Mackenize Holmes & Grace Berger earn WBCA All-Region Finalist Honors
Indiana’s Mackenize Holmes and Grace Berger have been named region finalist for the 2023 WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches’ All-America, announced by the organization on Wednesday. Berger earns her fourth distinction on the region 5 list and has earned All-American honorable mention honors twice in her career. Holmes is now a two-time honoree from the committee and was an honorable All-American mention selection last season. The duo will advance to All-American voting, which will be announced later this month.
The Gorham, Maine native averaged a team-high 22.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and is one of the nation’s most accurate shooters by going 68.0 percent from the floor. She is second in the nation and leading the Big Ten in field goal percentage, fifth in field goals made (281), sixth in points scored (692), and seventh in points per game (22.3). Holmes led the Hoosiers in scoring on 25 occasions this season while posting double figures in 31 games, scoring 20 points 19 times and three 30-point scoring efforts. Her nine double-doubles led the team, as six of her double-doubles occurred in conference play which ranks eighth all-time in a single season. She led the league in blocks (58) and blocks per game (1.9) and averages 1.1 steals (35) per game. She set a season-high five blocks against Nebraska and Michigan while recording multiple blocks in 14 games. Holmes is now in the top five in scoring in school history (1,897) and second in all-time blocks (208). Other awards from Holmes this season included the program’s first Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and is now a three-time All-Big Ten selection in her career. She has also been named a 2023 Lisa Leslie Award finalist and the first Hoosier to appear on the 2023 Wooden Award national ballot. She is also a candidate for a variety of other national player of the year awards including, 2023 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy, 2023 Wade Trophy and 2023 USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale Player of the Year.
Berger finished her IU career as a four-time All-Big Ten first team. In 24 games this season, the Louisville, Ky. native averaged 12.9 points, 5.8 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting 48.4 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range and 75.7 percent at the free throw line. She scored in double figures 18 times including a season-high 26 points in the win over Iowa. A player who does a little bit of everything, Berger has dished out multiple assists in 21 games and averages 1.0 steals per outing while holding a +2.3 assist-to-turnover ratio. She collected three double-doubles this year including two on the road at then No. 11/4 Tennessee and in a win at Ohio State while also having the first point/assist double-double for the program since 2017.
Indiana University Baseball scores 11 runs in 7th inning to beat Indiana State
An 11-run outburst in the bottom of the seventh inning helped the Indiana baseball program to a 15-4 victory over Indiana State on Tuesday at Bart Kaufman Field. It marked the first double-digit run inning for an IU offense since it scored 11 runs in the seventh inning against Butler on March 23, 2016. Indiana (13-7) opened the scoring with a pair of runs in the second inning, before Indiana State (8-10) scored one in the third. After a two-run Hoosier home run, the Sycamores tallied three runs in the seventh to knot the score at four runs apiece. IU scored 11 runs in the bottom of the seventh to retake the lead. A solo home run in the ninth for ISU capped the scoring.
All nine starters reached base in the game with eight of them collecting hits, led by three-hit nights from sophomores Carter Mathison and Brock Tibbits. All three of Mathison’s hits went for extra bases with two doubled and one home run, and he added two runs scored and three RBIs. Tibbitts singled three times, walked once, drove in one RBI and scored four runs in the game. Freshman Devin Taylor posted his third career multi-RBI game with three runs batted in on a double in the seventh inning and freshman Tyler Cerny added a pair of RBIs in the 11-run frame. Senior Phillip Glasser chipped in a pair of hits for his 13th multi-hit game and ran his hitting streak to 10 games in the process. He scored two runs and has been on base in all 21 games this season.
In all, 11 pitchers saw time on the mound in the game for Indiana with junior Seti Manase starting the contest. He fired a scoreless inning, while (in order of appearance) freshmen Brayden Risedorph, freshman Ethan Phillips, freshman Ayden Decker-Petty, graduate student Gabe Levy and sophomore Ryan Kraft also fired scoreless frames. Redshirt-senior Craig Yoho (2-0) got the win after he allowed one run on one hit with two walks and two strikeouts. He entered with two runners on base and one out in the seventh.
For Indiana State, six of the seven pitchers used gave up multiple runs with Jacob Pruitt (0-1) saddled with the loss after allowing two runs on one hit over two-thirds innings of work. Four of ISU’s seven hits came in the form of two-hit nights from Seth Gergely and Randal Diaz. Both scored runs in the game and Diaz had one RBI. Indiana will continue its homestand with its Big Ten opening series against Ohio State beginning on Friday. First pitch is slated for 6pm. and the game can be seen on B1G+ and heard on the Indiana Sports Radio Network
Former Indiana All Star Boys Basketball star Luke Brown transfers to Indiana Wesleyan University
Luke Brown is on the move once again this time he is coming back to Indiana to play for NAIA Power Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion Indiana. Brown played at Blackford HS in Hartford City Indiana which is 23 Miles Southeast of Marion. Brown scored 3,011 points which is 4th all time Indiana High School Boys Basketball History and was named a 2021 Indiana All Star. Brown originally committed to Stetson University in De Land Florida out of high school but after arriving at the school he decided to transfer to Ball State University which is half hour away from his home. Brown played in 18 Games for the Cardinals averaging 3.3 points and 12.4 minutes per game scoring 60 points. Brown decided to transfer and go back Stetson and played in 28 games with 12 starts this season. Brown scored 286 points for 10.4 points per game averaging and played 24.8 minutes per game along with a career high 27 Points against Florida State.
Brown will not have to sit out the upcoming season by transferring out of Division 1 to NAIA. In High School Brown averaged 31.7 points per game as a senior, 35.0 points per game as a junior, 32.3 points per game as a sophomore and 27.8 points per game as a freshman. He poured in 40 plus points on 13 occasions, with four totaling 50 or more. In addition to scoring, Brown recorded 599 Carrer assists, ranking ninth in state history. Brown was a two-time Indiana Supreme 15 All-State selection.
Indianapolis Cathedral Quarterback Danny O’Neil commits to The University of Colorado for 2024
Indianapolis Cathedral Quarterback Danny O’Neil is going Prime Time. Technically the Cathedral quarterback is going to play for “Coach Prime.” O’Neil, after taking a second visit to Colorado over the weekend, committed Tuesday to new coach Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes for the Class of 2024. O’Neil can sign his National Letter of Intent this December or Next February which will be his Senior Year.
O’Neil completed 62.9% of his passes as a junior for 2,654 yards and 32 touchdowns for a Cathedral team that reached the Class 6A semi state. For his high school career, he has 5,718 passing yards and 67 TDs and 604 rushing yards and 19 TDs. O’Neil, rated as a three-star prospect by 247sports and the No. 5 overall prospect in the state in the class, had offers from Colorado, Kentucky, Illinois, Louisville, Indiana, Purdue, Northwestern, Syracuse, West Virginia, Wake Forest and others.
2023 Boys Basketball Rosters announced for inaugural Indiana All Stars Futures Game
The boys’ rosters for the inaugural “Futures Game”, played in conjunction with the Indiana All-Star festivities, will feature some of the state’s top high school basketball players. The boys’ game is set for 2 p.m. on June 10 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, following the girl’s game at noon. The full day of basketball will conclude with the Indiana All-Star girls against Kentucky at 5 p.m., followed by the Indiana-Kentucky boys’ game at 8 p.m.
The Futures Game features 24 of the top girls and 24 of the top boys from the state. They are freshmen, sophomores and juniors selected by a committee set up by Broughton.
The boys’ rosters:
Indiana North Team- Jalen Haralson, 6-6, Fishers, Soph., Kanon Catchings, 6-6, Brownsburg, Jr., Flory Bidunga, 6-10, Kokomo, Jr., Justin Sims, 6-4, Chesterton, Jr., Brauntae Johnson, 6-2, Fort Wayne North Side, Jr., Trey Buchanan, 6-0, Westfield, Jr., Dominique Murphy, 6-5, East Chicago Central, Soph., Chase Konieczny, 6-4, South Bend St. Joseph, Soph., Grady Carpenter, 6-5, Tipton, Soph., Isaac Andrews, 6-1, Wapahani, Jr., Ajani Washington, 6-2, Fort Wayne Concordia, Jr. and Sabien Cain, 6-4, University, Jr.
Head coach: Clint Swan, Crown Point and Assistant coach: Cliff Hawkins, Tipton
Indiana South Team- Jack Benter, 6-4, Brownstown Central, Jr., Trent Sisley, 6-7, Heritage Hills, Soph., Azavier Robinson, 6-1, Lawrence North, Soph., Dezmon Briscoe, 6-7, Crispus Attucks, Soph., Josiah Dunham, 6-1, Evansville Christian, Jr., Mark Zackery, 6-1, Ben Davis, Soph., Braylon Mullins, 6-4, Greenfield-Central, Soph., Brennan Miller, 6-6, Lawrence North, Fr., Micah Davis, 6-2, Franklin, Jr., K.J. Windham, 6-3, Ben Davis, Jr., Blake Neill, 6-1, Bloomfield, Fr. and Taray Howell, 5-8, Evansville Bosse, Jr.
Head coach: Kirk Manns, Seymour and Assistant coach: Jackson Williams, Greenwood Christian
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