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USA Today
15-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
With loss in College World Series, Dave Van Horn and Arkansas facing another postseason heartbreak
OMAHA, NE ― Dave Van Horn has built Arkansas into one of college baseball's best powerhouses. Under Van Horn, the Razorbacks have made the NCAA tournament 21 times with eight College World Series appearances. Van Horn himself has been named SEC Coach of the Year three times. But there's one accolade still missing: a national championship. And the route to that feat got a lot harder with Arkansas' 4-1 loss to LSU on June 14 in its Men's College World Series opener at Charles Schwab Field to drop to the losers' bracket. The Razorbacks will face Murray State in an elimination game June 16. Arkansas is one of the best programs nationally to never win a national title. Entering 2025, its 11 trips to Omaha without a title were fourth in the country after Florida State (24), North Carolina (12) and Clemson (12). But Clemson hasn't made it to Omaha since 2010, and Florida State and North Carolina have been in and out of relevance. Arkansas has made five of the last 10 College World Series; meanwhile, in that span, Florida State has gone three times, North Carolina twice and Clemson not at all. The Razorbacks' road to the title will be a long and difficult one. They'll need to win four games in four days to even advance to the championship series, then two of their final three should they stave off elimination. In the last 25 tournaments, 22 champions won their first game. Van Horn should be familiar with one of the teams that didn't, though — 2018 Oregon State, the team that beat Arkansas in the championship series after three Razorbacks failed to catch what would've been a championship-clinching pop-up. Since then, the postseason has been full of heartbreak. The 2019 team went to Omaha but lost two one-run games to get eliminated. The 2021 team was the No. 1 national seed and heavy title favorite but dropped a home super regional to NC State. The 2023 and 2024 teams both lost home regionals as national seeds. Only the 2022 team — the only Arkansas team since 2016 to not host a regional — did well in Omaha, making it to the semifinals. "We need to move on from this one and get over it and not think too far down the road," Van Horn said. "We've just got to take care of business on Monday. We need to play good Monday because if we don't there's no Tuesday. ... These guys, they've come back and won games. They've done some great things this year. So that's what I told them. We've got a bullpen full of pitchers. We've got a bunch of hitters that can hit. They didn't have a good night. We need to move on and get ready for Monday." Van Horn will face some tricky decisions with his pitching. He said the likely starter for the elimination game was Gage Wood. After that, he could turn to Landon Beidelschies, Aiden Jimenez or Colin Fisher. Starter Zach Root, who lasted just 1⅔ innings and threw 38 pitches, could return as soon as Tuesday. But relief ace Gabe Gaeckle, who pitched a career-high six innings out of the bullpen, likely won't be available until at least the semifinals, if Arkansas makes it that far. WINNERS AND LOSERS: College World Series winners and losers: The best and worst from Day 2 in Omaha In theory, if anyone has the pitching and offensive depth to make a run through the losers' bracket, it's the Razorbacks. Arkansas ranks top-15 nationally in on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS), home runs and ERA. While Root has been a solid arm, the Razorbacks have thrived all season without a true ace to the level of LSU's Kade Anderson, who threw seven innings of one-run ball in the opener. Instead, Arkansas has the sort of reliable relief options that every team longs for. And its starting lineup for the opener featured seven players with double-digit home runs. "No one here is worried," outfielder Charles Davalan said. "We'll try to be ready by Monday and play hard." The Razorbacks have won four games in four or fewer days once this season, when they swept Washington State on opening weekend. But the College World Series is an entirely different challenge, and it's one Van Horn will need to solve for the first time to finally get the monkey off his back. Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@ or on X @aria_gerson.
USA Today
14-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 Women's College World Series odds – Who's favored to win it all?
2025 Women's College World Series odds – Who's favored to win it all? As the NCAA Softball Regional begins Saturday, all eyes are on the betting odds for the national championship in a season where any team could emerge victorious. Texas A&M has been a surprise front-runner under third-year head coach Trisha Ford. Predicted to finish fifth in the SEC, the Aggies defied expectations, finishing second just a half-game behind Oklahoma. Though a rainout against Georgia may have cost them a share of the regular-season title, Ford refuses to blame external factors, stressing the team had plenty of opportunities to secure it on their own. Despite Texas A&M's rapid rise and No. 1 national ranking, Ford was not named SEC Coach of the Year, losing to Oklahoma's Patty Gasso. However, her leadership has been recognized beyond the conference. Gasso invited her to join the U.S. Women's National Team coaching pool for 2025-28. This weekend, Texas A&M takes the field with a talented squad featuring five All-SEC team selections and three SEC All-Tournament honorees, aiming for gold at the Women's College World Series. 2025 Women's College World Series Odds – BetMGM Top 12 Favorites Here are the current betting odds for the 2025 NCAA Softball National Championship, according to BetMGM: Texas A&M (+150) Oklahoma (+200) Texas (+250) Florida (+600) Arkansas (+800) UCLA (+1000) Tennessee (+1400) LSU (+1700) South Carolina (+2000) Texas Tech (+2200) Florida State (+2500) Duke (+2500) As the postseason unfolds, all eyes are on Texas A&M and their quest for their first national championship since 1987. Can the Aggies cap off their historic season with a title? Stay tuned for a thrilling tournament run. We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn't influence our coverage. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on X: @whosnextsports1.
USA Today
13-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Alabama Baseball 2025 Opponent Preview: Florida Gators
Alabama Baseball 2025 Opponent Preview: Florida Gators After picking up a big series win at home last weekend over Georgia, the Alabama Crimson Tide are now set to travel for their final SEC series of the regular season this week to Gainesville for a three-game set with the Florida Gators. A ranked matchup, Florida comes into this weekend fresh off an impressive weekend series as well, one in which the Gators took two-of-three from Texas in Austin. As a result, the Gators catapulted themselves into many Top 25 polls this week, and are playing very well as we inch closer to the postseason. An opponent that could certainly give Alabama some problems, especially on their home field, can the Crimson Tide go into Gainesville to pickup yet another series win to boost their chances at hosting a regional? Here is a preview of Alabama's final regular season opponent, the Florida Gators. Florida Gators 2025 Team Overview Conference: SEC SEC Stadium: Condron Family Ballpark, Gainesville, Florida Condron Family Ballpark, Gainesville, Florida 2025 Record: 35-18 overall (13-14 in SEC) 35-18 overall (13-14 in SEC) Ranking: No. 21 in USA TODAY Sports College Baseball Coaches Poll, No. 23 in D1Baseball Top 25 As mentioned previously, Florida comes into this weekend ranked in the latest Top 25 polls, sitting at No. 21 in the nation following their weekend series win over Texas. The Gators also come into the weekend with a 35-18 overall record for the season that includes a 13-14 mark in SEC play, and have won each of their last five SEC series'. Florida Gators 2025 Coaching Staff Head Coach: Kevin O'Sullivan Kevin O'Sullivan Associate Head Coach: Chuck Jeroloman Chuck Jeroloman Assistant Coach: Taylor Black Taylor Black Pitching Coach: David Kopp Leading the Florida Gators baseball program is Kevin O'Sullivan, who is currently in season No. 18 in Gainesville. Since his arrival at Florida back in 2008, O'Sullivan, a three-time SEC Coach of the Year, has led the Gators to nine College World Series appearances, six SEC regular season titles, and a national championship back in 2017. Florida Gators 2025 Hitting Stats AVG: .296 (.272 in SEC) .296 (.272 in SEC) OBP: .407 (.375 in SEC) .407 (.375 in SEC) SLG: .507 (.453 in SEC) .507 (.453 in SEC) OPS: .914 (.828 in SEC) .914 (.828 in SEC) HR: 81 (36 in SEC) 81 (36 in SEC) RBI: 374 (159 in SEC) 374 (159 in SEC) SB: 80-of-97 (37-of-50 in SEC) Florida enters this weekend batting for a combined .296 AVG as a team, while also owning a .272 AVG in SEC play. The Gators have also been active on the base paths this season stealing 80 bags, and have a combined .914 OPS as a team. Florida Gators 2025 Pitching Stats ERA: 5.01 (6.37 in SEC) 5.01 (6.37 in SEC) WHIP: 1.45 (1.65 in SEC) 1.45 (1.65 in SEC) K: 568 (271 in SEC) 568 (271 in SEC) BB: 220 (134 in SEC) 220 (134 in SEC) AVG: .248 (.272 in SEC) Florida's pitching staff has struggled at times this season, owning a 5.01 ERA for the year with opponents owning a combined .248 AVG against. Some of those same struggles have continued into SEC play as well, as Florida owns a 6.37 ERA in conference action with a .272 AVG against. Florida Gators 2025 Hitters to Know Colby Shelton, Infielder - Junior - Junior Bobby Boser, Infielder/Outfielder - Senior - Senior Brody Donay, Catcher - Junior - Junior Luke Heyman, Catcher - Junior - Junior Brendan Lawson, Infielder - Freshman Likely the biggest name to know for Florida offensively is a familiar face to Alabama in former transfer Colby Shelton, who is leading the Gators with a .377 AVG across 45 games this season. Among the additional names to know at the plate for Florida are Bobby Boser and Brody Donay, each of which own an OPS over 1.000+ with 14 home runs, while Luke Heyman is also an experienced member of the Gators lineup. Florida Gators 2025 Pitchers to Know Aidan King, Right-Handed Pitcher - Freshman - Freshman Liam Peterson, Right-Handed Pitcher - Sophomore - Sophomore Jake Clemente, Right-Handed Pitcher - Redshirt Sophomore - Redshirt Sophomore Caden McDonald, Right-Handed Pitcher/First Baseman - Redshirt Freshman - Redshirt Freshman Jackson Barberi, Right-Handed Pitcher - Freshman Florida's pitching staff is likely headlined by a pair of right-handed starters in freshman Aidan King and sophomore Liam Peterson, who own a combined 2.90 ERA and 3.81 ERA for the season, respectively. In the bullpen, Florida's biggest name to know is likely right-hander Jake Clemente, who owns a 3.66 ERA with six saves and a .183 AVG against across 46.2 innings this season. Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
USA TODAY Sports Network 2025 All-SEC softball awards, coach and player of the year
A pair of players who put up monster seasons — helping their teams likely earn home regionals — claimed the two biggest awards from the USA TODAY Sports Network's All-SEC teams. A panel of six sportswriters who regularly cover SEC softball selected Arkansas' Bri Ellis as the SEC Player of the Year and Tennessee's Karlyn Pickens as SEC Pitcher of the Year. Advertisement Ellis is hitting .487 with 25 home runs, 68 RBIs, a 1.221 slugging percentage and a .659 on-base percentage — leading the conference in batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage and home runs and tied for fourth in RBIs. Only Virginia Tech's Cori McMillan has hit more home runs this season than Ellis. Pickens is 20-7 with a 0.96 ERA, striking out 221 in 167 ⅓ innings. The only qualifying pitcher nationally with a better ERA is Texas Tech's NiJaree Canady. Pickens' strikeout total is sixth nationally. Pickens was a unanimous choice for the honor. Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso was selected as the SEC Coach of the Year. Advertisement The Sooners lost the core of their team that won four consecutive Women's College World Series titles, but they still thrived in their first season of the SEC. More: SEC Softball Tournament bracket: Full TV schedule, seedings for 2025 championship Arkansas' Bri Ellis rounds the bases in celebration after hitting a 2-run home rum against Tennessee during an NCAA softball game on Monday, March 24, 2025, in Knoxville, Tenn. Oklahoma swept Arkansas, Texas and Mississippi State en route to the conference's regular-season title. Alabama's Audrey Vandagriff and Florida's Taylor Shumaker share SEC Freshman of the Year honors. Vandagriff hit .404 with 48 runs scored and 48 stolen bases. No other baserunner in the SEC had more than 34 stolen bases. Shumaker hit .374 with an SEC-high 75 RBIs and tied with teammate Kendra Falby for the conference lead in runs with 63. Advertisement Oklahoma pitcher Sam Landry, who transferred from Louisiana in the offseason, earned SEC Newcomer of the Year honors. Landry is 18-4 with a 2.10 ERA, striking out 147 in 143 ⅔ innings. Ellis was one of three unanimous selections for the first team. She was joined by pitchers Teagan Kavan of Texas and Pickens. Kavan is 21-4 with a 2.24 ERA, with 183 strikeouts in 146 ⅔ innings. The rest of the first team includes Texas catcher Reese Atwood, Alabama second baseman Kali Heivilin, Tennessee third baseman Taylor Pannell, Texas A&M shortstop Koko Wooley, Florida outfielder Kendra Falby, Oklahoma outfielder Kasidi Pickering and Mississippi State outfielder Sierra Sacco. Advertisement Oklahoma's Ella Parker and Texas' Mia Scott were tied at the designated player spot. REQUIRED READING: How former OU softball star Tiare Jennings has passed knowledge as Sooners' student coach Tennessee pitcher Karlyn Pickens (23) throws a pitch during a softball game between Tennessee and Texas A&M at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium at University of Tennessee, in Knoxville, Tenn., May 1, 2025. USA TODAY Sports Network All-SEC softball team Catcher: Reese Atwood, Texas First base: Bri Ellis, Arkansas* Second base: Kali Heivilin, Alabama Shortstop: Koko Wooley, Texas A&M Third base: Taylor Pannell, Tennessee Outfield: Kendra Falby, Florida Outfield: Kasidi Pickering, Oklahoma Outfield: Sierra Sacco, Mississippi State Designated player: Ella Parker, Oklahoma and Mia Scott, Texas Pitcher: Teagan Kavan, Texas* Pitcher: Sam Landry, Oklahoma Pitcher: Karlyn Pickens, Tennessee* *-Unanimous selections Voters: Ryan Aber, The Oklahoman; Jenni Carlson, The Oklahoman; Mikey DiLullo, Lafayette Daily Advertiser; Cora Hall, Knoxville News-Sentinel; Noah Ram, Gainesville Sun; Anna Snyder, Tuscaloosa News; Sara Tidwell, Athens Banner-Herald More: OU softball is SEC Tournament No. 1 seed, but Sooners' loss vs Florida brings up concerns Ryan Aber covers OU athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Ryan? He can be reached at raber@ or on Twitter at @RyAber . Sign up for the OU Sooners newsletter to access more OU coverage. Support Ryan's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at . This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: USA TODAY Sports Network 2025 All-SEC softball awards
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Special Guest at Braves-Dodgers Turns Heads
Friday, Yoshinobu Yamamoto tossed six scoreless innings, Mookie Betts belted a solo homer, and Evan Phillips closed out a 2–1 Dodgers victory over the Braves after Matt Olson's seventh-inning blast. On top of that, a special guest graced the stands. University of Georgia head football coach Kirby Smart made a surprise appearance at Truist Park as a special guest for the Atlanta Braves–Los Angeles Dodgers series. Sporting his signature flat-billed visor, dubbed 'Kirby's Vi$or' by fans on Instagram, Smart settled into his seat behind home plate to take in the action. Advertisement Fox 5 reporter Miles Garrett posted on social media saying, "Definitely a day for a visor. UGA Head Coach Kirby Smart is at Truist to check out Braves vs. Dodgers". Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts (50) and first baseman Enrique Hernandez (8) celebrate after a victory over the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park.© Brett Davis-Imagn Images After stumbling to a 0–7 April start, Atlanta has rallied behind sluggers Austin Riley and veteran Chris Sale, while eagerly anticipating the returns of Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuña Jr. to bolster a contending club. A two-time national champion (2021, 2022) and three-time SEC Coach of the Year, Smart has compiled a 105–19 record since taking the helm in Athens in 2016. Beyond the competition, Smart paused to greet fans throughout the ballpark, chatting with a local couple celebrating their 100th birthdays and handing high-fives to young attendees, embodying his affable sideline presence off the gridiron. His midgame stroll through the concourse stressed both his appreciation for America's pastime and his connection to Georgia's broader sports community. Related: Major NIL Announcement Made on Friday After Tennessee-Iamaleava Situation
