UNK SOFTBALL UPSETS UCO AGAIN, ADVANCES IN MIAA TOURNAMENT:
Senior second baseman Abbie Vodicka had two-run double to cap a four-run fourth and underclassmen Sydney Thomason and Madison Rosenthal combined on a three-hitter to help Nebraska-Kearney stun 5th-ranked Central Oklahoma again, 4-3, late Thursday night in Edmond.
The 2022 MIAA Tournament was supposed to start Wednesday but weather pushed things back a full day and two weather delays on Thursday slowed things down once more. The seventh-seeded Lopers (24-25) and second-seeded Bronchos (44-9) were scheduled to go at 6:30 p.m. but first pitch didn’t come until almost 9 p.m.
Playing its first MIAA Tourney and its first postseason game in 3,660 days (2012 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conf. Tourney elimination game), UNK decided to be a thorn in the ‘Chos side again. The Lopers handed UCO a 3-0 setback on April 22 and won in Edmond late last year, 5-3. UCO suffers just its second home loss.
UNK and Rogers State (44-9) will meet at 6:30 p.m. tonight as the Cats took two from UNK last weekend in Claremore.
UNK’s last win over a two seed in the postseason came in 2008 when the Blue & Gold upset Adams State, 5-4, in Golden, Colo.
HUSKER BASEBALL PREPARES FOR ROAD TRIP TO MINNESOTA:
Nebraska heads north for a three-game slate this weekend at Minnesota on Friday-Sunday, May 6-8 at Siebert Field in Minneapolis.
First pitch for the series opener on Friday is set for 6:30 p.m. The Huskers and Golden Gophers continue the series with game two scheduled for a 6 p.m. start on Saturday. Nebraska and Minnesota wrap up the series on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Minnesota enters the weekend with a 12-30 overall record and 2-13 mark in Big Ten play after getting swept on the road at Michigan State last weekend.
NEBRASKA SOFTBALL HOSTS INDIANA:
The Nebraska softball team is set to finish regular season play at Bowlin Stadium this weekend, May 6-8. The Huskers will host Indiana for a three-game series. The first game is set for Friday, May 6 at 5:30 p.m. (CT). Game two is set for Saturday at 4 p.m. (CT) and will include Senior Day festivities after the game. The final game will be Sunday at 12 p.m. (CT).
The weekend’s series features the Big Ten’s second-ranked Nebraska and ninth-ranked Indiana. The Hoosiers (26-19) enter the weekend with a 9-11 record in league play while the Huskers (35-13) carry a 15-4 Big Ten record.
STORM’S NIKOLAEV NAMED FORWARD OF THE WEEK:
Tri-City Storm forward Ilya Nikolaev has been named the USHL’s Forward of the week for the first time in his career following the Conference Semifinals Round of the 2022 Clark Cup Playoffs.
Nikolaev scored twice in Game #1 and Game #2 in the Storm’s Western Conference Semifinal matchup against the Omaha Lancers. He netted the game-winning goal in each of the Storm’s playoff victories.
Storm players won eight weekly league awards during the 2021-2022 regular season. Nikolaev’s Forward of the Week honors marks the first time a Tri-City player has been honored with a weekly award during the 2022 Clark Cup Playoffs.
HUSKER WOMENS GOLF NAMED SUTHERLAND NEW HEAD COACH:
One of the most accomplished coaches in women’s college golf takes the reins of the Nebraska program, as Jeanne Sutherland was named the head coach of the Huskers
Sutherland, who spent the 2021-22 season as the associate head coach for the Huskers, takes over the top job from Lisa Johnson, who led the Husker program the past three seasons. Johnson’s departure follows the recent announcement of her husband, John Johnson, as the Athletic Director at Portland State.
Sutherland came to Nebraska after spending 10 seasons (2011-2021) as the head coach at SMU. She previously spent 15 seasons as the head coach at Texas A&M (1992-2007). During her first two collegiate head coaching stints, Sutherland led 18 teams to NCAA Regional appearances, including four to NCAA Championship appearances.
KEARNEY BASEBALL SEEDED #2 IN A-6 DISTRICT TOURNEY:
The Kearney Baseball team knows when and where they will be heading to battle for a chance to punch their ticket to the state tournament. The Bearcats finished the regular season as the #7 team overall in Class A powerpoints, delegating them to the A-6 District as a #2 seed.
Kearney will face #3 Lincoln North Star on Saturday, May 7 at 1:30 PM from Lincoln’s Sherman Field in the A-6 District semifinal. If the Bearcats win, they will take on the winner of the Lincoln Southeast and Columbus or Omaha Benson contest on Saturday morning.
Pregame on KGFW will begin at 1:30 PM.
NBA PLAYOFFS SCORES:
FRIDAY SCHEDULE:
Miami Heat @ Philadelphia 76ers – 6 PM (MIA 2-0)
Phoenix Suns @ Dallas Mavericks – 8:30 PM (PHX 2-0)
Local Results & Schedules:
THIS WEEK IN LOCAL SPORTS:
THURSDAY:
- UNK:
-
- SOFTBALL: @ MIAA Tournament v. UCO
- UNK 4-3
- SOFTBALL: @ MIAA Tournament v. UCO
FRIDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- GIRLS TENNIS: Dual v. Norfolk @ Harmon Park – 4 PM
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- SOFTBALL: @ MIAA Tournament v. Rogers State – 6:30 PM
- M/W T&F: @ MIAA Championships
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- M/W T&F: @ GPAC Championships @ Doane
SATURDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- DISTRICT BASEBALL: A-6 Tournament v. Lincoln North Star – 1:30 PM
- GIRLS TENNIS: @ Lincoln Invite – 8:30 AM
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- DISTRICT BASEBALL: A-6 Tournament v. Lincoln North Star – 1:30 PM
- BOYS SOCCER: B-3 District Final @ Bennington – 11 AM
- BOYS GOLF: @ Centennial Conference – 10 AM
- UNK:
- SOFTBALL: @ MIAA Tournament – TBD
- M/W T&F: @ MIAA Championships
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- M/W T&F: @ GPAC Championships @ Doane
