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Indianapolis Star
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
These players with Indiana ties could hear their names called during 2025 MLB draft
Two years ago, Franklin grad Max Clark was selected No. 3 overall by the Detroit Tigers. Clark was viewed as a can't-miss prospect and while his progression through the minors has been gradual — he was promoted to Double-A Erie on Monday — he's done nothing to dim his superstar status. There are no local legends heading into Sunday's 2025 MLB draft, but there are several prospects with Indiana ties who could hear their names called during the two-day draft. The draft begins Sunday with rounds 1-3 and concludes Monday with rounds 4-20. Here's a list of prospects with Indiana ties who could be drafted during the 2025 MLB Draft. The IU commit is a 6-2, 210-pound lefty with a fastball reaching 95 mph. As a senior, Barr went 3-2 with a 0.57 ERA and 76 strikeouts over 36⅔ innings. The New Albany native is a hard-throwing reliever with a sinking fastball touching 97 mph. As a junior, Biven went 5-0 with a 3.71 ERA, four saves and 36 strikeouts over 43⅔ innings. The LSU commit is an athletic left-handed outfielder. As a senior, Braun batted .500 with 48 runs scored, 42 RBIs, 11 doubles, five home runs, three triples and 12 stolen bases. The IU commit has some of the best pure stuff in the prep ranks. His fastball sits in the mid-90s, touching 97 mph. But he has to improve his command if he wants to stay a starting pitcher. Cerny, a former IU shortstop, transferred to Kentucky this offseason. As a junior, Cerny slashed .281/.386/.517 with 14 doubles, two triples, 10 home runs and six stolen bases. He's currently playing for the West Virginia Black Bears of the MLB Draft League. He's fourth overall in batting average (.337) and sixth overall with an .897 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage). The Notre Dame commit is the son of former major league lefthander Jim Crowell. The 6-3, 191-pound lefty had a perfect 6-0 record with a miniscule 0.25 ERA and 97 strikeouts over 55 innings. At the plate, Crowell batted .375 with 32 runs scored, 24 RBIs, eight doubles, three triples, three home runs and four stolen bases. The Brownsburg grad won Big 12 Player of the Year as a senior, slashing .396/.438/.545 with 12 home runs, 50 RBIs and 15 stolen bases. More: Despite working 3 a.m. shifts, Brownsburg grad hopes to hear name in MLB draft The Louisville transfer and Jeffersonville native had a career year at IU. Dickerson and IU teammate Devin Taylor are projected to be drafted on Day 1 of the MLB draft. Dickerson slashed .314/.381/.632 with 19 home runs, 14 doubles, three triples and five stolen bases over 56 games — career highs across the board — earning Third-Team All-America honors. The Kentucky commit is a 6-1, 200-pound frame with a fastball touching 96 mph and a solid 12-6 curveball. Flores had a 7-0 record with a 2.76 ERA and 70 strikeouts over 38 innings. The IU commit won Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year after a dominant senior season, earning six wins with a 0.76 ERA and 61 strikeouts. Fisher is an athletic 6-3, 185-pound righty who also played quarterback for the football team. His fastball sits 92 to 94 and touches 95 mph. The Columbus East grad transferred to IU from Indiana State and had a breakout redshirt senior season. Gilley went 10-3 with one save over 18 appearances. He finished with a 3.54 ERA and 75 strikeouts over 68⅔ innings. Grable transferred to IU from Northwestern in 2024 but missed the entire season due to injury. Grable showed strong stuff during his return to the mound this season going 4-3 with a 4.31 ERA over 17 appearances. He finished with 65 strikeouts and just 17 walks over 56⅓ innings. Hartlaub showed steady improvement over his career, earning Second-Team All-MAC honors as a senior, going 6-2 with a 5.09 ERA and 69 strikeouts over 81⅓ innings. Logan is a plus athlete who is committed to play baseball and football at Notre Dame. He batted .389 with 57 runs scored, 31 RBIs, six doubles, two triples, seven home runs and 44 stolen bases. The Carmel native and Brebeuf Jesuit grad had a breakout redshirt junior season for Butler. Moroknek had a .372/.443/.702 slash line with 18 home runs, 16 doubles, one triple, 57 RBIs and two stolen bases. Moroknek earned All-Big East second team honors, and his 153 total bases set a new Butler program record. He transferred to Texas this offseason. Novak started 57 of 57 games as a senior, slashing .300/.392/.527 with 13 home runs, 11 doubles, 57 RBIs and 53 runs scored. The backstop committed just five errors, finishing with a .989 fielding percentage last season. Pentecost has taken a unique path to become an MLB draft prospect as a homeschooled player to NAIA Taylor. The 6-3, 200-pound right has fastball that touches 96 mph. As a senior, Pentecost went 12-2 with a 3.04 ERA and 116 strikeouts over 80 innings. Richmond has massive power potential in his 6-3, 240-pound frame. Richmond had a breakout junior season at Western Michigan before transferring to Purdue for the 2024-25 season. The sweet-swinging lefty missed time with injury, but in 35 games, Richmond batted .221 with five home runs, seven doubles, two triples, 30 RBIs and 24 runs scored. The Mississippi State commit's improved velocity has caught the eyes of MLB scouts. The 6-1, 180-pound touched 97 mph on his fastball with two quality off-speed pitches in his repertoire. Rhodes finished 4-2 with a 1.24 ERA and 88 strikeouts over 45 innings. The Wake Forest commit is one of the best pure high school hitters on this list. He's not the biggest player at 5-10, 170 pounds, but he's extremely skilled. As a senior, Stein batted .333 with 36 runs scored, 20 stolen bases, 12 RBIs, two doubles, one triple and one home run. Taylor will likely be the highest drafted player on this list. Ranked 34th on Baseball America's Top 500, Taylor has been a plus hitter for the past three seasons. As a junior, Taylor slashed .374/.494/.706 with 18 home runs, 13 doubles, two triples and 12 stolen bases.
Indianapolis Star
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Despite working 3 a.m. shifts, Brownsburg grad won Big 12 Player of Year. Now, he hopes to hear name in MLB draft
Kerrington Cross is what coaches call a high-energy player. The Honolulu native and former Brownsburg High School standout does everything on the baseball field full throttle. He's high-energy in the dugout. He's high-energy on the basepaths and while fielding his position. He's the type of player coaches love, and his ability to harness his energy toward success on the field and in the classroom helped him earn Big 12 Player of the Year as a senior, slashing .396/.438/.545 with 12 home runs, 50 RBIs and 15 stolen bases while graduating from University of Cincinnati's College of Engineering. The kid who grew up admiring Ichiro Suzuki and playing in the same Brownsburg Little League that produced Tucker Barnhart, Lance Lynn and Drew Storen hopes his resume will get his name called during the two-day 2025 MLB Draft starting Sunday. He still has a passion for engineering, but getting a chance to play in the big leagues is something he's dreamed of since he started playing baseball at 5 years old. "That's the childhood dream..." Cross said of hearing his name called during the draft. "I'm going to love every bit of the journey. It is a dream, but at the same time it's what I've always wanted to do, and I don't want to just settle on hearing my name called. I want to make it all the way and give it my all until I'm done." Cross' work ethic and 110% attitude makes him well suited for whatever career path he chooses — Major League Baseball player first, engineer second — but as a sophomore at Brownsburg, the max-effort Cross needed to work on slowing things down. "Carrington's a high-energy player, no doubt about that," Brownsburg coach Dan Roman said. "He could make the flashy play, the big play, the range at shortstop in the hole. But the routine plays struggled for him a little bit, and he just needed to slow the game down. "He just wanted to do so well on every single play that I just basically harped on it and harped on it 'slow down, slow down, trust your hands, trust your feet.' And it all came around for him, not as soon as he would've liked, but by the time of his senior year, he was tremendous." Cross chose Cincinnati because of his connection with the coaching staff, the campus and the school's engineering program. Through the school's co-op program, students can split the school year between being a full-time student and working full time. Cross got the opportunity to do his co-op semesters at L'Oreal's 24-hour manufacturing site in Florence, Ky. The rigors of Division-I athletics are tough to juggle for most people. With practice, traveling and playing in games, being an athlete is basically a full-time job. Cross added full-time employment on top of his baseball duties. Leaving in the middle of the night, he navigated the dark and lonely roads to get to his 3 a.m. shift at L'Oreal. Through time management and determination, Cross completed his eight-hour shifts while finding the mental and physical strength to continue excelling on the baseball field. "I like to say it's not as hard as people think. It's more of a mental battle, but it's just making sacrifices," Cross said. "I was working unreal hours. And that kind of shaped me into a better person off the field and then it prepared me to be even one step ahead on the field. You're working tired, and when you work tired your muscles and everything start going into another gear, your muscle memory, it has to work even harder. "I don't like to brag on engineering that much, but in reality, it is one step harder as far as course load and tests and stuff like that. So, I like to just say, 'Do what's expected of you and you're going to be on top.'" Cross credits his parents for instilling a strong work ethic in him. His mother, Miki, a Japanese immigrant, worked two jobs throughout his childhood. Carrington watched his father, Harold, work for more than 20 years in the restaurant business. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Harold worked 20-plus hour days as a general manager at O'Charley's doing everything from packing up to-go orders to working in the kitchen. "I would say (work ethic) is something I've always had, but then at the same time, you could look at my dad and my mom. They kind of went through struggles, but they never gave up," Carrington said. "When we moved to Indiana, my dad was with O'Charley's for 20-plus years. ... It's kind of in our blood to have that loyalty and that trust with where you choose to end up. Things might go up and down, but it's kind of trusting that and I think growing up, I saw that in my dad and in my mom." Loyalty played an important role in Cross' college career. He redshirted his first year with the Bearcats and after a fall sit-down with the coaching staff, they let him know he likely would not be traveling with the team in the spring. Instead of entering the transfer portal, Cross continued to work on his game and battle for his spot in the lineup. He made 50 starts as a redshirt freshman, batting .291 with nine doubles, nine home runs and 30 RBIs. He led the American Athletic Conference with five triples and stole a team-high 17 bases in 23 attempts. His numbers took a slight step back as a sophomore slashing .262/.367/.466 before breaking out as a junior with a .321/.451/.534 slash line. Cross' .526 on-base percentage ranks third all-time in Cincinnati history. The third baseman was a Golden Spikes Award and Dick Howser Trophy semifinalist, and his 219 career games rank eighth in Bearcats history. "I kind of took the role of saying, 'I'm not ready, but how can I prepare to be ready?'" Cross said. "If you're committing somewhere that you don't think is the right fit, then you did the process wrong. I thought Cincinnati was the place for me. ... I just kind of took it upon myself to be like, I'm not ready. I've got to develop in another way. So, I kind of used that as a chip on my shoulder. "Every year you're going to have struggles. Every year you're going to go through a path where it's like, am I doing enough? And it's kind of the mindset of not really beating yourself up, but holding yourself to the standard of how can I get better? What do I need to improve on? Every year there was always something better that you could do. There was no room to get complacent."
Fox Sports
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
2025 Wooden Award Odds: Braden Smith Favored; Dybantsa Fourth
While we are still a few months away from the start of college basketball season, it's never too early to talk about the game's stars. The Wooden Award is an award given annually to the most outstanding men's college basketball player. Duke's Cooper Flagg won the honor this past season, but now that he has taken his talents to the NBA , who's next? The betting odds usually help identify the early contenders. Let's check out the early odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of July 3. 2025-26 John Wooden Award odds Braden Smith, Purdue +500 (bet $10 to win $60 total) JT Toppin, Texas Tech +750 (bet $10 to win $85 total) Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total) AJ Dybantsa, BYU: +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total) Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total) Darryn Peterson, Kansas: +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total) Darrion Williams, NC State: +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total) Solo Ball, UConn: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total) Otega Oweh, Kentucky: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total) Donovan Dent, UCLA: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total) The 2025-26 college basketball season is set to kick off in early November. Leading the odds is Purdue's Braden Smith at +500, followed closely by Texas Tech's JT Toppin at +750. Smith, entering his fourth season as a Boilermaker, had his best season in 2024. The Big Ten Player of the Year compiled 567 points, 313 assists, 162 rebounds and 78 steals in his last season, becoming the only player in NCAA history to record at least 500 points, 300 assists, 150 rebounds and 75 steals in a single season. Smith was a finalist for both the Wooden Award and the Naismith Trophy in 2024. Behind him is Toppin, the 2024 Big 12 Player of the Year. Toppin led the Red Raiders with averages of 18.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 19 double-doubles last season. The 6-foot-9 forward also helped lead Texas Tech to the Elite Eight. In terms of fabulous freshman on the list, BYU's AJ Dybantsa (+1200) and Kansas' Darryn Peterson (+2000) are among the top-ranked NBA prospects heading to the college ranks. Both are favored to potentially be next year's No. 1 pick. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Get more from College Basketball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Dominion Post
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Dominion Post
J.J. Wetherholt selected for All-Star Futures Game
MORGANTOWN — J.J. Wetherholt has a date for this season's All-Star weekend. The former WVU baseball standout was named Monday to the National League roster for next month's MLB All-Star Futures Game. Currently the No. 1-ranked prospect for the St. Louis Cardinals, Wetherholt is batting .305 with five home runs, 27 RBIs and 13 stolen bases at Class AA Springfield this season. He leads Springfield with 61 hits and 41 walks. The Futures Game is scheduled for 4 p.m. on July 12 in Atlanta, and will be televised by the MLB Network. The game will be seven innings and the National League will be coached by former Atlanta Braves stars Chipper Jones and Marquis Grissom. Since being drafted No. 7 overall by the Cardinals last summer, Wetherholt has rocketed up the prospect rankings in Minor League Baseball. He is ranked the No. 16 overall prospect overall, making him the third highest-ranked prospect playing in the Futures Game this season behind San Diego's Leo De Vries (No. 3 overall) and Philadelphia's Andrew Painter (No. 5). In 86 career minor league games over two summers, Wetherholt has combined to hit .302 with seven home runs and 47 RBIs. An All-American at WVU, Wetherholt took college baseball by storm his sophomore season, in which he led the nation in hitting with a .449 batting average, while also hitting 16 home runs and driving in 60. He was named the Big 12 Player of the Year after that season. Injuries limited his senior season to just 36 games, but he still batted .331 with eight home runs and 30 RBIs to lead the Mountaineers to their first-ever appearance in the super regionals of the NCAA tournament. Following his junior season, Wetherholt became WVU's first-ever top 10 draft pick into professional baseball. The Futures Game will feature 50 of the top minor-league prospects. The National League is 3-1-1 since the format was changed to National League vs. American League prospects in 2019. The NL won last year's contest 6-1, at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
Fox Sports
13-06-2025
- Business
- Fox Sports
Top 10 men's college basketball players with highest NIL valuations
Cooper Flagg has been one of the big winners of the name, image and likeness (NIL) era in college sports, reportedly earning a staggering amount of money during his one year at Duke. However, top recruits and NBA Draft prospects aren't the only winners in the NIL era. At least 50 early-entry candidates withdrew their names from the 2025 NBA Draft ahead of the late May deadline with plans to return to school and cash in on NIL opportunities. "This year's draft class, more than any ever, has been affected by the NIL and the new pay-for-play," Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens told NBC Sports Boston in May. "The money can be higher in some of these schools than the bottom of the 20s in the draft. Good for them." The former Butler coach's assertion seems to be correct when you look at On3's most valuable college athletes entering the 2025-26 academic year. Let's take a look at the 10 most valuable players in men's college basketball entering the 2025-26 season, via On3. 1. BYU F AJ Dybantsa ($4.1 million) Dybantsa is the highest-valued non-football college athlete entering the 2025-26 academic year, coming in at No. 4 on the overall list. The incoming BYU freshman, who is ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the 2025 college basketball recruiting class (via 247 Sports), already has reported deals with Nike and Red Bull. But the bulk of his potential college earnings might have come with the deal he struck with BYU's NIL collective, reportedly securing a deal worth around $7 million . That's just scratching the surface on Dybantsa's potential career earnings, though, as many prognosticators have him being one of the top few picks in the 2026 NBA Draft. 2. Texas Tech F JT Toppin ($2.8 million) Toppin had Texas Tech on the precipice of its second Final Four appearance, leading the Red Raiders to the Elite Eight in 2024-25. As a result, the program rewarded him in order to ensure he wouldn't enter the transfer portal or 2025 NBA Draft. It was reported that Toppin is expected to earn $4 million in NIL after he announced his decision to remain in Lubbock in April. Toppin's reported deal with Texas Tech's NIL collective is the only reported NIL deal he has. Toppin won Big 12 Player of the Year and was named a second-team All-American after scoring 18.2 points per game in the 2024-25 season. He's the 12th-highest-valued player in college sports, per On3. 3. Michigan F Yaxel Lendeborg ($2.3 million) Michigan not only got Lendeborg to remain in college for another season, but it also made him one of the highest-valued players in the sport. After the UAB transfer removed his name from the 2025 NBA Draft in late May, CBS Sports reported that Lendeborg received an NIL package from Michigan worth around $3 million. Prior to his decision to remain in school, Lendeborg was viewed as a potential first-round pick in June's draft. Now, the two-time first-team All- AAC member will play his final year of college hoops in Ann Arbor, giving Dusty May's Wolverines the No. 1 player in the transfer portal this offseason, per 247 Sports. He's also the 20th-highest valued player in college sports, per On3. 4. Florida G Boogie Fland ($2.1 million) Fland also profited from his decision to remain in college, but transfer to a different school. The former Arkansas guard declared for the 2025 Draft, but removed his name from consideration and opted to head to Florida and receive an NIL package from its collective worth over $2 million, according to CBS Sports . Fland, who averaged 13.5 points per game as a freshman in 2024-25, was the 22nd-ranked prospect in the 2024 recruiting cycle, via 247 Sports, giving the defending champs another player with high upside. Fland is also the 22nd-highest-valued player in college sports, per On3. 5. UCLA G Donovan Dent ($2 million) UCLA didn't need to incentivize Dent to remain in school. However, Dent was incentivized to make the move from New Mexico to UCLA earlier this offseason. The 2024-25 Mountain West Player of the Year reportedly received a $3 million NIL deal to transfer to UCLA in March, according to The Santa Fe New Mexican . He received $2 million of that deal up front, while he'll earn the other $1 million during the 2025-26 season. Dent, who is the 23rd-highest-valued player in college sports, averaged 20.4 points per game as a junior last season. 6. Kentucky F Jayden Quaintance ($1.9 million) Quaintance is the youngest player on this list. Even though he won't turn 18 until July, Quaintance already has a year of college hoops experience, playing at Arizona State this past season. After being named to the Big 12's All-Defensive and All-Freshman teams, Quaintance entered the portal and landed at Kentucky. While he has a pair of reported deals with PSD Underwear and Panini America, Quaintance likely cashed in on Kentucky's growing NIL budget, too. Kentucky is rumored to be one of the three-highest NIL spenders in college basketball for the 2025-26 season , helping Mark Pope land a talented transfer portal class. Quaintance, who is also ranked No. 26 in On3's most valuable college athletes list, is rehabbing from an ACL tear, but he's hopeful to be back on the court early next season as he seeks to be a top pick in the 2026 draft. 7. Purdue G Braden Smith ($1.9 million) Smith decided to forgo early entry into the 2025 NBA Draft, opting to play one more season at Purdue. Smith, who has reported NIL deals with Hey Dude Shoes and The NIL Store, also has a reported deal with Purdue's NIL collective, per On3. However, it wasn't reported if Smith agreed to a new deal with the collective when he announced his decision to remain in college for another year. Regardless, the Boilermakers will have the reigning Bob Cousy Award winner, Big Ten Player of the Year and one of the Naismith National Player of the Year finalists back on their roster for his senior season. That's something that was becoming a rarity in the pre-NIL era. Smith is ranked 28th in On3's most valuable college athletes list. 8. Cincinnati C Moustapha Thiam ($1.8 million) Another transfer, Thiam moved on from UCF to Cincinnati following his freshman season in 2024-25. Ranked 32nd in On3's most valuable college athletes list, Thiam doesn't have any reported deals with a brand, per On3. However, he inked a $2 million NIL deal to join Cincinnati, the Orlando Sentinel reported in April . Thiam averaged 10.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game this past season. 9. Purdue C Oscar Cluff ($1.7 million) Purdue is the only team with multiple players on this list. Unlike Smith, though, Cluff transferred into the Boilermakers' program in the offseason. The 34th-ranked player in On3's most valuable college athletes list, Cluff doesn't have any reported deals with any individual brands. However, Cluff's junior college basketball coach insinuated that he turned down a school that offered more NIL money to join Purdue in an interview with the IndyStar . Cluff helped South Dakota State reach the NCAA Tournament this past season, averaging 17.6 points and 12.3 rebounds per game. 10. Kansas State G PJ Haggerty ($1.7 million) A year after making Coleman Hawkins one of the highest-paid players in the NIL era , Kansas State dished out another rich deal for a top transfer. Haggerty, ranked 35th on On3's most-valued college athletes list, reportedly agreed to a $2.5 million deal ($2 million base, $500,000 incentives) with Kansas State, according to On3 . That's actually lower than what he was seeking, as his father believed he could've snagged a $4 million NIL deal, the Field of 68 reported . Haggerty doesn't have any reported NIL deals with a brand, per On3. He was third in the nation in scoring this past season, averaging 21.7 points per game at Memphis. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily. recommended Get more from College Basketball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
