Latest news with #SamMiller
USA Today
06-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Florida baseball earns 3 transfer commitments over holiday weekend
The Florida Gators added three baseball players from the transfer portal over the Fourth of July weekend. Ole Miss infielder Ethan Surowiec, Columbia shortstop Sam Miller and Lenoir-Rhyne catcher Cole Stanford are the newest members for the Orange and Blue. Miller and Stanford made their pledges on the holiday, and Surowiec followed on Sunday. Florida also added catcher Karson Bowen two weeks ago. Bowen is draft eligible, however, which means he could ultimately decide to go pro if he likes the offer he gets. It's commonplace for players to commit to SEC and other Power Four programs for leverage in draft negotiations. UCLA's Kelly Austin, who committed to Florida, is a recent example. Austin ultimately signed as an undrafted free agent. SS Sam Miller (Columbia) With Colby Shelton moving on from the program, Florida needs a shortstop. There are internal options, but adding depth remained a priority for the Orange and Blue. Sam Miller is a quality answer to a big question. The Ivy League Player of the Year slashed .338/.407/.606 as a junior. His 73 hits, 14 home runs and 57 runs batted in led the conference. Miller might be the favorite to start at shortstop for Florida next year. He's proven and experienced, and the Gators only have a few options. Cade Kurland could move over if he doesn't go in the draft. Kurland's been a second baseman his entire collegiate career, but he played there in high school, giving him as much experience as the three freshmen coming in at the position. C Cole Stanford (Lenoir-Rhyne) The other big position of need for Florida this offseason is at catcher. Luke Heyman is draft-eligible, Brody Donay is as well, and both reserve catchers are in the transfer portal. Stanford excelled at the Division II level over the past three seasons. He slashed .393/.480/.757 and earned an All-South Atlantic Conference First Team nod in the process. His 20 home runs are the third-most in program history, and he walked as many times as he struck out (27). Florida now has three incoming catchers from the transfer portal behind Donay and Heyman, setting the Gators up nicely for whatever happens during the draft. Wabash Valley College's AJ Malzone and Bowen should also compete for playing time with Stanford, assuming both starters depart. INF Ethan Surowiec (Ole Miss) Suroweic only saw 21 plate appearances as a freshman at Ole Miss, slashing .375/.524/.750 with two home runs and eight runs batted in. A strong summer league performance has raised his profile, though. Through almost 100 at-bats with the Northwoods League Duluth Huskies, Surowiec slashed .427/.513/.844 with seven homers and 36 RBIs. Surowiec has played first base, third base, shortstop and right field this summer, giving him plenty of versatility on the field. Florida typically adds a utility player each offseason, and Surowiec is plenty qualified, having already played some SEC ball. There's a high ceiling here, and Surowiec could prove to be one of the biggest additions of the offseason. Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
Dominion Post
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Dominion Post
Sam Miller leads Black Bears to 7-6 victory in home opener
MORGANTOWN — The West Virginia Black Bears' home opener for their 10th season couldn't have gone any better. The Black Bears bested the Williamsport Crosscutters 7-6 on Tuesday under the lights of Kendrick Family Ballpark. The Black Bears moved to 3-2 on the season and handed the Crosscutters their first loss. West Virginia is now a game back of Williamsport, who leads the MLB Draft League of six teams. It was the Black Bears' first game in Kendrick Family Ballpark, after starting the season on the road with a 2-2 record. Being part of the MLB Draft League, West Virginia drew an active crowd for the season opener. Sam Miller, who drove in the go-ahead run, enjoyed playing in Morgantown for the first time this season. He lives close by in McMurray, Pa. His sibling goes to WVU. 'I've been around West Virginia for a while,' Miller said. 'I love it. It's pretty cool. I've never played with fans like that at a stadium.' The West Virginia squad put on a good showing for the crowd. With the game tied, Miller, from Columbia University, singled on a line drive, scoring Oklahoma State's Beau Slyvester and the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth. It was entertaining all night. The Black Bears scored at least once in the first four innings. The scoring started with a single from Mario Magana, who's committed to Miami. After a run in the second, Jonny McGill singled to make it 3-0 Black Bears after three. The crowd really got a show in the fourth inning. Connor Hicks, who attends Southeastern, rocketed one over the wall, starting a two run inning for the Black Bears, making it 5-0. The undefeated Crosscutters didn't want to lose their undefeated steak easily. Williamsport finally got on the board in the big sixth inning, scoring four. Then, the Crosscutters tacked on two more, tying the game at six. Although the season is still in the early stages, the team is starting to gel well together, especially after the road trip that included a trip to Maryland. There are players from schools all over, and they'll have plenty of time to learn about each other. 'It's only been like four days, but we're a close-knit group,' Miller said. 'The road trip was huge because we are all in close quarters with each other. The Black Bears' home opener starts a long summer season for upcoming and college players, looking to eventually play in the MLB. Most are looking to improve their skills and keep getting reps throughout the summer offseason. Miller was thrown out twice on the base paths Tuesday night, which the focus of what he wants to work on. 'Definitely getting faster,' Miller said. 'I got thrown out twice tonight, so yeah.' To showcase the players, there is a theme night or discount almost every game, including 90s-night, Star Wars night, fireworks after the game, or Bark in the Park. There are a couple of West Virginia Mountaineers on the roster. Skyler King, Ben Lumsden, Chase Swain, and Spencer Barnett are all listed on the summer roster. However, none of them have played this season because of the recent conclusion to their college postseason on Sunday. It's a long road ahead for the Black Bears. They play almost every day until the beginning of September. Tuesday night was just the beginning of a long journey. 'It was nice to get above .500,' Miller said. '[The crowd] was awesome. It was cool.'
CBS News
11-06-2025
- General
- CBS News
Fishing boat missing off Cape Cod, GPS unit found on beach
An extensive Coast Guard search is underway after a fishing boat went missing off Cape Cod Sunday morning. The first clue that the 30-foot fishing boat had gone missing off the coast was a father and daughter finding the boat's GPS on the beach. The Coast Guard said the missing captain is Shawn Arsenault. His family said his girlfriend was on board too, saying they're really worried about him and pray he's found. GPS found Sam Miller and her dad found a GPS navigator saying "F/V Seahorse" while they were walking on the beach Sunday morning. "Just hoping they find him quickly," said Sam Miller. "I noticed in the surf there was something floating, so I went down to see what it was, and it turned out to be, we could tell it was a GPS unit off of a boat." GPS unit found on a Cape Cod beach with "F/V Seahorse" written on it. CBS Boston That Sunday Sam and her dad went to Rock Harbor in Orleans trying to return the GPS and left note on Arsenault's truck, but after still no word Monday, they went back again then called the harbormaster. "My family went to Rock Harbor a couple of times and saw that the nobody had picked up the note-the truck was still there so my dad contacted the harbormaster and let him know what was going on and said, 'can you let us know if everything OK with this boat,'" said Miller. "And that person, 'responded thanks for letting us know we'll look into this.'" Now the Coast Guard is actively scouring the waters of Cape Cod Bay. Cellphone pinged off Chatham The Seahorse was known to fish near the Target shipwreck off Eastham, but officials said a cellphone believed to be on board last pinged two miles off Chatham. "We activated the Cape Cod Mutual Response System," said Commander Cliff Graham with the Coast Guard. Photo of the missing 30 foot fishing boat Seahorse. U.S. Coast Guard The fog and thunderstorms didn't help with visibility in the search. "Up today we are under a small craft advisory," said Commander Graham. "Our search efforts are a little diminished because of the weather." As the search continues, the captain's family and those who found the GPS are hoping for some good news. "I would like to be optimistic because the alternative is not so great," said Miller. "Hopefully he'll just come chugging back into the harbor and be like what's all the fuss about?" The Coast Guard says they don't think the weather on Sunday factored into the missing boat, adding to the mystery. Rescuers say they will reassess Wednesday morning to see how the search continues.
New York Post
30-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
How Columbia baseball saved its season to make NCAA tournament again
Columbia couldn't have scripted a worse start to its baseball season. Three key players — top starting pitcher Andy Leon, top reliever Will Parkinson and starting third baseman Eric Jeon — were lost to season-ending injuries. The Lions then proceeded to lose their next 10 games after opening the year with a win at Kennesaw State. Advertisement Head coach Brett Boretti's message to his team was simple: Our expectations are the same. Winning big is still the plan. He didn't waver. 3 Columbia coach Brett Borett and his players celebrate after their win over Harvard in the Ivy League title game on May 18, 2025. Brian Foley for Foley-Photography Advertisement 'We've to come together here, keep moving forward,' he told them, star junior shortstop and Ivy League Player of the Year Sam Miller recalled. 'This is what we train all year for.' A few months later, Columbia is getting ready for the NCAA Tournament in the Hattiesburg (Miss.) Regional. The lone team to qualify from the area, this will be its seventh appearance on college baseball's biggest stage since Boretti took over two decades ago. Since that losing streak, Columbia has won 28 of 35 games. Advertisement Jagger Edwards replaced Leon as a weekend starter, while Griffin Palfrey took over at the hot corner. The Lions are experienced, led by 11 seniors, and finished first in the Ivy League in home runs, runs scored, slugging percentage, doubles and batting average. They mash. Advertisement Miller and senior captain Anton Lazits credited Boretti with keeping the team together amid injuries and that early season slide. Lazits described him as a 'leader of men,' someone who is able to maximize talent. 'When he speaks, you listen. At the same time, he's very personable,' Lazits said. 'He keeps everybody disciplined, but keeps it loose at the same time.' Said Miller: 'He just knows how to push guys.' Prior to Boretti, 54, taking over at Columbia in 2006, the Lions last reached the tournament in 1976. 3 Columbia shortstop Sam Miller was named the Ivy League's Player of the Year. Columbia Athletics/Stockton Photo He has turned this program into one of the most successful in the Northeast, winning the Ivy League regular-season title eight times. Boretti doesn't like to think of this as his success. Advertisement A successful coach, he noted, is only as effective as his players. He pointed to a number of former assistant coaches who built up Columbia with him, such as current Endicott College head coach Bryan Haley, Minnesota Twins pitching coach Pete Maki, Boston College assistant coach Dan Tischler and San Francisco assistant Erik Supplee. He singled out his entire current staff for continuing the winning tradition. 'I'm good at surrounding myself with people that are a lot smarter than me,' he said jokingly. Advertisement Boretti has had opportunities to look elsewhere. He interviewed for one Power 5 job before — he declined to name the school — but didn't want to uproot his family. Plus, as the saying goes, why mess with happy? At Columbia, he doesn't have to manage Name, Image and Likeness as much as other coaches. 3 Columbia head coach Brett Boretti helped his team turn it around after injuries put his team in an early hole this season. Brian Foley for Foley Photography. Advertisement His players pick Columbia mostly for academics. The Lions are Ivy League contenders every year. 'The type of kid, the type of student-athlete you get, we get very driven guys. We get overachievers,' Boretti said. 'That's what we're looking for: Guys who want to work on the field, work in the classroom, and, frankly, don't give you many headaches off the field. 'It's one of the best things about the job: You get to work with great people, great kids that are going to be great adults. That's something that goes a long way when you're in this position.' Advertisement After reaching the NCAA Tournament in three straight seasons from 2013-15, and advancing to the Coral Gables (Fla.) regional final in 2015, Columbia had established itself. It helped that in 2010 the program received an upgraded facility, Robertson Field at Satow Stadium. 'It built on each other,' Boretti said. 'My former boss, Dianne Murphy, did a heckuva job building our facilities and raising money and getting people involved. That goes a long, long way.' This team has a unique belief in itself, fostered by that difficult start. First came the injuries, then the losing streak. It didn't break the Lions. As the tournament begins, few teams in the country are as hot. Columbia has won nine straight games and 16 of 17. It will be a decided underdog Friday night against host and No. 16 seed Southern Miss, and not be expected to beat the following opponent, either Miami or Alabama. But the Lions and their 11 seniors believe they can play with anyone. They've been here before. 'We're a very confident group. We know the talent we have and we know what kind of baseball we can play with each other,' Lazits said. 'If we go out there and play as well as we can, we can beat just about anybody.'
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Don't write St Johnstone off just yet'
As Lenny Kravitz's hit song It Ain't Over Til It's Over played loudly at the end of St Johnstone's win against Ross County on Saturday, it struck me – for perhaps the first time this year – that maybe there's still a chance of top-flight survival. It was genuinely encouraging to witness the collective spirit between the players and the fans regarding the team's current situation. It seems like everyone is finally on the same page. Hopefully, this unified effort won't be too late to make a difference. The match was nerve-wracking, especially with County's disallowed goal. Perhaps that was the bit of luck that teams often feel they are missing. However, this feels like just the initial step. The team still needs two wins in the remaining two games, along with a couple of County slip-ups. While the outcome remains uncertain, history suggests that betting against St Johnstone isn't necessarily a wise choice. Sam Miller can be found at Dogger Saints.
