
Arkansas hires Oral Roberts' Kelsi Musick as women's basketball coach
The former Oral Roberts coach signed a five-year deal worth $600,000 a season. She led the Golden Eagles to a postseason appearances in each of the last two seasons while increasing the team's win total every year.
The team lost in the first round of the WBIT on Thursday to finish 24-9.
'As I spoke to Kelsi and people associated with her, I was impressed by her work ethic, enthusiasm and her ability to maximize resources in building winning programs at each of her coaching stops,' said Hunter Yurachek, Arkansas' athletic director and vice chancellor. 'She has proven to be a great relationship builder and communicator throughout her career to the benefit of her teams and student-athletes on and off the court. Having grown up and coached in Oklahoma, she has a familiarity with our area that will help her quickly connect with our state and fan base.'
Musick led Oral Roberts to a second-place finish in the Summit League this past season after a third-place finish in her second season in Tulsa. Her squad last season made history with the program's first 20-win season since 2011-12 and made it to the postseason for the first time since 2011.
'I am incredibly honored and grateful for the opportunity to lead the women's basketball program at the University of Arkansas,' Musick said. 'This is a place with a proud tradition, passionate fans and a commitment to excellence in every way. I'm excited to get to work building something special. I want to thank Hunter Yurachek and his staff for their belief in me, and I can't wait to pour into our student-athletes, compete in the SEC and represent this university with pride.'
Musick replaced Mike Neighbors, who resigned earlier this month after the team went 10-22 this year.
___

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Fox Sports
an hour ago
- Fox Sports
Phillies hoping Jhoan Duran's 100 mph fastball and Harrison Bader's defense lead to a World Series
Associated Press PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Harrison Bader got a first-hand look at Jhoan Duran's electric stuff — try a four-seam fastball that averages 100.2 mph — in their short stint together in Minnesota. Bader saw enough to know the Phillies might have finally landed the closer that can put them over the top and win the franchise's first World Series title since 2008. 'Plain and simple, he has close-the-door stuff,' Bader said. 'Tough situation, runner on, maybe baseball happens, he kind of puts a couple runners on. He's got strikeout stuff to strike out three in a row. I've seen it all year. I've seen it on the other side.' Bader and Duran both made their Phillies' debuts in Friday's 5-4 comeback win against the Detroit Tigers. Bader, a right-handed hitting outfielder, and Duran were both acquired on consecutive days in separate trades with the Minnesota Twins. They are now thrust into the thick of a pennant race. Duran's role is settled. He's the closer — the Phillies tested out his fire entrance on the big screen ahead of his debut. The 27-year-old Duran — nicknamed Durantulla and he wore spider cleats on Friday — had 16 saves and a 2.01 ERA in 49 appearances this season, striking out 53 in 49 1/3 innings with the Twins. With former WWE star The Undertaker's gong setting the soundtrack, Duran entered with only iPhone lights on in the darkened ballpark and flames on the big screen to create the dramatic mood. Duran did the rest in his first appearance since his trade-deadline acquisition from Minnesota. He retired the side in order in the ninth inning — on four pitches — for his 17th save. Duran threw four splinkers, a hybrid pitch that's more of a splitter thrown with more velocity. 'It's an honor to be part of this team,' Duran said. 'I know here I've got a chance to win the World Series.' The 31-year-old Bader, a 2021 Gold Glove winner, remains a strong defender at all three outfield spots and has 12 home runs, 38 RBIs and a .778 OPS in 96 games. The right-handed hitting Bader will start his Phillies career in a center field platoon with Brandon Marsh. The left-handed hitting Marsh got the start Friday against Tigers righty Jack Flaherty. Phillies manager Rob Thomson said he planned a double-platoon in the outfield (slugger Nick Castellanos is entrenched in right field). Because the Phillies are scheduled to face alternating right- and left-handed pitchers over the next six games with Detroit and Baltimore, Bader and Marsh will platoon over that stretch. Same with lefty-swinging Max Kepler and Otto Kemp in left field. How well they hit over that small sample size could decide Thomson's lineup for the pennant stretch as the Phillies chase the New York Mets in the NL East. Thomson said he hadn't ruled out Bader in left field, 'but I see him sort of as the best center fielder we've got.' Bader drew a pinch-hit walk and scored a run and stayed in the game and struck out in his debut. Duran's 100.2 mph average velocity for his four-seam fastball is second to Mason Miller's 101.1 mph among those who have thrown 200 or more pitches. Duran isn't eligible for free agency until after the 2027 season. Duran joins a Philly bullpen that also has Matt Strahm and Orion Kerkering. David Robertson is ramping up with Triple-A Lehigh Valley after signing a one-year contract on July 21, and Jose Alvarado is expected to return from an 80-game suspension for a positive test for external testosterone. Duran was acquired by Minnesota in a deal with Arizona at the 2018 trade deadline. He is 17-23 with a 2.47 ERA and 74 saves in 223 career games. The Phillies also sent outfielder Johan Rojas (one home run and 18 RBI in 172 plate appearances) to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. ___ AP MLB: recommended Item 1 of 2


Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Will Benson homers as Reds even series against Braves
CINCINNATI (AP) — Will Benson hit his ninth multi-run homer of the year to power the Cincinnati Reds to a 3-2 win over the Atlanta Braves on Friday. Left-handed batters were hitting .292 against the lefty Dylan Dodd coming into the game. With two outs in the seventh, manager Terry Francona elected to let Benson face him and Benson sent it 356 feet to left field. Matt McLain singled to score Benson to break a scoreless tie in the sixth inning. Benson singled and stole second to set up the run. Brady Singer (9-8) struck out a season-high 10 batters in six scoreless innings. He allowed four hits and a walk. It was his first career win over the Braves in four decisions. Bryce Elder (4-8) pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowing one run on four hits and two walks. Scott Barlow pitched a scoreless seventh. Tony Santillan appeared in his major league leading 55th appearance in a scoreless eighth. The Braves scored both their runs in the ninth. Ozzie Albies singled a run home and Luke Williams hit a sacrifice fly. Emilio Pagan got his 23rd save in 26 chances. CUBS 1, ORIOLES 0 CHICAGO (AP) — Rookie Cade Horton tossed two-hit ball over five innings, and Chicago overcame a terrific start by Trevor Rogers to beat Baltimore. The Cubs showed a video tribute of Ryne Sandberg and held 23 seconds of silence prior to their first home game since the Hall of Famer died. Former teammates Shawon Dunston, Jody Davis and Rick Sutcliffe then honored their friend by carrying a base onto the field and placing it at second. Ian Happ hit a sacrifice fly in the second inning against Rogers, and the Cubs came away with the win in a game that lasted just 1 hour, 49 minutes. Horton (5-3) delivered his third straight scoreless outing. PHILLIES 5, TIGERS 4 PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jhoan Durán earned a save in his Philadelphia debut after Bryson Stott beat a throw to first base and was ruled safe on an overturned review call for the go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning as the Phillies beat Detroit.. The Phillies trailed 3-0 in the seventh and 4-3 in the eighth, rallying each time against the AL Central leaders and setting the stage for Durán's ballyhooed debut. With former WWE star The Undertaker's gong setting the soundtrack, Durán entered with only iPhone lights on in the ballpark and flames on the big screen to create the dramatic mood. Duran did the rest in his first appearance since his trade-deadline acquisition from Minnesota. He retired the side in order in the ninth inning — on four pitches — for his 17th save. The Phillies rallied without slugger Bryce Harper, ejected in the seventh inning for arguing a called third strike on a check swing. Gleyber Torres hit a three-run homer off Phillies starter Ranger Suárez in the third inning for the early lead. BREWERS 16, NATIONALS 9 WASHINGTON (AP) — Blake Perkins hit his first two home runs of the season and drove in three runs, and Milwaukee beat Washington. William Contreras homered as part of a five-hit night and Andrew Vaughn went deep for the sixth time in 17 games with Milwaukee, which finished with a season-high 25 hits. All nine offensive starters had at least one hit and one run for the Brewers, who have won 16 of 20. Paul DeJong homered in the third inning for Washington, which is a season high-tying 21 games under .500. The Nationals trailed 16-4 before a five-run ninth. Perkins hit a solo home run in the second and a two-run shot in the fifth off Nationals starter Mitchell Parker (7-11). The outfielder missed the Brewers' first 96 games with a fractured right shin and made only his seventh start of the season as Milwaukee placed center fielder Jackson Chourio on the injured list with a right hamstring strain. Milwaukee went ahead when it opened the third with four consecutive singles, and Danny Jansen's sacrifice fly made it 3-1. Two batters later, Andruw Monasterio had a two-run double, then came around on Joey Ortiz's RBI double. Parker allowed eight runs and 12 hits in four-plus innings. He is 0-2 with a 15.58 ERA in two starts against Milwaukee this season. Brewers starter José Quintana (8-4) allowed two runs and struck out four in five innings. RED SOX 2, ASTROS 1, 10 innings BOSTON (AP) — Roman Anthony lined a fly ball over drawn-in center fielder Chas McCormick's head to score the automatic runner from third, and Boston rallied in the 10th inning to beat the new-look Houston. Boston trailed 1-0 on Christian Walker's second-inning home run before tying it in the seventh on Wilyer Abreu's sacrifice fly. With Abreu starting the bottom of the 10th on second base, Ceddanne Rafaela tried unsuccessfully to bunt him to third before swinging away — and hitting the ball just a few feet in front of the plate. Catcher Yanier Diaz tried to get Abreu at third, but his throw was late. Anthony lined a 2-2 pitch to center. McCormick ran after it and it flew just beyond his glove for what was scored as a walk-off single. Greg Weissert (4-3) pitched a perfect 10th for the win as the Red Sox won for the fifth time in six games to reach a season-high nine games above .500. GUARDIANS 4, TWINS 2, 10 innings CLEVELAND (AP) — Kyle Manzardo singled home Brayan Rocchio with one out in the 10th inning for his second walk-off hit of the season, giving Cleveland a victory over Minnesota. The Guardians loaded the bases against Kody Funderburk (1-1) on a single by Steven Kwan and an intentional walk to José Ramírez. Manzardo brought in automatic runner Rocchio with a liner to left field. Cade Smith (3-4) pitched the final two innings as Cleveland improved to 9-5 since the All-Star break. Ramírez drove in Kwan in the first inning, then stole second base to become the 17th player with 275 steals and 275 home runs in a career. He is the first primary third baseman to reach the milestone and the second switch hitter, joining Carlos Beltrán. ROYALS 9, BLUE JAYS 3 TORONTO (AP) — Mike Yastrzemski homered in his first at-bat with Kansas City, Michael Wacha limited Toronto to a run in eight innings in his longest outing of the season and the Royals beat the Blue Jays. Acquired from San Francisco just before the trade deadline Thursday, Yastrzemski had a two-run shot off Kevin Gausman (7-8) in the second inning to make it 2-1. Wacha (5-9) allowed three hits and stuck out five, helping the Royals improve to .500 for the first time since June 20. He gave up one run for the fourth consecutive start. Bobby Witt Jr., Salvador Perez and Adam Frazier also homered for Kansas City. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had two-out homer in the first inning to give Toronto a 1-0 lead. After Yastrzemski gave the Royals the lead in the second, and Witt's three-run homer made it 5-1 in the third. DODGERS 5, RAYS 0 TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Freddie Freeman homered for the second straight game and drove in three runs, Clayton Kershaw gave up five hits in six innings and Los Angeles beat Tampa Bay. Kershaw (5–2) picked up his first win in over a month and the 217th of his career. He struck out three before Justin Wrobleski struck out five over the final three innings for the first save of his career. Freeman hit a two-run double in the first inning and hit his 12th home run of the season leading off the fifth to make it 5–0. After getting Mookie Betts to ground out, Shane Baz (8-8) walked Shohei Ohtani and then gave up back-to-back doubles to Will Smith and Freeman to make it 2-0. That extended Freeman's on-base streak to 17 games. GIANTS 4, METS 3, 10 INNINGS NEW YORK (AP) — Pinch-hitter Dominic Smith hit a tiebreaking RBI single against his former team in the 10th inning leading San Francisco to a win over New York. The victory snapped a six-game losing streak for the Giants, who dealt relievers Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval, as well as outfielder Mike Yastrzemski, prior to Thursday's trade deadline. The Mets overcame a 3-0 deficit to force extra innings before losing their fourth straight game and falling out of first place in the National League East. New York is a half-game behind Philadelphia. Casey Schmitt and Patrick Bailey each had an RBI double and Jung Hoo Lee added a run-scoring groundout before Pete Alonso began the Mets' comeback with a homer in the seventh — the 249th of his career. Alonso is within three homers of Darryl Strawberry, who holds the franchise record at 252. The Mets tied the game in the eighth when Juan Soto had an RBI single and Alonso lofted a sacrifice fly. But, Ryan Walker (3-4) retired New York in order in the ninth and Smith, who spent the first six seasons of his career with the Mets, singled home automatic runner Willy Adames with one out in the 10th. Randy Rodríguez worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the 10th by striking our Ronny Maurcio to earn his second save.


San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Alert: Tottenham captain Son Heung-min says he plans to leave English Premier League club
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Tottenham captain Son Heung-min says he plans to leave English Premier League club.