Seven Indiana University Softball Hoosiers Named to NFCA All-Region Teams Indiana Softball had seven players recognized by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) on Thursday afternoon for earning All-Region honors for the Great Lakes Region. Indiana’s Ella Troutt and Aly VanBrandt both earned First Team honors. Josie Bird and Alex Cooper both were named to the Second Team. Cassidy Kettleman, Avery Parker and Madalyn Strader were all selected for the Third Team. For Bird, Cooper, Kettleman and Troutt, it is the first all-region honor for each of them. This is VanBrandt’s third all-region selection and the first time being on the first team. Parker attained her fourth all-region pick as she has made an all-region team in every year of her collegiate career. Strader has been selected to an all-region team in both her freshman and sophomore year as she was on the first team in 2025.
2026 INDIANA NFCA ALL-REGION HONORS NFCA All-Region First Team-Ella Troutt and Aly VanBrandt NFCA All-Region Second Team-Josie Bird and Alex Cooper NFCA All-Region Third Team-Cassidy Kettleman, Avery Parker and Madalyn Strader
Indiana University Baseball Opens the Final Regular Season Series with a Win Over Illinois The opening game of a Big Ten series has been kind to the Indiana Baseball team (22-30, 8-20 B1G) this season. For the third time in conference play, IU started the weekend by putting up double-digit runs in a commanding victory. The Hoosiers scored early and held on for a 10-4 win over Illinois (27-24, 13-15 B1G) on Thursday evening at Bart Kaufman Field. Even as the team continues to be without a full-strength lineup, a young core of position players keeps battling to put runs on the board. Sophomore third baseman Hogan Denny, who is at the hot corner because of injuries, picked up a big three-hit day at the top of the order. He set the tone early with a leadoff single in the first inning.
Sophomore outfielder Caleb Koskie scored him with an RBI double to take a lead it wouldn’t relinquish. Freshman designated hitter Owen ten Oever has been IU’s best offensive player in the month of May. He put the game away on Friday with a three-run blast to left-center field. In the past 10 games, ten Oever is hitting .375 with four home runs and 14 RBIs. IU’s middle infield pairing – sophomore shortstop Will Moore and freshman second baseman Landen Fry – each had multi-hit games. Graduate student left-handed pitcher Tony Neubeck worked on short rest to provide another quality start, his seventh in conference play this season. Although he gave up eight hits, only three came around to score. An early walk was the only he would give up all day. He finishes Big Ten play with 61 strikeouts and just 18 walks. Neubeck made a start in all 14 weekends for the Hoosiers this year.
Indiana Lawmakers will hold Hearings on High School NIL Rules A state lawmaker on Thursday said Indiana needs guardrails in place as high school athletes begin to monetize their image. House Speaker Todd Huston and Senate President pro tempore Rod Bray, both Republicans, announced hearings will be held later this year on name, image and likeness, or NIL, rules for high school athletes as part of the General Assembly’s summer study committees. Rep. Alex Burton, D-Evansville, said he requested those hearings after a floor amendment he introduced on NIL rules during this year’s legislative session generated enough discussion; he felt further investigation was needed. “We really need to focus in on making sure that we get a handle on high school athletic transfers,” he said. “We need to make sure that we are also prioritizing high school education and making sure that we are preparing our athletes for collegiate success.”
The IHSAA on May 4 announced it had adopted rules to allow high school athletes to monetize their personal brand, subject to several restrictions. First and foremost, athletes are not permitted to represent their school or perform athletic services. Second, students may not take part in any branding collectives. Third, brand recruiting activities to entice a student to attend a particular high school are prohibited. To underscore the differences from college-style NIL rules, the IHSAA instead uses the term “personal branding activities.” Approved activities include developing and monetizing one’s brand through social media, personal appearances and endorsements unrelated to their school athletic participation. Student athletes also may provide personal training or youth coaching services for reasonable compensation.
The vast majority of states now allow some form of NIL for high school athletes. Burton said his biggest concerns are making sure academics still come first and ensuring lower-income schools don’t get put at a disadvantage to wealthier schools. He said he’s open to discussions on how to allow schools to take part in NIL in a limited way. Burton said capping NIL money might be one way to do that. “Whether we want to admit it or not, it’s here. It’s not going away, and the worst thing we can do is ignore it at the high school level and send our athletes into the college setting not prepared, getting access to a lot of money and not having the financial literacy to sustain that,” he said. The IHSAA did not respond to a request for comment on the hearings. No schedules have yet been set for this year’s study committee hearings. Any possible resulting legislation would have to wait until the next legislative session, which begins in January.
The Indianapolis Colts Release the 2026 Regular Season Schedule The Indianapolis Colts on Thursday released their 2026 regular season schedule, which includes two primetime games, an international contest and a finale against the defending AFC South champions.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Stadium | Time | TV Network | Buy Tickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sept. 13 | Baltimore Ravens | Lucas Oil Stadium | 1 p.m. | CBS | Buy Tickets |
| 2 | Sept. 20 | @ Kansas City Chiefs | GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium | 8:20 p.m. | NBC | Buy Tickets |
| 3 | Sept. 27 | Houston Texans | Lucas Oil Stadium | 1 p.m. | CBS | Buy Tickets |
| 4 | Oct. 4 | @ Washington Commanders | Tottenham Stadium | 9:30 a.m. | NFL Network | Buy Tickets |
| 5 | Oct. 11 | @ Pittsburgh Steelers | Acrisure Stadium | 1 p.m. | CBS | Buy Tickets |
| 6 | Oct. 18 | Tennesse Titans | Lucas Oil Stadium | 1 p.m. | FOX | Buy Tickets |
| 7 | Oct. 25 | @ Minnesota Vikings | U.S. Bank Stadium | 1 p.m. | CBS | Buy Tickets |
| 8 | Nov. 1 | @ Jacksonville Jaguars | EverBank Stadium | 1 p.m. | CBS | Buy Tickets |
| 9 | Nov. 8 | Dallas Cowboys | Lucas Oil Stadium | 1 p.m. | FOX | Buy Tickets |
| 10 | Nov. 15 | Miami Dolphins | Lucas Oil Stadium | 1 p.m. | CBS | Buy Tickets |
| 11 | Nov. 19 | @ Houston Texans | Reliant Stadium | 8:15 p.m. | Amazon Prime | Buy Tickets |
| 12 | Nov. 29 | New York Giants | Lucas Oil Stadium | 1 p.m. | FOX | Buy Tickets |
| 13 | BYE WEEK | |||||
| 14 | Dec. 13 | @ Philadelphia Eagles | Lincoln Financial Field | 1 p.m. | FOX | Buy Tickets |
| 15 | Dec. 20 | @ Tennessee Titans | Nissan Stadium | 1 p.m. | CBS | Buy Tickets |
| 16 | TBD | Cincinnati Bengals | Lucas Oil Stadium | TBD | TBD | Buy Tickets |
| 17 | Jan. 3 | @ Cleveland Browns | Huntington Bank Field | 1 p.m. | FOX | Buy Tickets |
| 18 | TBD | Jacksonville Jaguars | Lucas Oil Stadium | TBD | TBD | Buy Tickets |
Single game tickets are on sale now for all home games at Lucas Oil Stadium! Find tickets at Colts.com/SingleGame
Taylor Trojans Return to NAIA Baseball World Series for Second Time in Four Years As the sun set on an incredible season at Winterholter Field, No. 1 Taylor (52-5) will continue its historic run after punching its ticket to the 2026 Avista NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho. The top-seeded Trojans thrashed third-seeded Indiana Tech 22-10 on Wednesday evening in the NAIA Opening Round Upland Bracket Championship, clinching the program’s third trip to the World Series and the second appearance in four seasons. Despite chilly temperatures and a contest that plodded on past the four-hour mark, TU’s bats remained scorching hot to finish off the prolific three-day offensive display.
The Trojans set a new Opening Round single-game program record with 22 runs, topping the 19 runs scored yesterday, and the 20 hits are the program’s most in any NAIA national tournament contest. TU’s combined three-game offensive output included 47 runs, 47 hits and 12 home runs during its tear through the Opening Round. The 22 runs tied for the second-most TU has scored in any game this season — a mark matched three times — and the 20 hits also tied a season high.
Ben Kennedy led the way going 3-for-5 with four RBIs, three runs scored, two doubles, a home run and a walk. Jordan Malott matched the four-RBI mark on a 2-for-6 day that included a home run, his second consecutive monster game on the program’s biggest stage. Kaden Wu broke out with a career-high three hits and four RBIs (3-for-5 with a double), tying his career high in the RBI column. Brayden Manning reached base four times on a 3-for-5 line with three runs scored, an RBI and a pair of walks. Jake Boyer earned the win with 3.1 innings of five-strikeout work and one earned run before handing the ball to Nick Crabtree, who delivered 3.1 innings of relief with a season-high seven strikeouts. Nathan Frady and JT Tabor polished off the Tech lineup over the final two-plus innings.
Both teams sent their full lineup to the plate in the opening inning, TU rolled 10 men to the dish in the first and another nine in the second, and the game needed a full hour just to get through two frames. The Trojans’ first four hitters all reached: Fletcher Roemmich led off with a single, Luke Sutter worked a full-count walk, Manning singled up the middle and Malott reached on a fielder’s choice. Two Indiana Tech errors widened the damage, and Quinn Kunkel cleared the bases with a double to right-center for a 6-0 lead. Tech starter Noah Redmon, who entered with a 7-1 record, was already past 40 pitches. The Warriors punched right back though, loading the bases against TU in the bottom of the first, and Jack Ferguson cleared them with a grand slam down the right-field line. Brycen Hannah followed with a solo shot to center, and just like that a six-run cushion was a 6-5 ballgame.
However, it didn’t stay close for long as Malott crushed a towering three-run blast to right, and Wu’s two-out RBI single chased Redmon from the game with TU back ahead 10-5. Malott’s long ball was his 18th of the year which gave the senior sole possession of third place on the TU all-time single-season home run chart. The cushion only grew in the fourth, with Sam Gladd and Kennedy delivering back-to-back hits — Kennedy’s double down the left-field line plated Gladd all the way from first — and Wu followed with a double of his own that snuck just inside the chalk in left to score Kennedy and Nate Simpson. Sutter dropped an RBI single into short left to make it 14-5.
Indiana Tech kept nicking — its leadoff man reached in four straight innings — and Hannah’s third hit of the night sparked a fifth-inning run on a Richards double, the Warriors’ first since the opening frame. But that was as close as they got. Wu added another RBI single in the top of the sixth to cap his three-hit day at the plate, and from there the night turned into the Crabtree show, the left-hander sitting down five of his last six hitters he faced into the seventh. TU tacked more runs off a wild pitch, passed ball and Nate Simpson sacrifice fly. Kennedy, in his final career at-bat at Winterholter Field, turned on a pitch and sent it into the Indiana night for a home run in the final inning. The senior now holds program records for most home runs (4-tied with Gladd), RBIs (17) and doubles (5) in Opening Round contests.
With Indiana Tech (43-17) playing as the home team, Tabor slammed the door in the bottom of the ninth and ended the game with a strikeout to send the Trojans dogpiling for a third time this season. It was the second time in program history TU had cruised through the Opening Round Upland Bracket by going undefeated at 3-0, which was also accomplished during the 2023 World Series run. TU will await the bracket reveal and opening matchups for the 69th Annual NAIA World Series, which kicks off on May 22 at historic Harris Field in Lewiston.
Indianapolis Colts Announce Dates and Times for 2026 NFL Preseason In addition to releasing their 2026 regular season schedule, the Colts on Thursday also announced the three opponents they’ll face during the 2026 preseason: Preseason Week 1: At New England Patriots (Thursday, Aug. 13, 7:30 p.m.) – BUY TICKETS Preseason Week 2: vs. Atlanta Falcons (Saturday, Aug. 22, 1 p.m.) – BUY TICKETS Preseason Week 3: vs. Detroit Lions (Saturday, Aug. 29, 3 p.m.) – BUY TICKETS The Indianapolis Colts will play two preseason home games and eight regular season home games at Lucas Oil Stadium, with one preseason away game and nine regular season away games this season. Single game tickets are on sale now for all home games at Lucas Oil Stadium! Find tickets at Colts.com/SingleGame
Taylor University Men’s Tennis Player Graham Beukelman Named to CSC Academic All-District Team Taylor University’s Graham Beukelman has been named to the College Sports Communicators NAIA Academic All-District Men’s Tennis Team, announced by CSC headquarters on Tuesday. Beukelman, a sophomore majoring in human physiology and preventative medicine, received his first CSC Academic All-District honor with a cumulative GPA of 3.92. The Colorado native competed in all 16 matches during the 2025-26 fall and spring seasons, leading the Trojans with eight victories in singles play. Beukelman went 5-5 at No. 3 Singles and 3-2 at No. 2 Singles, while posting four consecutive wins in Crossroads League action from March 31 to April 11. He also registered four wins at the top of TU’s lineup in doubles play alongside teammate Tyler Lane. Beukelman was also recently recognized as an NAIA Scholar-Athlete.
Among the 68 CSC All-District men’s tennis honorees, Beukelman is one of 23 individuals to advance to the CSC Academic All-America ballot. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America honorees will be announced June 3, 2026. The 2025-26 Academic All-District® Men’s and Women’s Tennis Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.
The Trojans have started picking up awards and honors for the 2025-2026 year. TU has already garnered 64 Crossroads League, WHAC and MSFA Player-of-the-Week awards, six NAIA National Athlete-of-the-Week honors, 22 NAIA All-American honors, 127 all-league awards, two individual NAIA National Championships, seven individual Crossroads League Championships, two league players of the year, one CL Freshman of the Year, three CL Newcomers of the Year, one National Athlete of the Year, 180 NAIA Scholar-Athlete awards, 88 Academic All-League nods, 27 CSC Academic All-District selections and five CSC Academic All-Americans.