Two Boston College diamond stars earned honors this week for their hitting performances in the closing weeks of each season.
Zoe Hines of BC Softball and Beck Milner of BC Baseball both were tabbed as the Franklin Hitters of the Week for their efforts against Stanford in both sports. Both teams suffered series losses to the cross-country foe.
Zoe went off in our final weekend @zoee_hh is this week's Franklin Hitter of the Week!#Team42 x @FranklinSports pic.twitter.com/uCsoQzXo3d
— BC Softball (@BC_Softball) May 6, 2025
Milner went 3-4 at the plate for Boston College in the team's final game against the Cardinals with three runs, one double and one stolen base. Hines finished her series off against Stanford with only one hit in the final game, but drove in three runs to give the Eagles some life on the offensive end.
Beck was on fire last week @beck_milner, Franklin Hitter of the Week #Birdball x @FranklinSports pic.twitter.com/pn3HfzrPpA
— Boston College Baseball (@BCBirdBall) May 6, 2025
The games against Stanford served as the final innings of the 2025 softball season, with head softball coach Amy Kvilhaug announcing that she plans to retire following a sub-.500 season at the helm of the program. The softball head coaching search serves as the only one of the offseason thus far for Boston College.
As far as baseball is concerned, there are still some innings left to play, even if the Eagles 2025 season is drawing to a bittersweet end. The team is looking at two midweek contests with UMass Lowell before taking on Cal in the final weekend series of the regular season.
In review, the 2025 season did not go as planned for either squad. At this point, all eyes are turned towards the future, with new coaches, fresh faces via the recruiting trail and the NCAA Transfer portal and hopefully, a few more wins in 2026.
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Adam Sandler has just released Happy Gilmore 2, and he's paid tribute to former NHLer Johnny Gaudreau in a beautiful way. Johnny Gaudreau passed almost one year ago, and since the tragic events that took the life of he and his brother Matthew, countless tributes have been paid to the talented and beloved brothers as the hockey world continues to reel from their tragic loss. Those tributes were especially beautiful in Calgary and Columbus, the two places that he called home throughout his NHL career, but elsewhere in sports and the media, fans and fellow celebrities paid tribute to the immensely talented forward known as Johnny Hockey. Now, we've seen another, this time from Adam Sandler in the recently released Happy Gilmore 2, with Sandler's character wearing an Ice House Hockey jersey adorned with the iconic No. 13 that Gaudreau made so special throughout his career, and while it wasn't an in your face tribute, it was a subtle move to honour the late superstar. It was a very subtle nod to Gaudreau, but it shows just how much the passing of No. 13 effected everyone attached to the sports community, and in a move that Sandler didn't have to make, he paid tribute to the talented forward from New Jersey. Simply put, the effect that Gaudreau had on the entire hockey world will never be forgotten after his passing, as he won over an entire generation of hockey fans in Calgary before making plenty of fans in Columbus, and after his tragic passing, a year later he's still getting fantastic tributes, with Sandler, a noted hockey fan making a beautiful gesture towards Gaudreau.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been easing their way into training camp ahead of the 2025 season. The players have just been wearing helmets and shorts, and the pads will come on soon. Pittsburgh's training camp is always known as being one of the most intense in the league, and that is because Head Coach Mike Tomlin has his team go full contact, which is something other coaches around the NFL try to avoid. The pads will come on on Tuesday, and fans should expect to see some skirmishes as emotions rise throughout the rest of camp. Practices in just helmets and shorts are difficult for the big guys in the trenches. It is essentially impossible to simulate blocking without pads on, so the defenders and offensive linemen are itching for when the team gets to go full contact. Second-year offensive lineman Troy Fautanu spoke to the media on Sunday, and he shared how things have been going at practice, while also noting that the two sides of the ball have been going at it. "You know, there's a lot of banter going on between the offense and the defense right now." Fautanu said. "As you guys could tell yesterday, things got a little rowdy. I mean, that's something that's normal. I'm super excited just to finally be able to play real football, because as an offensive lineman it's the worst thing to play football in shorts and t-shirts." Fautanu is probably itching to get back to full contact more than others after missing nearly all of his rookie season in 2024. He played in one game in Week 2 before suffering a knee injury that kept him out for the rest of the year. Tuesday will be the first time he gets to put the pads on and get truly physical in nearly a year. The way he described things, it sounds like there will probably be some confrontations as the offense and defense have already been going at it. Training camp is going to be a true test for Fautanu. He is the team's starting right tackle going into the season, and the organization is relying on the offensive line to take a step forward. He needs to try to live up to his first-round label, and he is going to have to do so while blocking TJ Watt in every practice. Watt is going to be moving around the defensive formation more often than usual, but most of his snaps will come when he is lined up over the right tackle. Fautanu is going to be tested on every snap, and if he can handle Watt, he can handle anyone in the league. Having to go up against Watt every day in practice is good for Fautanu in the long run. Practicing against the best is only going to make him better, and he won't have to block anyone during the 2025 regular season that is as good of a pass rusher as Watt. Steelers' Fautanu Could Solidify 2024 Draft For Pittsburgh It is already looking like the Steelers made a ton of right decisions during the 2024 NFL Draft. Zach Frazier had a spectacular rookie season in 2024, and he is looking like he could be one of the best centers in the league. Mason McCormick was a pleasant surprise at right tackle when he was thrust into the starting lineup, and it seems he has gotten considerably better over the course of the 2025 offseason. If Fautanu can prove he is the starting right tackle of the future for the Steelers, then the organization would have nailed three cornerstones of the franchise in just one draft. All contenders have solid offensive lines, and it looks like the Steelers might have one that could be great in the near future.
The New York Rangers are adding to their forward depth ahead of their upcoming training camp. The Rangers are entering a new chapter of their organization under new head coach Mike Sullivan. After missing the postseason last year, the organization is trying to rebound and respond accordingly in 2025 and 2026. Former Stanley Cup champion forward Conor Sheary is the latest player to join the new-look Rangers. The veteran forward agreed to a professional tryout agreement (PTO) with the club and will look to earn an NHL deal with his performance in training camp and the preseason. Sheary is a veteran of 593 NHL games. Originally an undrafted free agent, he signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins after completing his collegiate career. Following a year with the Penguins' AHL affiliate, he forced his way onto the NHL squad after posting 36 points in his first 30 games of the 2015-2016 season at the AHL level. His debut NHL season went better than ever expected, and he was a key part of the Penguins' lineup that won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017. Sheary's coach at the time, both at the AHL and NHL levels, was Mike Sullivan. Now, he'll get the chance to reunite with the coach under whom he won two championships. In addition to playing for the Penguins, Sheary has played for three other NHL franchises. The Pens dealt him to the Buffalo Sabres before the 2018-2019 campaign, but he would return to Pittsburgh the following season at the trade deadline. After his second stint with the Penguins, he joined the Washington Capitals. He played three seasons in Washington, D.C. before landing with the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he spent the past two years. Over his 593 career games, he's compiled 124 goals and 143 assists for 267 points. His best NHL season came during the 2016-2017 campaign, his second in the league. He scored 23 goals and added 30 assists for 53 points in 61 regular-season games.
The Pittsburgh Steelers' brass is hoping that the whole team can learn a thing or two from new quarterback Aaron Rodgers during the 2025 season. Some players have already been raving about the wealth of knowledge that he has been giving to his teammates during the little bit of time that he has been at the facilities for. The idea is that even though he is a bridge quarterback, his mentorship can lead to Pittsburgh reaching the next level under him and for a few years afterwards as well. Will Howard has been the most vocal with praising Rodgers. However, he told Brian Batko of one particular issue he has with him and the main "downside" with being on a team with him. "Howard admitted there’s a downside to it, however," Batko wrote. "Sometimes, he just has to look away when Rodgers makes a certain throw because it reminds him that his arm talent isn’t quite at that level." There is a big difference between the two players. Rodgers has won four MVPs and a Super Bowl. Meanwhile, Howard was a sixth-round pick after just one notable season in college football, even though he won the National Championship. There is a lot for the rookie to learn from the 41-year-old, and that includes watching him make big-league throws that he has yet to even try. Batko explained exactly the kind of throws that Rodgers has been making that has humbled Howard in training camp so far. "There was one moment Friday when Rodgers subtly lowered his arm angle to avoid a leaping Keeanu Benton — trying to get his hands up for a batted pass — and fit the ball into a window to rookie running back Kaleb Johnson over the middle," Batko noted. "Rodgers also had one of his classic off-the-back-foot tosses to Darnell Washington after a play-fake." There is not much that Rodgers has not seen or done in his career. The Steelers are hoping he can take some of that experience and utilize it with whatever he has left in the tank for the 2025 season, even if it means reminding Howard that he has a long way to go in development. Being a starting-caliber quarterback in the NFL is a struggle in the first place, let alone being a perennial MVP. Steelers Are Looking For Howard To Learn And Develop Quicker Thanks To Rodgers Of course, Howard didn't mean those comments to be rude or obnoxious. He is still praising his mentor for the different kind of passes that he can still make. He never had to drop his arm angle to get by the defender with a sidearm throw, but now he can learn to do add that to his repertoire and use that to try and win a starting job somewhere later on in his career. Howard has already been impressing the fans at training camp, as he has quickly become a fan favorite. He appears to be a lock to make the 53-man roster, even if he would be kept as the third-string emergency quarterback. He will have the whole season to watch, learn, develop, and pick Rodgers' brain. Knowing him, he could even keep asking the veteran questions after he leaves the team. Depending on where the Steelers draft in 2026, Howard could have a realistic chance at winning the starting job that year. Everyone knows that they want a franchise quarterback in the first round, but depending on where they fall in the draft compared to other passer-needy teams, they could end up passing on that position for another year. That would give the 2025 sixth-round pick a chance to prove himself to his peers and his coaches.
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