KEARNEY SOCCER HOSTS CHALLENGING DOUBLEHEADER:
The Kearney High Soccer programs host one of their more challenging doubleheaders of the season tonight, as the girls take on Lincoln Southwest (7-1) and the boys host Grand Island (2-4) in the Central Nebraska El Clasico matchup.
The Bearcat girls (7-1) aim to take down a top tier opponent in Class A tonight as Lincoln Southwest has only surrendered one goal this entire season in their loss to Lincoln East.
Meanwhile, the Kearney boys (6-2) have dropped their past two contests, both at Seacrest Field, falling to Lincoln East last week and Lincoln Southwest on Monday afternoon.
Pregame coverage on KGFW begins at 5:15 PM for the Kearney Girls and Southwest matchup, while the boys game facing Grand Island will follow. Join Austin Jacobsen and Tristan Crook on the coverage from 1340 KGFW, 96.1 FM, on the free KGFW mobile app, and online at KGFW.com.
KEARNEY BASEBALL FALLS TO NORFOLK IN HAC TOURNAMENT OPENING ROUND:
The Kearney Baseball team fell to 5-10 on the year after dropping their rematch with No. 9 Norfolk in the opening round of the HAC Tournament earlier today.
The Bearcats held a late lead but dropped the matchup 6-5 at Den Hartog Field after Nofolk’s Zach Cordner doubled in the top of the fifth, scoring a run and the Panthers leading the rest of the way.
Kearney will play again today at 6 PM at Den Hartog Field taking on another squad that dropped their opening contest in the tournament.
MEMORIAL FIELD PURCHASE INQUIRED BY KEARNEY PUBLIC SCHOOLS:
The home of Kearney Bearcats baseball and Senior and Junior Legion Baseball could have a new owner in the near future.
According to the April 10 Kearney Public Schools agenda and board meeting, KPS has inquired Kearney Parks and Recreation as well as the City of Kearney for a proposal to purchase Memorial Field.
KPS Superintendent Jason Mundorf had spoke with City of Kearney Manager Mike Morgan in the past few months about the potential interest in selling Memorial Field to KPS, to offset the cost that would come from maintenance and operations for the incoming Kearney Sports Complex.
A proposal of $1.5 million has been approved by the KPS School Board to send to the City of Kearney for the purchase of the Memorial Field property, field house, and the entirety of the north field which is currently used as parking.
The proposal also listed plans and possible changes KPS would have with the field. Which include continuing to support the American Legion Summer Baseball Program, taking over existing contractual agreements with current sponsorships, an interest in adding a digital scoreboard, and assuming all responsibility in maintaining facilities.
BIG RED BASEBALL BATTLES OMAHA FOR MIDWEEK MATCHUP:
Nebraska takes on Omaha for the second time this season in a midweek matchup tonight at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park.
First pitch between the Huskers and Mavericks is scheduled for 6:02 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on Nebraska Public Media.
Through 75 all-time meetings, the Huskers hold a dominant 62-13 advantage over the Mavericks in the all-time series. Nebraska and Omaha meet for the second time this season after the Mavericks came away with a 10-6 win in the first game between the two in-state foes on March 14 in Lincoln.
Since Omaha’s transition to DI, the Huskers have won 11 of the 15 meetings against the Mavericks.
HUSKER FOOTBALL PRACTICE COMMENTS – RHULE:
RHULE – McGUIRE COACHING IS STRONG:
Matt Rhule had high praise for his young coaching assistant in Garrett McGuire, as the 23 year old receivers coach was the inquiring question of the day at the Head Coach’s Tuesday practice session…
McGuire comes from a strong family coaching tree, as his father Joey is the current head coach at Texas Tech. Garrett recently had stints with Baylor and the NFL’s Carolina Panthers.
RHULE – FIRST PRACTICE FROM EASTER FELT GOOD:
Head Coach for Nebraska Football Matt Rhule spoke to the media after Tuesday’s practice and spoke about how his team was continuing to trend in the right direction after the first practice back from Easter break…
The Huskers wrapped their tenth practice of the season on Tuesday morning and return to spring ball on Thursday.
RHULE – TEACHING TACKLING:
Matt Rhule, Nebraska Football head coach, was asked about his philosophy on tackling and what emphasis it holds for the Big Red…
Nebraska hopes to return to a stronger defensive form in 2023 under a new coaching staff and defensive identity.
RHULE – TRANSFER PORTAL IS STILL AN OPTION FOR HUSKERS:
Matt Rhule has dipped his toe into the transfer portal often in his first season for the Big Red, but added after Tuesday’s practice that players on his team are allowed to seek the portal themselves for better situations…
Nebraska is still well over the allotted scholarship limit by double digits, and will need to trim down its roster prior to its first contest.
RHULE – HUSKER QUARTERBACKS CONTINUE TO GET BETTER:
Nebraska Football’s new head coach Matt Rhule was asked how far his quarterbacks have come in the first three weeks of spring practices after Tuesday’s session…
Nebraska returns three quarterbacks with starting experience in Memorial Stadium, along with Jeff Sims a former Georgia Tech starter in the ACC.
HUSKER BASEBALL’S OLSON & ANDERSON EARN CONFERENCE HONORS:
Emmett Olson was honored with Big Ten Pitcher of the Week recognition, while Max Anderson was named Big Ten Player of the Week
Olson worked a career-high 7.2 innings, allowing just one earned run on a pair of hits in the 3-1 series-opening win at Michigan. The Des Plaines, Ill., native carried a no-hitter into the bottom of the seventh inning and struck out eight Wolverines, recording his third start with at least eight strikeouts this season.
Anderson helped the Huskers to a 3-1 record last week, hitting .389 at the plate with a .944 slugging percentage and .400 on-base percentage. The junior totaled three home runs, a double, seven RBI and four runs scored, while compiling three multi-hit games and a pair of three-RBI performances.
BIG RED SPRING MATCH SELLS OUT IN LESS THAN AN HOUR:
Nebraska’s spring game match with Wichita State sold out in 38 minutes on Sunday night and standing room only tickets were also sold out within an hour.
Central City will host the match at the new Central City Dome on April 29th at 2pm.
The tickets were only on sale in-person as some fans arrived in Central City at 9 PM Sunday to get in line.
The Bison Activity Dome, with a capacity of 2,098, opened in December 2022 and is home to Central City High School athletics. This will be the Huskers’ first trip to Central City and will be the eighth different town in Nebraska to host the spring volleyball match.
UNK FOOTBALL BACKERS BANQUET SET FOR NEXT WEEK:
The 13th Annual Loper Football Backers dinner and scholarship fundraiser will be held next Thursday, April 20th, at the Younes Conference Center North.
Since the event was first hosted in 2010, it has raised just under $2.2 million for scholarships and program needs. The Loper Football Backers is a community-led volunteer organization whose mission is to raise scholarship dollars for the UNK Football program.
Another record-crowd of over 700 is expected to attend the roughly four-hour event. The night begins at 5:30 p.m. with a social hour with the event including dinner, live and silent auction items and comments from UNK coaches and players. Single tickets can be purchased for $50 with a corporate table available for $500.
UNK is currently going through spring workouts and those will wrap up on April 22 with a scrimmage. The Lopers report to fall camp in early August with the 2023 opener being Aug. 31 (Thurs.) at Central Oklahoma.
FORMER HUSKER HOOPS STAR WALKER ADDED TO PORTSMOUTH INVITE:
Nebraska senior forward Derrick Walker has been invited to participate in this week’s Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (P.I.T.).
The four-day event features 64 of the top seniors in the country, giving them an opportunity to perform in scouts from NBA teams and from overseas. Walker becomes the fifth Husker since 2016 to participate in this invitational-only event, joining Alonzo Verge Jr. (2022), James Palmer Jr. (2019), Tai Webster (2017) and Shavon Shields (2016).
This week’s P.I.T. continues a busy postseason for Walker, who played in the NABC Senior All-Star game during Final Four weekend.
Walker, a 6-foot-9 forward, earned second-team All-Big Ten honors in 2022-23, leading Nebraska in scoring (13.6 ppg), rebounding (7.1 rpg), assists (3.9 apg), blocked shots (0.7 bpg) and field goal percentage (.584) in helping the Huskers to a 16-16 record.
LOPER TENNIS HANDLES MIDLAND:
The 40th-ranked Nebraska-Kearney women’s tennis team made quick work of the Midland Warriors, 6-1, Monday afternoon at Harmon Park.
UNK (13-10) closes out the regular season Wednesday at 3 p.m. vs. Fort Hays State (7-12, 0-7 MIAA). The six-team MIAA Tournament bracket will then be released this weekend after the completion of all regular season league duals.
HUSKER T&F MAKES SEASON DEBUT IN OUTDOOR RANKINGS:
Both the Nebraska men’s and women’s track and field teams made their season debuts in the USTFCCCA Outdoor Top 25 Rankings on Monday.
The Husker men are positioned at No. 6 in the national rankings, while the women came in at No. 15. Both are the highest-ranked Big Ten programs.
For the Husker men, their outdoor ranking is their first since 2017 and their highest national ranking since being ranked No. 5 in 2009. The Husker women finished 14th at last year’s NCAA Outdoor Championships, but this is their best in-season ranking since 2011.
Local Results & Schedules:
THIS WEEK IN LOCAL SPORTS:
MONDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- Boys Golf: @ HAC Championships @ Norfolk Country Club
- KHS = 3rd
- INDIVIDUAL:
- Perry Swarm = 5th
- Dylan Dahlstedt = 7th
- Boys Soccer: @ Lincoln Southwest @ Seacrest Field
- LSW 3-0 KHS
- Boys Golf: @ HAC Championships @ Norfolk Country Club
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- Girls Soccer: @ North Platte
- NP 3-2 KCHS (OT Shootout)
- Girls Soccer: @ North Platte
TUESDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- Baseball: @ HAC Tournament
- GAME 1: v. #9 Norfolk @ Den Hartog Field – 12 PM
- GAME 2: TBD
- Girls Tennis: v. Lexington @ Harmon Park – 4 PM
- Girls Soccer: v. Lincoln Southwest @ Kearney High School – 5:30 PM
- KGFW Pregame beginning at 5:15 PM
- Boys Soccer: v. Grand Island @ Kearney High School – 7:30 PM
- KGFW Pregame beginning at 7:15 PM
- Baseball: @ HAC Tournament
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- Boys Golf: v. KCHS Triangular – 4 PM
- v. Ravenna & Loup City
- Girls Soccer: v. Columbus Scotus – 5 PM
- Boys Soccer: v. Columbus Scotus – 7 PM
- Boys Golf: v. KCHS Triangular – 4 PM
- UNK:
- Women’s Golf: @ Virginia Laas Invitational @ Joplin, MO
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- Men’s Golf: @ Midwest Spring National Invite @ Manhattan, KS – 10 AM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Kearney Girls Soccer v. Lincoln Southwest (5:15 PM – 7:15 PM)
- Kearney Boys Soccer v. Grand Island (7:15 PM – 9:15 PM)
WEDNESDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- Baseball: @ HAC Tournament
- GAME 3: TBD
- KHS Collegiate Signing Day @ CHaT – 4 PM
- Baseball: @ HAC Tournament
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- Women’s Tennis: v. Fort Hays State – 3 PM
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- Women’s Golf: @ CSM Spring Classic @ Omaha, NE – 10 AM
- Men’s Tennis; @ Doane – 3 PM
- Softball: v. Midland – 4 PM
- Softball: v. Midland – 6 PM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Kearney Baseball @ HAC Tournament – TBD
- Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)
THURSDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- Girls Tennis: v. KHS Invite @ Harmon Park – 9:30 AM
- Boys Golf: @ Hastings Invite @ Lochland Country Club – 10 AM
- Track & Field: @ Omaha Central Invite @ Burke Stadium – 4 PM
- Boys Soccer: v. Omaha Central @ Kearney High School – 7 PM
- KGFW Pregame at 6:45 PM
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- Boys Golf: @ Hastings Invite – 10 AM
- Track & Field: @ Gothenburg Invite – 2:30 PM
- Boys Soccer: @ Platteview – 4:30 PM
- UNK:
- M/W T&F: @ Bryan Clay Invite @ Azusa, CA
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- M/W T&F: @ KU Relays – 1 PM
- Women’s Golf: @ CSM Spring Classic @ Omaha, NE – 10 AM
- Women’s Tennis: @ Doane – 3 PM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Sports Nightly (6 PM – 6:45 PM)
- Kearney Boys Soccer v. Omaha Central (6:45 PM – 8:45 PM)
FRIDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- Track & Field: @ KU Relays – TBD
- Baseball: v. Fremont @ Memorial Field – 4 PM
- KGFW Pregame at 3:45 PM
- Girls Soccer: v. Lincoln North Star @ Beechner Field – 6 PM
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- Girls Tennis: @ Lexington Invite – 9 AM
- UNK:
- M/W T&F: @ Bryan Clay Invite @ Azusa, CA
- Softball: @ Lincoln @ Jefferson City, MO – 1 PM
- Softball: @ Lincoln @ Jefferson City, MO – 3 PM
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- M/W T&F: @ KU Relays – 1 PM
- M/W T&F: @ Concordia Outdoor Invite – 1 PM
- Softball: @ Dordt @ Sioux City, IA – 4 PM
- Softball: @ Dordt @ Sioux City, IA – 6 PM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Kearney Baseball: v. Fremont (3:45 PM – 6:45 PM)
- Nebraska Baseball: v. Northwestern (6:45 PM – 10 PM)
SATURDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- Track & Field: @ KU Relays – TBD
- Girls Tennis: v. Gering @ Harmon Park – 9 AM
- Girls Tennis: v. Scottsbluff @ Harmon Park – 11 AM
- Baseball: v. Hastings @ Memorial Field – 12 PM
- KGFW Pregame at 11:45 AM
- Boys Soccer: @ Lincoln Pius X @ Pius X High School – 1 PM
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- Girls Tennis: @ Scottsbluff – 9 AM
- Girls Tennis: @ Gering – 9 AM
- Girls Soccer: @ Omaha Mercy – 1:15 PM
- UNK:
- M/W T&F: @ Bryan Clay Invite @ Azusa, CA
- M/W T&F: v. Loper Invite @ KHS – 11 AM
- Softball: @ Central Missouri @ Warrensburg, MO – 12 PM
- Women’s Soccer: v. College of St. Mary @ Foster Field – 12 PM
- Softball: @ Central Missouri @ Warrensburg, MO – 2 PM
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- M/W T&F: @ KU Relays – 1 PM
- M/W T&F: @ Concordia Outdoor Invite – 1 PM
- Men’s Tennis: v. Mount Marty – 12 PM
- Women’s Tennis: v. Mount Marty – 12 PM
- Baseball: v. Briar Cliff (IA) @ Duncan Field – 1 PM
- Softball: @ Northwestern (IA) – 1 PM
- Softball: @ Northwestern (IA) – 3 PM
- Baseball: v. Briar Cliff (IA) @ Duncan Field – 4 PM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Kearney Baseball v. Hastings (11:45 AM – 2:45 PM)
- Nebraska Baseball v. Northwestern (2:45 PM – 6 PM)
SUNDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- N/a
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- N/a
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- Baseball: @ Midland – 2 PM
- Baseball: @ Midland – 4:30 PM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Nebraska Baseball v. Northwestern (12 PM – 4 PM)
