MATTHEWS SELECTED IN FIRST ROUND OF MLB DRAFT; ANDERSON IN SECOND:
Nebraska junior shortstop Brice Matthews was selected in the first round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the Houston Astros on Sunday night. Matthews, who became the seventh first-round selection in NU history, was the No. 28 pick overall in the draft, which is being held in Seattle.
Matthews is Nebraska’s highest overall selection since 2005, when third baseman Alex Gordon was chosen No. 2 overall by the Kansas City Royals. Matthews is NU’s first 1st-round selection since 2006, when right-handed pitcher Joba Chamberlain was the No. 41 overall selection by the New York Yankees.
Matthews is the seventh Husker to be selected by the Astros in the draft.
Not far behind, his teammate Max Anderson was selected in the second round at pick No. 45 to the Detroit Tigers.
With the selections of Brice Matthews and Anderson, the Huskers become the first program to have their middle infield drafted in the first two rounds since 2015, where Arizona State’s Scott Kingery and Kevin Newman were picked up in the first and second rounds.
The Omaha native is the third Husker to be selected by the Tigers in the draft.
Excluding the shortened draft in 2020 due to COVID-19, Nebraska has had at least one draft selection in 29 of the last 30 drafts since 1992.
KEARNEY BASEBALL WRAPS WEEKEND TOURNAMENTS PRIOR TO DISTRICTS:
The Kearney Legion Baseball teams wrapped successful weekends at their respective tournaments at Memorial Field and in Wichita, Kan.
The POST 52 Juniors (22-15) finished their weekend in Kansas at the All-Midwest Select Showcase Championship game, falling to the CBPA Elite squad 10-2 after taking down the Dallas Spin squad 10-7.
The Runza Seniors (16-17) finished their weekend in the Kearney/Hastings Tournament with a win on Sunday, taking down the Judds Bros. Seniors of Lincoln Northeast 9-7. Runza finished the weekend 1-3.
Both teams wrap up their regular season at Memorial Field on Tuesday night, taking on Grand Island Tom Dinsdale Juniors and the U-Save Pharmacy Seniors. Between the junior and senior contests, Runza Senior coach Brad Archer will be honored in his final home game of his career.
Runza Senior Legion Baseball can be heard on KGFW this week beginning on Tuesday and throughout their district tournament run.
UNK T&F’s FERGUSON DISQUALIFIED IN SEMIFINALS OF 800 METER RUN; SORENSEN FINISHES 7th:
A controversial disqualification eliminated UNK Track & Field’s Wes Ferguson despite a top finish in his semifinal at the USATF Championships in Eugene, OR.
Due to steps on the lane line, the Fremont native was eliminated from the competition despite passing two Division I national champions and claiming the heat win with a time of 1:46.82.
UNK’s Brayden Sorensen cleared 7-1 in the high jump, tying for 7th place and coming in just shy of his career record. Sorensen also defeated four current Division I jumpers on Sunday night.
NEBRASKA WRESTLERS CROWNED PAN-AM GOLD MEDALISTS:
Current Husker wrestler Antrell Taylor (70 kg) and incoming freshman Camden McDanel (97 kg) both won three-straight matches to claim gold at the 2023 U20 Pan-American Championships in Santiago, Chile on Saturday.
In the 70 kg finals, Taylor defeated Puerto Rico’s Julian Michael George by tech. fall (11-1) to win the gold medal.
At 97 kg, McDanel won the gold as he defeated Puerto Rico’s Alek Xavier Ortiz Roman in the finals, 10-0.
HUSKER T&F SHOWCASES THREE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS AT CHAMPIONSHIPS:
The Nebraska track and field program continued its dominant success in the javelin on the national stage this week, as Rhema Otabor and Dash Sirmon won the national javelin titles at the BAAA Bahamas National Championships and USATF U20 Outdoor Championships.
Otabor claimed the national javelin title with a personal-best heave of 196-0 (59.75m) at the BAAA Bahamas National Championships in Nassau, Bahamas.
Sirmon won the title at the USATF U20 Outdoor Championships with a throw of 232-6 (70.87m), winning the event by 16-plus feet in Eugene, Ore.
The pair of national titles come two days after NU thrower Maddie Harris won the women’s javelin title at the USATF Outdoor Championships on Thursday night. Harris had a career-best throw of 199-3 (60.73m) to earn the national gold medal.
NORTHWESTERN FOOTBALL CONTINUES TO FACE HAZING ALLEGATIONS:
More than six months after Northwestern began investigating allegations of hazing within its football team, and two days after announcing that coach Pat Fitzgerald had been suspended for two weeks without pay, the program remains shrouded in uncertainty even with the start of fall practices just weeks away.
The school said Friday that Fitzgerald was suspended after an investigation did not find “sufficient” evidence that the coaching staff knew about ongoing hazing — though there were “significant opportunities” to find out about it.
The next day, The Daily Northwestern published a story detailing allegations from a former play who described specific instances of hazing and sexual abuse. The report also indicated that Fitzgerald “may have known that hazing took place.”
The school first learned of the hazing allegations in late 2022, and the former player who brought the complaint spoke to investigators earlier this year as part of a six-month probe launched by the university. The report concluded the claims could be “largely supported by the evidence” but could not determine whether the coaching staff was aware of the incidents.
USMNT BEATS CANADA IN SHOOTOUT TO REACH CONCACAF SEMIFINAL:
Matt Turner stopped two penalty kicks, and the American beat Canada 3-2 in the shootout after a 2-2 draw Sunday night for a berth in a CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinal against Panama. The U.S. had not won a shootout since 2005.
Brandon Vázquez gave the U.S. a 1-0 lead in the 88th minute, but Steven Vitória tied the score in the third minute of stoppage time with a penalty kick after a hand ball on Miles Robinson. Jacob Shaffelburg put Canada ahead in the 109th but an own goal by Canada’s Scott Kennedy made it 2-2 in the 115th.
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCHEDULE:
MONDAY SCHEDULE:
N/a – All-Star Break
Local Results & Schedules:
THIS WEEK IN LOCAL SPORTS:
MONDAY:
- Kearney Legion Baseball:
- Runza Seniors: N/a
- POST 52: N/a
- Five Points: N/a
- Jerseys: N/a
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)
TUESDAY:
- Kearney Legion Baseball:
- Runza Seniors: v. Grand Island U-Save @ Memorial Field – 7:30 PM
- KGFW Pregame at 7:15 PM
- POST 52: v. Grand Island Tom Dinsdale Juniors @ Memorial Field – 5 PM
- Five Points: N/a
- Jerseys: N/a
- Runza Seniors: v. Grand Island U-Save @ Memorial Field – 7:30 PM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Sports Nightly (6 PM – 7:15 PM)
- Kearney Runza Senior Baseball v. GI U-Save (7:15 PM – 10:15 PM)
WEDNESDAY:
- Kearney Legion Baseball:
- Runza Seniors: N/a
- POST 52: N/a
- Five Points: N/a
- Jerseys: N/a
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)
THURSDAY:
- Kearney Legion Baseball:
- Runza Seniors: N/a
- POST 52: N/a
- Five Points: N/a
- Jerseys: Senior All-Star Game
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)
FRIDAY:
- Kearney Legion Baseball:
- Runza Seniors: Area 7 District Tournament @ Ryder Park – TBD
- POST 52: Area 7 District Tournament @ Bill Wood Field – TBD
- Five Points: N/a
- Jerseys: N/a
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Runza Senior Legion Baseball v. Area 7 District Tournament – TBD
SATURDAY:
- Kearney Legion Baseball:
- Runza Seniors: Area 7 District Tournament @ Ryder Park – TBD
- POST 52: Area 7 District Tournament @ Bill Wood Field – TBD
- Five Points: N/a
- Jerseys: N/a
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Runza Senior Legion Baseball v. Area 7 District Tournament – TBD
SUNDAY:
- Kearney Legion Baseball:
- Runza Seniors: Area 7 District Tournament @ Ryder Park – TBD
- POST 52: Area 7 District Tournament @ Bill Wood Field – TBD
- Five Points: N/a
- Jerseys: N/a
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Runza Senior Legion Baseball v. Area 7 District Tournament – TBD
