colleges
College softball: Valparaiso fights back, but falls short in NCAA loss
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — It had to happen, right? Valparaiso had come too far — in this season, in this game. Had come too close — in this tournament, in this game. And, hey, the previous three games in this wild NCAA softball regional were all walk-off …
College baseball: Valparaiso begins quest for NCAA bid
After wining its first regular-season conference championship since 1977, the Valparaiso University baseball team now seeks its first Horizon League Tournament title and an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships. The top-seeded Crusaders will open play at 8 p.m. today at UIC’s Les Miller Field. …
Merrillville’s Jeremiah Jones to play basketball at Duquesne
Jeremiah Jones, the former standout guard for Merrillville, has signed a national letter of intent with Duquesne. “I just thought it was a good fit for me,” Jones said. “Going in, I’m going to have a big opportunity to play as a freshman. I like the campus, …
On campus: Matt Kuna, Ryan Wilkinson key cogs to Toledo’s success
Matt Kuna migrated to Toledo to win a championship. “It’s what I signed up for five years ago,” said the former Griffith standout. There were some bumps in the road, like sitting out the 2011 season as a medical redshirt, but this spring he came back …
Softball part of big year for Valparaiso sports
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Valparaiso didn’t win any games in its first NCAA regional appearance. But it won plenty of respect. Before a national television audience that even the men’s basketball team rarely gets, the Crusaders softball team nearly upset No. 7 Louisville on Friday, then …
College baseball: Valparaiso locks up outright Horizon title
VALPARAISO — Saturday’s series finale with Youngstown State lagged at the start, but once Valparaiso got going, the Crusaders rapidly took over in a 13-2 thrashing. What started out as a 2-0 lead for the Penguins and four hitless innings for VU against opposing hurler …
VU out to show it belongs with bigger schools
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville is in its fourth straight NCAA regional. So is Kentucky. Michigan is in its 18th straight. They hail from power conferences. They have national name recognition. They’re big-time in every sense of the word. Then there’s Valparaiso, the odd-ball of the group …
Crusaders win first Horizon League baseball crown
VALPARAISO — Tanner Vavra’s hard smash to short with two outs in the 11th inning scored Spencer Mahoney with the winning run to give Valparaiso an 8-7 victory over Youngstown State on Friday at Emory G. Bauer Field. With the win, the Crusaders clinch at …
Valparaiso tries to stick to routine as they prepare for first NCAA tourney game
Like just about any coach in any sport in this situation, Valparaiso softball coach Jordan Stevens wants to keep everything as normal as possible. From practices to team meetings to pregame schedules, Stevens wants his Crusaders to treat Friday’s NCAA Regional game at No. 7 Louisville …
Notre Dame quarterback Tommy Rees pleads not guilty
SOUTH BEND — Notre Dame quarterback Tommy Rees pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges stemming from an incident in which police used pepper spray to subdue him after an off-campus party. Rees, who turns 20 next week, is charged with one count of battery, two …
Hutton: Scott Martin’s return sets up Irish for great season
SOUTH BEND — I thought it was a joke when I heard a reporter ask Scott Martin if the reason he was returning to Notre Dame for his sixth season was for placement in the NBA draft. Anybody that knows Martin, has watched Martin play …
Short trip for Valparaiso softball to start NCAA tourney
Destination, Louisville. That’s the next stop for Valparaiso’s regional-bound softball team, which will meet the host Cardinals at 6 p.m. on Friday. It’s a comparatively short trip for the Crusaders, but none of that matters to coach Jordan Stevens. “We’re just happy to be in it,” …
On Campus: Mel Dumezich leads Texas A&M into NCAA tournament
Take Whiting’s Mel Dumezich off Texas A&M’s softball roster and what do you have? Two gaping holes. In three years the junior pitcher has won 77 games for the Aggies, who will host the College Station Regional this weekend. What makes her doubly dangerous is …
Mutka: Tourney MVP Doerffler inspires Valparaiso
Watching Valparaiso University earn its first NCAA softball bid over the weekend was a Rocky Mountain high. While St. Joseph’s Pumas were advancing to the Division II World Series a few hundred miles away, the Crusaders were just beginning their postseason journey. The Horizon League trip started …
Valparaiso native Scott Martin gets a sixth year at Notre Dame
Next season just became a little more appealing for Scott Martin and the Notre Dame basketball team. Martin, a 6-8 forward from Valparaiso High School, was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA. After an agonizing wait, Martin gets to return to help …
Valparaiso wins Horizon title, NCAA bid on pair of Angie Doerffler walk-offs
VALPARAISO — Skeptics wrote off Valparaiso University after the Crusaders dropped into the loser’s bracket of the Horizon League softball tournament, but the league champions responded with five straight victories in less than three days to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. “We like to …
