Tuesday Afternoon Sports – Bearcat Baseball Wraps Regular Season at Home, Loper Softball Has Two on All-MIAA, Husker Football Adds Walk-On Transfers, Local Sports Schedules

BEARCAT BASEBALL WRAPS REGULAR SEASON HOSTING BURKE:

The Bearcat Baseball team closes out their regular season at home today facing Omaha Burke at Memorial Field in Brad Archer’s final home contest of his Kearney High coaching career. 

Kearney (11-13) aims to get back to their winning ways after dropping their last two contests at Elkhorn North and hosting Lincoln Southwest. Burke (11-14) fell in a narrow contest to Creighton Prep on Monday 7-5. 

Pregame coverage begins at 3:45 PM with first pitch at 4. Join Austin Jacobsen for the action on 1340 KGFW, 96.1 FM, on the free KGFW mobile app, and online at KGFW.com.

LOPER SOFTBALL ADDS TWO TO ALL-MIAA TEAM:

Senior Katie Gosker and sophomore Sydney Thomason represent Nebraska Kearney on the 2023 All-MIAA team.

Gosker (Blair) and Thomason (Ripon, Calif.) both were tabbed honorable mention, Gosker at catcher and Thomason at Utility/Pitcher. This is the second All-MIAA honor for each.

UNK finished up the 2023 season with a 16-34 (7-19 MIAA) mark that included 12 home games (three home weeks) and nearly 8,000 miles on the road.

HUSKER FOOTBALL ADDS WALK-ON TRANSFERS:

Two walk-on additions to the Nebraska Football program arrived via the transfer portal on Monday.

David Borchers, a 6-3, 300 pound offensive lineman from Eldridge, Iowa is joining the Husker program as a preferred walk-on. About a year ago at this time he had some intriguing offers on the table, including one from Nebraska’s previous staff as a defensive lineman, and also an early offer in 2021 from Iowa State, as well as an opportunity from Army and attention from some strong FCS programs. 

Likewise, a former Skutt Catholic athlete is returning back to the Cornhusker State. Former Omaha Skutt quarterback Caden Becker, who signed with Wyoming out of high school, announced Monday that he is transferring to Nebraska with four years of eligibility. 

Becker will walk on and will have a role as a tight end/H-back with a little wildcat quarterback in Lincoln. 

HUSKER HOOPS ADDS COMMITMENT FROM FORMER HAWKEYE:

After having gone against them in recent years, he’s now on their side. Ahron Ulis has committed to the Huskers.

The former starter for the Iowa Hawkeyes announced on Monday he will transfer to Nebraska’s program, giving a boost to a position of need for Fred Hoiberg’s squad. Ulis and his dad visited Lincoln on Sunday before making the final call.

The 6-3 guard averaged 6.1 points, 2.1 assists and 1.6 rebounds per game this past season for Iowa, starting 27 of the Hawkeyes’ 32 games. He was fifth on that squad in minutes played per game (22:33). One of his best games of the season came when he scored 17 against Michigan State.

KEARNEY GIRLS SOCCER ENDS SEASON IN DISTRICT SEMIFINAL:

The Kearney Girls Soccer team’s season came to a close in the A-1 District semifinal at Kearney High School on Monday night, falling 3-1 to Bellevue West.

The Thunderbirds set the pace early in the first ten minutes, and by the fourteenth minute a score by Zoe Ryan gave Bellevue West their first lead of the game. The barrage continued as Mia McVay added two goals in four minutes (17′, 21′) to extend the lead 3-0 before halftime.

Kearney would respond well in the final 50 minutes of play, having multiple shot opportunities but not finding a score until a Maddy Province free kick (64′) gave them a chance to fight back. Despite several late shots, Kearney could not close the gap further as the Bearcats fell 3-1 and ended their season at home.

The Bearcats wrapped their year at 9-6.

UNK MEN’S HOOPS ADD JUCO ALL-AMERICAN AND COLORADO POTY:

Nebraska-Kearney head men’s basketball coach Kevin Lofton announced Monday that D’Aundre Samuels, the 2023 Colorado Player of the Year, and Trey Deveaux, a first-team NJCAA All-American, will play for the Lopers next season.

Samuels is a 6-4, 170-pound guard who powered Denver East to a 26-2 record and the 2023 Class 6A state title. A Norris High grad, Deveaux (6-5, 205 lbs.) has two years of eligibility remaining after leading Central C.C. in Columbus to a 22-11 mark and a sport in the 2023 NJCAA Division II National Tournament. 

A prep teammate of current Loper Tom Connelly, Samuels averaged 21.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 4.9 steals per game as a senior. Playing for former Loper assistant coach John Ritzdorf at CCC, Deveaux averaged 18.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game for the Raiders this past season.

CONNELLY NAMED TO USHL ALL-ROOKIE TEAM:

Tri-City Storm forward Trevor Connelly has been named to the USHL’s All-Rookie Second Team for the 2022-2023 season following his sensational debut season with the organization.

Connelly scored twenty-four goals, and notched twenty-three assists, for forty-seven total points in fifty-seven regular season games played with the Storm this season. His twenty-four goals scored during the regular season were the most scored by a full-time Tri-City player this year.

NBA PLAYOFFS SCORES/SCHEDULES:

MONDAY RESULTS:

Philadelphia 76ers 119-115 Boston Celtics (PHI leads 1-0)

Denver Nuggets 97-87 Phoenix Suns (DEN leads 2-0)

TUESDAY SCHEDULE:

Miami Heat @ New York Knicks (MIA leads 1-0) – 6:30 PM

Los Angeles Lakers @ Golden State Warriors – 9 PM

NHL PLAYOFFS SCORES/SCHEDULES:

MONDAY RESULTS:

New Jersey Devils 4-0 New York Rangers (NJD wins 4-3)

TUESDAY SCHEDULE:

Florida Panthers @ Toronto Maple Leafs – 6 PM

Seattle Kraken @ Dallas Stars – 8:30 PM

Local Results & Schedules:

THIS WEEK IN LOCAL SPORTS:

MONDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • Girls Soccer: A-1 DISTRICTS
    • #3 Bellevue West @ #2 Kearney @ Kearney High School
      • BW 3-1 KHS
  • Girls Tennis: @ Lincoln Invite @ Woods Tennis Center
    • KHS = 7th
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • Girls Soccer: B-7 DISTRICTS
    • #3 York v. #2 Kearney Catholic @ Northwest High School
      • KCHS 6-0 York
  • Boys Soccer: B-7 DISTRICTS
    • #4 Kearney Catholic @ #1 Hastings
      • HHS 4-0 KCHS

TUESDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • Boys Golf: @ Lincoln Invite @ Pioneers Golf Course – 9 AM
  • Track & Field: @ HAC Track Championships @ Grand Island – 11 AM
  • Baseball: v. Omaha Burke @ Memorial Field – 4 PM
    • KGFW Pregame at 3:45 PM
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • Boys Golf: @ GICC Invite – 9 AM
  • Girls Soccer: B-7 DISTRICTS CHAMPIONSHIP
    • #2 KCHS @ #1 Northwest @ Northwest High School – 6 PM
• HASTINGS COLLEGE:
  • Women’s Golf: @ GPAC Championship Meet @ Spencer, IA – 10 AM
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Kearney Baseball v. Omaha Burke (3:45 PM – 6:45 PM)

WEDNESDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • Boys Soccer: A-6 DISTRICTS
    • #2 Kearney @ #1 Papillion-LaVista South @ PLVS High School – 5:30 PM
      • KGFW Pregame at 5:15 PM
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • N/a
• UNK:
  • N/a
• HASTINGS COLLEGE:
  • Softball: @ GPAC Tournament @ Sioux City, IA – 10 AM
    • Hastings College @ Morningside
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • DISTRICTS: Kearney Boys Soccer @ Papillion-LaVista South (5:15 PM – 7:15 PM)
  • Sports Nightly (7:15 PM – 8 PM)

THURSDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • Girls Tennis: v. Kearney Triangular @ Harmon Park – 4 PM
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • Girls Tennis: KCHS Invite – 9 AM
  • Track & Field: @ Cozad Invite – 4 PM
• UNK:
  • N/a
• HASTINGS COLLEGE:
  • N/a
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)

FRIDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • Baseball: DISTRICTS TBA
  • Girls Tennis: @ Norfolk Dual – 3 PM
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • N/a
• UNK:
  • M/W T&F: @ MIAA Championships @ Jefferson City, MO
• HASTINGS COLLEGE:
  • M/W T&F: @ GPAC Championships @ Sioux Center, IA – 1 PM
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Nebraska Baseball @ Maryland (5:30 PM – 10:15 PM)
  • TBA – Kearney Baseball v. Districts

SATURDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • Baseball: DISTRICTS TBA
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • Boys Golf: @ Centennial Conference
• UNK:
  • M/W T&F: @ MIAA Championships @ Jefferson City, MO
• HASTINGS COLLEGE: 
  • M/W T&F: @ GPAC Championships @ Sioux Center, IA – 1 PM
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Nebraska Baseball @ Maryland (12:30 PM – 5:15 PM)
  • TBA – Kearney Baseball v. Districts

SUNDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • N/a
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • N/a
• UNK:
  • M/W T&F: @ MIAA Championships @ Jefferson City, MO
• HASTINGS COLLEGE:
  • N/a
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Nebraska Baseball @ Maryland (12 PM – 4:15 PM)