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.
Lincoln, Neb. – Nebraska volleyball head coach John Cook announced on Tuesday that Alexa Ethridge, Maddie Haggerty and Kira Larson are leaving the Nebraska volleyball program. Each player has been given a full release to transfer.
“We are very thankful for the contributions these three young women have provided to our program, both on and off the court,” Cook said. “Alexa, Maddie and Kira are great talents and special people with high character. They all have bright futures ahead of them, and we wish them nothing but the very best. We are totally supportive of their decisions.”
Ethridge was a defensive and serving specialist for the Huskers the past two seasons, appearing in 66 career matches. Larson played in 15 matches this season as a redshirt freshman, registering 13 kills and 10 blocks. Haggerty sat out her freshman season with a lingering injury.
The Huskers, who just wrapped up their third sand season with a 6-2 record, will now begin preparing for their only spring match on April 25 against Kansas State in Grand Island.
Lincoln – Following a 4-1 week for the Nebraska baseball team, that included a sweep of the nationally-ranked Texas Longhorns, senior Kyle Kubat was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week and freshman Elijah Dilday was named Big Ten Co-Freshmen of the Week by the conference office on Tuesday morning. The Huskers have earned three weekly awards from the league office this season, as Ryan Boldt was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Feb. 23.
One day after being tabbed as one of Collegiate Baseball’s Louisville Slugger National Players of the Week, Kubat earned his first career weekly honor from the Big Ten office. The senior lefty has been lights out for the Huskers on Saturdays this season and was on top of his game against the No. 16 Longhorns. Kubat tossed 8.0 shutout inning and notched a career-high nine strikeouts for the second straight week. Following a two-out single by Brooks Marlow in the fourth, Kubat retired the final 13 Longhorns he faced. It was the senior’s third career outing of at least 8.0 innings and trailed only his 8.2-inning effort against Michigan at last season’s Big Ten Tournament.
Kubat, along with relievers Jake Hohensee, Colton Howell and Jeff Chesnut limited the Longhorns to four hits and three walks on the day, while piling up 19 strikeouts. The most strikeouts by a Husker staff since 2009 when NU notched 22 punch outs in a 15 inning game against Louisiana-Lafayette. After the Longhorns produced three hits through the first three innings, they then didn’t record another hit until Ben Johnson led off the 14th with a single. Texas totaled just seven base runners and had a runner in scoring position only twice all game.
After missing the first 20 games of the year with a shoulder injury to his non-throwing arm, Dilday has quickly made his impact on the Husker offense and defense. The St. Charles, Mo., native started all five of NU’s games last week in left field and hit .462 on the week with at least one hit in every game. The 6-1 Dilday notched his first career multi-hit game, including a two-out RBI double in the third, in NU’s sweep clinching win over the Longhorns on Sunday. Dilday struck out once all week, while slugging .538 with an on-base percentage of .500, and he also played stellar defense with multiple diving catches.
CHICAGO – With both Wisconsin and Michigan State in the Final Four, BTN travels its studio team of Dave Revsine, Jim Jackson and Stephen Bardo to Indianapolis. The network’s coverage includes pre- and post-game press conferences, exclusive interviews with coaches and student-athletes, and analysis from a number of special guests.
BTN tips off its coverage at noon ET on Tuesday with the Michigan State press conference live from East Lansing. The Wisconsin press conference will air live at 4 PM ET.BTN Live will air at its normal time, 6 PM ET, on both Tuesday and Wednesday.
At noon ET on Thursday, both the Wisconsin vs. Kentucky and Michigan State vs. Duke press conferences will air live on BTN and BTN2Go. All four head coaches will take the podium, as well as select players from each team. BTN Live is scheduled for 6 PM ET with Rick Pizzo, Shon Morris and Taylor Rooks in studio.
On Friday, team press conferences will air live on BTN and BTN2Go beginning at 11 AM ET. Coach Tom Izzo and the Spartans will address the media first. At 6 PM ET, BTN Live will include reports from each team’s open practice and a number of interviews with coaches and student-athletes. Discussion and analysis continues later that evening on BTN Basketball & Beyond at 10 PM ET, which will include segments from the Omni Hotel in Indianapolis, the official Wisconsin hotel.
On Saturday, BTN takes its set down the road to Spartan territory, the Hilton Hotel and Suites. Following the Michigan spring football game, at approximately 2:30 PM ET, BTN Basketball & Beyond will provide all the latest news and updates. At 5 PM ET, Revsine, Jackson and Bardo get you ready for action as the with a 60-minute BTN Tip-Off Show: Final Four Pregame presented by Auto-Owners Insurance. Game one, Michigan State vs. Duke, is scheduled for 6:09 PM ET. Following the game, the Michigan State post-game press conference will air live on BTN and BTN2Go. Immediately following the Wisconsin vs. Duke game, which is scheduled to tip off at 8:49 PM ET, BTN Basketball & Beyond will have complete highlights and analysis of both Final Four games. Host Mike Hall will anchor the show from the Chicago studios, with Revsine, Jackson and Bardo reporting from Indianapolis.
If either or both Wisconsin and Michigan State win and advance to the National Championship game, additional coverage plans will be announced.
KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) Nebraska-Kearney has hired Carrie Hofstetter as its head women’s basketball coach.
The university announced Tuesday that the former Hastings College coach would be introduced at a news conference on campus Wednesday.
Hofstetter is a native of Edgar, Nebraska, and a graduate of Sandy Creek High School and Hastings College. She had a record of 68-31 the last three seasons at Hastings. The Broncos reached the NAIA Division II national quarterfinals in 2014 and the semifinals this season.
Hofstetter previously was top assistant at Hastings and Fort Hays State.
As a player, Hofstetter was a point guard who helped lead Hastings to national titles in 2002 and 2003.
She replaces Kevin Chaney, who led the program for five years.
