana State sophomore forward Amerie Flowers has taken her game to a new level in recent weeks, with the Willowbrook, Illinois, native averaging 16.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game over the last four contests.
Flowers has scored in double-figures in three of the Sycamores’ last four games, including a career-high 27-point performance against league-leading Murray State. Flowers was an efficient 12-for-17 from the floor (70.6 percent), with her 27 points being the most by a Sycamore post player since the first round of the 2024 MVC Tournament when Mya Glanton had 30 in a win over Southern Illinois.
Flowers also pulled down her most rebounds in a conference game during her recent four-game uptick in form, finishing with 12 boards against Bradley. She has been efficient throughout the last two weeks, shooting 56.3 percent from the floor and 73.3 percent from the charity stripe.
Picking Up The Pace
Indiana State is on pace for its highest-scoring season in nearly 20 years, with the Sycamores’ up-tempo style of play being a large contributor to that.
The Sycamores rank eighth nationally in possessions per 40 minutes at 78.6, the second-highest in the MVC in the last 15 seasons. Indiana State (2025-26, eighth) and Murray State (2023-24, sixth; 2024-25, ninth) are the only MVC schools to rank in the top 10 in pace over the last 15 seasons
Indiana State’s two seasons under head coach Marc Mitchell rank among the MVC’s 10 most up-tempo seasons in the last 15 years (78.6 possessions per 40 in 2025-26, 75.9 possessions per 40 in 2024-25).
Indiana State enters the weekend averaging 73.4 points per game overall and 74.2 points per game in conference play. This season’s scoring average is on pace to be the Sycamores’ highest-scoring season since the 2006-07 campaign, when the Trees averaged 77.6 points per game. Indiana State has averaged more than 70 points per game just five times in the last 30 seasons (2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07).
Post Presence
Indiana State has placed a priority on the interior in recent weeks, with the Sycamores generating 30-plus paint points in 11 of their last 12 games, including each of the last seven. The Blue and White have posted a pair of games with 40-plus paint points in that span, tallying 40 points in the paint against Valparaiso and matching their season high of 48 paint points against Murray State.
The Trees are averaging 32.5 paint points per game for the season, with that number increasing to 37.7 paint points per game over the last seven contests.
The Sycamores feature a pair of post players among their top scorers during the recent seven-game stretch, with Clemisha Prackett averaging 12.1 points per game and Amerie Flowers adding 11.1 points per contest.
Both Prackett (57.1 percent) and Flowers (56.9 percent) are knocking down more than half of their attempts from the field over the last seven games.
Roaring 20s
Indiana State featured a post player with a 20-point outing twice in the span of a week, as Amerie Flowers tallied a career-high 27 points against Murray State and Clemisha Prackett recorded a career-high 20 points in the Sycamores’ road win at Evansville
Flowers and Prackett joined Tierney Kelsey (four times) and Jayci Allen (once) as Sycamores with a 20-point game this season, with the post players producing the Sycamores’ highest-scoring outings in conference play this season.
Prackett’s 20-point performance came on one of her most efficient outings from the field this season. The junior post player went 7-for-11 from the floor (63.6 percent) and was 6-for-8 from the charity stripe.
Flowers had arguably the best offensive performance by a Sycamore this season in her 27-point outing, going 12-for-17 from the floor (70.6 percent) and 3-for-4 from the charity stripe. Her 27 points, 12 field goals and 17 field goal attempts were all career-high marks.
Doubling Up
After winning just four total games and two conference games during the 2024-25 season, Indiana State has far exceeded those totals in the 2025-26 campaign, with eight total wins and four conference wins. The Sycamores already own a pair of season sweeps in conference play over Valparaiso and Evansville, despite being the near-consensus preseason pick to finish last in the conference.
Indiana State’s four-win improvement is already the program’s best since the 2021-22 season, when the Sycamores recorded a six-win improvement from the 2020-21 season. The Trees also have five home wins this season, the program’s highest total since the 2022-23 campaign.
On This Date
Indiana State owns an 11-8 record in games played on this date, including a 4-5 record in road games played on February 12.
The Sycamores are 2-2 against Northern Iowa on this date, with wins in 2006 (53-41) and 2012 (71-60) and losses in 2000 (66-69) and 2016 (45-61).
1977 – Cincinnati (W, 89-59)
1980 – at Ball State (W, 75-67)
1983 – National College (W, 87-53)
1985 – at Butler (W, 75-57)
1987 – at Southern Illinois (L, 67-80)
1988 – at Illinois State (L, 53-95)
1999 – at Wichita State (W, 50-46)
2000 – Northern Iowa (L, 66-69)
2004 – at Southern Illinois (W, 98-84)
2005 – at Missouri State (L, 70-71)
2006 – Northern Iowa (W, 53-41)
2009 – Wichita State (W, 71-50)
2010 – Missouri State (L, 58-69)
2011 – Wichita State (W, 65-57)
2012 – Northern Iowa (W, 71-60)
2016 – Northern Iowa (L, 45-61)
2017 – Loyola Chicago (W, 53-32)
2022 – at Evansville (L, 56-58)
2023 – at Belmont (L, 69-81)
Northern Iowa At A Glance
Northern Iowa enters Thursday’s game at 12-11 overall and 7-6 in conference play. Similar to the Sycamores, the Panthers have lost two straight to top-three conference opponents in Bradley and Belmont.
Ryley Goebel leads the Panthers with 13.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 2.4 blocks per game, while Jenna Twedt also averages double-digits at 13.0 points per game. Elise Jaeger leads Northern Iowa in rebounding at 10.2 boards per game, while three Panthers – Bri Robinson, Jaeger and Taryn Wharton – average more than two assists per game.
Tanya Warren is in her 19th season as head coach at Northern Iowa and owns a 350-256 record at the helm of the Panthers. Warren, the longest-tenured coach among active MVC head coaches, is the Valley’s winningest head coach.
Series History Against Northern Iowa
Indiana State is 42-44 all-time against Northern Iowa, including a 16-24 mark in Cedar Falls. The Panthers have won the last nine in the series.
The Sycamores’ last win in the series came during the 2019-20 season in Terre Haute. Indiana State’s last win in Cedar Falls came in the 2013-14 season.
Last Meeting Against Northern Iowa (March 13, 2025)
Indiana State’s season came to a conclusion, as the Sycamores fell to Northern Iowa 87-73 in the opening round of the 2025 Credit Union 1 MVC Women’s Basketball Championship inside the Ford Center.
Deja Jones led the Blue and White with 17 points, and also had seven rebounds and three assists. Queen Ruffin added a season-high 15 points off the bench, while Keslyn Secrist also finished in double-figures with 14.
Indiana State started strong, hitting five of its first eight shots, but a 15-0 run Northern Iowa spanning parts of the first and second quarters proved costly for the Sycamores. Facing a double-digit deficit at the break, the Sycamore offense came to life with Ruffin scoring 10 third-quarter points and Indiana State knocking down a trio of threes in the period. Indiana State got within 10 in the fourth with Secrist, Ruffin and Savannah White all scoring early in the final frame, but the Sycamores couldn’t piece together a rally in the end.
Up Next
Indiana State’s two-game stay in Iowa concludes with a Saturday afternoon tilt at Drake, with tipoff between the Sycamores and Bulldogs set for 3 p.m.
========================================================================
INDIANA STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL
MEN’S HOOPS MEETS MURRAY STATE ON THURSDAY NIGHT IN HULMAN CENTER
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State men’s basketball plays at home for the second game in a seven-day, three-game stretch, hosting Murray State on Thursday night.
Last Time Out
Indiana State men’s basketball fell to Southern Illinois, 80-65, Monday night inside the Hulman Center. Bruno Alocen led the Sycamores with 17 points, followed by Ian Scott with 13 and Camp Wagner with 11. Scott also recorded a team-high nine rebounds and two blocks, while Xavier Hall added five assists to tie for the game high.
Series History
Thursday night will be the second meeting of the season between the two teams. Indiana State left with a narrow defeat on January 17 at Murray State, falling 85-81. The Sycamores lead in the series 11-6 but have fallen in the last two meetings.
Quick Hits
From Last Game:
The Sycamores recorded 18 assists on 24 made field goals. This is the seventh time this season the Sycamores have assisted on 75% or more of field goals.
Bruno Alocen recorded a career high of 17 points and six field goals made – 16 of his 17 came during the second half.
Cooper Bean saw a career high in minutes played in his career, playing 10:44.
The Sycamores in conference play moved to 3-10. In conference games alone, the average margin in -4.4.
Following the Southern Illinois game, INS is 8-1 when giving up 73 points or less & 2-14 when allowing 74+ points.
Murray State is 3rd in the league in Off. RPG (11.77) while Indiana State is 4th in Def. RPG (26.4).
The Racers are also 3rd in the league in threes made per game (9.58) while the Sycamores are 6th (8.36)
Murray State still leads the league in points per game (85.27) but have averaged 76.6 in their last five games.
Promotions
Indiana State, Indiana Pacers team up for Indiana State University Night
Healthy Heart Night sponsored by Union Health
Next Wednesday, February 18 versus Northern Iowa is a Royal Blue Out
Up Next
Indiana State will play at Valparaiso on Sunday, February 15 at 2 p.m. ET.
=======================================================================
EVANSVILLE MEN’S BASKETBALL
UE MEN TRAVEL TO SOUTHERN ILLINOIS ON THURSDAY
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Making the short trip to Carbondale, Ill., the University of Evansville men’s basketball team faces Southern Illinois on Thursday evening at 7 p.m. ESPN+ and Purple Aces Radio Network will have the broadcast.
Last Time Out
– UE put together its top offensive performance of the season in an 88-80 win over Illinois State on Monday
– UE set season highs shooting 56.9% from the field and 66.7% from outside
– AJ Casey and Kaia Berridge each set career scoring highs with 28 and 14 points, respectively while Leif Moeller finished with his first collegiate double-double
Top Performance
– AJ Casey scored a career-high 28 points in the win over Illinois State marking the highest tally for a UE player this season
– Casey was 10-of-15 from the field and 3-of-5 from outside; he is 7th in the MVC shooting 51.8%
– He has scored 7+ points in 16 of the last 17 games and is averaging 15.4 PPG against MVC foes after scoring 7.8 PPG in non-conference play
Series Notes
– SIU has had the upper hand in the series over UE winning six of the last seven and 11 out of the previous 13 meetings
– The Aces took a 68-53 win last season in Carbondale and are 2-2 in their last two games at the Banterra Center
A Closer Look
– The offense for UE was hitting on all cylinders in the win over the Redbirds
– UE shot a season-high 56.9% from the field marking its highest tally since shooting 59.3% against UHSP on Nov. 9, 2023
– Converting 14 of his 21 3-point tries (66.7%), UE had its most efficient 3-point effort since shooting 80% against Bowling Green in 2017
Doing it All
– Scoring 16 points while adding a career-best 10 rebounds, Leif Moeller picked up his first collegiate double-double in the win over Illinois State
– This came just days after tying his career scoring mark with 26 at Valparaiso
– His outside shooting has been off the charts – he is 9-of-11 from 3-point range in the last two games while going 23-of-42 (54.8%) in the last eight games
Clutch Baskets
– With his team shorthanded in the win over Illinois State, Kaia Berridge put together his top collegiate performance
– Berridge scored a career-best 14 points while hitting 4 of his 5 3-point tries
– Through the first 24 games of the season, Berridge was just 5-of-30 (16.7%) from outside
– His previous high of 8 points came against Calumet
Scouting the Opponent
– Southern Illinois enters Thursday’s game with an overall record of 11-14 while standing at 4-9 in the MVC
– The Salukis are 3-2 in their last five games including an 80-65 road win at Indiana State on Monday
– SIU also earned a road win at Illinois State and home win over UNI during their current streak
– Quel’Ron House leads the Salukis with 14.4 points per game along with 71 assists and 39 steals
– Rolyns Aligbe is averaging 10.3 PPG and a team-high 7.3 rebounds per contest
=======================================================================
SOUTHERN INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
EAGLES GEAR UP FOR HOMESTAND AGAINST TENNESSEE STATE AND TENNESSEE TECH
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball returns to Liberty Arena this week when the Screaming Eagles get set to host Tennessee State University on Thursday at 5 p.m. and Tennessee Tech University on Saturday at 1 p.m. in Ohio Valley Conference play for the Screaming Eagles’ final regular-season homestand.
Thursday’s game can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+, while Saturday’s game will be aired nationally on ESPNU. USI Women’s Basketball will be featured on ESPNU’s national linear platform for the second season in a row. Last season, the Screaming Eagles’ road matchup at Lindenwood University was broadcast on ESPNU. Both games this week can be heard on The Spin 95.7 FM and WREF 97.7 FM.
Thursday’s game is Ascension Heart Health Night, featuring Ascension personnel providing free blood pressure readings and distributing informational materials in the Liberty Arena lobby. Thursday is also the USI Women’s Basketball Play4Kay game.
Saturday’s contest is Senior Day, as USI Women’s Basketball will recognize senior guard Ali Saunders and Sarang West. Fans are also encouraged to wear red and help red out Liberty Arena for the nationally televised game on ESPNU. Fans should also arrive early to receive the final Penn Station coupon giveaway of the season.
USI heads into the homestand with a 16-7 overall record and a 10-4 record in Ohio Valley Conference play. Entering Thursday’s slate, the Screaming Eagles are in a three-way tie for second in the OVC standings. USI sits a game and a half back of first-place Western Illinois University.
The Screaming Eagles have already clinched a third consecutive Ohio Valley Conference Championship Tournament berth following a big 90-57 road victory last Saturday at Southeast Missouri State University. USI pulled away with a big run in the first quarter against the Redhawks and never looked back. USI shot a season-best 53 percent overall and a season-best 58 percent from three-point range, knocking down a season-high 11 three-pointers.
The 11 made three-pointers at SEMO marked the first time this season that USI made 10-plus triples in a game. Even though USI reached double digits in three-pointers made in a pair of games last season, the 11 made threes at SEMO this season marked the first time USI had made more than 10 treys in a contest since the 2021-22 season.
Individually, Saunders paced the Eagles in last Saturday’s road win at Southeast Missouri with 19 points. Saunders has led USI in scoring in 10 of the 14 OVC games. Junior forward Chloe Gannon tallied 16 points for her 12th double-digit outing in the last 14 games. Fellow junior forward Amiyah Buchanan posted her second double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds against her former club.
Saunders continues to pace the team in scoring at 17.6 points per game, which is second in the OVC. Saunders is also top three in the OVC with 4.1 assists per game. Gannon is second on the squad with 12.8 points per contest, and junior guard Sophia Loden is third at 10.7 points per game. As a team, USI is averaging 70.3 points and only allowing 57.1 points per game, still ranking first in the conference.
Tennessee State (4-19, 3-11 OVC) is still seeking its first road win of the season, as the Tigers are 0-11 on the road this season. Last time out, Tennessee State snapped a six-game losing streak with an 87-77 home win against first-place Western Illinois, earning a split last week after falling 65-60 against Eastern Illinois University.
Senior guard Aaniya Webb tops the Tigers squad in scoring with 11.5 points per game. Sophomore guard Xai Whitfield is just below averaging 10 points with 9.3 points per contest. The Tigers are averaging 59.2 points offensively and surrendering 75.4 points per game on the defensive end.
USI leads the all-time series against Tennessee State, 5-3, and has won two in a row in the series. The Screaming Eagles won 72-67 at Tennessee State on January 17, with Saunders leading the team with 29 points. USI also defeated the Tigers in the first round of last year’s OVC Tournament.
Tennessee Tech (13-10, 6-8 OVC) has won three of its last four contests following a seven-game losing skid. The Golden Eagles split last week’s pairing by earning a 75-70 win against Eastern Illinois after a 68-53 setback against Western Illinois.
Three Golden Eagles are averaging 10 or more per game entering the week. Sophomore guard Chloe Larry tops the squad at 14.1 points per game, with senior guard Reghan Grimes not far behind at 13.6 points per outing. Graduate guard Reagan Hurst is third on the team with 11.6 points per game. Collectively, Tennessee Tech averages 67 points while holding opponents to 62.6 points per game.
Tennessee Tech has an edge on USI in the all-time history between the two programs, 5-3. However, the Screaming Eagles bested the Golden Eagles earlier this season at Tennessee Tech on January 15, winning 71-69 in overtime, to snap a three-game losing streak against the Golden Eagles. Saunders led USI in that game with 23 points.
Tickets for all home games at Liberty Arena can be purchased online at usiscreamingeagles.com or the USI Ticket Office.
========================================================================
VALPO WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL OPENS FINAL ROAD STRETCH AT MURRAY STATE
Valparaiso (0-24, 0-13 MVC)
Game #25 – February 13, 2026 – 6 p.m.
at Murray State (20-3, 11-1 MVC)
CFSB Center (8,600) – Murray, Ky.
Next Up in Valpo Basketball: The Valpo women’s basketball team starts its final road stretch of the regular season Friday evening as the Beacons play their first of four consecutive games away from home at MVC-leading Murray State.
Previously: Fiona Connolly and Allia von Schlegell both finished with career highs in the scoring column on Saturday, the latter leading a furious fourth-quarter rally that came up just short as the Valpo women’s basketball team dropped an 82-73 decision to Southern Illinois.
Following Valpo Basketball: Video: ESPN+
Links for live coverage: Available via ValpoAthletics.com
Head Coach Courtney Boyd (0-24 at Valpo, 1st season; 180-92 [.662] overall, 9th season): Courtney Boyd was named the ninth head coach of the Valparaiso University women’s basketball program on April 4, 2025. A national championship-winning head coach and player, an NAIA National Coach of the Year, and a two-time conference Coach of the Year, Boyd has won 20 or more games in seven of her first eight seasons as a head coach. She spent the last two seasons at the helm of the Quincy University program after six seasons as head coach at Clarke University, leading the latter program to the NAIA national title in 2022-23.
Series Notes: It’s a brief series between the Beacons and the Racers, as the two programs did not meet on the hardwood prior to Murray State joining the MVC. The Racers have earned wins in all five meetings, including in both last season – an 82-45 win in Murray and a 77-57 win at the ARC.
@ValpoWBB…
…versus Southern Illinois
– After SIU scored the game’s first four points, Valpo reeled off 10 in a row — four of which came from Fiona Connolly, with Allia von Schlegell and Milana Nenadic hitting a 3-point apiece as well — to take an early 10-4 lead.
– Valpo extended its edge to 15-6 on a Connolly 3-pointer with 4:03 to play in the opening period and held a 17-11 lead at the end of the first quarter.
– The Salukis scored the first 11 points of the second period over a span of 3:43 to take a 22-17 lead. The Beacons battled back to tie the game at 26-26 with 3:58 to play in the half before SIU scored 10 of the final 14 points of the half to lead 36-30 at intermission.
– Valpo had its highest-scoring quarter of the season as it dropped 24 points in the third quarter, but the Salukis scored 33 in the same 10-minute span.
– The Beacons fought back to tie the game at 39-39 on a pair of Connolly free throws with 7:46 to play in the period, but SIU went on a 15-2 run over the next four-plus minutes. The Salukis eventually led 69-54 with 10 minutes to play.
– SIU pushed its lead to its apex at 73-55 with 8:59 remaining before a 9-2 run from Valpo — featuring seven points from von Schlegell — forced a Saluki timeout with 7:25 to play and their lead down to 75-64.
– The deficit stayed at 11 as a singular free throw each way accounted for the only scoring over the next three-plus minutes until a driving layup from von Schlegell with 4:15 to play made it a single-digit game.
– The freshman converted a 3-point play with 2:58 to play and then sunk a 3-pointer with 2:28 remaining to make it a one-possession game, 76-73 — completing an 18-3 run over a span of 6:31.
– SIU made a pair of free throws on its next trip down the court to push its lead back to five points, and Valpo was unable to convert on any of its last five offensive possessions.
– von Schlegell and Connolly both established career highs in the scoring column with 29 and 22 points, respectively.
– von Schlegell’s 29 points, which bested her previous best by 10 points, came on 9-of-14 shooting from the floor, including 5-of-10 from 3-point range, and 6-of-7 from the foul line. The freshman established a career high for field goals made and matched her career best for 3-pointers made.
– Connolly edged past her previous career high of 21 points, accomplished twice this season, with her 22-point effort. The senior also handed out five assists to match her best effort in the Valpo uniform.
– Nenadic added 11 points and tied her career high with 12 rebounds to finish with the second double-double of her career — both of which have come within the last four games.
– Valpo shot 41.4% from the floor and was 7-of-24 from 3-point range, while SIU hit at a 42.9% clip from the field and was 5-of-12 from deep.
– The Beacons also hit 18-for-25 from the foul line — the 18 free throws made their second-highest total in MVC play.
– Valpo committed just 12 turnovers against the Salukis, tying their second-fewest in that department this season. Going along with 13 assists, it is the third time in the last seven games the Beacons have had a positive assist/turnover ratio.
…versus Evansville
– After Evansville scored mere seconds into the game right off the opening tip, Valpo held the Purple Aces scoreless for a stretch of over four minutes, going on an 8-0 run to take an 8-2 lead.
– Evansville came back to even the score at 12-12 with 2:27 to play in the quarter before Allia von Schlegell scored five in a row to restore the lead. Valpo’s edge was 17-14 at the end of the first period.
– Back-to-back triples by von Schlegell and Milana Nenadic had the Beacons ahead 23-18 with 8:53 to play in the opening half.
– The Purple Aces went on a 16-3 run over the next four-plus minutes to pull in front, 34-26.
– Mikayla Huffine and Kayla Sullivan had back-to-back baskets to make it a four-point game, but Evansville scored the final five points of the half to lead 39-30 at intermission.
– The Purple Aces scored on each of their first five possessions of the third quarter to double their lead within the opening 2:29, extending to a 50-32 lead.
– Evansville led 69-40 at the end of the third quarter and Valpo got no closer than the final margin in the fourth period.
– von Schlegell finished with a team-best 16 points, including three 3-pointers — her 10th game with at least three triples this season.
The freshman has now tallied 15 or more points 10 times this year.
– Nenadic scored in double figures for the seventh time this year with 11 points, including three 3-pointers to tie a career best.
– Huffine came up just short of making it three Beacons in double figures, scoring a season-best nine points on 4-of-5 shooting. The senior also paced Valpo with five assists while committing just two turnovers.
– Autumn Dibb had a season-best eight rebounds to lead Valpo on the glass, while Kennedy Sproule tallied a season-high three steals to tie for game-high honors.
– Led by Sproule’s three steals, the Beacons racked up a season-best 10 steals as a team.
– Valpo hit at a 36.7% clip from the field and was 8-of-29 from 3-point range, while Evansville was 14-of-29 from deep as part of a night when it shot 47.6% overall.
– The Beacons held a 26-24 advantage in points in the paint, their first time having the edge in that department this season.
…looking ahead
– This road weekend concludes for the Beacons Sunday afternoon at Belmont.
– Drake and UNI are the next two road games on tap, but they will be played as part of two separate trips a week apart.
…on the road
– Friday’s game is the seventh of 10 road games in MVC play for the Beacons, who played six true road games as well in the nonconference slate.
– Valpo is currently 0-12 in true road games.
– Last season’s squad posted a 3-11 mark in true road games.
….and @ValleyHoops
– Valpo is in its ninth season as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference.
– Valpo was picked outside the top-four of the MVC preseason poll, as the Valley released only the top four selections.
– The Valley finished last season ranked seventh in the NET, matching the conference’s highest NET/RPI ranking in Valpo’s time as an MVC member (2020-21).
…looking back at last year
– Valpo finished last season with a 13-19 overall record and went 9-11 in MVC play to finish in eighth place.
– Among the Beacons’ 13 victories were a thrilling rally from a 20-point deficit for a home win over Drake which entered the game ranked 69th in NET, the program’s highest-ranked win since a win over #54 UNI in 2021-22.
– Leah Earnest was tabbed a First Team All-MVC honoree as she concluded a decorated career that saw her finish first in program history in career rebounds and third in career scoring.
– The 2024-25 Beacons hit 245 3-pointers, third-most in a single season in program history, and tallied 314 steals, seventh on the program’s single-season chart and the most since 2001-02.
@RacersWBB
– Murray State enters Friday’s game atop the MVC standings at 11-1 in Valley play and with a 20-3 overall record.
– The Racers’ lone blemish in MVC action came at UNI, after which they have won their last four games.
– MSU ranks 10th in the nation in scoring offense (84.7 PPG) and boasts the Valley’s top two individual scorers in Halli Poock (21.1 PPG) and Sharneece Currie-Jelks (19.0 PPG) – the latter also leads the MVC and ranks eighth nationally with 11.5 RPG.
Allia’s Big Day
– Freshman Allia von Schlegell has been the Beacons’ leading scorer in MVC play, but took it to another level Saturday against Southern Illinois.
– von Schlegell’s 29 points bested her previous career high of 19 points by 10, as she established a career high for field goals made and matched her career best for 3-pointers made.
– von Schlegell scored the most points by a Valpo freshman since Ali Saunders scored 32 against UAB Nov. 21, 2022. It also matched the most points by an MVC freshman this season.
– 15 of von Schlegell’s points came in the fourth quarter alone as she outscored SIU in the final period. It is the most points in a single period by a Valpo player this season.
– Even more impressively, von Schlegell scored those 29 points while not committing a single turnover in 35 minutes of action. She is only the fifth D-I freshman this year with a game with 29 or more points and no turnovers.
Connolly’s Career Best Too
– von Schlegell wasn’t the only Valpo player to set a career high Saturday.
– Senior Fiona Connolly edged past her previous career best of 21 points, accomplished twice earlier this season, with a 22-point effort against the Salukis.
– It is the first time two Valpo players scored 20+ points in the same game since Leah Earnest tallied 24 points and Layla Gold 21 versus Detroit Mercy Dec. 21, 2024.
– von Schlegell and Connolly combined for 51 points, the highest combined scoring output for two Valpo players since Tabitha Gerardot (32) and Gina Lange (24) combined for 56 in a win over Cleveland State Feb. 2, 2013.
The Freshman Fills It Up
– Freshman Allia von Schlegell has made a big impact in her rookie season.
– von Schlegell has scored in double figures 14 times this season, including in 11 of Valpo’s last 15 games.
– 11 times, von Schlegell has dropped at least 15 points – the most 15+ point games by a Valpo freshman since Dani Franklin hit the 15-point mark 12 times in the 2014-15 season.
– von Schlegell currently ranks second among MVC freshmen in scoring (11.3 points/game) and is first in 3-pointers made (50).
– She ranks 54th nationally in freshman scoring and is tied for ninth among freshmen nationally in 3-pointers made.
Doing Work on the Road
– von Schlegell has excelled in the scoring department on the road in MVC play.
– The freshman has scored 15 or more points in five of Valpo’s six MVC road games to date, including a career-high 19 twice – at Evansville and at UIC.
– von Schlegell has shot 50% (18-for-36) from 3-point range in road MVC games and is averaging 15.3 points/game in those contests.
Milana Feasts
– Redshirt junior Milana Nenadic has been on a tear offensively lately, averaging 15.3 points/game over the last seven games while leading the Beacons in four contests.
– This recent stretch comes after Nenadic averaged 6.6 points/game and scored in double figures just twice in the season’s first 17 games.
– Nenadic became Valpo’s first MVC weekly award winner in over four years Jan. 19, as she was named MVC Newcomer of the Week after scoring 34 points at Illinois State (more on that game later) and 18 points versus Drake.
– Nenadic has also hit the glass more recently, averaging 7.0 rebounds/game over the last six games after averaging 4.0 rebounds/game over the first 17 games.
– Nenadic has recorded the first two double-doubles of her career in this stretch as well, posting 19 points and 12 rebounds versus Indiana State and most recently 11 points and 12 rebounds versus Southern Illinois.
Nenadic’s Night
– It was truly a night to remember for Nenadic at Illinois State Jan. 15, coming off the bench to deliver 34 points on 16-of-25 shooting.
– The 16 field goals made broke the program record for baskets in a single game, as the previous mark was shared at 15 by Deb Lahti (Feb. 19, 1983 vs. Carthage) and Lyn Swanson (Feb. 8, 1986 at Carthage).
– Nenadic is tied for ninth among NCAA D-I players this season for field goals in a game.
– Nenadic’s 25 field goal attempts are tied for eighth-most in a single game in Valpo history.
– The junior now shares fifth on Valpo’s single-game scoring chart with Dani Franklin, who dropped 34 at Stetson Nov. 12, 2016. Those two are the only Valpo players to score at least 34 in a game since 1992. Nenadic’s 34 points are the most by a player coming off the bench in program history.
– The 34 points is tied with Murray State’s Halli Poock for the highest-scoring game by an MVC player this season.
– Nenadic’s previous career best was 20 points earlier this year while facing All-American Audi Crooks at Iowa State.
– Nenadic is just the fourth MVC player in the last nine seasons with at least 16 baskets in a game, and joins a few pretty solid players in that department — Drake’s Katie Dinnebier, Belmont’s Destinee Wells and Murray State’s Katelyn Young.
Nonconference Scoring
– von Schlegell scored in double figures six times in nonconference action, among the best in program history in terms of double-digit scoring outputs by a freshman in nonconference games since Valpo joined the North Star Conference for the 1987-88 season:
Dani Franklin, 2014-15, 11
Meredith Hamlet, 2015-16, 8
Tabitha Gerardot, 2010-11, 8
Sarrah Stricklett, 1996-97, at least 7 (2 boxes unavailable)
Debbie Bolen, 1989-90, at least 7 (1 box unavailable)
Jeanette Gray, 1999-2000, 7
Allia von Schlegell, 2025-26, 6
Stephanie Greer, 1987-88, 6
Amy Cole, 1987-88, 6
Linda Batz, 1987-88, 6
Ali Saunders, 2022-23, 5
Jamie Gutowski, 2002-03, 5
– Notably, the six players ahead of von Schlegell on that list all went on to earn All-Freshman/Newcomer Team honors and closed their time at Valpo among the top-12 in program history in career scoring.
Skip the Second?
– Four times in MVC play, the second quarter has proven to be the Beacons’ undoing.
– Most recently, the Beacons were outscored by SIU 25-13 in the second quarter, while the other three quarters saw Valpo hold the 60-57 edge.
– Drake outscored Valpo 19-7 in the second quarter, while the Beacons outscored the Bulldogs 49-47 in the other three periods.
– At Illinois State, a 31-12 second quarter for the Redbirds accounted for the entire final margin, as Valpo matched ISU 62-62 in the other three quarters.
– At Indiana State, the Sycamores’ 24-13 advantage in the second quarter offset Valpo’s 65-64 edge in the other three periods.
Shifting Starters
– Valpo has used ten different starting lineups this year, the most recent change coming last time out, as Nenadic joined Huffine, von Schlegell, Connolly and Sullivan.
– That unit was a +10 (27-17) in 9:52 of playing time together against the Salukis.
– Ten different players have been a part of at least one starting five this year, with only one – Huffine – starting every game. All ten have started at least three games apiece.
– The Beacons have not used the same starting lineup in more than four consecutive games this season.
The Tall and the Short
– This year’s Valpo roster features recent extremes on both ends of the height spectrum.
– Mor Shabtai and Mikayla Huffine both are listed at 5-4, making them the shortest Valpo players since 5-3 Rashida Ray (2007-11).
– On the flip side, Kamryn Winch and Milana Nenadic both check in at 6-3, making them the tallest Valpo players since 6-5 Nicole Johanson (2018-19).
International Flavor
– Valpo has a trio of international players on its 2025-26 roster: sophomore Mor Shabtai (Israel) and transfers Milana Nenadic (Ontario, Canada) and Kennedy Sproule (Manitoba, Canada).
– Prior to Shabtai’s arrival last year, the Valpo program hadn’t had an international player since Sharon Karungi (Uganda) roamed the paint from 2013-15.
Sister Act
– For the third straight season, the Beacons have a pair of sisters on their roster, as freshman Nuala Connolly joins senior sister Fiona on this year’s squad.
– The last two years featured identical twins Nevaeh and Saniya Jackson.
– Before that, the last set of sisters to suit up together in the Brown and Gold were the trio of Hamlet sisters: Annemarie (2013-16) overlapped with both older sister Elizabeth (2013-14) and younger sister Meredith (2015-19).
======================================================================
VALPO BASEBALL
VALPO BASEBALL TO OPEN 2026 CAMPAIGN AT GARDNER-WEBB
Valparaiso (0-0, 0-0 MVC)
at Gardner-Webb (0-0, 0-0 Big South)
Friday, Feb. 13, Noon CT (Game 1) – RHP Connor Lockwood
Friday, Feb. 13, approx. 3:30 p.m. CT (Game 2) – RHP Spencer Boynton
Saturday, Feb. 14, noon CT (Game 1) – RHP Dalton Swinehart
Saturday, Feb. 14, approx. 3:30 p.m. CT (Game 2) – RHP Nick Baffa
Bill Masters Field at John Henry Moss Stadium (550) | Boiling Springs, N.C.
Next Up in Valpo Baseball: Opening week is upon us for the Valparaiso University baseball team as the squad’s 2026 campaign gets underway with a four-game weekend series at Gardner-Webb beginning on Friday in North Carolina. This marks the start of head coach Brian Schmack’s 13th season in charge of the program.
Last Time Out: The 2025 season ended on a high note as Valpo won each of its final two games, winning a Missouri Valley Conference series from Southern Illinois to close out the campaign. A 13-11 series opener that Valpo dropped on Thursday, May 15 looked like a pitchers’ duel compared to Friday’s 24-14, eight-inning win for the Beacons. Valpo captured the rubber match 8-5 on the season’s final day.
Following the Beacons: The series opener on Friday is slated to be streamed on ESPN+. The remaining three games in the series will not be streamed. For links to live video and stats, visit ValpoAthletics.com. For in-game updates, follow @ValpoBaseball on X.
Head Coach Brian Schmack: Brian Schmack (212-371) is in his 13th season in charge of the program. He ranks third in program history in seasons coached and games coached as he coached his 500th game on March 17, 2024 at Campbell. On April 19 vs. Missouri State, he became the third head coach in program history to secure his 200th win. Schmack, a member of the 2003 Detroit Tigers, served as pitching coach/associate head coach at Valpo for seven seasons prior to his promotion.
Series Notes: Valpo and Gardner-Webb have gotten together on eight previous occasions, with Valpo owning three wins in the series. The Beacons took the most recent matchup 5-2 on March 12, 2024, a midweek game as part of an extended trip to the Carolinas. Valpo played a three-game series against the Bulldogs in 2015, a single game in 2012 and a three-game series in 2010. Most of the matchups in the series have been tight, with three games decided by two runs or fewer and six marking the largest margin of victory between the two teams.
In the Other Dugout – Gardner-Webb
Picked to finish eighth of nine in the Big South Preseason Poll.
Went 17-36 overall and 6-18 in league play last season.
Under the direction of seventh-year head coach Jim Chester.
Have a pair of MVC teams on the schedule this season as they will also host Bradley in May.
Approaching 200: Valpo starting pitcher Connor Lockwood enters the 2026 season with 192 career strikeouts. He needs eight to hit the 200 milestone.
MVC Preseason Watch List
Rather than preseason all-conference teams, the Missouri Valley Conference released a Preseason Watch List prior to the 2026 campaign.
Valpo players to watch include redshirt senior right-handed pitcher Spencer Boynton, redshirt junior right-handed pitcher Adam Guazzo, redshirt senior right-handed pitcher Connor Lockwood, redshirt senior catcher Eli Riley and redshirt sophomore infielder Case Sullivan.
The Valley did not release the full preseason poll this season, but did release the top five teams in the voting. Murray State is the preseason favorite, followed by Southern Illinois and UIC.
The Roster Rundown
Valpo has 18 newcomers joining forces with 15 returning players for the 2026 season.
The top six pitchers from last season in terms of earned run average are back for 2026.
On the flip side, the position player group has received a bit of a makeover. Of the 11 position players who started on a fairly regular basis last season, only three return in 2026 – redshirt junior Thomas Cooper, senior Austin Amburgey and redshirt sophomore Case Sullivan.
This year’s roster features 10 freshmen, six sophomores, five juniors and 12 seniors.
Illinois (11) and Indiana (eight) are the home states most represented on the Valpo roster. Wisconsin (four), Ohio (two) and Florida (two) also produced multiple members of this year’s Beacons. Kentucky, Tennessee, Nebraska, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Michigan round out the 11 states represented on this year’s team.
There are 16 pitchers and 18 position players (including one two-way player counted in both groups) on this year’s roster.
Looking Back at 2025
The 10-40 record and 5-22 MVC mark are deceiving based on the number of close losses. Valpo was 1-9 in one-run games including 1-7 in MVC play in one-run games
Valpo had two wins over Big Ten Conference opponents, beating Ohio State 10-7 on March 7 and Illinois 13-10 on March 15.
The March 15 win came against the defending Big Ten regular-season champs and a team that won 35 games and went 18-6 in Big Ten play on its way to an NCAA Regional berth last season.
The win over Ohio State was the team’s first Big Ten win since 2018. The win came against a Buckeyes team that was coming off a 29-win season.
The team’s 8-3 win at Indiana State on March 21 to open Missouri Valley Conference play snapped a 25-game head-to-head losing streak and was the team’s first victory over the Sycamores since 2007. Valpo was previously 0-20 vs. Indiana State since joining the MVC prior to the 2018 season.
The win over Indiana State came against the defending MVC regular-season champs and an Indiana State team that made an NCAA Regional appearance last season.
The team produced its highest run total in 15 years on May 16, beating Southern Illinois 24-14 in the highest-scoring game in Emory G. Bauer Field history.
2025 Awards & Honors
All-MVC Honorable Mention – Connor Lockwood
MVC Scholar-Athlete Second Team – Patrick Ilitch
College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team – Spencer Warfield & Ryan Kruse
SportsCenter Top 10 Plays – Connor Giusti at No. 6 on May 17 after a diving catch and glove flip to second for a double play in the ninth inning of a win over Southern Illinois; Aidan Thaxton at No. 3 for an impressive tag on April 6 vs. Illinois State.
Weekly Awards – Case Sullivan Brooks Wallace National Shortstop of the Week (May 20), Connor Lockwood MVC Pitcher of the Week (March 24)
Ryan Maka finished his career with 21 home runs, tied for the 10th most in program history.
Connor Lockwood led the Missouri Valley Conference in strikeouts (80) and innings pitched (95 2/3).
Dean’s Award (Graduate College) & MVC State Farm Good Neighbor Award – Kade Reinertson
Male Perseverance Award (ARC Awards) – Connor Lockwood
Pitching Profiles – Probable Starters
#29 RHP Spencer Boynton, R-Sr. (Tampa, Fla. / Seffner Christian) – Was an all-conference honoree at Eastern Nazarene College, where he spent two seasons before joining the Beacons prior to the 2024 campaign, which he missed due to an injury… Hobbies include golf, tennis, ping pong and video games… Favorite movie is The Usual Suspects, food is pizza, pro baseball team is the San Francisco Giants and MLB players are Buster Posey and Kevin Gausman… Garnered his first collegiate victory with a bounce-back outing on Feb. 23 at Memphis. He was perfect through four innings and totaled five frames of two-hit, no-walk ball while striking out five…. Went five scoreless innings in his April 27, 2025 start at Belmont, receiving no decision in a game the team lost 1-0. He pitched shutout ball for the first time in the 2025 season, marking his best start of the year.
#11 RHP Connor Lockwood, (R-Sr.), (Libertyville, Ill. / Libertyville) – Named conference co-player of the year as a high school senior in 2021 and received all-state accolades… Interested in a career in elementary education… Favorite food is deep dish pizza… Made his first appearance since April 2, 2023 vs. Murray State on March 1, 2024 at Elon as after that game he underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery. In his return to the rubber, he started and went three innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits and one walk while striking out four… Threw a complete game to earn the win while scattering eight hits, striking out nine and walking none on March 30, 2024 vs. Bradley. He became the first Valpo hurler to toss a nine-inning complete game in five years and was named MVC Pitcher of the Week on April 1, 2024, becoming the second Valpo pitcher since the team joined the MVC to become a multi-time winner of that award… Started the 2025 season opener on Feb. 14 and tossed an eight-inning complete game, striking out seven and walking none while taking the tough-luck loss after allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits at Samford… Named the MVC Pitcher of the Week on March 24, 2025 after pitching Valpo to its first win over Indiana State since 2007 on March 21, ending a 25-game head-to-head losing streak. He allowed no earned runs (three total runs) on five hits and one walk while striking out 10 over seven innings against the defending Missouri Valley Conference regular-season champions… Threw his second complete game of the season and the third of his career on April 4, 2025 vs. Illinois State, scattering seven hits while allowing two runs, walking one and striking out six. Valpo fell 2-1 as Lockwood took the tough-luck loss… In 2025, led the MVC in strikeouts (80) and innings pitched (95 2/3), becoming the first Valpo player to lead the league in innings since 2018 and strikeouts since 2022… Had the team’s highest innings total since 2019 and highest strikeout total since 2022… Named 2025 All-MVC Honorable Mention.
#27 RHP Dylan Swinehart, R-Sr. (Elkhart, Ind. / Concord) – Previously played at Indiana Tech (2022) and Taylor (2023-2025)… While at Taylor, posted a 14-8 record, nine saves, 150 strikeouts and 39 walks over 136 2/3 innings in 63 career games spanning three seasons… Favorite MLB player is Randy Johnson.
#32 RHP Nick Baffa, So. (Glenview, Ill. / Notre Dame College Prep) – Made 14 appearances including five starts while striking out 23 and walking 17 in 26 innings as a freshman in 2025… Loves to take naps almost every day… Favorite TV show is SpongeBob SquarePants… Played for Athletic Barn Baseball, Future Games and WWBA Jupiter Florida Chicago Scouts Association… Made his collegiate debut with a scoreless inning on Feb. 22, 2025 at Memphis… Also hurled a shutout frame in his second outing on March 8, 2025 at Ohio State… Entered the March 25, 2025 game at Purdue with two on and nobody out in the seventh and worked out of the jam, ending the inning with consecutive strikeouts… Worked two shutout innings in Valpo’s April 1, 2025 victory over Milwaukee… Made his first collegiate start on April 15, 2025 at Notre Dame, pitching shutout ball over the first three innings but running out of steam in the fourth, when he allowed five runs and did not record an out… Started and allowed one unearned run on three hits while walking none and striking out three over three innings on April 22, 2025 vs. Northern Illinois.
Pitching Profiles – Bullpen Bits
#2 RHP Cayden Ray, Fr. (Owensboro, Ky. / Owensboro) – Three-year all-region and three-time all-district choice in high school… Also played three years of football… 2025 District Player of the Year.
#5 RHP Seth Pitcock, Fr. (Crown Point, Ind. / Boone Grove) – Local product who was a conference MVP and District Player of the Year for Boone Grove as a senior in 2025, helping his team to a state championship.
#10 LHP Christian Hack, R-Sr. (Oak Forest, Ill. / Tinley Park) – In his fourth year in Valpo’s program in 2026… Missed most of the 2025 season with an injury… Has logged 27 innings over 24 games in his first four collegiate seasons… Won $10,000 at a Valpo basketball game on Feb.7, 2026, winning the Lakeshore Bone & Joint Institute Series Shootout promotion by making a layup, free throw, 3-pointer and halfcourt shot within 25 seconds, all while wearing an Illinois Fighting Illini jersey from Valpo men’s basketball head coach Roger Powell Jr.’s playing days.
#16 RHP Justin Bultemeier, R-Sr. (Decatur, Ind. / Adams Central) – Finished 13th nationally in NJCAA DII in ERA while pitching at Ivy Tech CC… Spent the 2024 and 2025 seasons at IU Kokomo… Was a Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League All-Star… Graduated with a bachelor’s in health and exercise science and is pursuing his graduate public health certificate at Valpo.
#17 LHP Luke Albrecht, Fr. (Brownsburg, Ind. / Brownsburg) – Won a regional championship as a high school sophomore… Favorite TV show is Impractical Jokers.
#18 RHP Joey Kafka, Fr. (Mundelein, Ill. / Mundelein) – Two-time all-conference and all-area choice in high school… Favorite MLB team is the Cubs and player is Shota Imanaga… Hobbies include fly fishing, camping and music.
#20 RHP Hunter Frost, Sr. (Farmington, Minn. / Farmington) – Went 4-2 with a 4.50 ERA while appearing in 14 games and making 11 starts for Iowa Central Community College in 2024… 2021 4A Minnesota state champion and 2022 4A Minnesota state runner-up… Also competed in wrestling in high school… Majoring in elementary education… Favorite pro baseball team is the Minnesota Twins… Favorite food is steak stir fry… Did not allow a run in 1 2/3 innings of relief on April 29, 2025 at Western Michigan… Pitched two shutout innings in the second game of a May 3, 2025 doubleheader vs. UIC… Fired a season-high 2 2/3 innings and did not allow a run on May 10, 2025 vs. Bradley.
#22 LHP Colton Rerick, Fr. (South Bend, Ind.) – First team all-conference honoree as a senior in high school… Is ambidextrous… Favorite food is crab… Enjoys golfing and going to the lake.
#24 Adam Guazzo, R-So. (Huntley, Ill. / Huntley) – Was sidelined and did not see action during his first season on campus in 2023… Two-time all-conference performer in basketball in addition to earning all-conference on the diamond as a senior in high school… Set his high school’s record for rebounds in a single season on the hardwood with 320 in 2021-22… Favorite TV shows are Breaking Bad and Ozarks… Pitched in 15 games and made nine starts in 2024 before making 17 appearances, all in relief, in 2025… Nailed down his first collegiate save with 1 2/3 scoreless inning on Feb. 23 at Memphis… Tossed a shutout frame on March 7, 2025 at Ohio State to earn his second save… Allowed one run on one hit over two frames of relief on March 15, 2025 at Illinois… Entered the March 25, 2025 game at Purdue with the Beacons in a jam in the bottom of the eighth and limited the damage as he was not charged with a run while allowing no hits, striking out two and recording all three outs in the inning… Earned his first collegiate win with three shutout innings of two-hit ball in the 3-2, 10-inning victory over Illinois State on April 6, 2025… Worked two scoreless innings on April 19, 2025 vs. Murray State… Did not allow a hit or a run in his inning of relief on May 3, 2025 in the second game of a doubleheader vs. UIC.
#26 RHP Ryan Kruse, R-Jr. (Detroit, Mich. / U of D Jesuit) – In his third season in the program after redshirting at Northern Kentucky in 2023… Enjoys golfing, swimming, snowboarding, working out and tennis… Favorite movie is The Dark Knight… Made 21 relief appearances in 2025, including nine where he heaved scoreless ball… Worked a scoreless inning in the series finale at Samford on Feb. 16, 2025, his first action of the season… Did not allow a run in an inning of work on March 9, 2025 at Ohio State… Pitched two scoreless, hitless innings to finish out Valpo’s victory at Indiana State on March 21, 2025, helping the Beacons snap a 25-game head-to-head losing streak… Nailed down his first collegiate save on April 1, 2025 vs. Milwaukee with a 1-2-3 ninth… Pitched three shutout innings of one-hit, no-walk ball that played a crucial role in a 3-2 victory over Illinois State on April 6, 2025… Tossed two scoreless innings on April 19, 2025 vs. Murray State… Pitched scoreless ball for the second straight outing and the fourth time in his last six appearances, logging two innings out of the pen on April 27, 2025 at Belmont… Pitched scoreless ball for the third straight outing and fifth time in his last six games with a shutout inning on May 2, 2025 vs. UIC.
#31 RHP Joe Seiber, R-Sr. (Homer Glen, Ill. / Lockport) – Third team junior college All-American at College of DuPage… Favorite MLB team is the Chicago White Sox… Favorite movie is Billy Madison… Joined the program prior to the 2024 season as a junior college transfer… Worked in 33 games and totaled 48 1/3 innings over his first two seasons at Valpo in 2024 and 2025… Was charged with no runs on two hits and no walks in two innings of work in the March 14, 2025 series opener at Illinois… Made his first Valpo start on March 25, 2025 vs. Ball State and allowed two runs on two hits and no walks in two innings… Pitched a shutout inning on April 15, 2025 at Notre Dame, seeing his first action since March 28 at Evansville after missing time with an injury… Pitched a shutout inning on April 15 at Notre Dame, seeing his first action since March 28 at Evansville after missing time with an injury.
#33 RHP Dylan Immel, R-Sr. (Brownsville, Wis.) – Started his collegiate career with two junior college years and was an All-American at Century College… Pitched in 27 games and made 10 starts over two seasons at Sioux Falls… Favorite pro baseball team is the Milwaukee Brewers.
Position Player Profiles – Projected Starters (Not in Batting Order)
#12 Thomas Cooper, 3B, R-Jr. (Brentwood, Tenn. / Ravenwood) – Appeared in 15 games and made eight starts in 2023 before redshirting in 2024… Was a state runner-up in football in high school… Has a Lego collection… Favorite food is ice cream… Favorite MLB team is the Atlanta Braves… Had his first collegiate extra-base hit with a double on Feb. 16, 2025 at Samford, the team’s lone extra-base knock in that game… Hit his first career home run in Game 2 of a Feb. 22, 2025 doubleheader at Memphis… Missed seven games with an injury before returning to action on March 18, 2025 at Ball State… Hit a grand slam on April 29, 2025 at Western Michigan, the team’s first of the season… Had two hits on May 6 vs. Western Michigan.
#34 Case Sullivan, SS, R-So. (Carmel, Ind. / Carmel) – Joined the program after redshirting at Marshall in 2024, where he was a member of the president’s list with a perfect 4.0 GPA… Is a triplet with his two siblings, Colin and Lily… Lily plays softball at the University of Akron and Colin is an engineering student at Purdue… Favorite pro baseball team is the Boston Red Sox and player is Mookie Betts… Had four hits on his first day in a Valpo uniform on Feb. 14, 2025 at Samford, going 3-for-3 with a walk in Game 2 of the season-opening doubleheader… Homered in the first game of the series at Memphis on Feb. 22, 2025, the first of his collegiate career… Played solid shortstop in addition to going 3-for-5 with two doubles on Feb. 23, 2025 at Memphis… Reached base five times with a double, homer and three walks on April 17, 2025 vs. Murray State… Homered on his birthday on April 22, 2025 vs. Northern Illinois… Collected a season-high four hits and a season-high four runs scored on May 16, 2025 vs. Southern Illinois while driving in six, the highest RBI total by a Beacon in over four full years… Homered in each of the final two games of the 2025 season, helping Valpo to wins over SIU on May 16 and 17… Named the Brooks Wallace Award National Shortstop of the Week by the College Baseball Foundation following the final week of the season, during which he hit .500, reached at a .526 clip and slugged 1.125… Batted .257 while starting all 50 games in his first year at Valpo.
#1 Cole Lockwood, 2B, Fr. (Libertyville, Ill. / Libertyville) – Younger brother of Valpo RHP Connor Lockwood… Set program records for single-season stolen bases (38), career stolen bases (77) and career hit by pitch (25) in high school… Does everything right-handed except golfing and hitting… Favorite music artist is Morgan Wallen.
#9 Cal Schembra, 1B, Fr. (Greenwood, Ill. / Center Grove) – Hit .340 with four home runs as a high school senior… Hit a walk-off double to win the 2025 sectional title… Has six siblings… Is ambidextrous and does everything right-handed other than baseball.
#6 Eli Riley, C, R-Sr. – Played at Saint Francis (Ind.) for the last four years and totaled 22 home runs, 100 RBIs and 148 hits while posting a .289 average in 192 career games… Earned first team all-conference honors in 2024 and 2025 while also achieving a spot on the league’s gold glove team in each of those seasons… Favorite musical group is All-American Rejects… Graduated from Saint Francis with a degree in management in 2025 and is pursuing an MBA at Valpo.
#42 Brayden Pleau, LF, Jr. (Appleton, Wis. / Kimberly) – Played two junior college seasons at Bryant & Stratton, where he set the program single-season and career records for hits… Favorite movie is The Sandlot.
CF/RF – TBD
Inside the Assistants
Adam Brian is in his third season on Valpo’s staff after graduating from Bradley. He works with the team’s catchers, assists with pitching and leads recruiting efforts. Brian’s father Braden Brian played college baseball at Eastern Kentucky and was selected in the 30th round of the 1986 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Montreal Expos.
Chase Hetzel has joined the staff for the 2026 season as Valpo’s hitting coach. Hetzel arrived at Valpo after having served as the Director of Hitting for X2 Baseball, a player development and training facility in North Carolina, since 2022. He graduated from Queens University of Charlotte in Charlotte, N.C. in 2021.
Brady Nowicki joined the coaching staff in 2025 after playing for the team each of the previous three seasons. He is in his second season as a volunteer assistant coach.
Cole Pletcher is in his first season as a volunteer assistant coach at Valpo after playing at King University.
=======================================================================
UINDY MEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING
SWIMMING & DIVING RACKS UP SEVEN GOLD MEDALS ON DAY 2 OF GLVC CHAMPIONSHIPS
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The first full day of the 2026 GLVC Swimming & Diving Championships is in the books, and the UIndy Greyhounds find themselves squarely in the hunt for both the men’s and women’s crowns. The Greyhound gold rush netted seven first-place finishes in nine total events on the day, with both UIndy squads sitting in second place in the current team standings.
The annual conference meet, which is being held at Deaconess Aquatic Center in Evansville, Ind., continues Thursday morning, with prelims starting at 11 a.m. ET. The event started Tuesday evening and will kicked off through Saturday night.
TEAM STANDINGS THRU DAY 2 (top 4 only)
WOMEN PTS MEN PTS
1. Drury 560.5 1. Drury 387
2. UIndy 514.5 2. UIndy 350
3. UMSL 252 3. McKendree 344.5
4. Lewis 219 4. S&T 185
WEDNESDAY
UIndy crafted a number of impressive performances on the day. Junior diver Megan Sunderman got the ball rolling with a gold-medal performance on the 3-meter board. It marked the first career conference gold for Sunderman and the eighth in the last nine years for Hounds in the event.
Later in the lap pool, Jeremias Pock delivered one of the more impressive swims of the night, setting both school and conference records in the 200 IM. His gold-medal time of 1:43.63 was good for the fastest time in Division II all year.
Senior distance standout Swann Plaza also wrote his name in the record books. His 1000 free victory yielded a conference-record time of 8:53.72, topping all DII student-athletes this season.
On the women’s side, Kirabo Namutebi captured her third consecutive GLVC gold medal in the 50 free. The accomplished sprinted touched the wall in 22.20 seconds, resetting the league record and keeping her name at the top of the DII ranks.
Graduate-student Celina Schmidt added to her decorated career with a win in the 200 IM, leading a quartet of Hounds in the top nine.
Zachary Anthony shared the silver medal in the men’s 50 free with a 19.93, Sydney Alamein and Jan Schmidt placed fourth in their respective 1000 free races, and Silas Buessing (5th) and Nico Basten (7th) racked up significant points in the men’s 200 IM final.
The Greyhound capped the fruitful evening by sweeping gold in the 200 medley relay. The women’s team of Valentina Masella, Schmidt, Caprice Schlueter and Namutebi combined for a winning time of 1:40.08; while the men’s quartet of Camille Trinquesse, Pock, Elias Noe and Johann-Matthew Matamoro touched first with a 1:25.54.
TUESDAY
The 2026 GLVC Swimming & Diving Championships got underway Tuesday night at Deaconess Aquatic Center in Evansville, Ind. With only the 800 freestyle relay on the docket, the UIndy secured a pair of medals and a school record in the two events.
The men’s team of Jan Schmidt, Harrison Andoko, Jokubas Jankauskas and Swann Plaza combined for a time of 6:26.61, resetting the program record by more than a second while also netting a bronze medal. The Greyhounds women won the silver, with the quartet of Valentina Masella, Lillie Arps. Celina Schmidt and Caroline Reinke combining for a 7:26.12. The women hit an NCAA B cut while the men improved their provisional status.
The Greyhound B teams also contributed to the cause. The men’s team of Nico Basten, William Pettifer, Camille Trinquesse and Silas Buessing won their heat with a 6:37.51, good for the fourth-fastest time of the evening. The UIndy women’s B team of Hanna Burke, Malaika Claudic, Sydney Alamein and Dana Dominguez took the runner-up spot in their initial heat.
========================================================================
UINDY MEN’S BASKETBALL
MEN’S BASKETBALL HOSTS NO.23 MCKENDREE AND ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD AT THE NIC
vs. McKendree (18-4)
Thursday // February 11
7:30 p.m. ET // Indianapolis
Watch | Live Stats | Listen
vs. Illinois Springfield (15-8)
Love Your Hounds Day
Saturday // February 14
3:30 p.m. ET // Indianapolis
Watch | Live Stats | Listen
The Hounds return to The Nic to face #23 McKendree Bearcats on Thursday night before facing Illinois-Springfield on Saturday for UIndy’s Love Your Hounds Day.
The Hounds are hot off their second-best outing from the field this season in a 98-67 win over Maryville to cap off their week in St. Louis. Redshirt freshman Tyler Parrish boasted a game and career-high 30 points off of 12-for-16 shooting against the Saints. Kelvin Amoako added his new career-high 20 points in the UIndy victory. The Greyhounds set a new season best on the boards, grabbing 26 rebounds on the night, and tied their season-high three pointers made with 15.
McKendree
The Bearcats sit atop the GLVC with an 11-3 record in conference play. The squad is second in all of Division II in team field goal percentage defense, holding their opponents to an average of just 37.6% from the field, and only allows an average of 62.5 points per game, ranking sixth nationally in the category. The Houds topped the Bearcats 82-75 in Lebanon, Ill., earlier this season, led by Parrish with 25 points. Rini Harris led the Bearcats in the matchup with 22 points.
Illinois Springfield
The Prairie Stars hold an 11-4 record in conference play, including a 91-74 win against the Greyhounds in Springfield in early January. UIS has seen recent losses against #23 McKendree and #24 Missouri S&T in their last two outings. Graduate Student Jordan Rice leads the offence for the Prairie Stars with 17.5 points per game dishing out an additional five assists per contest.
========================================================================
UINDY MEN’S TENNIS
GREYHOUNDS BLANK NO. 20 GOLDEN EAGLES
INDIANAPOLIS — In a rematch of the 2025 NCAA DII tennis championship round of 16 matchup, the No. 17 UIndy men’s tennis team defeated No. 20 Charleston 5-0 at the USTA Midwest Training Center.
After grasping the doubles point thanks to a tiebreak win from Tadeo Gaggiofatto and Zaid Shelbaya, the Greyhounds swept the Golden Eagles in singles play, not conceding a single set all afternoon.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Tadeo Gaggiofatto and Zaid Shelbaya drew first blood in the doubles action, as the pair delivered a 6-3 win at #2 doubles over Elias Lagger and Marcelo Mifano Pinto.
The doubles point would be decided by tiebreaks on courts #1 and #3. Asier Ayllon Prado and Mathieu Derache took the No. 11 pairing of Omar Elsamahy and Vicente Garcia to a tiebreak at #1 doubles, while Lorenzo Di Cursi and Jovan Matovic were in a 6-6 stalemate with Nils Potterbeck and Alberto Nordio. Ultimately, Di Cursi and Matovic sealed the point for UIndy, finding a mini break and holding serve to take the breaker 7-3.
The Hounds continued their dominance in singles play, which was led off by Gaggiofatto’s 6-2, 6-0 victory over Lagger at #2 singles. Ayllon Prado followed suit on court #1, besting Abell 6-4, 6-2. Derache added to the sweeping effort at #3 singles, overcoming Elsamahy 6-4, 6-2. Matovic completed the sweep with a 6-1, 7-5 victory against Garcia at #3 singles.
UP NEXT
UIndy will prepare for one of the marquee events of the indoor portion of the season, competing in the ITA National Indoor Team Championship. They’ll start their title quest against No. 1 Barry this Friday, Feb 13, at 2 PM.
========================================================================
UINDY WOMEN’S TENNIS
WOMEN’S TENNIS OVERPOWERS CHARLESTON 4-2
INDIANAPOLIS — In a Wednesday morning matinee, the UIndy women’s tennis team defeated Charleston 4-2 at the USTA Midwest Training Center. The Hounds improve to 2-1 on the season, while the Golden Eagles move to 1-2.
After a 1-1 stalemate in the doubles point, Liza Simak and Silvia Zappoli found a late-set break to clinch the doubles point. The Hounds sealed the victory with singles wins from Jimena De Pablos Hernando, Silvia Zappoli, and Linya Chen.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Charleston landed the first blow in the doubles point, as Sofia Krasikova and Sara Martinez triumphed 6-2 over Magda Kornijczuk and Maelys Thiery-James 6-2 at #1 doubles. In a near instant response, Sofia Cardenas and Jimena De Pablos took down Michelle Connor and Vanessa Mueller 6-2 on court three. UIndy clinched the first point of the match thanks to Silvia Zappoli and Liza Simak, who overpowered Emma Leveque and Riva Hondiashvili 6-4 at #2 doubles.
The Hounds carried strong momentum over in singles action, beginning with De Pablos Hernando handing Mueller a bagel and breadstick combo, winning 6-0, 6-1 at #3 singles.
Charleston answered back with a pair of wins at #1 and #2 singles to tie the match 2-2. No. 28 Martinez took a 6-4, 6-2 win over Thiery-James, while #39 Krasikova bested Kornijczuk with a 6-2, 7-6 decision.
To break the deadlock, Zappoli put the Hounds ahead by clinching a win on court four, overcoming Connor 7-5, 4-6, 6-4. Shortly after, Linya Chen put the match on ice for UIndy at #6 singles, defeating Leveque 6-2, 6-3.
UP NEXT
The Greyhounds will play one more tune-up match before the 2026 ITA Women’s Team Indoor Championship next Tuesday, Feb. 17, taking on Findlay at 11:30 AM.
========================================================================
UINDY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
GREYHOUNDS BACK HOME TO FACE MCKENDREE AND ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD
vs. McKendree (12-8)
Thursday // February 12
5:30 p.m. ET // Indianapolis, IN
Watch | Live Stats | Listen | Tickets
vs. Illinois Springfield (9-13)
Saturday // February 14
1 p.m. ET // Indianapolis, IN
Watch | Live Stats | Listen | Tickets
The Greyhounds will return home to host two more GLVC contests this weekend, after two straight road games this past week against two of the top three teams in the GLVC this season, Missouri-St. Louis and Maryville. The last time at Nicoson Hall for the Hounds was a 30-point rout of Lincoln on Jan. 31 for the team’s annual Pack The House game.
Autumn Rucker had a game-high 17 points in the team’s last outing against Maryville, which is tied for the third most points she’s scored in a game this season, and is the 14th game this year she’s had double-figure points.
McKendree
The Bearcats have been the most efficient offense in the GLVC in 2025, averaging a league leading 74.8 points per game, while shooting 42.6% from the field, but ranks second to last in three-point percentage, shooting at a 21.8% clip. The team is also grabbing 43.1 boards/game, ranking first in the GLVC.
Along with efficient team stats, McKendree also has the 2024-25 GLVC leader in points scored, Baylie Parks, who averaged 18.9 points, and is backing it up in the 2025-26 with 15.6 points, and 8.8 boards. Kyra Taylor is also averaging 13.2 points, the team’s only other double digit point scorer.
Illinois-Springfield
The Prairie Stars will head into the home stretch of the season with a 9-13 overall record, and a 6-8 record in conference play, just one spot outside of the GLVC Tournament if postseason play started today.
UIS boasts one of the best clips from three this season, ranking second, shooting a 36.6% rate, while ranking fifth in the GLVC in points per game with 67.8. The team has three players with over 40 threes on the year; Julia Mingus, Kayla Rice, and Kennedy Osterman, with all three averaging double-digit points per game. Rice leads the way with 15.0 points per game, which ranks fifth in the GLVC, and includes six 20-point outings on the year.
========================================================================
MARIAN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
ABBEY MCNALLY JOINS MARIAN’S 2000 POINT CLUB AS KNIGHTS EARN LANDSLIDE WIN AT GRACE
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – It was a night of milestones and momentum for Marian women’s basketball on Wednesday night, as the Knights surged past Grace College 97-66 in convincing fashion, highlighted by Abbey McNally joining elite company as the third player in program history to eclipse 2,000 career points. Marian’s win is the sixth consecutive, improving the team’s overall record to 23-2 on the year and 13-2 in the Crossroads League.
Marian started their track meet victory early and often, scoring in transition as they matched up against Grace’s full-court pressure with ease. Olivia Faust scored the first points of the game after Marian won the tip, while a pair of Taylor Double baskets got the Knights rolling. Abbey McNally then took over as the defense began to increase intensity, scoring three straight baskets for six quick points. The quick attack for McNally, who scored the third basket off a pass from her sister Kiley McNally, gave the senior her 2000th career point, allowing her to further etch her name in the program record book as she tied Lakan Hasser-Smith for second all-time in career scoring.
The string of McNally points gave Marian a 12-7 lead, and was followed by a three-pointer and layup from Taylor Double, extending the hot start as the pair of scores capped a streak of seven made shots in a row to open the game. The Knights began to string consecutive stops to upset the Lancer rhythm, and before the media timeout, Faust gave the Knights a 21-15 lead with her second make of the game. Marian’s offense would slow the pace after the timeout, taking over control of the game as they closed out the final five minutes on a 10-5 run, leading 31-20 at the end of the first.
After a strong first quarter, a one-sided second quarter sealed little doubt that the night belonged to Marian, as Madisyn Bailey scored the opening points in the period and then recorded a steal, finding Kiley McNally to cap a quick four points. Bailey’s defense made life difficult for Grace, as she swiped another steal, turning it into a fastbreak layup to force a Lancer timeout. The stop was one of many for the Knights, as both McNally’s, Bailey, and Double combined for a 20-0 run to begin the quarter, as Grace was held scoreless until there was 3:36 remaining before halftime.
Kenna Kirby and Emma Simpson would add to Marian’s large lead over the final four minutes of the half as the defense continued to be a force, leading to the Knights’ 62-28 halftime lead. Marian ended the second quarter allowing eight Grace points, forcing 16 turnovers in the period while holding the Lancers to a 2-10 shooting effort.
The dominant first half was more than enough for the Knights, as they were able to rotate everyone into the game as the second half played out. Marian out-scored Grace 14-10 in a low-scoring third quarter, getting a quarter-high six points from Eva Fisher. Grace would go on to lead the fourth quarter by a 28-21 margin, but the Knights had completed putting its stamp on the game, as the reserve unit led Marian through the majority of the period, sealing off the team’s 97-66 victory.
Abbey McNally scored 15 points in Marian’s one-sided victory, doing so in 19 minutes of play. McNally joined program greats Lakan Hasser-Smith and Ella Collier in the Knights’ 2000-point club, becoming the third Knight and 14th player in Crossroads League history to achieve the milestone. McNally would end the game with 2009 career points, cementing herself in second place on the Marian leaderboard, 251 shy of Collier’s program record 2260 points established in 2024.
Taylor Double ended the night with a game and season-high 16 points, adding three assists and two steals to her final line. Madisyn Bailey stuffed the stat sheet with 10 points, six assists, five rebounds, and four steals, and Eva Fisher led the bench, matching her career-high with 12 points. Kiley McNally led Marian in rebounding with seven, matching her scoring totals, and Emma Simpson scored a season-high seven points while blocking one shot.
The Knights ended the night forcing 32 Grace turnovers, while holding the home team to a 32 percent shooting night.
Marian will end its week on the road, traveling to the University of Saint Francis on Saturday for a top-10 showdown with the Cougars. Tip is at 1:00 p.m., as the Knights and Cougars matchup in a game that will largely factor into the determination of the Crossroads League Regular Season Champion.
=======================================================================
MARIAN MEN’S BASKETBALL
NO. 2 GRACE DEFEATS MARIAN 94-63
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Marian suffered its 11th consecutive game on Wednesday night, losing 94-63 against No. 2 Grace College. Marian competed against the Lancers early in the game, but were no match for the Crossroads League’s top team, as the Knights fell to 5-20 on the season and 2-13 in league play.
Marian led in phases in the opening 10 minutes of play on Wednesday, scoring five unanswered points after Grace logged the first score of the night. A pair of three-point makes from Ron Rutland III gave Marian an 8-4 lead over three minutes into the game, and at the media timeout, a three-point play from Aaron Humphrey Jr. gave the Knights a lead once more, this time at 15-13.
Josiah Gustin gave Marian the lead back after Grace tied following the Humphrey three-point play, but it would be the last time Marian managed to sit in front, as Grace rattled off five consecutive points to push in front 20-17. The Knights hung with the Lancers and tied the game at 22 as Aidan Franks canned a triple, but it would not be enough to keep Grace down. A 6-0 run for the Lancers ensured their first half lead, as they would go into the intermission leading 40-29.
Marian was held scoreless over the final 2:30 of the first half, an indicator for its play in the second half, as the Knights came out of the locker room from the halftime break sluggish. The Knights shot just under 38 percent from the field in the second half, while on the opposite end of the court, Grace College seemingly could not miss, scoring at a 72 percent clip.
Franks and Gustin would help Marian early in the half cut the Grace lead to seven points as Marian took advantage of a pair of turnovers, but just as quickly as they cut the margin, the Lancers equally increased it, going on an 8-0 run to seal a double-digit lead. The seven-point difference of 40-33 was the closest Marian got to overtaking the Lancers, as Grace continued to score, leading by a final margin of 31 en route to its 94-63 win over the Knights.
Aidan Franks finished the night as Marian’s leading scorer, leading the team with 14 points. Dylan Moles scored 12, and Ron Rutland III scored 10. Aaron Humphrey Jr. had seven points and seven rebounds, logging five of the team’s eight assists.
As a team, Marian shot 32.5 percent from the floor, and managed to earn just seven trips to the foul line. Grace out-rebounded Marian 44-26.
========================================================================
SMALL INDIANA COLLEGE SPORTS WEB SITES
UINDY ATHLETICS: https://athletics.uindy.edu/
MARIAN ATHLETICS: https://muknights.com/
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
=================================================
“SPORTS EXTRA”
TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
On February 12 in …
1878 – Frederick Thayer patents the baseball catcher’s mask (patent number 200,358).
1880 – National Croquet League organizes (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania).
1899 – First two-man team six-day bicycle race in US begins, Madison Square Garden, New York City.
1908 – New York to Paris auto race (via Alaska and Siberia) begins in New York City, New York, USA.
1909 – Robert Fowler runs world record marathon (2:46:52.6).
1920 – National League votes 6-2 for one commissioner American League votes 6-2 to keep group commission.
1929 – Karst Leemburg wins Dutch 11 cities skate (11:30).
1937 – Cleveland Rams granted an NFL franchise.
1949 – Team Canada beats Denmark 47-0 in hockey.
1956 – Fay Crocker wins LPGA Miami Beach Golf Open.
1958 – Boston Celtics’ Bill Russell grabs 41 rebounds to beat Syracuse Nationals 119-101.
1961 – Boston Celtics’ player Bill Russell grabs 40 rebounds to beat Philadelphia Warriors 136-125.
1961 – Mickey Wright wins LPGA Saint Petersburg Golf Open.
1961 – Mushtaq Mohammad scores first Test Cricket century at age 17 years 82 days.
1964 – End of Richie Benaud’s 63-Test cricket career.
1964 – US female Figure Skating championship won by Peggy Fleming.
1964 – US male Figure Skating championship won by Scott Allen.
1967 – Kees Verkerk becomes world champion all-round skater.
1971 – Only Test Cricket for Ken Eastwood, who scored 5 and 0 Australia versus England.
1977 – Toronto Maple Leafs shutout Washington Capitals 10-0.
1978 – Debbie Austin wins LPGA American Cancer Society Golf Classic.
1978 – US female Figure Skating championship won by Linda Fratianne.
1978 – US male Figure Skating championship won by Charles Tickner.
1980 – New York Islanders second scoreless tie, versus Winnipeg Jets.
1980 – Richard Hadlee becomes New Zealand’s top wicket-taker with 117.
1981 – Arbitrator Goetz declares Boston Red Sox catcher Carlton Fisk a free agent.
1982 – Wayne Gretzky scores 153rd point of season, tying NHL record.
1984 – Cale Yarborough becomes first Daytona 500 qualifier above 200 MPH.
1984 – West Indies beat Australia 2-0-1 to win cricket World Series Cup.
1984 – Alice Miller wins LPGA Sarasota Golf Classic.
1985 – 37th NHL All-Star Game: Wales beat Campbell 6-4 at Calgary.
1985 – West Indies beats Australia 2-1 to win cricket World Series Cup.
1986 – First-class cricket debut of Curtly Ambrose, Leeward Island versus Guyana.
1989 – 39th NBA All-Star Game: West beats East 143-134 at Houston, Texas.
1989 – 50th PGA Seniors Golf Championship: Larry Mowry.
1989 – Wayne Gretzky sets two records, his 45th hat trick and 10th 40+ goal season.
1989 – Thursday’s Child sets sailing record, New York-Cape Horn-San Francisco, 80 days 20 hours.
1989 – US male Figure Skating championship won by Christopher Bowman.
1991 – North and South Korea form a joint team for table tennis competition.
1994 – (to February 27) XVII Olympic Winter Games are held in Lillehammer, Norway.
1995 – 45th NBA All-Star Game: West beats East 139-112 at Phoenix, Arizona.
1995 – Jeff Rouse swims world record 50 metre backstroke (24.37 seconds).
1995 – Angela Kennedy swims woman’s world record 50 metre butterfly.
1995 – Dieter Baumann runs European record 3k indoor (7 minutes 37.51 seconds).
1995 – Moses Kiptanui runs world record 3k indoor (7 minutes 35.15 seconds).
1995 – Sun Cayun pole vaults indoor female world record (4.12 metres).
1995 – Susan Auch skates female world record 500 metre (38.94 seconds).
1995 – Bonnie Blair skates female world record 500 metre (38.69 seconds).
1998 – Dallas Cowboys sign Chan Gailey as their fourth head coach.
2002 – For the first time in its history, Major League Baseball owns a team after acquiring the Expos from Jeffrey Loria for $120 million.
2010 – In Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, the XXI Olympic Winter Games open. Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky lights the outdoor cauldron of the Olympic flame. 2600 athletes representing 82 nations are scheduled to participate in 86 events.
2022 – At Scotiabank Saddledrome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, NHL regular season game: Calgary Flames beats New York Islanders by score 5-2.
2022 – At Enterprise Center in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA, NHL regular season game: Saint Louis Blues beats Chicago Blackhawks by score 5-1.
2022 – At Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA, NHL regular season game: Minnesota Wild beats Carolina Hurricanes by score 3-2.
2022 – At Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, NHL regular season game: Winnipeg Jets beats Nashville Predators by score 5-2.
2022 – At Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, NHL regular season game: Vancouver Canucks beats Toronto Maple Leafs by score 3-2.
2022 – At Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, NHL regular season game: Columbus Blue Jackets beats Montreal Canadiens by score 2-1.
2022 – At Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, NHL regular season game: Boston Bruins beats Ottawa Senators by score 2-0.
2022 – At Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan, USA, NHL regular season game: Detroit Red Wings beats Philadelphia Flyers by score 4-2.
2023 – Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Kansas City Chiefs beat Philadelphia Eagles 38-35.
Births of sports figures on February 12
1831 – Birth of John Morrissey; boxer/developer of Saratoga Springs horse race track.
1857 – Birth of Bobby Peel; cricket player (great English lefty 1884-96).
1891 – Birth of Cecil Dixon; cricket off-spinner (one Test for South Africa, 3-118, pair).
1911 – Birth of Charles Mathiesen in Norway; 1500 metre speed skater (Olympics-gold-1936).
1918 – Birth of Dominic DiMaggio; baseball outfielder (Boston Red Sox).
1926 – Birth of Joe Garagiola in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA; sportscaster/host (Today Show).
1934 – Birth of Bill Russell in Monroe, Louisiana, USA; NBA star (Boston Celtics, Olympics-gold-1956).
1937 – Birth of Charles Everett Dumas in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA; high jumper (Olympics-gold-1956).
1941 – Birth of Ross Morgan; cricket player (New Zealand batsman in 20 Tests 1965-72).
1949 – Birth of Gundappa Viswanath; cricket player (prolific Indian batsman of 70s).
1949 – Birth of Len Randle; baseball player (New York Mets).
1955 – Birth of Daniele Masala in Italy; pentathlete (Olympics-1976).
1958 – Birth of Ingrid Klich in Whittier, California, USA; rower (Olympics-1996).
1961 – Birth of Chris Heyne in Offenbach, Germany; WLAF General Manager (Frankfurt Galaxy).
1963 – Birth of Brent Jones; NFL tight end (San Francisco 49ers).
1964 – Birth of Maurice Douglass; NFL safety (New York Giants).
1964 – Birth of Michel Petit in Saint Malo, France; NHL defenseman (Tampa Bay Lightning).
1964 – Birth of Milton Small; cricket pace bowler (West Indies versus Australia 1984).
1965 – Birth of Ruben Amaro; US baseball outfielder (Cleveland Indians).
1967 – Birth of Andrew Dunkley in Kent, England; golfer (1991-93 Co-Captain University of West Florida).
1968 – Birth of Todd Fanning in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada; golfer (Manitoba Amateur-1984, 1990, 1991, 1992).
1969 – Birth of Colin Keely in Buffalo, New York, USA; water polo driver (Olympics-1996).
1970 – Birth of Bryan Roy; Surinam/Dutch soccer star (Ajax).
1970 – Birth of Dell Demps; NBA guard (San Antonio Spurs).
1970 – Birth of Lamar Thomas; NFL wide receiver (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Miami Dolphins).
1971 – Birth of Lincoln Kennedy; tackle (Oakland Raiders).
1971 – Birth of Romeo Bandison; NFL defensive tackle (Cleveland Browns).
1971 – Birth of Shane Tonkin; Australian baseball pitcher (Olympics-1996).
1971 – Birth of Shante Carver; NFL defensive end (Dallas Cowboys).
1972 – Birth of Dulip Samaraweera; cricket player (Sri Lankan Test opening batsman 1993-).
1973 – Birth of Brendon Mark Cameron in Pirongia, New Zealand; 4km pursuit cyclist (Olympics-1996).
1974 – Birth of Ian Mcintyre in Montréal, Quebec, Canada; NHL left wing (Vancouver Canucks).
1975 – Birth of Chris Szarka; Canadian Football League full back (Saskatchewan Roughriders).
1975 – Birth of Matt Finkes; linebacker (New York Jets).
1975 – Birth of Scot Pollard; NBA center (Detroit Pistons).
1975 – Birth of Seth Payne; defensive tackle (Jacksonville Jaguars).
Deaths of sports figures on February 12
1889 – Andrew Greenwood, cricket player (batted in England’s first two Tests 1877), dies.
1896 – Isaac Murphy, jockey, 628 win on 1,412 mounts (44.5 percent), dies at age 35.
1921 – Charles Leslie, cricket player (4 Tests England versus Australia 1882-83), dies.
1982 – Hal Hooker, cricket player (307 partners with Alan Kippax for last wicket), dies.
1992 – Bep [Lambertus] van Klaveren, Dutch boxing champion (Olympics-gold-1928), dies (born 1907).
2010 – Georgian luge competitor Nodar Kumaritashvili is killed when his sled flips during a practice run just prior to the opening of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada.
=================================================
TV SPORTS
Thursday, 2/12/26
| OLYMPICS | TIME ET | TV |
| Curling: Women’s Preliminary | 3:05am | Peacock |
| Men’s Skeleton | 3:30am | Peacock |
| Snowboarding: Men’s Cross Qualification, Freestyle Skiing: Men’s Moguls Qualification | 4:00am | USA Peacock |
| Alppine Skiing: Women’s Super-G | 5:30am | USA Peacock |
| Men’s Hockey: Switzerland vs France | 6:10am | Peacock |
| Freestyle Skiing: Men’s Moguls Final | 6:15am | USA Peacock |
| Cross-Country Skiing: Women’s 10km Interval Start Free | 7:00am | USA Peacock |
| Snowboarding: Men’s Cross Final | 7:45am | USA Peacock |
| Curling: Men’s Preliminary Rounds | 8:05am | Peacock |
| Speed Skating: Women’s 5000m | 10:30am | Peacock |
| Men’s Hockey: Czechia vs Canada | 10:40am | USA Peacock |
| Luge: Team Relay | 12:30pm | NBC Peacock |
| Curling: Women’s Preliminary Rounds | 1:05pm | Peacock |
| Snowboarding: Women’s Halfpipe Final | 1:30pm | NBC Peacock |
| Short Track: Womne’s & Men’s 1000m Prelims, Final | 2:15pm | NBC Peacock |
| Men’s Hockey: Latvia vs United States | 3:10pm | USA Peacock |
| Men’s Hockey: Germany vs Denmark | 3:10pm | Peacock |
| NBA REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Milwaukee Bucks vs Oklahoma City Thunder | 7:30pm | Prime FanDuel Sports OKC |
| Portland Trail Blazers vs Utah Jazz | 9:00pm | Rip City KJZZ |
| Dallas Mavericks vs Los Angeles Lakers | 10:00pm | Prime |
| MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| Bryant at UMass Lowell | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UMBC at Maine | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| NJIT at New Hampshire | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Middle Tennessee at Kennesaw State | 6:30pm | CBSSN |
| Northern Kentucky at IU Indianapolis | 6:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Vermont at Binghamton | 6:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Purdue Fort Wayne at Green Bay | 7:00pm | ESPN2 |
| UNC Asheville at Longwood | 7:00pm | ESPNU |
| Valparaiso at Illinois State | 7:00pm | MVC TV |
| Saint Francis U at Fairleigh Dickinson | 7:00pm | YES |
| Stony Brook at Towson | 7:00pm | MNMT |
| Monmouth at Drexel | 7:00pm | NBCS-PHI |
| William & Mary at Northeastern | 7:00pm | NESN |
| Central Connecticut at New Haven | 7:00pm | NESN+ |
| Elon at UNCW | 7:00pm | WITN-DT2 |
| Mercyhurst at Le Moyne | 7:00pm | NEC Front Row |
| Stonehill at Chicago State | 7:00pm | NEC Front Row |
| LIU at Wagner | 7:00pm | NEC Front Row |
| Georgia State at James Madison | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Murray State at Indiana State | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Delaware at FIU | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Robert Morris at Cleveland State | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Youngstown State at Oakland | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Winthrop at Gardner-Webb | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| High Point at USC Upstate | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Marist at Merrimack | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Detroit Mercy at Wright State | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Presbyterian at Charleston Southern | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Hofstra at Charleston | 7:00pm | FloCollege |
| UIC at Drake | 7:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Tennessee Tech at Morehead State | 7:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Evansville at Southern Illinois | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Coastal Carolina at Louisiana | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Portland State at Northern Arizona | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Sacramento State at Northern Colorado | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Kansas City at Oral Roberts | 8:00pm | Summit |
| St. Thomas at Omaha | 8:00pm | Summit |
| Louisiana Tech at Missouri State | 8:30pm | CBSSN |
| South Alabama at Southern Miss | 8:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Little Rock at Western Illinois | 8:30pm | ESPN+ |
| California Baptist at Southern Utah | 8:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Southeast Missouri at SIUE | 8:30pm | ESPN+ |
| UT Martin at Lindenwood | 8:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Memphis at North Texas | 9:00pm | ESPN/2 |
| Oregon State at San Francisco | 9:00pm | ESPN/2 |
| UTA at Abilene Christian | 9:00pm | ESPNU |
| Weber State at Idaho | 9:00pm | SWX |
| UNI at Belmont | 9:00pm | MVC TV |
| Tennessee State at Southern Indiana | 9:00pm | Gray Media |
| South Dakota State at Denver | 9:00pm | Altitude |
| Idaho State at Eastern Washington | 9:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Utah Valley at Utah Tech | 9:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Hawai’i at CSU Bakersfield | 9:30pm | ESPN+ |
| UC Santa Barbara at UC Riverside | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UC Irvine at Cal Poly | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Cal State Fullerton at Long Beach State | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UC Davis at UC San Diego | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| MOTORSPORTS | TIME ET | TV |
| NASCAR: Duel at Daytona | 7:00pm | FS1 |
| GOLF | TIME ET | TV |
| PGA: AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am | 3:00pm | GOLF |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| EPL: Brentford vs Arsenal | 3:00pm | Peacock |
| CONCACAF Champions Cup: Cruz Azul vs Vancouver FC | 8:00pm | FS2 fuboTV |
About The Author
