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Los Angeles Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Daily Pilot Softball Dream Team: Marina's Mia Valbuena had no match in playoffs
Mia Valbuena couldn't quite put her finger on it as far as when she began taking an interest in softball, but it came early, and it came with a desire to be like her mom. Between pictures, videos and news clippings their grandmother had saved, Mia and her twin sister, Avi, became familiarized with the playing career of their mother, Willa Parchen. That was all the motivation they needed, said Valbuena, who reckons they were 4 or 5 when they discovered their source of inspiration. They were told about Parchen's path to a scholarship at Creighton University. As far as they were concerned, they had the blueprint set before them. 'Oh, that's what I want to do when I'm older,'' Valbuena would respond. 'We obviously wanted to be just like her,' she added. 'We're like, 'Oh, we're going to go to Creighton, too.' She's like, 'Well, no, you don't have to,' because we just wanted to be just like her.' Valbuena, now a University of Michigan commit, appears to have quite a bright future ahead of her in the game. The past few months were rather fruitful, too. The junior right-hander led Marina to the CIF Southern Section Division 3 championship, shutting down the opposition throughout the playoff run. Valbuena is also the Daily Pilot Softball Dream Team Player of the Year. Marina (19-13) ended a 30-year CIF title drought for the program with an 8-1 win over Westlake at Deanna Manning Stadium on May 30. Upon the final out, Valbuena came together with catcher Gabby DiBenedetto, a battery that has been together since before their high school days. 'That was probably the best decision we've ever made was to convince her to go to Marina because she's now like my best friend,' said Valbuena, who met DiBenedetto through her pitching coach Chrissy Haines in the eighth grade. 'She knows me so well, and it really shows in the field, I think, because we don't even have to communicate through words,' Valbuena said. 'I think I can tell what she's thinking through her face and her body language now, and I think she probably feels the same way. We know what's going on with each other.' Valbuena, the Sunset League Most Valuable Pitcher, dominated from the circle with a devastating riseball and a drop curveball. She allowed just two runs across five postseason starts, recording 56 strikeouts in 33 innings. For the season, she posted a 19-10 record with a 1.88 earned run average across 175⅓ innings pitched. She threw 11 complete-game shutouts and tallied 293 strikeouts. Valbuena was also one of the Vikings' more productive hitters. She had a .337 batting average with 21 runs batted in, seven doubles and two home runs. 'It's only a couple months out of the year that I'm even practicing hitting, or hitting in games, so I do my best to try to keep up with everyone else that's hitting yearlong,' Valbuena said. 'It takes a lot more focus, I think, for me than pitching when it comes to that. Moving into the No. 4 spot at the end of the year, I didn't even expect that, but I guess a little goes a long way sometimes in the close games. I was just trying to do my part to help the team out and help myself out on the offensive side.' At different times in the year, the twins said they play for each other. Pitchers love run support, and Avi, a University of Tennessee at Chattanooga commit, provided by driving in four runs in the CIF finals. At first, they played for their mom, who played and pitched at Marina before them. There's room for more in the circle of trust these days. 'Our chemistry as a team, we really bonded this year,' Valbuena said. 'Something clicked where we all became so united in our goals, and we all had the same idea of what we wanted for the entire year. I think that unity kind of made me able to know that my teammates had my back. They were playing for me, and I was playing for them.' Dan Hay / Shelly Luth A pair of faces that have been around the game for a long time, the duo helped guide the Fountain Valley Vikings to their sixth CIF title and first in three decades. Luth had previously been the head coach for back-to-back Division I titles for the program in 1994 and 1995. It was a new day for Hay, who raised a CIF championship plaque for the first time. Hay was part of the 2025 class of inductees into the Orange County Softball Hall of Fame. Courtney Kols P | Fountain Valley | Sr. A fixture in the pitching circle for all four years of her career at Fountain Valley (14-12), the right-hander will go on to play for Drexel University. Kols was a Sunset League first-team selection for the Barons, who narrowly missed out on a return to the postseason in a winner-take-all game against Edison to determine the league's fourth playoff berth. Gabby DiBenedetto C | Marina | Jr. DiBenedetto sported a .444 batting average, knocking in 20 runs and scoring another 15 runs in support of her battery mate. The Maryland-bound backstop supplied eight doubles, one triple and a home run among her team-leading 44 hits. Bree Carlson 1B | Huntington Beach | So. Huntington Beach (22-8) packed a punch offensively, especially from its twin towers manning the corners in the infield. Carlson, a Sunset League first-team selection, hit .500 with an area-leading 11 home runs to go with a dozen doubles. She drove in 53 runs and scored 38 runs. Kaila Arakaki 2B / SS | Edison | Jr. Arakaki was the prototypical leadoff hitter, reaching base at a high clip and failing to sit still once she accomplished step one. The middle infielder showcased her speed with 19 stolen bases, coming around to score 22 times. At the dish, she batted .360 with nine doubles, a triple and a home run for Edison (11-15). Tea Gutierrez 3B | Huntington Beach | Sr. Gutierrez handled the hot corner defensively while hammering the ball in the batter's box. The Jacksonville State commit boasted a .578 average with nine home runs, three triples and eight doubles. The Sunset League Most Valuable Player scored 45 runs and had 41 runs batted in. Morgan Drotter SS / OF | Huntington Beach | Sr. A natural outfielder, Drotter played at shortstop this season because it was an area of need for the Oilers. The Cornell commit posted a .405 batting average with 11 extra-base hits, including a game-winning three-run home run in the late innings of a key game against Marina in Huntington Beach's journey to a share of the Sunset League title with Los Alamitos, which was the CIF Division 2 champion. Cali Bennett OF | Huntington Beach | Sr. Huntington Beach saw the heart of its order put up some gaudy numbers, and it was often Bennett setting the table. The center fielder hit .431 and scored 36 runs from the top of the lineup. She compiled 10 doubles, three triples and one home run. The Louisiana Tech commit also drove in 19 runs and recorded 10 stolen bases. Kaya Collado OF | Ocean View | Sr. A four-year starter for Ocean View (2-22), Collado has committed to Pacific Lutheran University. Collado boasted team-high production with a .429 batting average, 25 runs scored, seven doubles, two triples and 17 stolen bases. Hannah Stolba 2B / OF | Edison | So. While Arakaki made things happen at the top of the order, it was up to Stolba to turn the lineup over. She excelled in that role with a team-best .435 batting average. The Chargers' left fielder produced eight doubles and three home runs, scoring 19 runs and driving in 15 runs. Avi Valbuena DP | Marina | Jr. The Viking were largely a station-to-station team that did not take many chances on the base paths. They had more sacrifice bunts than stolen bases, often looking for the clutch hit. Valbuena, who hit .397 this season, had a three-hit, four-RBI game in the Division 3 final. Position, Name, School, Year 2B / OF Zariah Billinger, Huntington Beach, Sr. OF Aubrey Catron, Edison, So. P Juliette Foutz, Huntington Beach, Fr. P Sophia Gutierrez, Los Amigos, So. SS / 3B Sophia Hannappel, Edison, Sr. C Ella Kim, Fountain Valley, Jr. OF Victoria Rios, Costa Mesa, So. OF Rachel Ruiz, Marina, Sr. C / 1B / 3B Ally Shaw, Newport Harbor, So. 1B Makenna Smith, Corona del Mar, So. 2B / OF Kileigh Villaloblos, Fountain Valley, Jr.
GMA Network
4 days ago
- Sport
- GMA Network
Top collegiate women hoopers to be feted in CPC Awards Night
Queens of the court from the collegiate division will also be recognized in the upcoming Collegiate Press Corps Awards Night on Monday. Collegiate Women's Basketball Player of the Year Kacey dela Rosa of Ateneo de Manila University banners the list of the Women's Basketball Mythical Team which is composed of the top women's basketball players from the UAAP. Dela Rosa, a reigning back-to-back UAAP Most Valuable Player, led the Blue Eagles to a breakthrough title victory over Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws in 3x3. In 5-on-5, the 6-foot Dela Rosa averaged 22.1 points, 16.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 3.7 blocks per game. National University's Cielo Pagdulagan, University of the Philippines' Louna Ozar, University of Santo Tomas' Ken Pastrana, and Adamson University's Elaine Etang join Dela Rosa in the Mythical Team. Top football players and coaches from the UAAP and NCAA will also be recognized in the said event at Discovery Suites Manila. —JKC, GMA Integrated News
Time of India
5 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Chess master Magnus Carlsen mourns Tyrese Haliburton's game 7 injury: 'Worst way to start the day when I open the NBA app,'
Tyrese Haliburton and Magnus Carlsen via Getty Images During Sunday's NBA finals, the Indiana Pacers' star Tyrese Haliburton re-injured his right leg, leaving fans shattered. The news also devastated chess master Magnus Carlsen , as his favorite player suffered such a dreadful injury in Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was already disappointed with the OKC Thunder's victory in the NBA Finals, but news of the injury left him shattered with what fans call 'the most infuriating' moment of the big league. Magnus Carlsen devastated after Tyrese Haliburton's Achilles injury After the season's defeat, the Indiana Pacers' star player was immediately escorted back to the locker room. While the Oklahoma City Thunder, led by their MVP player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, was celebrating significant success, Tyrese Haliburton was taken to the hospital, where he underwent immediate surgery. The whole basketball world was left in a stupor, including chess master Magnus Carlsen, who was looking forward to the Pacers' win. The timing of Tyrese Haliburton's severe injury couldn't have been worse for chess master Magnus Carlsen, as it coincided with his wife's birthday, leaving him upset about the injury while trying to make the most of his wife's big day. 'Worst way to start the day when I open the NBA app in no spoilers mode,' he tweeted on X with a heavy heart. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy Brass Idols - Handmade Brass Statues for Home & Gifting Luxeartisanship Buy Now Undo 'Click on all possessions, and it shows images of Haliban going down and OKC celebrating before starting the video. Oh well, happy birthday to my wife, I guess.' This tweet was flooded with a lot of comments all over the social media platform. While some supported him, others retaliated. One of them said, 'Stop trying to be cool. We just wanna see knight forks, lil bro.' Another tweeted, 'The worst NBA Finals by far, Magny.' As the Indiana Pacers were defeated terribly in the season's final match, Magnus Carlsen refused to open his NBA app, which, according to him, was bombarded with spoilers. The Oklahoma City Thunder gave a remarkable performance despite their defeat in Games 1 and 3 of the NBA Finals, while the Pacers won Games 2 and 4. The OKC Thunder became the second youngest team to have bagged the NBA championship. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander being the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the series, he led the team to achieve this significant success in the history of the NBA. The 2025 season will be notably remembered as SGA's NBA career's high point. But as a hardcore fan of Tyrese Haliburton, chess master Magnus Carlsen could not fathom that his favorite player was injured and lost the game. Also read: 'Worst Way To ... ': World No 1 Magnus Carlsen Expresses Disappointment Over Oklahoma City Thunder's NBA Triumph For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the India vs England Test match here . Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
NBC Sports
5 days ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Josh Allen: MVP is an honor, but I didn't win a Super Bowl ring and that is the only goal
Bills quarterback Josh Allen was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player for the 2024 season, but he still hasn't achieved the one thing he really wants in his career. Allen says that until he has a Super Bowl ring, his résumé has a hole in it. 'You know, it is such a great honor, and I do appreciate being honored for my work,' Allen told Liam McKeone of 'But at the same time, I still didn't win a Super Bowl. Didn't win a ring, and that is the only goal. It's the only focus that I've ever had going into this league.' Allen said to the extent that the MVP matters to him, it's mostly because a quarterback isn't going to get the MVP award unless his team had a good regular season. 'The one positive, I will say, about winning an MVP means that your team is in a good position,' Allen said. 'You're making the playoffs, you're playing well and you're doing whatever you can to help your team win football games. But at the end of the day, you got to make the playoffs and then you got to win three, maybe four games. And that's what we need to do. And we're going to continue to work as hard as we can and myself included. What can we do to find a way over that hump? So that's the only goal going forward.' The Bills have had a lot of regular-season success with Allen and have made the playoffs six years in a row. But Allen has yet to lead the Bills to a Super Bowl, and that's the one accomplishment that he's focused on heading into 2025.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Rumor: Thunder could target draft-and-stash player in 2025 NBA draft
Armed with three picks in the 2025 NBA draft, including two in the first round, the Oklahoma City Thunder may not elect to use every selection and could be active in trade discussions this week. The Thunder currently hold pick Nos. 15 and 24 in the first round, and No. 44 in the second round. They have been linked to several players throughout the predraft process, though executive vice president Sam Presti could look to reroute at least one pick from a roster management standpoint. The team would have 17 players on the roster next season as currently constructed, including the No. 15 and 24 picks in the draft, which is two over the limit. Presti is reportedly open to trading the No. 24 pick, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Rival NBA executives who spoke with HoopsHype believe Oklahoma City could trade the No. 24 pick in the draft for a future first-round selection or select a foreign draft-and-stash overseas player such as Hugo GonzalezorNoah Penda. Presti has famously built a treasure trove of future draft capital through various trades and acquisitions. The prevailing thought would be to trade the No. 24 pick for a future selection or choose a draft-and-stash player who wouldn't count against the salary cap or occupy a roster spot. The Thunder enter the offseason expected to offer Most Valuable Player and NBA Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander a supermax contract extension, as well as rookie-scale extensions to Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams. They also hold team options on Ajay Mitchell and Jaylin Williams. The draft will feature a two-night format for the second consecutive year, with the first round scheduled for Wednesday and the second round for Thursday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
