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Alabama Ledger www.AlabamaLedger.com
PAGE 9 June 2026
TROY ENDS MIAMI'S BASEBALL SEASON Despite building a four-run lead through five innings, the Miami Hurricanes baseball team surrendered seven runs as Troy rallied for a 9-6 win. The Hurricanes finished the 2026 campaign 39-20 and 16-14 in conference play. Zach Crotchfelt (7-2) earned the win for Troy after tossing 4.1 scoreless innings of relief, allowing four hits while striking out one. Jake Dorn (5-2) was charged with the loss for Miami after surrendering two earned runs off two hits in 1.2 innings of work. Troy answered Miami’s early offensive surge with a steady comeback over the middle innings, scoring seven unanswered runs from the fifth through the eighth to pull away for a 9-6 victory. Troy added an insurance run in the eighth on an RBI single from T.J. Meier, while the Trojan bullpen held Miami scoreless over the final four innings to secure the win. PENN STATE TO OPEN MATT CAMPBELL ERA The Penn State Nittany Lions football program will open the Matt Campbell era at Beaver Stadium on Saturday, September 5 against Marshall. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. on FS1. Additionally, Penn State will visit Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday, Sept. 12 for a matchup against Temple. Kickoff is slated for noon on ESPN2. The Nittany Lions finish their non-conference schedule with a home contest against Buffalo on Saturday, Sept. 19. Kickoff is set for noon on Big Ten Network. FLORIDA FOOTBALL GAME TIMES The Florida Gators will open the 2026 football season against in-state rival Florida Atlantic on September 5 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 7:45 p.m. on SEC Network. Florida will then host Campbell on Sept. 12 in Gainesville at 5:30 p.m. on SECN+. On Sept. 19, the Gators will open SEC play at Auburn at 7 p.m. on ESPN. The remaining game window designations for the 2026 season will be announced on June 10 at 7 p.m. on SEC Network. Previously, Florida’s game at FSU on Friday, Nov. 27 was announced for a 3:30 p.m. start on ABC. DEBOR TO SPEAK TO ALUMNI ASSOCIATION The Jackson County Chapter of the University of Alabama National Alumni Association will host its annual Roll Tide BBQ, featuring Alabama football head coach Kalen DeBoer, on Monday, June 22, 2026, at 5 p.m. at the Scottsboro Civic Center. Individual adult tickets are $50, and tickets for children under 12 are $25. Additionally, tickets for a table of eight guests can be purchased for $500. All tickets may be purchased by credit card, check or cash at the Mountain Lakes Chamber of Commerce office or by calling 256-259-5500. They must be ordered in advance, but can be paid for at the door. AUBURN AND BAYLOR FOOTBALL KICKOFF The 2026 Aflac Kickoff Game featuring Auburn and Baylor at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sept. 5 will begin at 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC. The Tigers are playing in Atlanta for the first time since 2018 and making their fourth appearance in the Aflac Kickoff Game (2012, 2015 and 2018). The contest will mark the sixth all-time meeting between Auburn and Baylor following the Tigers’ 38–24 victory in Waco on August 31, 2025. Auburn leads the series 2-2-1. CUSA BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIRMAN Jacksonville State University President, Dr. Don Killingsworth, has been selected to serve as Chair of the CUSA Board of Directors. Liberty University President, Dr. Dondi Costin, was appointed to the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors and selected as Vice Chair. They will be joined on the Executive Committee by Dr. White, Kennesaw State University President, Dr. Kathy Schwaig and WKU University President, Dr. Tim Caboni. CUSA SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP AT JSU During the Spring Conference USA meeting, Jacksonville State was one of four locations approved to hold a future conference championship. Jax State will be the host for the 2026-27 CUSA softball championships. The event will move to Sam Houston in the 2027-28. MTSU will hold the 2027-28 Women's Soccer Championship and Kennesaw State will host the 2027-28 Volleyball Championship. SIDELINE SPORTS
Tennessee Baseball Concludes Season JAX STATE FOOTBALL ON TV The Jacksonville State University football program has announced that half of its games for the upcoming season have been picked up by Conference USA's television partners, and a chance to have two others elevated to national TV. The Gamecocks season opener on August 29 at North Dakota State will air on CBS Sports Network. CBSSN will also carry the rematch of last year's Air National Guard Conference USA Championship at Kennesaw State on October 7, the homecoming game on November 7, and regular season finale at Delaware on November 28. Jax State will play on ESPNU on October 13 against FIU and on ESPN2 at New Mexico State on October 28 during Weekday CUSA. ESPN+ will carry Jax State's home opener against Eastern Kentucky on September 5, the 2024 Cure Bowl rematch at Ohio on September 12, and the game on September 19 against Georgia Southern. November games at Western Kentucky and at home against Missouri State are designated for ESPN platforms and remain subject to the league's 12-day selection process, and kickoff times are subject to change based on television placement. Photo by Brandon K. Pierce, The Sports Ledger
The University of Tennessee baseball program had its season come to a close on Saturday, May 30, 2026 with a 5-4 loss to VCU in the Chapel Hill Regional. A couple of early missed opportunities proved costly as the Volunteers left five runners on base, including three in scoring position over the first two frames. Despite that, UT (38-22) was still able to strike first via a Reese Chapman two-run homer in the top of the third inning. The Rams (38-24) answered back with a leadoff solo homer from Trent Adelman in the bottom of the third and looked like they would tie the game later in the inning on a single by Jacob Lee, but a perfect throw from left fielder Garrett Wright cut down the runner at home plate to end the inning. Despite battling an illness, Tennessee starter Tegan Kuhns got off to a fantastic start by striking out five batters over the first two innings. However, the sophomore right- hander was only able to make it through four innings when it was all said and done, allowing three runs on four hits and a walk. VCU scored two runs in consecutive innings to take a lead it would not relinquish, tagging Kuhns for two in the fourth before getting two more off of reliever Brady Frederick on a Nate Kirkpatrick two-run double in the fifth to take a 5-2 lead.
Mark Hindy did well to be alert and cut down an attempted steal of home plate to end the fifth inning and limit the damage to just two runs to keep the Vols within striking distance. Stone Lawless hammered a 3-1 pitch over the left- field wall in the top of the sixth to cut the VCU lead to two runs. Lawless and the Big Orange continued to battle back with another run in the eighth as the redshirt sophomore catcher drove in Levi Clark with a sacrifice fly to make it a 5-4 game. While Tennessee was battling back at the plate, freshman reliever Cam Appenzeller was dominating on the mound to keep the Rams from extending their lead. The lefty retired all eight batters he faced, striking out five of them. Tennessee got the tying run on base in the top of the ninth via a one-out walk, but a strikeout and a line out to right field ended the game as Zachary Peters nailed down his seventh save of the season. UT outhit the VCU, 10-7, for the game and had seven different players finish with a hit, including multi-hit days from Wright, Trent Grindlinger and Chapman. With their appearance in this year's Chapel Hill Regional, the Big Orange extended their NCAA Tournament streak to seven straight, building on their program record.
• REEL 1 - Alabama's Salen Hawkins (#47) in action against Nebraska in the Women’s College World Series at Devon Park in Oklahoma City on May 30, 2026. • REEL 2 - Big 12 Conference Has A New Replay Operations Center in Irving, TX. It will open for the 2027 football season. • REEL 3 - Hewitt-Trussville celebrates the Huskies’ recent Class 7A State Softball Championship. • REEL 4 - Freshman Addie Edwards pitched a two-hit shutout for NACC during its 8-0 NJCAA DI Softball World Series win over Gaston, North Carolina. HIGHLIGHT PHOTO REEL Reel Photos courtesy of Alabama Athletics, Big 12 Conference, AHSAA, and NACC
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