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PAGE 4B April 2026
Jacksonville State Wins Women's Bowling National Championship
OVERTON TO REMAIN WITH TIGERS - Auburn guard Kevin Overton has announced he will return to the Auburn University men’s basketball program for his senior season in 2026-27. Overton, who was named the NIT’s Most Outstanding Player, had a breakout season in his first year on the Plains by averaging 14.1 points per game while shooting 45 percent from the floor and 41.3 percent from long range. He led the Tigers in scoring during Auburn’s run to the NIT title by averaging 18.6 ppg and shooting 53.7 percent from behind the arc (22-of-41) in five contests. The Oklahoma City native scored 20 or more points in 11 games this season with a career-high 29 against NC State along with 26 in the NIT championship game against Tulsa which included the game-tying three to send it overtime and a 3-pointer to secure the OT win. AUBURN SEEKS GYMNASTICS COACH - Auburn Athletics and gymnastics coach Jeff Graba have mutually agreed to part ways after 16 seasons. Graba led the Tigers to 14 regional appearances and three NCAA Championship appearances. He led the program to the Final Four in 2022 and the Super Six in 2015. Overall, Graba’s athletes combined for 37 All-America honors and 45 All-SEC recognitions, including Olympic gold medalist Sunisa Lee with a program-best 10 All-America nods. Graba also had two athletes earn individual national championships and two SEC individual titles. Graba was named Southeastern Coach of the Year in 2014 and 2015 and SEC co-Coach of the Year in 2012. Auburn’s search for a new gymnastics coach is underway. VOLS ADD ASSISTANT COACH - The University of Tennessee women's basketball has announced that former Georgia assistant Isoken Uzamere has joined the Lady Vols as an assistant coach. Named in 2023 as one of the "50 Most Impactful High Major NCAA Division I Women's Assistant Coaches" by Silver Waves Media, Uzamere spent the past four seasons as an assistant to Katie Abrahamson-Henderson at UGA and spent 14 years working alongside "Coach ABE" in successful stints at Georgia, UCF and Albany. She has contributed to teams making nine NCAA Tournaments, including the Bulldogs in 2023 and 2026. BAYLOR & UCF TO MEET ON FRIDAY - Baylor football has had its game at UCF adjusted and will now kickoff on Oct. 30 in Orlando at the Acrisure Bounce House. Television information will be announced at a later date. The game marks a return to UCF for the first time since a historic 2023 comeback win that saw the Bears rally from down 35-7 in the second half to post a 36-35 win over the Knights in Orlando. Baylor has won both of the meetings with UCF since the Knights joined the Big 12, including a 30-3 rout in 2025 at McLane Stadium. The Bears will host a finale of the spring practice season, Baylor Fan Fest, on April 25 at McLane Stadium. Baylor opens its 2026 season on Sept. 5 vs. Auburn in Atlanta. NACC SOFTBALL DUO HONORED - Two Northeast Alabama Community College softball players have been rewarded for their efforts during the No. 1-nationally ranked Mustangs' most recent conference sweep. NACC freshmen Marti McCluskey and Addie Edwards were named the Alabama Community College Conference's weekly ACCC Division I Softball Player of the Week and Pitcher of the Week respectively. It's the second time this season that a pair of Mustangs have swept the ACCC's weekly softball awards. Edwards and sophomore Kiley Weston did so last month. The honor McCluskey's first ACCC Player of the Week award. The Tuscaloosa native batted .615 (8-for-13) and totaled two doubles, two home runs, three walks, six RBIs, two stolen bases while scoring eight runs during NACC's four-game sweep of conference foe Snead State. For the season, McCluskey is batting .455 (51-for-122) with 16 doubles, nine home runs, 43 RBIs, 20 walks, six stolen bases and has scored 41 runs. She leads the ACCC in doubles and is third in walks and runs, fourth in home runs and RBIs, fifth in on-base percentage and sixth in batting average. This is the sixth time Edwards has been named the ACCC Pitcher of the Week. Edwards twice made history last week. She pitched NACC's first no-hitter during a 2-0 win at Snead State on Saturday while also becoming the two-year-old program's all-time leader in career strikeouts (134). The Chatsworth, Georgia native also got the win in Saturday's second game against Snead State, pitching three no-hit innings in relief to improve to 18-0 on the season. She totaled 16 strikeouts over 10 innings during Saturday's doubleheader. Edwards leads all of National Junior College Athletic Association Division I Softball in wins and ERA (0.56) and is fourth nationally in strikeouts. She leads the ACCC in wins, strikeouts, ERA, WHIP (0.64), complete games (17) and shutouts (11) and is tied for the league lead in saves (three). SIDELINE SPORTS
crowd, as Jacksonville State looked to complete a historic seasonal run and the Shockers sought an upset. The final round offers a different format than that of the earlier matches, with the two teams only competing in a Baker best-of-seven game. Rolling off their big match over Vandy, the Shockers were able to come out strong and take the game one point. Nevertheless, the Gamecocks could not be stopped as they soared through the next three games to take a 3-1 lead. The fourth game was a battle, coming down to the last roll of the match. For the title, Jax State’s Gianna Brandolino put down back-to-back strikes in the tenth frame to take the fifth game point. Jacksonville State has now won two national championships in just three years as a program. Under the leadership of Shannon O’Keefe, the team has completed a record-breaking 103-10 season.
Jacksonville State claimed its second National Collegiate Women’s Bowling Championship title after a thrilling 4-1 victory over Wichita State in the final on Saturday, April 11, 2026 night at Yorktown Lanes in Cleveland, Ohio. The morning opened with the final elimination match between Wichita State and Vanderbilt. In the fight for a championship spot, the two teams exchanged leads multiple times before the Commodores pulled ahead with a 1,106-1,027 victory for the traditional point. However, the Shockers denied the sweep, beating Vandy 1,038-992 in the Baker match and forcing the best-of-seven. Despite the Commodores best attempt to flip the momentum, Wichita State secured the victory with a 4-2 finish in the best-of-seven. With the win, the Shockers would advance to the show. The championship kicked off in front of an excited
Photo Courtesy of UA Athletics
The University of Alabama football program held its annual A-Day game on Saturday, April 11, 2026 at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Fans were able to get their first look at the 2026 roster during the intrasquad game. The Tide scrimmaged for just over two hours under clear, sunny skies. Prior to kickoff, the Crimson Tide’s 2025 captains along with Head Coach Kalen DeBoer took part in the program’s long-standing Captain’s Ceremony. Alabama’s (L-R) Tim Keenan III, Deontae Lawson, (Coach DeBoer), Ty Simpson, and Parker Brailsford cemented their place in history by leaving their handprint and footprint in the concrete at Denny Chimes.
Photo Courtesy of UA Athletics
Alabama in action during the 2026 A-Day game in Tuscaloosa.
Alabama's Patrick Murphy Becomes First SEC Softball Coach to Earn 500 Conference Wins 1999 season. No other SEC head softball coach has even reached 400 conference wins.
University of Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy is the first softball coach in Southeastern Conference history to earn 500 SEC wins. Coach Murphy and the Crimson Tide reached the milestone following a 4-0 shutout victory over Auburn on Saturday, April 11, 2026 to secure the weekend road series. "This is the 30th year of Alabama softball and the coolest part about it is that I’ve been here from day one, two years as an assistant and 28 as the head coach. I know every young woman who has played here, I know their families, I know what they’re doing now, where they’re working, the whole thing. It’s one of the biggest blessings of my life,” said Murphy. Following the win against Auburn, Murphy now owns an all-time SEC record of 500-205 (.709) in 28 years as the Crimson Tide’s head coach, serving in that role since the
Alabama (38-3, 11-3 SEC) posted its second consecutive shutout over Auburn (23-18, 2-12 SEC) to clinch the weekend series, marking the first time since 2014 the Tide has won each of its first five conference series. Vic Moten (15-2) pitched a complete-game shutout, her fourth of the season, allowing just four baserunners on one hit and three walks. Seven different players had at least one hit in the game, including two-hit efforts from Alexis Pupillo, Ambrey Taylor and Salen Hawkins. Brooke Wells launched her 17th home run of the season to put her in a four-way tie for seventh place on Alabama’s single season home run record list.
University of Alabama Coach Patrick Murphy. Photo Courtesy of UA Athletics
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