College Sports – SmeeSports

Mikey Maloney Dominates in First Career Mount Union Start as the Purple Raiders Defeat Wheaton 37-29

Alliance, OH- For the 38th consecutive season, the Mount Union Purple Raiders get a win in week one by downing the Wheaton Thunder 37-29. With it, the NCAA’s longest regular-season win streak increases to 76. The last time UMU lost in the regular season was in their last game against John Carroll in Alliance.

Mount Union got the ball to begin the game and wasted no time driving down the field. Mikey Maloney picked up a first down by connecting with returning wideout Nick Turner. Maloney followed this up with a 55-yard run, putting UMU at the Wheaton seven-yard line. Three plays later, Wyatt Stiehl caught his first touchdown pass since returning to Mount after a year at Southern Florida. Ivan Maric would miss the extra point, so the score remained 6-0 with 13:17 left in the first quarter.

The Thunder would pick up nine yards on their opening drive as Mark Forcucci found Seth Kortenhoeven. However, back-to-back incompletions forced Wheaton to punt. Mount Union used the short yardage game as a launching pad during its second drive. Seven out of the nine plays on the drive went for less than 10 yards. The exceptions came in the form of a 21-yard pass to Turner and a 17-yard touchdown pass to Elmherst transfer Jacob Cockrell. Maric was able to redeem himself as he made the extra point, making it 13-0 with 7:24 left in the first quarter.

The Thunder responded on the following drive as they went 51 yards on four plays to get on the board by way of a 10-yard rushing touchdown from Matt Crider. The Purple Raiders would also respond, taking eight plays and 75 yards to find the endzone. This time, Maloney connected with Shaun Thomas on a wheel route for the 42-yard score. This made the score 20-7 as the first quarter came to a close.

Wheaton looked for an answer with a mythodical drive, but a Forcucci incompletion on the 12th play ended the drive at Mount’s 27-yard line. To make matters worse, Maloney found Cockrell for an 81-yard touchdown after being sacked on the prior play. With the Purple Raiders up by 20, the Thunder needed to get back in the game. However, another mythodical drive stalled out as Wheaton turned the ball over at UMU’s 11-yard line. From there, Mount Union would have a drive stall out after 9 plays, which was followed by a Thunder three-and-out. After trying to get down the field quickly at the end of the half, Maloney was dragged down for the second time, and the Purple Raiders opted to run the clock out. Through 30 minutes, it was Mount Union up 27-7.

The Wheaton offense would continue to have its struggles as the second half began. They would go three-and-out for the second consecutive series, this time with negative eight yards of offense. Maric would hit his first field goal of the season on the ensuing drive, making it 30-7. Keenan Cruz would get his first career interception at Mount Union on the first play of the Thunder’s next drive. This gave Maloney and the offense a short field. Turner would get into the endzone for the first time this season on a one-yard touchdown pass from Maloney. This would round out the Purple Raiders’ offense for the day as they led 37-7.

Down by 30 as the fourth quarter began, things looked bleak for Wheaton. Once again, the Thunder opted for a mythical drive. However, Forcucci was able to find the endzone on a 21-yard scamper. This made it 37-14. Junior quarterback Chase Copper would come in for Mount Union, along with sophomore running back Kayden Minner. They were able to move the ball 19 yards before a loss of two on a rush and a loss of five on a delay of game penalty, forcing Michael Franklin back onto the field to punt. Overall, two of Franklin’s punts ended up inside the 20-yard line. He averaged 44.3 yards per punt, improving on his 41 yards per punt in 2024.

With 8:15 left in the game, the Thunder offense finally clicked. Forcucci took 4:28 off the clock before finding Kortenhoeven for a 19-yard touchdown. This made it 37-21. Then, Wheaton recovered an onside kick out of nowhere. Yet again, Kortenhoeven punished the Purple Raiders as he caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from Forcucci. With a successful two-point conversion, a 30-point game became a one-possession game. Maloney and the starters were forced back onto the field given the circumstances, and they got the job done. On a crucial third down, Maloney found Matt Anderson for his 19th completion of the day. However, the tight end fumbled the ball. Still, UMU was able to pounce on the rock, sealing the 37-29 victory.

“The Machine is the consistency of the program,” remarked Mount Union head coach Geoff Dartt after the game.

It’s no secret that players want to come to Alliance to play for UMU, as shown by the sheer number of players on the roster. However, Coach Dartt doesn’t want just any player.

“I think that [35 OAC losses since first title back in 1985] speaks more to the players that are choosing to come here and want to be coached hard and become the best versions of themselves…and I think it’s even more important when you recruit people, they’re good people that want to be coached and want to be developed.”

One of the best pieces of recruiting this past offseason, staying in line with Coach Dartt’s mantra, was bringing in Jacob Cockrell from Elmherst. In his Purple Raider debut, he caught three passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns.

“Meeting these coaches and players, I really wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” proclaimed Cockrell after the game.

Circling back to Mount Union’s lone interception, senior Keenan Cruz was glad to see his hard work pay off in a big way.

Cruz said, “Yeah, it’s amazing. A lot of preparation and work was put in. To see some of that pay off and finally get that [interception], that’s awesome.”

As for the Purple Raiders’ new QB 1 in Mikey Maloney, he had the definition of a dream debut. He went 19/24 with 307 yards and 5 touchdowns. He was also second on the team with 44 rushing yards.

Last season, the Riverside legend went down with an injury that ended his campaign in the win against Wilmington. However, he found comfort in God as he attributed his success to Him.

“The biggest thing being injured is the mental side of it, and I think I grew a lot as a person. My faith in God really helped me find myself, helped me be confident in His plan for me. So, I just put my faith in Him.”

During the postgame press conference with Coach Dartt, he even joked that Maloney could run for Mayor of Riverside [Painesville], showing not only that he is an excellent quarterback, but also a good person.

Next week, it’s on to Grove City as Mount Union takes on the Wolverines in their second and final 1 PM kickoff of the season. This week, Grove City made a statement as they knocked off #10 Courtland 31-14 on the road in New York.

As for Wheaton, it is another road trip next week as they take on Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. The Vikings earned a thrilling win, 42-41, in overtime on the road against Simpson in Iowa. This matchup will begin College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) play for the 2025 campaign.

Mount Union had a task heading into week one-keep The Machine rolling and get the win. In the end, it’s mission accomplished for one of the prides of Alliance, albeit in a closer game than once expected. As the saying goes, a win’s a win. 13 more wins, and Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium will host the Purple Raiders in the Stagg Bowl to close out the season.

2025 MAC Football Schedule Week 1

As we begin the road to Detroit for the 2nd time in conference history this week, every team in the MAC will begin their season this week. With five games on Thursday, two on Friday, and six on Saturday. Let’s take a look at each team’s matchup for the 2025 season. During a 3 year cycle, each team will play another 12 home and away contests which allows for new teams to face off and rivalries to continue.

Broadcasts for games will vary depending on the team, date, time, and opponent. We have some of the games broadcast plans listed below and we will give updates here with a written weekly recap of each game.

Another notable event for this season is University of Massachusetts will return to the MAC for the first time since 2015 and this will be the concluding season in the MAC for Northern Illinois Football. Overall each team will play non conference matchups with the first conference game being September 13th on Saturday when Buffalo will travel to Kent State to battle the Golden Flashes.

So with all that information, here are all the MAC football games for the 2025 season.

Thursday 8/28

Ohio Bobcats @ Rutgers Scarlet Knights 6:00 PM ET

Big Ten Network, Ohio Sports Network, WRSU-FM (88.7)

Lafayette Leopards @ Bowling Green Falcons 6:00 PM ET

ESPN+, Falcon Media Sports Network, Lafayette Sports Network

Wyoming Cowboys @ Akron Zips 7:00 PM ET

ESPN+, Cowboy Sports Network, WZIP Radio

Buffalo Bulls @ Minnesota Gophers 8:00 PM ET

FS1, The Varsity Network, 100.3 KFAN, KTCN 1130 AM

Miami Redhawks @ Wisconsin Badgers 9:00 PM ET

Big Ten Network, Redhawk Radio, iHeartMedia Wisconsin

Friday

Western Michigan Broncos @ Michigan State Spartans 7:00 PM ET

FS1, Bronco Media Network, Impact 89FM

Central Michigan Chippewas @ San Jose State Spartans 10:30 PM ET

Big Ten Network, WMHW FM, KLIV 1590 AM

Saturday

Ball State Cardinals @ Purdue Boilermakers 12:00 PM ET

Big Ten Network, Purdue Broadcast Network

Merrimack Warriors @ Kent State Golden Flashes 12:00 PM ET

ESPN+, WMCK Radio

Toledo Rockets @ Kentucky Wildcats 12:45 PM ET

SEC NETWORK, 88.3 FM WXUT

Temple Owls @ University of Massachusetts 3:30 PM ET

ESPN+, 1210 AM WPHT, UMass Sports Network

Holy Cross Crusaders @ Northern Illinois Huskies 3:30 PM ET

ESPN+, WCHC 88.1, WDKB 94.9 FM, NIU Huskies App, TuneIn

Eastern Michigan Eagles @ Texas State Bobcats 8:00 PM ET

ESPN+, 89.1 FM, KTSW 88.9

Overall these games will be the stepping stone for how the year goes along. Some games are projected to be more lopsided such as Kentucky having a 81.9% chance to win over Toledo as well as NIU being projected with a 88.8% chance to win over the Holy Cross Crusaders (Both Probabilities as per ESPN). What we see as well is games that could go either way and are very close such as Akron being projected with a 50.5% chance to win over the Wyoming Cowboys (as per ESPN). Overall the closest game by probability is Akron vs. Wyoming as the most likely game for victory is Bowling Green vs. Lafayette where BGSU has a 95.5% chance to win. All these probabilities will be up for discussion as well depending on how the game goes, as we are prone to see upsets with the MAC. A notable upset being Northern Illinois upsetting CFP finalist Notre Dame in week 2. Enjoy the first week of college football, Smee Sports will be doing a schedule breakdown similar to this every week during the college football season. As well as a breakdown each week for Volleyball then Men’s and Women’s soccer starting next week. More to come for week 2 here on Smee Sports!

*Please note we have highlighted all student media to our knowledge as well as the major networks where games have been announced. If Dan Ridenour has missed any MAC or other conference student broadcasting, let him know at dridenourbroadcasting@gmail.com

SmeeSports is Still Searching for Broadcast + Social Media Sponsors

Strongsville, OH- Calling on businesses in the Cleveland and Stark County Areas. SmeeSports is searching for broadcast sponsors as the Fall season is only a few weeks away!

Alliance, Marlington, Minerva, Holy Name, Padua, Tri-C, and Strongsville are some of the many schools we cover throughout the course of the year. Just as we have a great variety of schools in our coverage range, we have a number of sponsorship packages that will fit your needs. Take a moment to read our sponsorship menu below.

– Basic Broadcast Sponsor ($10 Per Game): This gets you a 30-second ad that runs on rotation throughout the broadcast.

-Highlight Package Sponsor ($5 Per Video): This gets your logo placed on a short form (60 seconds or less) highlight reel featuring footage from one of our many games. These highlights could be one player or a group, depending on the game. The video gets posted to Instagram, X, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

-Gameday Graphic Sponsor ($5 Per Graphic): This gets your logo placed on a teaser graphic for our broadcasts. Typically, these graphics include a player from each team. The graphic is posted on Instagram, X, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

-Website Sponsor ($100 Per Year): This gets an ad for your business on our website under the sponsors tab. This ad will always be present on the website and is fully customizable. It’s a great way to be advertising 365 days a year!

-Article Sponsor ($15 Per Article): This gets an ad for your business placed at the top of each article you sponsor. You could sponsor a specific team, style of content, etc. Just like the website sponsorship option, it is fully customizable.

-Broadcast Presenter ($5 Per Game): This add-on has your name said throughout the game. For example, “This is WRCL baseball on SmeeSports presented by INSERT COMPANY.”

-Keys to Victory Sponsor ($5 Per Game): This add-on attaches your business’s name to 3 keys to victory that we will track throughout the game. For example, “Your INSERT COMPANY Keys to Victory are”

-Pregame Show Sponsor ($5 Per Game): This add-on attaches your business’s name to our pregame show segment. For example, “This is the SmeeSports pregame show presented by INSERT COMPANY.”

If you and your business are interested in becoming a SmeeSports sponsor, email Nathan Smee at nsmee00@gmail.com. Alternatively, you can contact us on social media.

The NABF Announces their All-Tournament Team for College World Series

Canton, OH- After 15 games across three days at Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium, the Stark County Terriers were crowned NABF College World Series champions for the fourth consecutive season. On the morning of July 28th, WRCL commissioner and NABF representative John Mengelkamp sent out the all-tournament team selections for the 2025 NABF College World Series. Below is the all-tournament team.

C: Aidan Sheetz (Jasper Reds)-Northeast Dubois High School to IU Columbus

1B: Calvin Cackowski (B2 Bulls)-Thiel

2B: Christopher Maurer (Canton A’s)-Mount Union

3B: Anthony Bartiromo (Canton A’s)-Malone

SS: Nate Evans (3B Barons)-Penn State Shenango

OF: Ryan Shimek (Mountaineer Lumber Company)-Ashland

OF: Luke Ickes (Mountaineer Lumber Company)-Mount Union

OF: Nolan Kellicker (Stark County Terriers)-Baldwin Wallace

Utility: Dominic Trivisonno (Mountaineer Lumber Company)-John Carroll

Utility: Daniel Krabill (Stark County Terriers)-Oberlin

Utility: Josh Dezenzo (Stark County Terriers)-Washington & Jefferson

P: Ty Dennison (Stark County Terriers)-Mount Union

P: Brock Polilli (Canton Class A’s)-Massillon High School to Tiffin

P: Keagan Gilbride (Mountaineer Lumber Company)-Cuyahoga Community College

P: Braeden Kinnaird (B2 Bulls)-Hiram

P: Garret Odey (Stark County Terriers)-Earlham

Batting Champion: Nolan Kellicker (Stark County Terriers)-Baldwin Wallace

MVP: Ty Dennison (Stark County Terriers)-Mount Union

It is not a surprise to see the Stark County Terriers leading the way with five representatives, including the batting champion Kellicker and Dennison, the MVP, on the all-tournament team. The Mountaineer Lumber Company has four representatives, including Luke Ickes, who had a potential claim to the batting crown after pool play. The Canton Class A’s have three players while the B2 Bulls have two. Finally, the Jasper Reds and 3B Barons each have one representative.

Looking at colleges, the Ohio Athletic Conference ran the table with Mount Union having three players, and Baldwin Wallace, along with former OAC giants John Carroll, having one player each. Earlham, Hiram, Tri-C, Tiffin, Washington & Jefferson, Oberlin, Ashland, Penn State Shenango, Malone, Thiel, and IU Columbus have one player on the all-tournament team.

A Four-Peat: Dennison and Kellicker Steal the Show as the Stark County Terriers Win their Fourth Consecutive NABF College World Series Title

Canton, OH- In a transition year for the NABF College World Series and the Stark County Terriers, the 3-time defending champions found a way to keep their domination going as they knocked out the #3 seed Canton Class A’s and the #1 seed Mountaineer Lumber Company en route to their fourth title in a row.

This year marks the first time the NABF College World Series, along with the 16U and 18U World Series, were played in the Canton area. All of the College World Series games were held at Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium, the home of the Canton McKinley Bulldogs and the former home of the Terriers. After two days of pool play, the Mountaineer Lumber Company and Stark County Terriers were 3-1. With one spot remaining, the Canton Class A’s snuck in due to the Jasper Reds losing 11-1 to the B2 Bulls late Saturday night.

In the semifinals, Nolan Kellicker started the game on the mound for Stark County while Jaxon Monnard began the game for the A’s. Both pitchers had 1-2-3 first innings. In the second, Canton had runners at the corners with two outs, but Cade Marks flew out to left field to end the frame. At the bottom of the inning, Josh DeZenzo drove in the opening run on a sacrifice fly. Gavin Marceric drove in the second run of the frame on an RBI single hit into left field. Through two innings, the Terriers held a 2-0 lead.

In the top of the third, the A’s would get their first run of the day courtesy of Chris Maurer. The rising junior at Mount Union sent the ball into right field for an RBI single. Brett Moore would keep the Terriers on top as he gloved a hard-hit ball, forcing a 4-6-3 double play. Stark County restored their two-run lead in the bottom of the inning as Kaiden Mastri’s pop-up fell into shallow right field. However, the big breaking point came with two on and one down. DeZenzo stepped back in for the second time and launched a three-run homer over the left center field wall. With one swing of the bat, the Terriers led 6-1. Bradyn Canter would come into the game moments later to replace Monnard, closing out the third.

The Canton Class A’s would have the bases loaded at the top of the fourth inning, but Kellicker was able to strike out Brady White to get out of the jam. In the bottom of the inning, Mastri drove in another run on a clean swing into left field. However, the A’s would get the final out of the inning on an excellent throw home. However, the replay showed the runner appeared to be safe. Either way, the controversial call ended the fourth inning with the Terriers up 7-1. The score would remain the same heading into the bottom of the sixth inning until Luke Senften drove in Kellicker. Heading into the final half inning, it was 8-1 in favor of Stark County.

With their backs against the wall, the Canton Class A’s fought hard to stay in the game. The first run of the seventh would come in on a passed ball, making it 8-2. William Feser, in his second inning of work after replacing Kellicker, would have the bases loaded behind him. The third run of the game would come in on a balk. By MLB and NABF rules, a balk is a live ball. While it was put into play via the bat, it was still live. With two down, Nathan Johnson would drive in a pair of runs. Up by three, the Terriers would find the final out on a routine flyout to centerfield. Stark County would advance to the NABF College World Series Championship Game with an 8-5 win over the Canton Class A’s.

In the championship game, defense told the story. Keagan Gilbride and Ty Dennison would combine for 12 strikeouts, with Gilbride pitching seven innings while Dennison stayed in the whole game. With the score 0-0 in the top of the fifth, Kellicker would drive in two runs on an RBI double smashed into deep right field. The Mountaineer Lumber Company would have their chances to get on the board, but the defense of the Terriers was too much. In the top of the ninth inning, Senften would drive in another pair to give the defense some insurance. With one out two go in the bottom of the ninth, Dennison had Will Taigen in a full count with two runners on. Without an out here, Dennison’s day would be done. However, he found his 9th strikeout and sealed the 4-0 victory for Stark County.

The Mountaineer Lumber Company had a total of four hits in the championship game. Taigen got the first hit of the game for the Lumber Company in the fourth. Ryan Shimek would hit a ground-rule double in the fifth to follow up Taigen’s single. Finally, Brayden Clark and Dom Trivisano would single in the ninth inning. As for the Terriers, Kellicker and Mastri led the way with two hits each.

This win marks the fourth straight NABF College World Series title for the Stark County Terriers. Former head coach Chris Willoughby, who was the PA announcer for the semifinals and championship, won the first three titles in this stretch. He took over in the 2022 season after the Terriers lost in the championship game in 2021. First-year head coach Rece Sabo took the reins for this season after Willoughby was asked to coach the 15U team for the Terriers. To make it more difficult for Sabo, most of the 2024 squad didn’t return. However, they found a way to get it done in the most important games of the year.

“This whole tournament is tough. Four pool play games, a semifinal game at 9, and if you win that, you go to the championship game at 11. The guys gotta dig deep. You gotta know who you are as a ball player, and the boys rose to the challenge,” remarked Sabo after the win.

Today was a bittersweet day for Braden Broom. The rising senior decided to retire from baseball after three years at Baldwin Wallace. Broom went out on a high, getting a hit in his final at bat along with a number of putouts from shortstop.

Broom gave his closing thoughts on his career as he said, “Thank you to baseball, I will love you forever. I also want to tell the Terriers to go win the next one.”

Looking at the special awards, Nolan Kellicker was awarded the batting title while Ty Dennison won MVP honors. Both played massive roles in this tournament win, especially in the championship rounds, as they were the two winning pitchers. However, the play of the tournament belongs to Dennison. With two outs in the sixth inning and a runner on third, Ty dives backward to retrieve a slow chopper off to his right. His acrobatic throw was just in time, keeping the shutout intact.

“I just saw the ball, I fielded it, then I was like, I have to get this out. They’re going to score if not, so I threw it with everything I had and saw that we made the out and kind of blacked out from there,” Dennison said when asked about the play.

While the official all-tournament teams haven’t been finalized, it has been reported that Daniel Krabill will be on it for the Terriers as he played 1st base, catcher, and as the DH throughout this tournament. Luke Ickes will also be on the team for the Mountaineer Lumber Company. A total of eight hits and 5 RBIs in five games, along with one save, is more than enough to justify the rising junior at Mount Union’s place on the team.

While this year brought about a number of changes for the WRCL, NABF World Series, and the Stark County Terriers, the champs remained the same. Something special is happening with the Stark County Terriers as they now have their sights set on a five-peat.

SmeeSports LLC Announces Fall Semester 2025 Internship Program

Strongsville, OH- As our Summer internship program wraps up this Sunday, SmeeSports LLC is happy to open up the application period for the 2025 Fall Semester Internship Program. We are seeking highly motivated high school and college students who are eager to break into the sports media industry. With our unique business model and coverage areas, we have just the internship to get you started!

First of all, you may be wondering what SmeeSports LLC is. We are a broadcasting company built on the pillars of Faith, Family, and Sports that serves the Cleveland and Stark County areas. On top of broadcasts, we also do photography, written content, and more.

Our owner, Nathan Smee, is a sophomore at the University of Mount Union studying Sport Business and Media. Nathan has been in the sport media industry for around five years. In this time, he has built an impressive portfolio of content across a number of sport media niches. His most notable post and call was Andrew Cole shoving a player from Valley Forge during a game on January 5, 2024. This clip has received over 10 million views across the SmeeSports family of social media platforms with stars such as Reggie Bush and Shaquille O’Neal weighing in with comments or reposts.

This internship offers the roles of writer, broadcast help, on-air talent, and photographer. However, if there is something else you want to do, we can talk about making it work. This internship requires two games per week while being willing to learn.

The internship will run from mid-August to January 1st. The sports that we will plan on covering during this time include football, volleyball, soccer, hockey, basketball, and baseball.

While this is an UNPAID internship, we will help you take the next step by providing an avenue to get your name out to more people. We cover some of the biggest events and teams in Northeast Ohio, and we plan on growing even more this year. The teams we cover with broadcast coverage range from Alliance, Marlington, Tri-C, Padua, Holy Name, Minerva, Garfield Heights, and Warrensville Heights. We also do written content and photography for Mount Union athletics.

If interested in this internship or to learn more about this opportunity, email Nathan Smee at nsmee00@gmail.com.

We are looking forward to welcoming in the next batch of interns this fall.

Apply to the Fall Internship Here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScuritwiUWVeoJxKMkRH1xvdir2ad0NkFfh_VHylUUt2oXLpQ/viewform?usp=header

53rd Annual Cuyahoga County East-West High School All-Star Scholarship Football Game is Set for June 6

Berea, OH- As the 2024/25 school year comes to a close, it is tradition across Ohio to have one final big game for the state’s best football players. These all-star games not only help prepare players who are going to the next level by providing them some Spring football, but also a way for many to say goodbye to the sport they love.

Tomorrow night, Cuyahoga County is having its All-Star game at George Finnie Stadium on the campus of Baldwin Wallace University. The teams have been practicing for over a week at their respective fields. Tonight is walkthrough and media night for the squads as they get ready for the game tomorrow night.

Looking at Team East, there is a heavy emphasis on Cleveland-area players with schools such as Benedictine, John Hay, Bedford, Lutheran East, Maple Heights, Glenville, Cleveland Heights, and Shaw represented. Additionally, the likes of Garfield Heights, Warrensville Heights, Orange, Chagrin Falls, Brush, Wickliffe, Euclid, Madison, Trinity, Shaker Heights, and Gilmour also have representation on the roster. All in all, a good sample of Cleveland resides on Team East with plenty of college-bound players set to impress.

As for Team West, there’s a bigger emphasis on the suburbs of Cleveland. The Cleveland West Conference has a lot of representation with Lakewood, North Olmsted, Normandy, Valley Forge, Bay Village, and Rocky River having players on the roster. The North Coast Conference is represented by both sides of the Parma Holy War, with three Namers and one Bruin on the squad.

Looking at the colleges, a good amount of Baldwin Wallace Yellow Jackets are going to be playing along with other OAC schools, such as Heidelberg and Muskingum, having representation. Former Ohio Athletic Conference stars John Carroll also have a few players in this game. Additionally, Ashland leads the D2 charge with plenty of standout players.

Tomorrow night is going to be bittersweet for a lot of these players. It is the last time that they will be representing their high schools, now Alma Maters. Still, while the emotions will be at an all-time high, so will the talents of these players. No pressure of next week, just the pressure of one final Friday Night Lights session under the Berea night sky.

Premier Ohio Vs Stark County Terriers WRCL Baseball Sets League Live Viewership Record

North Canton, OH- On June 2, the 2025 Western Reserve Collegiate League began with a battle between the regular season champion Stark County Terriers hosting the regular season and playoff runner-ups, Premier Ohio.

Outside of two broadcasts last year, this marks the beginning of the league having games broadcast on SmeeSports. The fans did not disappoint as 304 views were recorded live. At the time of writing, there are 444 views of the broadcast. While that number seems small, perspective shows the full story. Last season, the most viewed WRCL broadcast tallied 317 views, including playback. Expanding the stats to Summer baseball across all leagues, our record is 348 for the OPL Championship between North Coast and BHM Buckeyes.

Expanding to high school sports, which tend to get more views than travel leagues, Monday’s broadcast competed with plenty of our OHSAA broadcasts. Including a district semifinals game, all six softball games streamed on SmeeSports were outperformed by Monday’s game. Additionally, 12 high school baseball games recorded fewer views, with one (Alliance Vs Warren JFK) matching the 444 views exactly at the time of writing. Finally, five Tri-C games recorded fewer views. Adding that context, the viewership is really impressive.

Looking at the game, Premier got the opening day win 9-4 behind an impressive 16 hits. Ed Ramos put Premier on the board with an RBI double in the second. He would proceed to score from third later in the inning. RBIs from Michael Steingass, Jack Amis, Bryce Bogan, and Teagan O’Guinn added four more runs to Premier’s lead. In the bottom of the third, William Feser hit an RBI single for Stark County to put them on the board. However, the game script shows five Terriers stranded on the basepath between the second and third innings. From there, Premier held a steady lead with 9-1 being the largest it ever got.

On the mound, it was Henry Mates, Matthew Botger, Zach Barber, and Ryan Gordon holding things down. Mates got the start, throwing two innings while recording two strikeouts and earning the win. Botger followed up with two strikeouts of his own. Barber and Gordon closed the game out with one strikeout each.

As for Stark County, Mount Union sophomore (rising junior) Ty Dennison started the ballgame. This was his first start since his impressive six-inning relief outing against Catholic in the NCAA baseball tournament. Dennison earned three strikeouts but allowed six runs in a losing effort. Garret Odey and Luke Jansen finished the game off for the Terriers. Odey struck out two batters while Jansen punched out one. The big play on the mound came from Jansen as he threw out a runner at first, getting a lead.

With collegiate Summer leagues folding across Northeast Ohio, the Western Reserve Collegiate League has remained a mainstay and staple in the area. With seven top-tier teams this year, the competition will be fierce. The best way to stay connected to the league is to follow the WRCL on X at @wrclbb. The league website is also updated daily. To watch our broadcast of the game on Monday, click the link below.

Link to Stark County Terriers Vs Premier Ohio Baseball: https://www.youtube.com/live/uSvg6JRCegk?si=x4fJqU4VLnbo4nyZ

The Healthiest You Chiropractic Center Player of the Game: Quinn Marquis (3/4)

Want to sponsor our broadcasts? Contact me at nsmee00@gmail.com

SmeeSports Broadcasting for Summer 2025

Strongsville, OH- With our Spring sports coverage winding down, it is time to take a look into what comes next.

There is no high school or collegiate athletics sanctioned by the OHSAA or NCAA in the Summer, leaving a gap in our coverage. With that being said, we will be covering Summer baseball across a number of leagues. For those who followed SmeeSports last year, you may recall our Diamond League and OPL broadcasts. With that being said, we are adding on to that partnership. On top of the Tim Lally Memorial Diamond League Tournament, OPL Championships, and Diamond League Championships, we will also be carrying WRCL baseball throughout the season. We are excited to bring the Western Reserve Collegiate League to SmeeSports full-time in 2025.

Looking at additional coverage, we have two big competitions coming to the channel. First off, we will be broadcasting a number of the 965 Midwest Challenge Tournament Games, including their Kent State Invites. Staying with tournaments, we will also be broadcasting several games at the 2025 NABF World Series. We are excited to continue bringing numerous top-tier broadcasts to the Cleveland and Stark County areas as we enter the transition period between the 2024/25 and 2025/26 school years.

With all of that said, we still have openings to cover teams and tournaments if there is demand. If you would like us to broadcast games for your team or tournament, contact me at nsmee00@gmail.com. Also, if you are a business owner looking to sponsor broadcasts, contact me at the email listed above, and we can work out a deal.

We have a few broadcast links posted at the time of writing. See below to get a sneak peek at our future broadcasts. Here’s to a busy, yet exciting Summer ahead of broadcasting!

Link to Stark County Terriers Vs Premier Ohio Baseball: https://www.youtube.com/live/uSvg6JRCegk?si=tivQyD28reZHTPf6

Link to Wayne Baseball Club Vs Force Ohio Baseball: https://www.youtube.com/live/BFYT1E6lMf4?si=R0YCg1fYheNadgfV

Link to Wayne Baseball Club Vs Force Ohio Baseball Game 2: https://www.youtube.com/live/TGo3A-FlQsk?si=sWzc7sv3QVFUENbE

‘Mount Lax’ Takes Center Stage, Defeats Baldwin Wallace 12-9 to Advance to OAC Championship

Alliance, OH- Entering play tonight, only four women’s lacrosse teams remained in contention for the Ohio Athletic Conference title—Mount Union, John Carroll, Capital, and Baldwin Wallace. At Kehres Stadium, the Purple Raiders took care of the Yellow Jackets 12-9. This was a game of redemption for UMU as they lost 15-12 in Berea on April 2.

As expected, Mount Union came out with a vengeance. Graduate student Eden Kessler opened the scoring 85 seconds in. Next up, Katie Clark made it 2-0 with 9:49 left in the first quarter. Emily Funk made it 3-0 minutes later while UMU was up a player. Halfway through the first quarter, the Purple Raiders had complete control of the match. Claire Alic put BW on the board with 6:28 on the clock in the first. Ella Nejad capped off the scoring for UMU in the first with a goal of her own. With the score sitting at 4-1, Lily Tope beat the buzzer with a last-second goal, making the score 4-2 after 15 minutes.

Nejad became the first repeat goal scorer of the day as she put Mount Union’s first of four second-quarter goals into the back of the net. Kessler and Clark backed up Ella soon after with strikes of their own. With 12:48 on the clock in the first half, it was all UMU 7-2. From there, Alic would complete her hat trick with two unassisted goals in the following seven minutes. Nejad finished what she started with 1:47 remaining in the first half as she scored the Purple Raiders’ eighth goal of the game. At halftime, UMU comfortably led 8-4.

The second half had a slow start. Both teams had opportunities to advance, but no one was able to get the opening blow. Then, Mariana Melgoza delivered the first blow of the third quarter after a good battle near the crease. Alic continued her solo success by scoring twice, making it 8-7. Then, the equalizer. Taylor Miklos—assisted by Melgoza—tied the game up at 8 with a masterful goal. With 15 minutes left to play, everything was still to play for.

It has been well known this season that Mount Union women’s lacrosse has a strong New York backbone. The likes of Abby Lindkvist, Reese Fuenfstueck, Makenzie Kolstad, and Mae Pawlikowski have led many great plays this season. Tonight, that was no different. 53 seconds into the fourth, Fuenfstueck found the breakthrough. Next, Pawlikowski backed up her assist with a goal of her own. Finally, Funk scored for the second time, assisted by Fuenfstueck. Exactly one minute after that goal, Annette Doren brought the Yellow Jackets back within two. After 10 minutes of back-and-forth defense, the game was all but over. However, Pawlikowski added the cherry on top with a last-second goal. As the final buzzer sounded in Alliance, it was Mount Union victorious 12-9.

While the team celebrated on the field afterwards, this win was a stepping stone to something greater. The next step? An OAC championship victory. Last year, they fell short in Columbus against Capital 22-9. Mount Union is ready to get back to their 2010s dominance, which saw them win six consecutive OAC tournament championships from 2014-2019. The team in their way this time out–John Carroll. The Blue Streaks won their first 14 games before the Purple Raiders had their number 16-10 in Alliance on April 23.

The OAC championship game is Saturday at 1 PM at Kehres Stadium. The game can be streamed on OAC TV with Nathan Smee on the call.