KEARNEY BASEBALL FALLS IN SEASON OPENER; OPENS HOME TO PAPIO:
Kearney Baseball was thumped in their season opener on Monday afternoon, falling 14-0 in five innings at Titan Field to Papillion-LaVista South.
Kearney (0-1) had no runs on one hit with five errors. The Titans (1-0) had fourteen runs on seven hits with one error.
The Bearcats head home to lick their wounds and open Memorial Field for a matchup with the Monarchs of Papillion-LaVista today. First pitch is set for 4 PM with KGFW’s pregame coverage set for 3:45.
Tune in to Bearcat Baseball on 1340 KGFW, 96.1 FM, on the free KGFW mobile app, and online at KGFW.com with Austin Jacobsen on the call.
HUSKER WOMEN TO FACE KANSAS IN WNIT THIRD ROUND THURSDAY:
The Nebraska women’s basketball team will travel to Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence to take on the Kansas Jayhawks in the third round of the Postseason WNIT on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. (CT).
The Huskers (18-14) advanced to the WNIT Super 16 with a 77-57 win over Northern Iowa in front of 6,478 fans at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Sunday. Kansas (21-11) advanced to the third round with a 75-47 win over Missouri on Monday night
The Jayhawks entered the tournament with the highest NCAA NET ranking in Nebraska’s 16-team bracket, and were considered one of the first four teams out of the 68-team NCAA Tournament field.
Earlier this season, Nebraska outlasted Kansas 85-79 in triple-overtime on Dec. 21, 2022, at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Thursday night’s game will be the 85th all-time meeting between the Huskers and their most frequent opponent, Kansas.
NEBRASKA BASEBALL HEADS TO OMAHA TO FACE CREIGHTON:
Nebraska makes the short trip to Omaha for a midweek matchup at Creighton on Tuesday night at Charles Schwab Field. First pitch between the Huskers and Bluejays is set for 6:02 p.m.
Nebraska and Creighton have met 144 times on the baseball diamond, with the Huskers holding an 86-56-2 advantage in the all-time series. The series is split at 9-9 through 18 games played at Charles Schwab Field.
In their lone meeting last season, the Huskers fell 3-2 to the Bluejays in Omaha on March 29. The second meeting was suspended in the third inning due to inclement weather.
KGFW’s pregame coverage begins at the conclusion of the Kearney High Baseball contest against Papillion-LaVista.
HUSKER BASEBALL’S MATTHEWS NAMED BIG TEN POTW:
Junior Brice Matthews has been named the Big Ten Baseball’s Player of the Week
Matthews hit .500 (7-for-14) with a double, a triple, two homers, 11 RBI and four runs in four games against Omaha and Nicholls, while recording an OPS of 1.722 with a 1.143 slugging percentage and a .579 on-base percentage.
The Humble, Texas, native had a pair of multi-hit games and tallied back-to-back five-RBI games in the weekend series against Nicholls in Manhattan to extend his on-base streak to 21 games.
Matthews went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a walk against Omaha on Tuesday, before posting a 1-for-4 performance with a grand slam and five RBI in the second game of Friday’s doubleheader vs. Nicholls.
The junior rounded out the week with a perfect 3-for-3 day at the plate on Sunday, falling a single shy of the cycle. Matthews drove in five runs for the second straight game, while also drawing two walks and scoring three runs.
HUSKER FOOTBALL ROSTER CHANGES; SUSPENSIONS TO START SPRING PRACTICES:
A few player departures, position changes and suspensions were announced Monday morning after Nebraska football’s first spring practice of 2023.
Gone are tight ends Chris Hickman and James Carnie and defensive back Tyreke Jonson. Hickman and Carnie came to Lincoln as in-state scholarship recruits, and Johnson was a transfer from Ohio State.
First-year head coach Matt Rhule said running back Anthony Grant and defensive back Tommi Hill were not allowed to practice Monday. Rhule stated the players are day-to-day.
HUSKER FOOTBALL – SPRING PRACTICE COMMENTS:
RHULE – TEAM IS VERY COACHABLE:
First Year Husker Football Head Coach Matt Rhule addressed the media to start spring practices early Monday morning, and spoke about how pleased he was with the attentiveness of his squad…
The Huskers held a lead at halftime or into the fourth quarter in five of their eight losses last season. Nebraska is back in spring practices Tuesday and Thursday morning this week.
RHULE – TEAM DESERVES RIGHT TO ATTACK SPRING PRACTICES:
Head Coach for Husker Football Matt Rhule spoke to the media after an early Monday morning practice and said his team earned the right to begin winter practices confident…
Nebraska continues spring practices this week with sessions on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings.
RHULE – PRACTICE SCHEDULE IS IMPORTANT FOR TEAM:
Matt Rhule spoke about the changes in the Big Red practice schedule after the early Monday morning session this week – the first session for Nebraska coming out of Spring Break…
Nebraska will regularly practice on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays leading up to the Red-White Spring game on April 22. The Huskers sessions last around two hours beginning around 7:45 AM.
RHULE – QUARTERBACKS THROWING WELL; THOMPSON, SMOTHERS OUT:
Matt Rhule – first year Nebraska Head Coach – was asked about his early impressions of his Husker quarterbacks after the first day of spring practices on Monday…
Thompson was anticipated to be limited in spring ball after offseason surgery. Kearney Catholic alum Heinrich Haarberg, Georgia Tech transfer Jeff Sims, and returning sophomore Richard Torres continue to participate in the opening practices – among others.
RHULE – NEW HUSKER STANDARDS:
New Head Coach, new Husker Football standards. Matt Rhule was asked about what he implemented early for his tenure as the leader of the Big Red…
The Huskers continue spring practices leading into the Red-White Spring game on April 22.
RHULE – ERVIN ONE OF THE ‘STARS’ OF THE OFFSEASON:
Matt Rhule was asked to name a standout player from winter conditioning, and the first year Husker head coach gave praise to a Big Red tailback for his offseason contributions…
Ervin missed time the past two years with injuries – but was the first true freshman to start a season opener back in 2021 at Illinois.
NEBRASKA VOLLEYBALL ALUM SELECTED IN ATHLETES UNLIMITED DRAFT:
Athletes Unlimited Volleyball hosted its 2023 College Draft on Monday evening in which six collegiate stars were invited to partake in Season 3. Former Nebraska outside hitter Madi Kubik was one of six players selected in the draft who will be invited to compete in October.
Kubik was an All-Big Ten first-team selection in 2022 and received AVCA All-Region honors before earning All-America honorable mention. The senior outside hitter averaged a team-high 3.11 kills per set with 2.54 digs per set and 17 service aces. Kubik finished her career with 1,264 career kills and 983 digs, ranking 13th all-time in school history in kills. She was a third-team AVCA All-American in 2021.
Ahead of the fall season, a team of Athletes Unlimited Volleyball players will play against some of the nation’s top collegiate programs during the Exhibition Tour. The Tour begins on March 25 at Ohio State University and runs through April 21.
USA PREPARES FOR WORLD BASEBALL FINAL AGAINST JAPAN:
When Shohei Ohtani reached second base after hitting a leadoff double in the bottom of the ninth inning, he immediately looked up at the crowd and waved his arms, in a rare sign of emotion, as if he knew what was coming next.
Ohtani’s clutch hit sparked a late rally, and moments later Munetaka Murakami delivered a walk-off, two-run double to lift Japan over Mexico 6-5 Monday night and into the World Baseball Classic final.
Two-time champion Japan will face the defending champion United States in Tuesday night’s title game. Shota Imanaga will start for Japan — Yu Darvish had been set to pitch before a change was announced postgame. Merrill Kelly is likely to start for Team USA, which has won the WBC once.
The final at loanDepot Park in Miami is set to begin at 7:05 today.
Local Results & Schedules:
THIS WEEK IN LOCAL SPORTS:
MONDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- Baseball: @ Papillion-LaVista South
- PLVS 14-0 KHS
- Baseball: @ Papillion-LaVista South
TUESDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- Baseball: v. Papillion-LaVista @ Memorial Field – 4 PM
- KGFW Pregame at 3:45 PM
- Girls Soccer: @ Fremont – 4:30 PM
- Boys Soccer: v. Lincoln Northeast @ Kearney High School – 7 PM
- Baseball: v. Papillion-LaVista @ Memorial Field – 4 PM
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- Girls Tennis: @ GICC – 4 PM
- Girls Soccer: v. Northwest – 4:30 PM
- Boys Soccer: v. Northwest – 6:15 PM
- UNK:
- Women’s Golf: @ Midwest Intercollegiate @ Warrensburg, MO
- Softball: v. Augustana @ Council Bluffs, IA – 1 PM
- Softball: v. Augustana @ Council Bluffs, IA – 3 PM
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- N/a
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Kearney Baseball v. Papillion-LaVista (3:45 PM – 6:45 PM)
- Nebraska Baseball @ Creighton (6:45 PM – 10:30 PM)
WEDNESDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- Baseball: @ Lincoln Southeast @ Den Hartog Field – 4:30 PM
- KGFW Pregame at 4:15 PM
- Baseball: @ Lincoln Southeast @ Den Hartog Field – 4:30 PM
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- Softball: @ Upper Iowa @ Fayette, IA – 12 PM
- Softball: @ Upper Iowa @ Fayette, IA – 2 PM
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- Softball: @ College of St. Mary – 3 PM
- Softball: @ College of St. Mary – 5 PM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Kearney Baseball @ Lincoln Southeast (4:15 PM – 7:15 PM)
- Sports Nightly (7:15 PM – 8 PM)
THURSDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- Track & Field: @ Lincoln Northeast Relays – 10:30 AM
- Girls Soccer: @ North Platte – 6 PM
- Boys Soccer: @ North Platte – 7:30 PM
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- Girls Tennis: @ Hastings – 4 PM
- Track & Field: @ Minden Triangular – 4 PM
- UNK:
- N/a
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- N/a
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- WNIT – Nebraska Women’s Basketball @ Kansas (6 PM – 9:15 PM)
FRIDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- Baseball: @ LNK Invite @ Densmore Fields – 11 AM
- Track & Field: v. KHS Indoor Invite @ UNK – 4 PM
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- Track & Field @ Aurora Invite – 1 PM
- UNK:
- M/W T&F: @ Emporia State Relays @ Emporia, KS – 10 AM
- Women’s Tennis; @ Newman @ Wichita, KS – 1 PM
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- N/a
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Nebraska Baseball v. Illinois (5:30 PM – 10 PM)
SATURDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- Boys Soccer: v. KHS Invite
- KHS v. Burke – 10 AM @ KHS
- KHS v. Lincoln High – 4 PM @ KHS
- Baseball: @ LNK Invite @ Densmore Fields – 12 PM
- Girls Soccer: v. KHS Invite
- KHS v. Lutheran NE/Norfolk Catholic @ KHS – 2 PM
- Boys Soccer: v. KHS Invite
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- Girls Tennis: @ Ralson Invite – 8:30 AM
- Girls Soccer: @ Seward Tournament – 9:30 AM
- Boys Soccer: @ Seward Tournament – 9:30 AM
- UNK:
- M/W T&F: @ Emporia State Relays @ Emporia, KS – 11:30 AM
- Women’s Tennis: @ Emporia State – 11 AM
- Softball: @ Fort Hays State – 12 PM
- Softball: @ Fort Hays State – 2 PM
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- Men’s Tennis: @ Concordia – 11 AM
- Women’s Tennis: @ Concordia – 11 AM
- Softball: v. Doane – 1 PM
- Baseball: v. Jamestown – 1 PM
- Softball: v. Doane – 3 PM
- Baseball: v. Jamestown – 4 PM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Nebraska Baseball v. Illinois (1:30 PM – 6 PM)
SUNDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- N/a
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- N/a
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- Baseball: v. Jamestown – 12 PM
- Baseball: v. Jamestown – 3 PM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Nebraska Baseball v. Illinois (12:30 PM – 5 PM)
