Wednesday Afternoon Sports – Sodbusters Facing Lawsuit, Martinez Comments on Husker Exit, UNK Soccer to Name New Head Coach, Local Sports Schedule

SODBUSTERS FACE LAWSUIT:

The Hastings Sodbusters are among seven teams facing a lawsuit which seeks to keep them from playing this summer, first reported by KSNB.

The Sodbusters and six other teams left the Expedition League after last season to join the new Independence League.

Now the Expedition League has filed a lawsuit in a South Dakota court, according to a tweet posted by the Hastings Sodbusters account.

The league is accusing the seven teams of breach of contract and civil conspiracy, among other accusations made in a 31-page document.

At the conclusion of the 2021 baseball season, the Badlands Big Sticks, Fremont Moo, Hastings Sodbusters, Spearfish Sasquatch, Hub City Hotshots, Casper Horseheads and Western Nebraska Pioneers left the Expedition League and joined the newly formed Independence League. The document also claims the charges “caused damage… in excess of $1 million,” and is seeking an injunction to prohibit the seven teams from playing in the stadiums currently leased to the teams.

ADRIAN MARTINEZ – WHY HE LEFT NEBRASKA COMMENTS; FROM ‘Athletes Unfiltered’ PODCAST:

MARTINEZ – PLAYING WITH A BROKEN JAW

Former Nebraska Quarterback Adrian Martinez spoke on his ‘Athletes Unfiltered’ podcast for the first time since leaving the Huskers to transfer to Kansas State. Martinez spoke about what it took for him to play through the final stretch of the 2021 season with a broken jaw after the Michigan State contest… 

Martinez added that his jaw has permanently shifted and has now fully recovered from the injury.

MARTINEZ – CHALLENGES OF DAY-TO-DAY WITH JAW INJURY

Former Husker Quarterback Adrian Martinez spoke on his podcast ‘Athletes Unfiltered’ about playing with his broken jaw through the 2021 season, including what it was like in day-to-day activities and with football… 

The quarterback elected to transfer from Nebraska to Kansas State in the offseason for one last shot at making the NFL. 

MARTINEZ – FIRINGS WERE TOUGH FOR TEAM

Former Nebraska Quarterback Adrian Martinez spoke about the mid-season firings of most of the offensive coaching staff on his podcast ‘Athletes Unfiltered’. The all-time leader in offensive yardage for the Huskers said it was not easy on the team… 

Martinez would later say the decision to fire the staff led to his decision to transfer elsewhere in the offseason.

MARTINEZ – FIRINGS INFLUENCED DECISION TO TRANSFER

Adrian Martinez, the former four-year starting quarterback for the Nebraska football team, elected to leave the Huskers for Kansas State at the conclusion of the 2021 season. Martinez spoke on his ‘Athletes Unfiltered’ podcast that the decision by Head Coach Scott Frost to remove most of his offensive coaching staff heavily influenced his decision to leave… 

Martinez will now battle at the Wildcats for the starting role after leaving Nebraska as the all-time leader in career yardage. 

FORMER HUSKER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL COACH SELECTED TO WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME:

Former Nebraska women’s basketball head coach Paul Sanderford was selected for induction into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in the Class of 2022. The 23rd induction class into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame will be honored on June 11 in Knoxville, Tenn.

In 25 seasons as a collegiate head coach, Sanderford posted a 453-189 record. He led Western Kentucky to a dozen NCAA Tournament appearances, including three trips to the Women’s Final Four.

Sanderford left Western Kentucky after the 1996-97 season and took over the Nebraska program. In his first season with the Huskers, he led the Big Red to a 23-10 record and a trip to the NCAA second round. The 23 victories tied the school single-season record at the time.

Sanderford was inducted into the NJCAA Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Western Kentucky Hall of Fame in 2008

NEW UNK SOCCER COACH TO BE NAMED ON THURSDAY:

The UNK Women’s Soccer program will be naming a new head coach in a press conference on Thursday morning at 11 AM. 

The Women’s Soccer program’s last head coach, Chloe Roberts, left the program in November and has since joined the Marshall University soccer program. Assistant coach David Farias also left the program to return home to California. 

The new coach will become the fourth coach in the Women’s Soccer program history at UNK.

WEDNESDAY SPORTS NIGHTLY SCHEDULE:

Coming up tonight is a special edition of Sports Nightly. Executive Associate Athletic Director of Diversity and Inclusion Dr. Lawrence Chatters  joins Sports Nightly in hour one to discuss Black History Month with Men’s Gymnast Kahlil Jackson. Dr. Chatters will be live in the studio to take calls and text line questions at 6:30 pm.

In hour two the Huskers Radio Network will hear from Huskers Men’s Baseball Pitcher Kyle Perry at 7:15 pm and then senior Eric Schultz from Nebraska wrestling at 7:35 pm leading up to senior day this Sunday as the Huskers host #2 Iowa.

NEBRASKA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL AIM FOR ROAD WIN AT PENN STATE:

After notching the third win over a top-five AP team in school history with a 17-point victory over No. 5 Indiana on Monday night in Lincoln, Nebraska hunts for its second straight road win when the Big Red takes on Penn State Thursday.

Tip-off between the Huskers (19-6, 8-6 Big Ten) and the Lady Lions (9-15, 3-11 Big Ten) is set for 6 p.m.

The Huskers are coming off a huge 72-55 win over No. 5 Indiana at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Valentine’s Day, marking the largest margin of victory in program history over a top-five opponent

HUSKER MEN BATTLE MARYLAND ON FRIDAY NIGHT:

The Nebraska men’s basketball team returns home Friday night, as the Huskers take on the Maryland Terrapins in the only regular-season matchup between the teams. Tipoff from Pinnacle Bank Arena is set for 8 p.m.

Friday’s meeting will mark the first matchup in Lincoln between the schools since the 2018-19 campaign. The teams met only once in College Park in 2019-20, and Maryland was scheduled to visit PBA last season, but NU’s COVID pause and the revised Big Ten schedule nixed those plans.

The Huskers (7-18, 1-13 Big Ten) look to rebound from a tough 98-75 loss at Iowa on Sunday. Maryland (11-14, 3-11 Big Ten) comes off a tough 62-61 loss to No. 3 Purdue on Sunday. 

Local Results & Schedules:

THIS WEEK IN LOCAL SPORTS:

TUESDAY:

• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • GIRLS BASKETBALL: C1-10 SUB DISTRICTS @ Broken Bow
    • #1 Broken Bow v. #4 KCHS
      • Broken Bow 44-36

WEDNESDAY:

• HASTINGS COLLEGE:
  • WOMENS BASKETBALL: v. Midland U. @ Lynn Farrell Arena – 6 PM
  • MENS BASKETBALL: v. Midland U. @ Lynn Farrell Arena – 7:45 PM

THURSDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • WRESTLING: BOYS STATE WRESTLING TOURNAMENT
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • WRESTLING: BOYS STATE WRESTLING TOURNAMENT
  • GIRLS BASKETBALL: C1-10 SUB DISTRICTS @ Broken Bow
    • Championship TBA
• UNK:
  • WOMENS BASKETBALL: @ Central Missouri – 5: 30 PM
  • MENS BASKETBALL: @ Central Missouri – 7:30 PM
• HASTINGS COLLEGE:
  • N/a

FRIDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • WRESTLING: BOYS STATE WRESTLING TOURNAMENT
  • GIRLS BASKETBALL: v. Millard North – 6 PM @ Kearney High School
    • Pregame on KGFW at 5:45 PM
  • BOYS BASKETBALL: v. Millard North – 7:45 PM @ Kearney High School
    • Pregame on KGFW at 7:30 PM
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • WRESTLING: BOYS STATE WRESTLING TOURNAMENT
  • BOYS BASKETBALL: @ Adams Central – 5:30 PM
• UNK:
  • SOFTBALL: @ Oklahoma City, OK (Central Oklahoma)
    • v. Harding – 10:30 AMv. Oklahoma Christian – 5:15 PM
  • MENS/WOMENS TRACK @ Nebraska Tune Up @ Lincoln, NE
  • MENS/WOMENS TRACK @ Loper Tune Up @ Kearney, NE
  • WOMENS TENNIS: @ Augustana
• HASTINGS COLLEGE:
  • SOFTBALL: @ Lindsborg, KS
    • v. Bethany College (Doubleheader)
  • M/W T&F: GPAC INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

SATURDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • WRESTLING: BOYS STATE WRESTLING TOURNAMENT
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • WRESTLING: BOYS STATE WRESTLING TOURNAMENT
• UNK:
  • SOFTBALL: @ Bethany, OK
    • v. Arkansas Tech – 12:45 PM
    • v. Southern Nazarene – 3 PM
  • WOMENS BASKETBALL: @ Lincoln U. – 1:30 PM
  • MENS BASKETBALL: @ Lincoln U. – 3:30 PM
• HASTINGS COLLEGE:
  • SOFTBALL: @ Salina, KS
    • v. Kansas Wesleyan U. (Doubleheader)
  • BASEBALL: @ Joplin, MOv. University of St. Mary
    • v. Evangel University
  • M/W T&F: GPAC INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
  • WOMENS BASKETBALL: v. No. 16 Northwestern College @ Lynn Farrell Arena – 2 PM
  • MENS BASKETBALL: v. Northwestern College @ Lynn Farrell Arena – 3:45 PM