OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Homicide detectives are investigating the slaying of a man whose body was found in a northeast Omaha yard.
Police say officers and medics who were sent to the neighborhood a little after 8 a.m. Tuesday found an unresponsive man. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
His name has not been released. No arrests have been reported.
Lincoln – In front of 7,319 fans, the largest crowd ever for a regular-season game between Nebraska and Creighton in Lincoln, the No. 18 Nebraska baseball team concluded its 16-game homestand on Tuesday night with a 5-1 win over the Creighton Bluejays, who entered the game on a seven-game winnings streak. The Huskers are now 22-7 on the year and finished the homestand with a 15-1 record. The last time the Huskers notched 22 wins before the month of April was 2005, when NU entered April with a 22-3 record.
The crowd of 7,319 was the 24th largest crowd in Hawks Field history and the largest crowd for Nebraska-Creighton game in Lincoln since 2005, when 8,304 fans watched the two teams play in the NCAA Lincoln Regional Final. It was also the largest crowd for a game at Hawks Field since 2008, when 8,648 fans watched the Huskers play the UC Irvine Anteaters in the NCAA Lincoln Regional.
Freshman Garett King continued Nebraska’s dominance on the mound, as he went a career-high 8.0 innings and issued only two hits to improve to 3-0 on the year. The 6-3 right hander struck out five and didn’t issue a walk for the second straight start. King was perfect through the first four innings, before Harrison Crawford led off the fifth with a triple down the right-field line that just escaped the out-stretched glove of Austin Darby. Crawford scored CU’s lone run of the game when Brett Murray lifted a sacrifice fly into center field.
Following the triple, King went on to retire 12 of the final 13 Jays he faced, before junior Jeff Chesnut took the mound in the ninth and retired the Jays in order to finish the win.
The Huskers now has a 2.32 ERA on the year, and a blistering 1.98 ERA in games at Hawks Field. In 16 games at home, the Husker arms piled up 122 strikeouts to 34 walks.
La Vista, Neb., native Jake Placzek led the NU offensive attack with another great game against the Jays, going 3-for-5, including a double and his first career triple. In four career games against Creighton, Placzek is hitting .500 (7-for-14) with two doubles, one triple and six RBIs. Last season, Placzek delivered a walk-off single in a 5-4 extra-innings win in Lincoln and later in the year came through with a two-RBI single in the eighth inning that drove in the eventual game-winning runs in a 4-2 win at TD Ameritrade Park.
Placzek extended NU’s lead to 3-0 in the top of the second with a two-out double and then pushed the lead to 4-0 in the fourth with a triple. The junior then scored on a RBI single by Blake Headley that put the Huskers ahead 5-0.
NU’s first three batters in its lineup, Ryan Boldt-Placzek-Headley, finished the game a combined 8-for-14 with three runs scored and four RBIs.
After playing their last 16 games at home, the Huskers now head east down I-80 tomorrow for a meeting with the Omaha Mavericks at Werner Park. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The 2-year-old son of Colorado Rockies pitcher John Axford is in stable condition a week after getting bitten twice by a rattlesnake.
Axford has not been with the Rockies since his son went to the hospital for anti-venom treatment last Wednesday. A second round of treatment was needed a few days later due to the excessive amount of venom found.
Doctors have likely saved the foot, though Jameson Axford could still face losing a toe or two, Rockies officials said.
John Axford, who has thrown a couple of bullpen sessions, says he is grateful for the support he’s received.
PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals have released three-time All-Star shortstop Rafael Furcal, two weeks after he signed a minor league deal.
Furcal didn’t appear in a Cactus League game as he recovered from a hamstring injury sustained in winter ball. Tuesday’s move doesn’t affect the Royals’ big league roster as Furcal was not invited to camp.
The 37-year-old Furcal played nine games last year with Miami after missing all of the 2013 season following elbow reconstruction surgery.
Lincoln – University of Nebraska men’s basketball coach Tim Miles announced Tuesday evening that freshman guard Tarin Smith has decided to transfer from the Husker program following the spring semester.
“My family and I have intensely thought about this decision, and we feel that it is best if I transfer at the end of this school year,” Smith said. “I would like to thank the University of Nebraska and the fans for this opportunity and their support and encouragement throughout the year.”
Smith, a 6-foot-2 guard from Ocean Township, N.J., played in all 31 games as a true freshman this season, averaging 4.5 points and 1.6 rebounds per game. He had a career-high 13 points in a loss to Ohio State on Feb. 26.
“I am disappointed in Tarin’s choice to transfer, but I support him and understand his decision,” Miles said. “Our entire program will miss him, and we wish him nothing but a successful future.”
KEARNEY, Neb. – Saturday night’s Storm game against the Fargo Force marked the second annual ‘Dash For Cash’ night at the Viaero Event Center, presented by NebraskaLand National Bank. At the conclusion of the dash, a total of $1,000 was collected by six different local schools who participated in the ‘Take School By Storm’ program.
Schools participating included Northeast Elementary (Kearney, $208.50), Emerson Elementary (Kearney, $179.50), Buffalo Hills Elementary (Kearney, $176.75), Windy Hills Elementary (Kearney, $171.50), Lincoln Elementary (Hastings, $136.75), and Elm Creek Schools (Elm Creek, $127.00).
These are additional funds on top of the money already gained through the ‘Take School By Storm’ program.
In the past, the ‘Take School By Storm’ fundraising program has helped schools raise money for things like playground equipment, technology and other school supplies. Students help to sell tickets to their school’s Storm hockey night, with a portion of each sale given back to the school.
Tri-City is currently in second place in the USHL’s Western Conference with 74 points. Four games remain in the regular season and the Storm have clinched a spot in the 2015 Clark Cup Playoffs.
The Storm are back in action on Friday night in Sioux Falls, facing the Stampede at 7:05 p.m. They will complete their home schedule the following evening against Cedar Rapids on Fan Appreciation Night at the Viaero Event Center at 7:05.
For more information and to purchase tickets, contact the Viaero Event Center Box Office at 308.338.8011 or visit www.stormhockey.com.
NEW YORK (AP) — An eye-popping baseball record will be set even before the first pitch of the 2015 season is thrown.
The average salary when opening-day rosters are finalized Sunday will break the $4 million barrier for the first time, according to a study of all major league contracts by The Associated Press. Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw tops players at $31 million and Los Angeles projects to open the season with a record payroll of about $270 million.
Fueled by the largest two-year growth in more than a decade, the average salary projects to be about $4.25 million, with the final figure depending on how many players are put on the disabled list. That is up from $3.95 million on the first day of last season and $3.65 million when 2013 began.
The average broke the $1 million mark in 1992, topped $2 million in 2001 and reached $3 million in 2008.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Nebraska junior volleyball player Briana Holman is one of 12 players selected to the U.S. Collegiate National Team that will play in the 2015 World University Games July 2-12 at Gwangju, South Korea.
It is the second career selection for Holman to the U.S. Collegiate National Team. The middle blocker from DeSoto, Texas was part of the USA team that participated in the Tour of China in 2014.
The World University Games happens every four years as a prelude to the Olympics the following summer.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity for Briana,” Nebraska head coach John Cook said. “It’s been a dream of hers, and she will get to go to South Korea where the 1988 Olympics were held. This will be a high-level tournament, and the USA is sending its best possible team to try and medal. It will be a great experience for her, not only to go to Korea and play against the best competition in the world, but to get to meet and play with different student-athletes from other teams around the United States.”
The World University Games roster is part of USA Volleyball’s High Performance program’s Collegiate National Team. The squad has four players who finished their senior seasons in 2014, along with three seniors and five juniors.
Team USA for the World University Games includes setters Lexi Dannemiller (University of Michigan, West Chester, Ohio) and Micha Hancock (Penn State University, Edmond, Okla.). Opposites on the team are Khat Bell (University of Texas, Mesquite, Texas) and Alex Holston (University of Florida, Olney, Md.). Laura Larson (University of Arizona, Lakeville, Minn.) was named as the libero.
Middle blockers chosen to the World University Games roster are Nia Grant (Penn State University, Warren, Ohio), Briana Holman (University of Nebraska, DeSoto, Texas) and Paige Tapp (University of Minnesota, Stewartville, Minn.). Outside hitters selected to the team are Jordan Burgess (Stanford University, Fort Myers, Fla.), Carly Kan (University of Missouri, Honolulu), Andi Malloy (Baylor University, Allen, Texas) and Nicole Walch (Florida State University, Stuart, Fla.).
Mary Wise, head coach for the University of Florida, has been named the head coach for the team. She will be assisted by Kyle Robinson, the new University of Oklahoma assistant coach, and Dan Thomassen, Sage Hill High School volleyball coach and co-founder of Prime Volleyball Club in California.
“The World University Games is a unique event that we look forward to competing in come July,” Wise said. “We are fortunate to assemble such a talented group of players to represent USA Volleyball.”
The squad includes five AVCA All-America First-Team selections in 2014, including Burgess, Grant, Hancock, Holman and Holston. Further, Bell and Walch were AVCA All-America Second-Team selections in 2014, while Tapp was named to the third-team.
The World University Games squad will come together June 28 in Los Angeles before traveling to South Korea for the competition. The roster was selected through the U.S. Women’s National Team Open Tryouts held Feb. 20-22 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., along with an invitation-only training block held in January in Anaheim, Calif.
The U.S. Collegiate National Team program also includes a China Tour roster that will be announced later this week, along with a 36-player group that will train and compete in conjunction with the USA Volleyball Girls’ Junior National Championships in June.
U.S. Women’s World University Games Roster
Name (Position, School, 2015 College Year, Hometown)
Khat Bell (OPP, University of Texas, Grad, Mesquite, Texas)
Jordan Burgess (OH, Stanford University, Sr., Fort Myers, Fla.)
Lexi Dannemiller (S, University of Michigan, Grad, West Chester, Ohio)
Nia Grant (MB, Penn State University, Grad, Warren, Ohio)
Micha Hancock (S, Penn State University, Grad, Edmond, Okla.)
Briana Holman (MB, University of Nebraska, Jr., DeSoto, Texas)
Alex Holston (OPP, University of Florida, Jr., Olney, Md.)
Carly Kan (OH, University of Missouri, Jr., Honolulu, Hawaii)
Laura Larson (L, University of Arizona, Jr., Lakeville, Minn.)
Andi Malloy (OH, Baylor University, Sr., Allen, Texas)
Paige Tapp (MB, University of Minnesota, Jr., Stewartville, Minn.)
Nicole Walch (OH, Florida State University, Sr., Stuart, Fla.)
Head Coach: Mary Wise (University of Florida)
Assistant Coach: Kyle Robinson (University of Oklahoma)
Assistant Coach: Dan Thomassen (Prime Volleyball Club, Sage Hill High School, Calif.)
Trainer: Meredith Dillon (West Valley College)
MILWAUKEE (AP) — It has been a very good year so far for the Big Ten.
First Ohio State won the first college football playoff in January.
Now the league has Wisconsin and Michigan State advancing to a Final Four, which is hosted in the middle of Big Ten country in Indianapolis.
The Big Ten’s showing had Wisconsin forward Sam Dekker noting that some observers thought the league wasn’t quite as strong this season.
Commissioner Jim Delany says the league overall wasn’t as successful as hoped for in nonconference play. There was a logjam in league play behind regular-season winner Wisconsin.
COLUMBUS, Neb. (AP) — A 20-year-old Columbus woman who crashed a stolen pickup has been sent to prison for theft and trying to get away from officers.
Platte County District Court records say Mallory Smith pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge connected to the Nov. 16 chase in Platte and Butler counties that ended when she crashed near Bellwood. She also pleaded no contest to a felony theft charge.
On Monday Smith was sentenced to a year for trying to flee and 20 to 36 months for theft. The sentences are to be served at the same time.
