HUSKER SOFTBALL FACES HOST ILLINOIS IN BIG TEN TOURNAMENT:
The Nebraska softball team (33-19, 13-10 Big Ten) is set to travel to Champaign, Ill., for the Big Ten Tournament today. The Huskers go in as a No. 4 seed, receiving a bye for the first round of the tournament. NU will take on No. 12 Illinois today at 7 PM.
The Huskers enter the Big Ten Tournament as the defending champions. In 2022, Nebraska claimed its first Big Ten Tournament title with a 3-1 victory over Michigan in eight innings.
Nebraska’s offense is currently ranked in the top three in the Big Ten in batting average (.311), hits (436), home runs (57) and slugging percentage (.502).
The game can be seen on the Big Ten Network.
LOPER WOMEN’S GOLF EARNS CHAMPIONSHIP BID FOR FIRST TIME IN NEARLY THREE DECADES:
The Nebraska-Kearney women’s golf team has reached the NCAA Division II Championships for the first-time in the 28-year history of the program thanks to a school-record 54-hole score of 886 at the 2023 Central Regional in Larchwood, Ia.
The Lopers finished third to secure one of the region’s three bids to the championships which will be May 16-20 at the Fox Run Club in Eureka, Mo., located just outside of St. Louis. The 18-team field will play a 54-hole tournament with the top eight advancing to a match play bracket. UNK is slated to tee off next Tuesday (May 16) at 11 a.m.
UNK had rounds of 289, 298 and 299 to break the previous 54-hole mark by a whopping 33 strokes.
Showing great balance, Kansas junior Allison Comer placed fifth (2-over 218; 70-76-72), Arizona senior Paige Lucero tied for 12th (7-over 223; 72-76-75), Puerto Rico super senior Faviola Gonzalez tied for 16th (8-over 225; 75-73-77), Colombian sophomore Juliana Botero Molina tied for 20th (226; 77-74-75) and Kansas sophomore Brooke King tied for 23rd (227; 72-75-80).
REPORT – BIG TEN COULD REMOVE POWER FIVE NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE REQUIREMENT:
There could be a big change to the Big Ten football schedule in time for when USC and UCLA join the conference in time for the 2024 college football season as the league is set to drop its requirement that teams have to play a Power Five non-conference team.
While the Big Ten is yet to announce an official schedule format for next season, it is believed the league will keep its nine-game conference rotation.
It’s expected that Big Ten teams will still be allowed to schedule FCS teams: Back in 2016, the conference introduced a rule that forbade B1G schools from playing non-FBS opponents and mandated that they play at least one non-conference game against a Power Five school.
Should this new rule pass, Big Ten teams would still be allowed to schedule Power Five non-conference opponents, but the conference would no longer require it.
STARS’ CROSS COUNTRY NAMES NEW CO-HEAD COACHES:
Kearney Catholic High school announced that Jonathan Nikkila and Marcus Witter have been selected as Co-Head Coaches for the Stars’ Cross-Country program replacing Don Liess, the Stars Coach for the last 28 years. During Coach Liess’ tenure the Stars earned two State Championships and four State Runner-Ups.
Nikkila is a former Cross-Country runner at Kearney Catholic and Hillsdale College. He has been an assistant coach for the Cross-Country and track programs at Kearney Catholic since 2009.
Witter ran track and cross-country at Kearney High and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He has previously helped coach at Kearney High and UNK and for the past two years has helped with the Stars junior high track and cross-country teams.
FORMER HUSKER QUARTERBACK THOMPSON TRANSFERS TO FAU:
Florida Atlantic landed one of the top available quarterbacks in the transfer portal Wednesday as former Nebraska and Texas quarterback Casey Thompson committed to the Owls for his final year of eligibility.
Thompson is set to reunite with head coach Tom Herman, who originally recruited him to Texas as a three-star prospect in the 2018 class.
Thompson’s commitment comes shortly after his visit to Boca Raton. The signal-caller set a visit with Florida Atlantic on Tuesday following a trip to Auburn. Thompson also reportedly received interest from Notre Dame, Indiana, Houston and Texas State.
Thompson battled through injuries during the campaign but still started 10 contests and completed 173-of-274 passes for 2,407 yards and 17 touchdowns. He added five rushing scores, as well.
BOERKIRCHER, BULLOCK PUT ON SCHOLARSHIP FOR BIG RED FOOTBALL:
Two in-state players on Nebraska’s roster who began their careers as walk-ons are now on scholarship according to head coach Matt Rhule on Wednesday.
At a Lincoln Chamber of Commerce event, Rhule said tight end Nate Boerkircher and linebacker John Bullock have been put on scholarship.
Boerkircher, from Aurora, Nebraska is entering his fourth season in the program. A strong blocker and capable receiver, Boerkircher caught a career-high six passes for 52 yards and one touchdown in 2022.
Bullock was one of the notable spring storylines at Nebraska. An Omaha native and Creighton Prep graduate, Bullock is entering his fifth year in the program.
Mostly a special teams player during his Husker career, Bullock has played in 22 games and recorded a combined six tackles, with five coming in 2021 and one in 2022.
HUSKER SOFTBALL HAS FIVE HONORED BY BIG TEN:
Freshman Katelyn Caneda led five Huskers who were honored on Wednesday, when the conference announced its postseason awards.
Caneda (second base) earned First Team All-Big Ten, All-Defensive and All-Freshman honors, the only player in the conference to receive a spot on all three teams.
Billie Andrews (shortstop) and Brooke Andrews (outfield) joined Caneda, each earning a spot on the First Team All-Big Ten team.
Mya Felder (first base) joined Caneda on the All-Defensive team. Abbey Newlun rounded out Nebraska’s honorees, as she was announced as the Huskers’ Big Ten Sportsmanship recipient.
After receiving a bye with a fourth-place regular-season finish, the Huskers are set to play in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday.
BIG RED BASEBALL NAMED TO 2024 SHRINERS SHOWDOWN:
Nebraska baseball will open its 2024 campaign in Texas, as the Huskers are one of six teams competing in the Shriners Children’s College Baseball Showdown at Globe Life Field in Feb. 2024.
The 2024 tournament will mark the fourth year of the College Baseball Showdown at Globe Life Field. Joining the Huskers in the three-day tournament includes Baylor, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee and Texas Tech.
All games of the 2024 Shriners Children’s College Showdown will once again be streamed live by FloSports, the exclusive broadcast partner for the tournament.
STATE SOCCER SCORES/SCHEDULES:
WEDNESDAY RESULTS:
CLASS B BOYS QUARTERFINALS:
Bennington 6-1 Conestoga
Schuyler 2-1 South Sioux City
Omaha Skutt Catholic 9-0 Elkhorn North
Lexington 3-2 Columbus Scotus
THURSDAY SCHEDULE:
CLASS B GIRLS QUARTERFINALS:
Omaha Duchesne v. Omaha Gross Catholic – 12 PM
Norris v. Bennington – 2 PM
Omaha Skutt Catholic v. Elkhorn North – 5:30 PM
Columbus Scotus v. Omaha Mercy – 7:30 PM
NBA PLAYOFFS SCORES/SCHEDULES:
WEDNESDAY RESULTS:
New York Knicks 112-103 Miami Heat (MIA leads 3-2)
Golden State Warriors 121-106 Los Angeles Lakers (LAL leads 3-2)
THURSDAY SCHEDULE:
Boston Celtics @ Philadelphia 76ers (PHI leads 3-2) – 6:30 PM
Denver Nuggets @ Phoenix Suns (DEN leads 3-2) – 9 PM
NHL PLAYOFFS SCORES/SCHEDULES:
WEDNESDAY RESULTS:
Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1 Florida Panthers (FLA leads 3-1)
Edmonton Oilers 4-1 Vegas Golden Knights (Tied 2-2)
THURSDAY SCHEDULE:
New Jersey Devils @ Carolina Hurricanes (CAR leads 3-1) – 6 PM
Seattle Kraken @ Dallas Stars (Tied 2-2) – 8:30 PM
Local Results & Schedules:
THIS WEEK IN LOCAL SPORTS:
WEDNESDAY:
- UNK:
- Women’s Golf: @ NCAA Central Regional @ Larchwood, IA
- TEAM = 3rd, NCAA Championship Qualifier
- Women’s Golf: @ NCAA Central Regional @ Larchwood, IA
THURSDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- Boys Golf: @ Awarii Dunes Invite – 8:30 AM
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- Boys Golf: @ Awarii Dunes Invite – 8:30 AM
- Track & Field: DISTRICTS @ Southern Valley – 10 AM
- Girls Tennis: @ Gothenburg – 4 PM
- UNK:
- N/a
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- N/a
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Sports Nightly (6 PM – 6:45 PM)
FRIDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- Girls Tennis: @ HAC Championships @ Woods Tennis Center – 8 AM
- Boys Golf: @ Norfolk Invite @ Norfolk Country Club – 9 AM
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- M/W T&F @ Concordia Twilight @ Seward, NE – 12 PM
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- N/a
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Nebraska Baseball v. Penn State (5:30 PM – 10 PM)
SATURDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- N/a
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- M/W T&F: v. Loper Twilight @ Kearney High School – 2 PM
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- N/a
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Nebraska Baseball v. Penn State (5:30 PM – 10 PM)
SUNDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- N/a
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- N/a
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- N/a
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- N/a
