Wednesday Afternoon Sports – 9/20/2023

STORM BEGIN SEASON AT FALL CLASSIC:

The Tri-City Storm is set to open the 2023-2024 Regular Season tonight at the DICK’S Sporting Goods USHL Fall Classic. 

The Storm will battle the defending Clark Cup Champion Youngstown Phantoms on FedEx Rink #1 at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania. 

The Storm will also play Western Conference foe Sioux Falls Stampede tomorrow night at 7:30pm CT in the team’s second, and final, game of the event. 

Puck drop for tonight’s battle between the Storm and the Phantoms is scheduled for 6:30pm CT.

HUSKER BASEBALL SETS 2024 SCHEDULE:

Head coach Will Bolt announced the 2024 baseball schedule Wednesday, which features 27 home games at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park for the Huskers.

The 2024 slate includes five 2023 NCAA Tournament participants in Big Ten regular-season and tournament champion Maryland, Southland Conference regular-season and tournament champion Nicholls and at-large selections Indiana, Iowa and Texas Tech.

The Huskers begin the 56-game campaign in one of college baseball’s premier events at the Shriners Children’s College Showdown (Feb. 16-18) at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Nebraska opens the season against Baylor, before taking on Texas Tech and Oklahoma.

The full schedule can be found at KGFW and Central Nebraska Today. 

NEBRASKA FOOTBALL TUESDAY PRACTICE COMMENTS – TONY WHITE:

WHITE – INTERIOR RUN HAS BEEN EXCELLENT:

Defensive Coordinator for Nebraska Football Tony White spoke to the media on Tuesday saying he credits the experience of the defensive line for the Blackshirts ability to slow down rushing attacks this season…

The Huskers have allowed only 43 yards per rushing per contest through three games, good for second in the country.

WHITE – PASS RUSH CONTINUES TO WORK TO IMPROVE:

Nebraska Defensive coordinator Tony White spoke at his Tuesday press conference that his Blackshirts continue to improve to create more opportunities in the pass rush…

Nebraska has fourteen sacks on the season, led by Luke Reimer with 2.5 and three players tied with two each.

WHITE – DEFENSIVE ROTATION BASED ON PHILOSOPHY:

The Blackshirts have had fresh faces in each contest as the defense continues to rotate players repeatedly. Nebraska defensive coordinator Tony White added on Tuesday that this is based on his and Rhule’s personal philosophies…

Nebraska has had several key backups receive playing time through the first three games of the season.

NEBRASKA FOOTBALL TUESDAY PRACTICE COMMENTS – MARCUS SATTERFIELD:

SATTERFIELD – NEXT RUNNING BACK IS THE MENTALITY:

Nebraska Offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield spoke to the media on Tuesday and was asked who the next man up for the depleted running back room will be…

The Huskers lost starter Gabe Ervin and his backup Rahmir Johnson to season ending injuries during the NIU contest. 

SATTERFIELD – TUESDAY MOST ACTIVE DAY FOR QB SIMS:

Nebraska Offensive Coordinator Marcus Satterfield gave an injury update to former starting quarterback Jeff Sims and how his ankle has progressed since the Colorado contest…

The Huskers continue to state that Sims is the starter on his return, however Heinrich Haarberg will keep preparing as if he is the starter until Sims is prepared. 

SATTERFIELD – CANNOT HAVE TWO QBs; HAVE TO CHOOSE ONE:

Nebraska may be facing a quarterback battle as Nebraska Offensive Coordinator Marcus Satterfield addressed the media Tuesday and wouldn’t give a clear distinction between Heinrich Haarberg and Jeff Sims…

Haarberg has been with Nebraska since he committed in 2020, while Sims joined the program with Matt Rhule and the incoming staff over the past offseason.

HUSKER HOOPS SETS 2023-24 CONFERENCE SCHEDULE:

Six weekend home games, including matchups with NCAA Tournament qualifiers Michigan State and Northwestern, highlight Nebraska’s 2023-24 Big Ten Conference schedule.

The 20-game slate opens with a pair of December matchups, as Nebraska travels to Minnesota (Dec. 6) and hosts Michigan State (Dec. 10). 

The January slate opens with a pair of marquee home games in the first 10 days of the month, as the Huskers play host to Indiana (Jan. 3) and Purdue (Jan. 9) sandwiched around a trip to Wisconsin (Jan. 6). 

February opens with a rematch with Wisconsin at PBA (Feb. 1), along with weekend tilts against Michigan (Feb. 10), Penn State (Feb. 17) and Minnesota (Feb. 25)

A full slate of contests for Big Ten play for Nebraska can be found at KGFW and Central Nebraska Today.

PRO FOOTBALL HOF ANNOUNCE 173 MODERN-ERA NOMINEES FOR 2024 CLASS:

Julius Peppers and Antonio Gates headline the list of first-time modern-era candidates for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame announced the full list of 173 nominees on Tuesday. Michael Vick, Tony Romo and Devin Hester are among those returning to the ballot, with Hester getting to the final round of voting last year.

Jamaal Charles, Brandon Marshall, Jordy Nelson, Haloti Ngata, T.J. Lang, Josh Sitton and Max Unger are the other first-time nominees.

The 2024 Hall of Fame class promises to be loaded when Torry Holt, Andre Johnson, Willie Anderson, Dwight Freeney, Jared Allen and Patrick Willis were, like Hester, all finalists a year ago.

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCHEDULE:

WEDNESDAY SCHEDULE:

Seattle Mariners @ Oakland Athletics

San Francisco Giants @ Arizona Diamondbacks

Colorado Rockies @ San Diego Padres

Los Angeles Angels @ Tampa Bay Rays – 5:40 PM

New York Mets @ Miami Marlins – 5:40 PM

Toronto Blue Jays @ New York Yankees – 6:05 PM

Pittsburgh Pirates @ Chicago Cubs – 6:40 PM

Milwaukee Brewers @ St. Louis Cardinals – 6:45 PM

Detroit Tigers @ Los Angeles Dodgers – 9:10 PM

Buffalo County Results & Schedules:

THIS WEEK IN BUFFALO COUNTY SPORTS:

TUESDAY:

High School Sports:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • Girls Golf: @ GISH Dual @ Jackrabbit Golf Course – No score reported
  • Softball: @ Lincoln Southwest (Doubleheader) @ Doris Blair Softball Complex
    • GAME 1: LSW 7-0 KHS
    • GAME 2: No score reported
  • Volleyball: @ Lincoln High School – KHS 3-0 LHS
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • Girls Golf: @ Gibbon Invite – No score reported
• GIBBON:
  • Volleyball: v. Gibbon Triangular (v. Arcadia/Loup City / v. Shelton
    • GAME 1: No score reported v. Arcadia/Loup City
    • GAME 2: No score reported v. Shelton
• SHELTON:
  • Cross Country: @ Franklin Country Club – 
  • Volleyball: @ Gibbon Triangular (v. Arcadia/Loup City / v. Gibbon)
    • GAME 1: No score reported v. Arcadia/Loup City
    • GAME 2: No score reported v. Gibbon
• ELM CREEK:
  • Volleyball: Elm Creek Triangular (v. Anselmo-Merna / v. South Loup)
    • GAME 1: Elm Creek 2-1 Anselmo-Merna
    • GAME 2: South Loup 2-1 Elm Creek
• RAVENNA:
  • Volleyball: v. Wood River – Wood River 3-0 Ravenna

WEDNESDAY:

College Athletics:

• HASTINGS COLLEGE BRONCOS:
  • Men’s Soccer: @ Jamestown @ Jamestown, ND – 5:30 PM
  • Women’s Tennis: @ Fort Hays State @ Hays, KS – 6 PM
  • Women’s Soccer: @ Jamestown @ Jamestown, ND – 7:30 PM
  • Volleyball: v. Doane @ Lynn Farrell Arena – 7:30 PM

KGFW Sports Schedule:

• Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)