LINCOLN – The Nebraska University system is looking for new leadership.

And so are Husker Athletics. With the departure of NU system President Ted Carter, the right hand position of the Board of Regents is open.

Carter is expected to take the same position at Ohio State.

Just over two months ago, Carter was given added authority over the biggest brand in the system: Husker Athletics. That move place oversight and big picture planning for the UNL athletic department under the system president, after previously residing with the UNL chancellor.

The move also made Carter the representative for Nebraska on the Big Ten’s Council of Presidents and Chancellors. That position has held extra weight over the last few years amid a pandemic and conference expansion.

Carter began his term as the eighth president of the University of Nebraska in 2020.

“Today marks an exciting moment in history for the Big Ten Conference and the University of Nebraska. The landscape of college athletics continues to quickly evolve and adding Oregon and Washington further establishes the Big Ten as the preeminent conference in the country. These are two great institutions with highly recognizable brands that expands the Conference footprint to the Pacific Northwest. Nebraska has a large alumni base on the West Coast and the new additions will allow our fans in another region of the country to watch the Huskers compete on a more regular basis. Adding two highly respected universities to the Big Ten will also create exciting new opportunities for our faculty, staff and students to partner with world-class colleagues in research and academics. We welcome Oregon and Washington to the Big Ten Conference and look forward to competing and collaborating with them in the future.”

Power conferences have officially joined the “super” conference conversation, as Oregon and Washington are expected to join the Big Ten after a vote by the Big Ten Conference’s presidents later today.

Multiple reports confirm that Oregon and Washington have notified the Pac-12 and other Pac-12 schools of their intention to leave the conference, just one year after the announcement that USC and UCLA would be joining the Big Ten in 2024.

The Big Ten will move from a two-division football format in 2023 with fourteen teams, to sixteen total teams in 2024, followed by the addition of Washington and Oregon at a date later to be announced. After the two former Pac-12 schools are added, the Big Ten conference will be up to eighteen total members.

After the dust settled in a two game championship series, the Runza Seniors of Kearney could not hold off Hastings Five Points Bank, ending as A7 District Tournament Runner-Up on Wednesday night at Ryder Park.

Kearney was unable to preserve their unblemished mark in district play falling 4-3 in Game One, scoring three runs on five hits with two errors. Hastings won with four runs on eight hits and three errors.

In the high-scoring affair of Game Two, it was Hastings claiming the victory 12-11 to earn the A7 Title.

Hastings won, scoring twelve runs on fifteen hits and no errors, while Kearney dropped the contest scoring eleven runs on ten hits and one error.

Both teams move onto the state tournament as Kearney heads to Bellevue West and Hastings will host at Duncan Field. Tournament brackets are expected to be released later today. 

GRAND ISLAND NATIVE SCHANAMAN INKS DEAL WITH BRAVES:

Nebraska senior Shay Schanaman signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Atlanta Braves organization in Florida this week.

Schanaman is the fifth Husker from this year’s team to continue with a Major League Baseball organization after Brice Matthews, Max Anderson, Emmett Olson and Jace Kaminska were selected in the MLB Draft last week

A product of Grand Island, Neb., Schanaman went 3-6 with six saves and a 3.07 ERA in a team-high 26 appearances for the Huskers in 2023. He compiled 66 strikeouts with 28 walks in 55.2 innings and held opponents to a .189 batting average.

OMAHA PRO VOLLEYBALL ANNOUNCES TEAM NAME:

Local Omaha volleyball fans now know who they’ll be rooting for in the Pro Volleyball Federation, as the professional program announced their new team name earlier today.

The team will don the nickname ‘Supernovas’. 

Nebraska Pro Volleyball made itself known last week, announcing the women’s pro volleyball team would call the 18,000-seat CHI Health Center arena its home.

The team will play in the Pro Volleyball Federation. Other clubs currently in the league are Atlanta, San Diego, Orlando, Grand Rapids, and Columbus.

NEBRASKA MEN’S HOOPS ANNOUNCES NON-CONFERENCE SLATE:

A pair of matchups against Elite Eight qualifiers, a neutral-site matchup with Oregon State and a three-game Cornhusker Classic in Lincoln highlight the 2023-24 Nebraska men’s basketball non-conference schedule released Wednesday.

The 11-game non-conference slate features a trip to Manhattan, Kan., for a matchup with Kansas State on Dec. 17. Nebraska’s only other trip in non-conference play is on Saturday, Nov. 18, when the Huskers travel to Sioux Falls, S.D., to face Oregon State.

The nine-game home schedule features the annual matchup with Creighton on Sunday, Dec. 3. 

Nebraska’s nine home non-conference games is the most since also having nine in 2021-22. 

Full details on the non-conference schedule can be found at KGFW.com.

HUSKER MEN’S BASKETBALL TO HOST ROUND-ROBIN CORNHUSKER CLASSIC:

The Nebraska Cornhuskers will host Duquesne, Stony Brook, and Rider in the Cornhusker Classic, a three-game round-robin tournament that will take place from November 13th to November 22nd, 2023.

The Cornhuskers will host three games at Pinnacle Bank Arena: November 13th vs. Rider, November 15th vs. Stony Brook, and November 22nd vs. Duquesne..

In addition to playing at Nebraska, Duquesne will host Stony Brook on November 13th and Rider on November 17th. Rounding out the schedule, Stony Brook will play Rider at home on November 20th.

NEBRASKA SOFTBALL ANNOUNCES FALL SCHEDULE:

Nebraska fans will have the opportunity to see the Husker softball team play nine times at Bowlin Stadium in September and October as part of the fall exhibition season. 

The Huskers will host three intrasquad scrimmages on consecutive Thursdays in September before playing a total of six games against Omaha, Creighton, Colorado State and South Dakota in October.

All fall games are open to the public – including the intrasquad scrimmages – with free admission.

HUSKER WBB PETRIE SCORES SIX; AUSSIES DROP BRACKET PLAY OPENER:

Jessica Petrie scored six points and grabbed two rebounds, but Australia suffered a 74-67 loss to Mali to open bracket play at the 2023 U19 Women’s World Cup in Madrid, Spain on Wednesday.

Petrie, a 6-2 forward from Gold Coast, Australia, added two assists and a blocked shot in just under 12 minutes of action off the bench for Australia. She assisted on a made three-pointer that gave Australia its biggest lead of the second half at 49-44 with 2:55 left in the third quarter.

The Australians return to action on Friday at 2 a.m. (CT) when they take on Brazil, which took an 89-45 loss to Canada on Wednesday.

A7 SENIOR LEGION DISTRICT TOURNAMENT SCORES/SCHEDULES:

WEDNESDAY RESULTS:

GAME 1 – #1 Hastings Five Points Bank 4-3 #4 Runza Kearney

GAME 2 – #1 Hastings Five Points Bank 12-11 #4 Runza Kearney

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCHEDULE:

THURSDAY SCHEDULE:

Arizona Diamondbacks @ Atlanta Braves – 11:20 AM

Milwaukee Brewers @ Philadelphia Phillies – 11:35 AM

San Francisco Giants @ Cincinnati Reds – 11:35 AM

San Diego Padres @ Toronto Blue Jays – 12:07 PM

Chicago White Sox @ New York Mets – 12:10 PM

Detroit Tigers @ Kansas City Royals – 1:10 PM

Minnesota Twins @ Seattle Mariners – 2:40 PM

Baltimore Orioles @ Tampa Bay Rays – 5:40 PM

St. Louis Cardinals @ Chicago Cubs – 7:05 PM

Houston Astros @ Oakland Athletics – 8:40 PM

Local Results & Schedules:

THIS WEEK IN LOCAL SPORTS:

WEDNESDAY:

• Kearney Legion Baseball:
  • Runza Seniors: Area 7 District Tournament Championship @ Ryder Park
    • #4 Kearney Runza v. #1 Hastings Five Points Bank
      • GAME 1: Hastings Five Points 4-3 Runza Kearney
      • GAME 2: Hastings Five Points 12-11 Runza Kearney
  • POST 52: N/a
  • Five Points: N/a
  • Jerseys: N/a

THURSDAY:

• Kearney Legion Baseball:
  • Runza Seniors: N/a
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)

FRIDAY:

• Kearney Legion Baseball:
  • Runza Seniors: N/a
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)

SATURDAY:

• Kearney Legion Baseball:
  • Runza Seniors: State Tournament @ TBD
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Runza Seniors: State Tournament @ TBD

SUNDAY:

• Kearney Legion Baseball:
  • Runza Seniors: State Tournament @ TBD
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Runza Seniors: State Tournament @ TBD

After the dust settled in a two game championship series, the Runza Seniors of Kearney could not hold off Hastings Five Points Bank, ending as A7 District Tournament Runner-Up on Wednesday night at Ryder Park.

Kearney was unable to preserve their unblemished mark in district play falling 4-3 in Game One, scoring three runs on five hits with two errors. Hastings won with four runs on eight hits and three errors.

In the high-scoring affair of Game Two, it was Hastings claiming the victory 12-11 to earn the A7 Title.

Hastings won, scoring twelve runs on fifteen hits and no errors, while Kearney dropped the contest scoring eleven runs on ten hits and one error.

Both teams move onto the state tournament as Kearney heads to Bellevue West and Hastings will host at Duncan Field. Tournament brackets are expected to be released later today. 

GRAND ISLAND NATIVE SCHANAMAN INKS DEAL WITH BRAVES:

Nebraska senior Shay Schanaman signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Atlanta Braves organization in Florida this week.

Schanaman is the fifth Husker from this year’s team to continue with a Major League Baseball organization after Brice Matthews, Max Anderson, Emmett Olson and Jace Kaminska were selected in the MLB Draft last week

A product of Grand Island, Neb., Schanaman went 3-6 with six saves and a 3.07 ERA in a team-high 26 appearances for the Huskers in 2023. He compiled 66 strikeouts with 28 walks in 55.2 innings and held opponents to a .189 batting average.

NEBRASKA MEN’S HOOPS ANNOUNCES NON-CONFERENCE SLATE:

A pair of matchups against Elite Eight qualifiers, a neutral-site matchup with Oregon State and a three-game Cornhusker Classic in Lincoln highlight the 2023-24 Nebraska men’s basketball non-conference schedule released Wednesday.

The 11-game non-conference slate features a trip to Manhattan, Kan., for a matchup with Kansas State on Dec. 17. Nebraska’s only other trip in non-conference play is on Saturday, Nov. 18, when the Huskers travel to Sioux Falls, S.D., to face Oregon State.

The nine-game home schedule features the annual matchup with Creighton on Sunday, Dec. 3. 

Nebraska’s nine home non-conference games is the most since also having nine in 2021-22. 

Full details on the non-conference schedule can be found at KGFW.com.

HUSKER MEN’S BASKETBALL TO HOST ROUND-ROBIN CORNHUSKER CLASSIC:

The Nebraska Cornhuskers will host Duquesne, Stony Brook, and Rider in the Cornhusker Classic, a three-game round-robin tournament that will take place from November 13th to November 22nd, 2023.

The Cornhuskers will host three games at Pinnacle Bank Arena: November 13th vs. Rider, November 15th vs. Stony Brook, and November 22nd vs. Duquesne..

In addition to playing at Nebraska, Duquesne will host Stony Brook on November 13th and Rider on November 17th. Rounding out the schedule, Stony Brook will play Rider at home on November 20th.

HUSKER WBB PETRIE SCORES SIX; AUSSIES DROP BRACKET PLAY OPENER:

Jessica Petrie scored six points and grabbed two rebounds, but Australia suffered a 74-67 loss to Mali to open bracket play at the 2023 U19 Women’s World Cup in Madrid, Spain on Wednesday.

Petrie, a 6-2 forward from Gold Coast, Australia, added two assists and a blocked shot in just under 12 minutes of action off the bench for Australia. She assisted on a made three-pointer that gave Australia its biggest lead of the second half at 49-44 with 2:55 left in the third quarter.

The Australians return to action on Friday at 2 a.m. (CT) when they take on Brazil, which took an 89-45 loss to Canada on Wednesday.

NORTHWESTERN HAZING SCANDAL INCLUDES OTHER ATHLETICS:

Allegations of hazing in Northwestern’s athletic programs broadened Wednesday as attorneys said male and female athletes reported misconduct within two other sports and suggested sexual abuse and racial discrimination within the football program was so rampant that coaches knew it was happening.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump said he and other attorneys have received disturbing details from former baseball and softball players at the university, in addition to growing complaints of abuse in the football program, which players described as widespread and devastating.

A lawsuit filed Tuesday accuses fired football coach Pat Fitzgerald of enabling a culture of racism, including forcing players of color to cut their hair and behave differently to be more in line with the “Wildcat Way.”

A7 SENIOR LEGION DISTRICT TOURNAMENT SCORES/SCHEDULES:

WEDNESDAY RESULTS:

GAME 1 – #1 Hastings Five Points Bank 4-3 #4 Runza Kearney

GAME 2 – #1 Hastings Five Points Bank 12-11 #4 Runza Kearney

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCHEDULE:

THURSDAY SCHEDULE:

Arizona Diamondbacks @ Atlanta Braves – 11:20 AM

Milwaukee Brewers @ Philadelphia Phillies – 11:35 AM

San Francisco Giants @ Cincinnati Reds – 11:35 AM

San Diego Padres @ Toronto Blue Jays – 12:07 PM

Chicago White Sox @ New York Mets – 12:10 PM

Detroit Tigers @ Kansas City Royals – 1:10 PM

Minnesota Twins @ Seattle Mariners – 2:40 PM

Baltimore Orioles @ Tampa Bay Rays – 5:40 PM

St. Louis Cardinals @ Chicago Cubs – 7:05 PM

Houston Astros @ Oakland Athletics – 8:40 PM

Local Results & Schedules:

THIS WEEK IN LOCAL SPORTS:

WEDNESDAY:

• Kearney Legion Baseball:
  • Runza Seniors: Area 7 District Tournament Championship @ Ryder Park
    • #4 Kearney Runza v. #1 Hastings Five Points Bank
      • GAME 1: Hastings Five Points 4-3 Runza Kearney
      • GAME 2: Hastings Five Points 12-11 Runza Kearney
  • POST 52: N/a
  • Five Points: N/a
  • Jerseys: N/a

THURSDAY:

• Kearney Legion Baseball:
  • Runza Seniors: N/a
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)

FRIDAY:

• Kearney Legion Baseball:
  • Runza Seniors: N/a
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)

SATURDAY:

• Kearney Legion Baseball:
  • Runza Seniors: State Tournament @ TBD
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Runza Seniors: State Tournament @ TBD

SUNDAY:

• Kearney Legion Baseball:
  • Runza Seniors: State Tournament @ TBD
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Runza Seniors: State Tournament @ TBD

The game had many ups and downs, but the Runza Seniors found a way to remain undefeated in the A7 District Tournament, taking down Grand Island Home Federal in a late night matchup at Ryder Park 11-10 Tuesday night.

Kearney (21-17) continued on their unblemished mark in district play, earning the win scoring eleven runs on ten hits with five errors while Grand Island Home Federal (21-16-1) fell, scoring ten runs on eleven hits and three errors. 

Kearney now advances into a potential doubleheader today at Ryder Park, taking on Hastings Five Points Bank for the A7 District Title. Kearney has two games to take the win, as a win in Game One or Two earns the district title for the Runza Seniors. 

KGFW’s pregame coverage for the A7 District Championship is set for 3:45 PM on Wednesday as first pitch comes at 4 PM. 

POST 52 SEASON ENDS WITH LOSS TO TOP SEED GRAND ISLAND:

A late rally wasn’t enough for the POST 52 Kearney Juniors, having their season end at Bill Wood Field in North Platte to top seeded Grand Island Five Points Bank 6-5.

POST 52 scored five runs on twelve hits and two errors, while Grand Island ended with six runs on fourteen hits and two errors.

POST 52 ends the season 26-17 overall.

GRAND ISLAND NATIVE SCHANAMAN INKS DEAL WITH BRAVES:

Nebraska senior Shay Schanaman signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Atlanta Braves organization in Florida this week.

Schanaman is the fifth Husker from this year’s team to continue with a Major League Baseball organization after Brice Matthews, Max Anderson, Emmett Olson and Jace Kaminska were selected in the MLB Draft last week

A product of Grand Island, Neb., Schanaman went 3-6 with six saves and a 3.07 ERA in a team-high 26 appearances for the Huskers in 2023. He compiled 66 strikeouts with 28 walks in 55.2 innings and held opponents to a .189 batting average.

HUSKER MEN’S BASKETBALL TO HOST ROUND-ROBIN CORNHUSKER CLASSIC:

The Nebraska Cornhuskers will host Duquesne, Stony Brook, and Rider in the Cornhusker Classic, a three-game round-robin tournament that will take place from November 13th to November 22nd, 2023.

The Cornhuskers will host three games at Pinnacle Bank Arena: November 13th vs. Rider, November 15th vs. Stony Brook, and November 22nd vs. Duquesne..

In addition to playing at Nebraska, Duquesne will host Stony Brook on November 13th and Rider on November 17th. Rounding out the schedule, Stony Brook will play Rider at home on November 20th.

BOLT ADDS CONOR BEHRENS TO HUSKER BASEBALL STAFF:

Nebraska Baseball Head Coach Will Bolt announced the hiring of Conor Behrens as Director of Program Development on Tuesday.

Behrens joins the Huskers with four years of coaching experience, including the last two seasons as a volunteer assistant coach at Wichita State.

With the Shockers, Behrens worked with the hitters, catchers and outfielders while serving as camp coordinator and creating scouting reports of opponents.

Behrens was a graduate assistant coach and director of operations at Central Missouri for two seasons, helping the Mules to a national runner-up finish with a 46-8 overall record in 2021.

HUSKER FOOTBALL ADDS SIX TO 2023 NEBRASKA HOF CLASS:

Six Nebraska standouts, a state college representative, and two pioneers from the early 20th century comprise the 2023 class of the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame announced Tuesday. 

The 2023 Hall of Fame class will be officially inducted at a Sept. 22 banquet in Lincoln and recognized the following day at the Huskers’ home game against Louisiana Tech.  

The six former Huskers were selected to the 2023 class by balloting of the Hall of Fame membership, include defensive tackle David Clark (1980s category), linebacker Troy Dumas (1990s category), punter Sam Koch (2000-06 category), defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch (2000-06 category), quarterback Taylor Martinez (2007-13 category) and offensive guard Spencer Long (2007-13 category).

The Nebraska Football Hall of Fame Board also selected a pair of former Huskers from the Legends category including head coach W.C. “King” Cole and quarterback Leon G. Warner.

The 2023 class of inductees also includes a state college representative in Dan Klepper, an All-America offensive guard for Nebraska-Omaha in the 1960s.  

LOPER ATHLETICS ADDS NEW ‘LOPER STARS’ EVENT:

Nebraska Kearney Athletics will host “Loper Stars” on August 27, a night for individuals with disabilities and their families to enjoy.

The free event, open to all ages and abilities, will run from 5-6:30 p.m. at Ron & Carol Cope Stadium. The program will feature sport-specific and engaging activities run by Loper student-athletes and coaches and the College of Education Physical Education Major’s Club, performances by the UNK drumline, and cheerleading and dance teams.

To register, go to www.lopers.com, look for the Loper Stars splash page and scan the QR code.

A7 SENIOR LEGION DISTRICT TOURNAMENT SCORES/SCHEDULES:

TUESDAY RESULTS:

#1 Hastings Five Points Bank 8-3 #3 North Platte FNBO Nationals (North Platte Eliminated)

#4 Kearney Runza 11-10 #2 Grand Island Home Federal (Grand Island Eliminated)

WEDNESDAY SCHEDULE:

#4 Kearney Runza v. #1 Hastings Five Points Bank – 4 PM (A7 District Title Game; Hastings elimination game)

IF NEEDED – #4 Kearney Runza v. #1 Hastings Five Points Bank – 7 PM (A7 District Title Game)

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCHEDULE:

WEDNESDAY SCHEDULE:

Cleveland Guardians @ Pittsburgh Pirates – 11:35 AM

Los Angeles Dodgers @ Baltimore Orioles – 12:05 PM

Tampa Bay Rays @ Texas Rangers – 1:05 PM

Miami Marlins @ St. Louis Cardinals – 1:15 PM

Houston Astros @ Colorado Rockies – 2:10 PM

Boston Red Sox @ Oakland Athletics – 2:37 PM

Milwaukee Brewers @ Philadelphia Phillies – 5:40 PM

San Diego Padres @ Toronto Blue Jays – 6:07 PM

New York Yankees @ Los Angeles Angels – 6:07 PM

Chicago White Sox @ New York Mets – 6:10 PM

San Francisco Giants @ Cincinnati Reds – 6:10 PM

Arizona Diamondbacks @ Atlanta Braves – 6:20 PM

Washington Nationals @ Chicago Cubs – 7:05 PM

Detroit Tigers @ Kansas City Royals – 7:10 PM

Minnesota Twins @ Seattle Mariners – 8:40 PM

Local Results & Schedules:

THIS WEEK IN LOCAL SPORTS:

TUESDAY:

• Kearney Legion Baseball:
  • Runza Seniors: Area 7 District Tournament @ Ryder Park
    • #4 Runza Kearney v. #2 Grand Island Home Federal
      • Runza Kearney 11-10 GI Home Federal
  • POST 52: Area 7 District Tournament @ Bill Wood Field
    • #4 POST 52 Kearney v. #1 Grand Island Five Points
      • GI Five Points Bank 6-5 POST 52 Keanrey

WEDNESDAY:

• Kearney Legion Baseball:
  • Runza Seniors: Area 7 District Tournament Championship @ Ryder Park
    • #4 Kearney Runza v. #1 Hastings Five Points Bank – 4 PM
      • KGFW Pregame at 3:45 PM
  • POST 52: N/a
  • Five Points: N/a
  • Jerseys: N/a
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Runza Senior Legion Baseball v. Hastings Five Points Bank (3:45 PM – 6:45 PM)
  • Sports Nightly – TBD

THURSDAY:

• Kearney Legion Baseball:
  • Runza Seniors: N/a
  • POST 52: N/a
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)

FRIDAY:

• Kearney Legion Baseball:
  • Runza Seniors: N/a
  • POST 52: N/a
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)

SATURDAY:

• Kearney Legion Baseball:
  • Runza Seniors: State Tournament @ TBD
  • POST 52: N/a
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Runza Seniors: State Tournament @ TBD

SUNDAY:

• Kearney Legion Baseball:
  • Runza Seniors: State Tournament @ TBD
  • POST 52: TBD
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Runza Seniors: State Tournament @ TBD

Schanaman is the fifth Husker from this year’s team to continue with a Major League Baseball organization after Brice Matthews, Max Anderson, Emmett Olson and Jace Kaminska were selected in the MLB Draft last week.

A product of Grand Island, Neb., Schanaman went 3-6 with six saves and a 3.07 ERA in a team-high 26 appearances for the Huskers in 2023. He compiled 66 strikeouts with 28 walks in 55.2 innings and held opponents to a .189 batting average.

Tabbed a third-team All-Big Ten selection in 2023, Schanaman totaled 13 wins, nine saves and a 4.29 ERA in his five seasons with the Huskers. He recorded 247 strikeouts in 233 innings while making 79 appearances on the mound, including 25 starts.

Schanaman concluded his career among the top 10 all-time in program history in pitching appearances and strikeouts. Schanaman is tied for fifth with Dylan Vogt (2010-13) with 79 career appearances and is fifth with 247 strikeouts, six shy of Matt Waldron (2016-19) in fourth.

The game had many ups and downs, but the Runza Seniors found a way to remain undefeated in the A7 District Tournament, taking down Grand Island Home Federal in a late night matchup at Ryder Park 11-10 Tuesday night.

Kearney (21-17) continued on their unblemished mark in district play, earning the win scoring eleven runs on ten hits with five errors while Grand Island Home Federal (21-16-1) fell, scoring ten runs on eleven hits and three errors. 

Kearney now advances into a potential doubleheader today at Ryder Park, taking on Hastings Five Points Bank for the A7 District Title. Kearney has two games to take the win, as a win in Game One or Two earns the district title for the Runza Seniors. 

KGFW’s pregame coverage for the A7 District Championship is set for 3:45 PM on Wednesday as first pitch comes at 4 PM. 

POST 52 SEASON ENDS WITH LOSS TO TOP SEED GRAND ISLAND:

A late rally wasn’t enough for the POST 52 Kearney Juniors, having their season end at Bill Wood Field in North Platte to top seeded Grand Island Five Points Bank 6-5.

POST 52 scored five runs on twelve hits and two errors, while Grand Island ended with six runs on fourteen hits and two errors.

POST 52 ends the season 26-17 overall.

BOLT ADDS CONOR BEHRENS TO HUSKER BASEBALL STAFF:

Nebraska Baseball Head Coach Will Bolt announced the hiring of Conor Behrens as Director of Program Development on Tuesday.

Behrens joins the Huskers with four years of coaching experience, including the last two seasons as a volunteer assistant coach at Wichita State.

With the Shockers, Behrens worked with the hitters, catchers and outfielders while serving as camp coordinator and creating scouting reports of opponents.

Behrens was a graduate assistant coach and director of operations at Central Missouri for two seasons, helping the Mules to a national runner-up finish with a 46-8 overall record in 2021.

HUSKER FOOTBALL ADDS SIX TO 2023 NEBRASKA HOF CLASS:

Six Nebraska standouts, a state college representative, and two pioneers from the early 20th century comprise the 2023 class of the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame announced Tuesday. 

The 2023 Hall of Fame class will be officially inducted at a Sept. 22 banquet in Lincoln and recognized the following day at the Huskers’ home game against Louisiana Tech.  

The six former Huskers were selected to the 2023 class by balloting of the Hall of Fame membership, include defensive tackle David Clark (1980s category), linebacker Troy Dumas (1990s category), punter Sam Koch (2000-06 category), defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch (2000-06 category), quarterback Taylor Martinez (2007-13 category) and offensive guard Spencer Long (2007-13 category).

The Nebraska Football Hall of Fame Board also selected a pair of former Huskers from the Legends category including head coach W.C. “King” Cole and quarterback Leon G. Warner.

The 2023 class of inductees also includes a state college representative in Dan Klepper, an All-America offensive guard for Nebraska-Omaha in the 1960s.  

LOPER ATHLETICS ADDS NEW ‘LOPER STARS’ EVENT:

Nebraska Kearney Athletics will host “Loper Stars” on August 27, a night for individuals with disabilities and their families to enjoy.

The free event, open to all ages and abilities, will run from 5-6:30 p.m. at Ron & Carol Cope Stadium. The program will feature sport-specific and engaging activities run by Loper student-athletes and coaches and the College of Education Physical Education Major’s Club, performances by the UNK drumline, and cheerleading and dance teams.

To register, go to www.lopers.com, look for the Loper Stars splash page and scan the QR code.

HUSKER WBB FRESHMAN PETRIE AIDS AUSTRALIA IN LOSS TO FRANCE:

Jessica Petrie contributed five points, four rebounds and three assists but world No. 3 Australia dropped a narrow 72-68 loss to world No. 2 France in the final game of group play at the 2023 FIBA U19 Women’s World Cup in Madrid, Spain on Tuesday.

Petrie, a 6-2 forward from Gold Coast, Australia, hit 2-of-4 shots from the field, including 1-of-2 three-pointers for the Australians, who closed group play at 1-2 with losses to France and the hosts from Spain, along with a 40-point win over Argentina.

Through three games in Spain, Petrie is averaging 5.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 17 minutes per contest.

Petrie and Australia will begin bracket play on Wednesday when they take on Mali in the round of 16 at 12:45 p.m. (CT) in the Sports Complex Espartales Alcala de Henares.

A7 SENIOR LEGION DISTRICT TOURNAMENT SCORES/SCHEDULES:

TUESDAY RESULTS:

#1 Hastings Five Points Bank 8-3 #3 North Platte FNBO Nationals (North Platte Eliminated)

#4 Kearney Runza 11-10 #2 Grand Island Home Federal (Grand Island Eliminated)

WEDNESDAY SCHEDULE:

#4 Kearney Runza v. #1 Hastings Five Points Bank – 4 PM (A7 District Title Game; Hastings elimination game)

IF NEEDED – #4 Kearney Runza v. #1 Hastings Five Points Bank – 7 PM (A7 District Title Game)

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCHEDULE:

WEDNESDAY SCHEDULE:

Cleveland Guardians @ Pittsburgh Pirates – 11:35 AM

Los Angeles Dodgers @ Baltimore Orioles – 12:05 PM

Tampa Bay Rays @ Texas Rangers – 1:05 PM

Miami Marlins @ St. Louis Cardinals – 1:15 PM

Houston Astros @ Colorado Rockies – 2:10 PM

Boston Red Sox @ Oakland Athletics – 2:37 PM

Milwaukee Brewers @ Philadelphia Phillies – 5:40 PM

San Diego Padres @ Toronto Blue Jays – 6:07 PM

New York Yankees @ Los Angeles Angels – 6:07 PM

Chicago White Sox @ New York Mets – 6:10 PM

San Francisco Giants @ Cincinnati Reds – 6:10 PM

Arizona Diamondbacks @ Atlanta Braves – 6:20 PM

Washington Nationals @ Chicago Cubs – 7:05 PM

Detroit Tigers @ Kansas City Royals – 7:10 PM

Minnesota Twins @ Seattle Mariners – 8:40 PM

Local Results & Schedules:

THIS WEEK IN LOCAL SPORTS:

TUESDAY:

• Kearney Legion Baseball:
  • Runza Seniors: Area 7 District Tournament @ Ryder Park
    • #4 Runza Kearney v. #2 Grand Island Home Federal
      • Runza Kearney 11-10 GI Home Federal
  • POST 52: Area 7 District Tournament @ Bill Wood Field
    • #4 POST 52 Kearney v. #1 Grand Island Five Points
      • GI Five Points Bank 6-5 POST 52 Keanrey

WEDNESDAY:

• Kearney Legion Baseball:
  • Runza Seniors: Area 7 District Tournament Championship @ Ryder Park
    • #4 Kearney Runza v. #1 Hastings Five Points Bank – 4 PM
      • KGFW Pregame at 3:45 PM
  • POST 52: N/a
  • Five Points: N/a
  • Jerseys: N/a
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Runza Senior Legion Baseball v. Hastings Five Points Bank (3:45 PM – 6:45 PM)
  • Sports Nightly – TBD

THURSDAY:

• Kearney Legion Baseball:
  • Runza Seniors: N/a
  • POST 52: N/a
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)

FRIDAY:

• Kearney Legion Baseball:
  • Runza Seniors: N/a
  • POST 52: N/a
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)

SATURDAY:

• Kearney Legion Baseball:
  • Runza Seniors: State Tournament @ TBD
  • POST 52: TBD
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • N/a

SUNDAY:

• Kearney Legion Baseball:
  • Runza Seniors: State Tournament @ TBD
  • POST 52: TBD
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • N/a

The Runza Seniors continued their strong showing in the A7 Senior District Tournament, taking down the North Platte FNBO Nationals 1-0 Monday afternoon.

Kearney (20-17) earned the win with one run on three hits and two errors, while North Platte FNBO fell with no runs on no hits with two errors.

The Runza Seniors’ Quinn Foster held a herculean effort, going six and two third innings and striking out twelve batters while walking four. The starter recorded twenty outs in the contest.

Kearney is the final team in the A7 District remaining without a loss. With the win, Kearney also punched their spot into a State Tournament bid. The Runza Seniors continue district action taking on Grand Island Home Federal tonight with first pitch at 7 PM. 

KGFW’s pregame is set for 6:45 PM with Austin Jacobsen on the call. Hear Kearney Legion Baseball on 1340 KGFW, 96.1 FM, on the free KGFW mobile app, and online at KGFW.com.

POST 52 SURVIVES IN EIGHT INNINGS; CONTINUES TOURNAMENT RUN:

The POST 52 Juniors continue their season with a win over the Hastings Juniors at North Platte’s Bill Wood Field Monday night, earning an extra inning 9-5 win.

Kearney POST 52 (26-16) won, scoring nine runs on ten hits with one error, while Hastings fell scoring five runs on eleven hits with three errors.

The Kearney Juniors will take on Grand Island today at 4 PM from Bill Wood Field. A full game recap can be found at KGFW.com.

BOLT ADDS CONOR BEHRENS TO HUSKER BASEBALL STAFF:

Nebraska Baseball Head Coach Will Bolt announced the hiring of Conor Behrens as Director of Program Development on Tuesday.

Behrens joins the Huskers with four years of coaching experience, including the last two seasons as a volunteer assistant coach at Wichita State.

With the Shockers, Behrens worked with the hitters, catchers and outfielders while serving as camp coordinator and creating scouting reports of opponents.

Behrens was a graduate assistant coach and director of operations at Central Missouri for two seasons, helping the Mules to a national runner-up finish with a 46-8 overall record in 2021.

HUSKER FOOTBALL ADDS SIX TO 2023 NEBRASKA HOF CLASS:

Six Nebraska standouts, a state college representative, and two pioneers from the early 20th century comprise the 2023 class of the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame announced Tuesday. 

The 2023 Hall of Fame class will be officially inducted at a Sept. 22 banquet in Lincoln and recognized the following day at the Huskers’ home game against Louisiana Tech.  

The six former Huskers were selected to the 2023 class by balloting of the Hall of Fame membership, include defensive tackle David Clark (1980s category), linebacker Troy Dumas (1990s category), punter Sam Koch (2000-06 category), defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch (2000-06 category), quarterback Taylor Martinez (2007-13 category) and offensive guard Spencer Long (2007-13 category).

The Nebraska Football Hall of Fame Board also selected a pair of former Huskers from the Legends category including head coach W.C. “King” Cole and quarterback Leon G. Warner.

The 2023 class of inductees also includes a state college representative in Dan Klepper, an All-America offensive guard for Nebraska-Omaha in the 1960s.  

NEBRASKA FOOTBALL – EVAN COOPER SPORTS NIGHTLY COMMENTS:

COOPER – MORE COMFORTABLE WITH DB’S THAN BEFORE:

Defensive Backs coach for Nebraska Evan Cooper joined the Sports Nightly desk on Monday night, and began his introduction stating that he feels more at home with his secondary than when he first arrived…

Cooper also stated he’s impressed with the first year defensive back’s that arrived over the summer in Ethan Nation and Rahmir Stewart.

COOPER – DEFENSIVE BACK IS ALL ABOUT CONFIDENCE:

Secondary coach for the Huskers Evan Cooper joined Sports Nightly on Monday night and spoke about the biggest intangible he teaches his defensive backs… 

Nebraska has six returning defensive backs with starting experience or received significant playing time last season. 

A7 SENIOR LEGION DISTRICT TOURNAMENT SCORES/SCHEDULES:

MONDAY RESULTS:

Hastings Five Points Bank 12-0 Grand Island U-Save (5 Innings; GI U-Save Eliminated)

Kearney Runza 1-0 North Platte FNBO Nationals (Winner’s Bracket)

Grand Island Home Federal 14-2  Lexington Pinnacle Bank (6 Innings; Lexington Eliminated)

TUESDAY SCHEDULE:

#1 Hastings Five Points Bank v. #3 North Platte FNBO Nationals – 4 PM (Elimination Game)

#4 Kearney Runza v. #2 Grand Island Home Federal – 7 PM (Grand Island Elimination Game)

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCHEDULE:

TUESDAY SCHEDULE:

Milwaukee Brewers @ Philadelphia Phillies – 5:40 PM

Cleveland Guardians @ Pittsburgh Pirates – 6:05 PM

Los Angeles Dodgers @ Baltimore Orioles – 6:05 PM

San Diego Padres @ Toronto Blue Jays – 6:07 PM

San Francisco Giants @ Cincinnati Reds – 6:10 PM

Chicago White Sox @ New York Mets – 6:10 PM

Arizona Diamondbacks @ Atlanta Braves – 6:20 PM

Miami Marlins @ St. Louis Cardinals – 6:45 PM

Tampa Bay Rays @ Texas Rangers – 7:05 PM

Washington Nationals @ Chicago Cubs – 7:05 PM

Detroit Tigers @ Kansas City Royals – 7:10 PM

Houston Astros @ Colorado Rockies – 7:40 PM

Boston Red Sox @ Oakland Athletics – 8:40 PM

Minnesota Twins @ Seattle Mariners – 8:40 PM

Local Results & Schedules:

THIS WEEK IN LOCAL SPORTS:

MONDAY:

• Kearney Legion Baseball:
  • Runza Seniors: Area 7 District Tournament @ Ryder Park
    • #4 Runza Kearney v. #3 North Platte FNBO Nationals
      • Runza Kearney 1-0 North Platte FNBO
  • POST 52: Area 7 District Tournament @ Bill Wood Field
    • #4 POST 52 Kearney v. #3 Hastings Johnson Imperial Homes
      • Kearney POST 52 9-5 Hastings Juniors (8 Innings)

TUESDAY:

• Kearney Legion Baseball:
  • Runza Seniors: Area 7 District Tournament @ Ryder Park
    • #4 Runza Kearney v. #2 Grand Island Home Federal – 7 PM
      • KGFW Pregame at 6:45 PM
  • POST 52: Area 7 District Tournament @ Bill Wood Field
    • #4 POST 52 Kearney v. #1 Grand Island Five Points – 4 PM
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Sports Nightly (6 PM – 6:45 PM)
  • Runza Senior Legion Baseball v. Grand Island Home Federal (6:45 PM – 9:45 PM)

WEDNESDAY:

• Kearney Legion Baseball:
  • Runza Seniors: Area 7 District Tournament @ Ryder Park – TBD
  • POST 52: N/a
  • Five Points: N/a
  • Jerseys: N/a
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)
  • Runza Senior Legion Baseball v. Area 7 District Tourney TBA

THURSDAY:

• Kearney Legion Baseball:
  • Runza Seniors: N/a
  • POST 52: N/a
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)

FRIDAY:

• Kearney Legion Baseball:
  • Runza Seniors: N/a
  • POST 52: N/a
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)

SATURDAY:

• Kearney Legion Baseball:
  • Runza Seniors: State Tournament @ TBD
  • POST 52: TBD
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • N/a

SUNDAY:

• Kearney Legion Baseball:
  • Runza Seniors: State Tournament @ TBD
  • POST 52: TBD
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • N/a

Behrens joins the Huskers with four years of coaching experience, including the last two seasons as a volunteer assistant coach at Wichita State.

With the Shockers, Behrens worked with the hitters, catchers and outfielders while serving as camp coordinator and creating scouting reports of opponents.

Prior to Wichita State, he had a brief stint as an assistant coach at Point Lomo Nazarene, where he assisted in recruiting and coached the infielders and hitters.

Behrens was a graduate assistant coach and director of operations at Central Missouri for two seasons, helping the Mules to a national runner-up finish with a 46-8 overall record in 2021.

Working primarily with the hitters at UCM, Behrens coached an offense that ranked top-10 nationally in many offensive categories, including batting average, hits, home runs, runs, slugging percentage, stolen bases and hit by pitch. The Mules won the 2021 MIAA regular-season and tournament titles and recorded a 15-game win streak to clinch their DII World Series berth.

In Behrens’ two seasons with the Mules, Central Missouri went 66-11, producing three All-Americans, five all-region hitters and seven all-conference players. UCM was off to a 20-3 start in 2020 before the remainder of the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Behrens played his first two seasons at Kansas City Kansas Community College, where he earned second-team all-conference recognition and won a Region XI Gold Glove. Behrens finished his playing career at Lindenwood, hitting .304 in 73 career games. As a junior in 2017, he helped the Lions to their first-ever appearance in the DII World Series.

Behrens began his coaching career the following year as an assistant at Lincoln Southwest High School, where he was an all-state performer as a player.

A native of Lincoln, Neb., Behrens earned his bachelor’s degree in historical studies from Lindenwood University and holds a master’s degree in sports management from Central Missouri in 2021. He and his wife, Ashley, reside in Lincoln.