RUNZA SENIORS FALL TO HASTINGS FIVE POINTS BANK:
A sluggish game concluded for the Runza Seniors in a 5-1 loss at Duncan Field Wednesday night, dropping to 3-3 on the season.
Kearney (3-3) scored one run on three hits with two errors while Hastings (6-3) had five runs on eight hits and no errors. Hastings’ Creighton Jacobitz pitched the complete game for the win, striking out six.
The Runza Seniors are off today before heading to the Omaha Central Tournament in Fontenelle Park Friday through Sunday.
ANDERSON, MATTHEWS EARN ALL-AMERICAN FOR BIG RED BASEBALL:
Nebraska’s Max Anderson and Brice Matthews both were named Collegiate Baseball All-Americans, the publication announced Thursday. Anderson was a second-team selection, while Matthews was named a third-team honoree.
Anderson had a breakout junior campaign in 2023, hitting .414 with 20 doubles, two triples, 21 home runs, 70 RBI and 51 runs scored as a unanimous First-Team All-Big Ten honoree.
Matthews concluded his junior season batting .359 at the plate with 11 doubles, two triples, 20 home runs, 67 RBI and 61 runs scored as a First-Team All-Big Ten selection.
TOMINAGA TO RETURN FOR NEBRASKA MEN’S HOOPS:
Nebraska senior guard Keisei Tominaga announced Wednesday evening on social media that he is returning to Nebraska for the 2023-24 season. The 6-foot-2 guard from Japan, had until 10:59 p.m. on Wednesday to stay in the NBA Draft or return to college.
Tominaga comes off a junior season when he earned honorable-mention All-Big Ten honors, averaging 13.1 points per game while shooting 50.3 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range. He was one of six players in Division I to average double figures while shooting 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range and 85 percent from the foul line in 2022-23.
He closed the year playing some of the best basketball of his career, averaging 20.3 points per game from Feb. 1 until the end of the season, as Nebraska won six of its final nine games.
HUSKER FOOTBALL OPENS SEASON WITH FOX BROADCASTS; OTHER TELEVISION ASSIGNMENTS:
Nebraska will open the 2023 season with consecutive games on FOX and close the regular season with a Black Friday appearance on CBS. Those television arrangements were part of an announcement Wednesday afternoon of game times and TV networks for six of the Huskers’ 2023 games.
The Huskers open with road games at Minnesota (Aug. 31) and Colorado (Sept. 9) with both of those games set for FOX. Nebraska’s season opener at Minnesota will kick off at 7 p.m. (central) on Thursday evening in Minneapolis.
A week later, the Huskers will renew their rivalry with Colorado with an 11 a.m. central (10 a.m. MDT) kickoff at Colorado as part of the network’s Big Noon Kickoff package. FOX will also originate its Big Noon pre-game show from Boulder.
The Huskers will close the regular season with their annual Black Friday matchup with Iowa at Memorial Stadium on Nov. 24. Nebraska will play host to its border rivals with kickoff set for 11 a.m. (central) and TV coverage by CBS. This is Nebraska’s first scheduled CBS game since the 2009 Gator Bowl.
Nebraska learned game times for three additional 2023 games, including two home games at Memorial Stadium. The Huskers’ home opener against Northern Illinois on Sept. 16 will kick off at 6 p.m. (central) and will be aired on FS1. Nebraska’s Homecoming contest against Purdue will be a day-time contest with kickoff at either 11 a.m., 2:30 or 3 p.m., with the kickoff time and television network to be finalized later.
The Huskers’ game at Illinois on Friday, Oct. 6, will be televised by FS1 with kickoff set for 7 p.m.
HASTINGS’ NATIVE ENTERS PORTAL:
Omaha third baseman Mike Boeve has entered the NCAA transfer portal, according to a report from Kendall Rogers of D1baseball.com.
Boeve, a Hastings High alum, is MLB Draft-eligible this year and is projected to be an early-round pick as a top-40 player available right now. Rogers said entering the transfer portal is a “leverage move” for Boeve to potentially angle for a higher draft selection.
The Maverick just completed his junior season, earning All-Summit League First-Team honors for the second consecutive season. He was the Summit League Player of the Year in 2022.
NCA NAMES GIRLS TENNIS, BOYS GOLF SUPER STATE AND ALL-STATE TEAMS:
Several local athletes were named to All-State and Super State teams for spring sports including Girls Tennis and Boys Golf by the Nebraska Coaches Association on Tuesday.
For Class A Girls Tennis, Kearney’s Emma Heacock was named to the All-State Second Team. Heacock wrapped her sophomore season this spring for the Bearcats. Receiving Honorable Mention was senior Cecilia Henning, Emilee Anderson, and Malory Eklund.
In Class B Girls Tennis, Kearney Catholic’s Kit Schrock was named to the Honorable Mention team.
Finally for the Super-State team for all classes in Boys Golf, Kearney Catholic’s Jackson Dunham and Kearney High’s Perry Swarm both received nods.
LOPER MEN’S TENNIS ANNOUNCES NINE INTERNATIONAL RECRUITS:
Nebraska Kearney head tennis coach Scott Shafer has announced the names of nine international men’s players who’ll suit up for the Lopers in the fall.
UNK was a long-time NAIA and NCAA Division II power in men’s tennis before the sport was eliminated after the 2017-18 season as part of a $2.8 million university budget reduction. In June 2022, with the opening of the Ernest Grundy Tennis Center on West Campus, the program returned with Shafer taking this past academic year to recruit and hire an assistant coach. That hire will be announced shortly.
UNK is able to bring back men’s tennis after a private donor agreed to create a $3.4 million endowment that fully funds the program’s operating and scholarship needs.
The full list of incoming athletes can be found at KGFW.com.
ANDREWS EARNS ALL-AMERICAN HONORS FOR BIG RED SOFTBALL:
Junior Billie Andrews was honored as an All-American by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) on Wednesday. A native of Gretna, Neb., Andrews was named an NFCA third-team All-American.
Andrews is only the third Nebraska native and fourth shortstop to earn All-America honors in program history. This marks the Huskers’ first All-America shortstop since Ali Viola was named to the first team in 1998.
Andrews is the 18th Husker to be named an NFCA All-American. Nebraska’s 18 All-Americans have combined for 29 All-America awards in program history.
NBA FINALS SCORES/SCHEDULE:
GAME 1:
Miami Heat @ Denver Nuggets – 7:30 PM
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES/SCHEDULES:
THURSDAY SCHEDULE:
Colorado Rockies @ Arizona Diamondbacks – 2:40 PM
Cincinnati Red @ Boston Red Sox – 6:10 PM
Cleveland Guardians @ Minnesota Twins – 6:40 PM
Los Angeles Angels @ Houston Astros – 7:10 PM
Local Results & Schedules:
THIS WEEK IN SPORTS:
THURSDAY:
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)
FRIDAY:
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)
SATURDAY:
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- N/a
SUNDAY:
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- N/a
