RUNZA SENIORS EARN WALK-OFF WIN OVER COLUMBUS; HEAD TO DUNCAN FIELD TONIGHT:
The Kearney Runza Seniors took Tuesday night’s home matchup in dramatic fashion, earning a 3-2 walk-off victory over Columbus Cornerstone at Memorial Field with a late walk as bases were loaded to earn their third win on the season.
Kearney (3-2) earned the win with three runs on eleven hits and no errors. Columbus dropped the road contest with two runs on four hits and no errors.
Kearney’s Bryce Andersen had a big day at Memorial Field, going six and two-third innings with two runs allowed on four hits and ten strikeouts. He also added a solo home run and a sacrifice fly to bring in the second run of the game.
The Runza Seniors return to action tonight taking on Hastings Five Points Bank at Duncan Field. KGFW’s pregame is set for 7:15 PM with scheduled first pitch at 7:30 PM. Listen to Runza Senior Legion Baseball on 1340 KGFW, 96.1 FM, on the free KGFW mobile app, and online at KGFW.com.
HUSKER FOOTBALL OPENS SEASON WITH FOX BROADCASTS; OTHER TELEVISION ASSIGNMENTS:
Nebraska will open the 2023 season with consecutive games on FOX and close the regular season with a Black Friday appearance on CBS. Those television arrangements were part of an announcement Wednesday afternoon of game times and TV networks for six of the Huskers’ 2023 games.
The Huskers open with road games at Minnesota (Aug. 31) and Colorado (Sept. 9) with both of those games set for FOX. Nebraska’s season opener at Minnesota will kick off at 7 p.m. (central) on Thursday evening in Minneapolis.
A week later, the Huskers will renew their rivalry with Colorado with an 11 a.m. central (10 a.m. MDT) kickoff at Colorado as part of the network’s Big Noon Kickoff package. FOX will also originate its Big Noon pre-game show from Boulder.
The Huskers will close the regular season with their annual Black Friday matchup with Iowa at Memorial Stadium on Nov. 24. Nebraska will play host to its border rivals with kickoff set for 11 a.m. (central) and TV coverage by CBS. This is Nebraska’s first scheduled CBS game since the 2009 Gator Bowl.
Nebraska learned game times for three additional 2023 games, including two home games at Memorial Stadium. The Huskers’ home opener against Northern Illinois on Sept. 16 will kick off at 6 p.m. (central) and will be aired on FS1. Nebraska’s Homecoming contest against Purdue will be a day-time contest with kickoff at either 11 a.m., 2:30 or 3 p.m., with the kickoff time and television network to be finalized later.
The Huskers’ game at Illinois on Friday, Oct. 6, will be televised by FS1 with kickoff set for 7 p.m.
FORMER BEARCAT STROH ENTERS TRANSFER PORTAL:
Former Kearney Baseball star and Kearney High School alum Seth Stroh has entered the transfer portal after his third year in the Wichita State baseball program.
Stroh was listed as one of the 21 players to enter the portal on Tuesday after the Shockers moved on from interim head coach Loren Hibbs, who was recently named the American Athletic Conference coach of the year.
Stroh started in 32 games last season, hitting .234 with 16 RBI and four home runs. In 100 career games, Stroh hit .240 with 47 RBI, 22 extra base hits, and 13 home runs.
NCA NAMES GIRLS TENNIS, BOYS GOLF SUPER STATE AND ALL-STATE TEAMS:
Several local athletes were named to All-State and Super State teams for spring sports including Girls Tennis and Boys Golf by the Nebraska Coaches Association on Tuesday.
For Class A Girls Tennis, Kearney’s Emma Heacock was named to the All-State Second Team. Heacock wrapped her sophomore season this spring for the Bearcats. Receiving Honorable Mention was senior Cecilia Henning, Emilee Anderson, and Malory Eklund.
In Class B Girls Tennis, Kearney Catholic’s Kit Schrock was named to the Honorable Mention team.
Finally for the Super-State team for all classes in Boys Golf, Kearney Catholic’s Jackson Dunham and Kearney High’s Perry Swarm both received nods.
LOPER MEN’S TENNIS ANNOUNCES NINE INTERNATIONAL RECRUITS:
Nebraska Kearney head tennis coach Scott Shafer has announced the names of nine international men’s players who’ll suit up for the Lopers in the fall.
UNK was a long-time NAIA and NCAA Division II power in men’s tennis before the sport was eliminated after the 2017-18 season as part of a $2.8 million university budget reduction. In June 2022, with the opening of the Ernest Grundy Tennis Center on West Campus, the program returned with Shafer taking this past academic year to recruit and hire an assistant coach. That hire will be announced shortly.
UNK is able to bring back men’s tennis after a private donor agreed to create a $3.4 million endowment that fully funds the program’s operating and scholarship needs.
The full list of incoming athletes can be found at KGFW.com.
MORE TICKETS AVAILABLE THURSDAY FOR NEBRASKA VOLLEYBALL DAY:
Approximately 8,000 tickets for the Aug. 30 Volleyball Day in Nebraska event will open up for sale to the general public on Thursday, June 1 at 10 a.m. through the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office.
The June 1 on-sale will include both bleacher seats in Memorial Stadium and standing room only tickets on the field. Most of the tickets being made available are from internal holds during the initial April on-sale now being released to the public and additional standing room capacity on the field. The final capacity for the event is expected to be approximately 91,000, not including credentialed media and staff.
For the seats for sale in Memorial Stadium, prices remain $25 for adults and $5 for high school age and younger. For standing room only on the field, all tickets will cost $25.
Tickets can be purchased on Huskers.com, in person at the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office, or by phone at (800)-8-BIGRED.
FORMER HUSKER QB HEADS TO JACKSONVILLE STATE:
Former Nebraska quarterback Logan Smothers is returning to his home state after entering the transfer portal this spring.
Smothers has committed to Jacksonville State, he announced on Twitter Tuesday morning.
Jacksonville State is a Conference USA school in Jacksonville, Alabama. Logan Smothers is originally from Muscle Shoals, Alabama.
Smothers appeared in five games for Nebraska in 2022, completing 10-of-19 passes for 96 yards, while rushing 12 times for 28 yards.
NEBRASKA PROFESSIONAL VOLLEYBALL CLUB HIRES FIRST HEAD COACH:
Women’s professional volleyball will be coming to Omaha in 2024.
Nebraska Pro Volleyball will be working together with the Pro Volleyball Federation to bring women’s professional volleyball to the city.
On Tuesday, the Omaha-based team announced head coach Shelton Collier, revered for his knowledge of the game and respect for players, who brings more than 40 years of coaching experience and coaching education at the national, international and Olympic levels.
He is ranked seventh in career NCAA victories with 1,118 total wins and a career winning percentage of .790. He most recently completed a highly successful 21-year career at Wingate University in Charlotte, N.C., with a 553-90 overall record, while going 310-37 in conference play.
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES/SCHEDULES:
WEDNESDAY SCHEDULE:
Atlanta Braves @ Oakland Athletics – 2:37 PM
Pittsburgh Pirates @ San Francisco Giants – 2:45 PM
Washington Nationals @ Los Angeles Dodgers – 3:10 PM
San Diego Padres @ Miami Marlins – 5:40 PM
Milwaukee Brewers @ Toronto Blue Jays – 6:07 PM
Cincinnati Reds @ Boston Red Sox – 6:10 PM
Philadelphia Phillies @ New York Mets – 6:10 PM
Minnesota Twins @ Houston Astros – 7:10 PM
New York Yankees @ Seattle Mariners – 8:40 PM
Colorado Rockies @ Arizona Diamondbacks – 8:40 PM
Local Results & Schedules:
THIS WEEK IN SPORTS:
WEDNESDAY:
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Sports Nightly (6 PM – 7:15 PM)
- Runza Senior Legion Baseball @ Hastings Five Points Bank @ Duncan Field (7:15 PM – 10:15 PM)
THURSDAY:
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)
FRIDAY:
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)
SATURDAY:
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- N/a
SUNDAY:
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- N/a