Wednesday morning stretching for the Will Wade Summer Camp.
Coach Gilroy announced several new additions to the 2024-2025 roster, but I cannot place all the photos on the page due to lack of space. I will wait until I get a complete list of names and events of all the new signees and then post the new additions. So far, we have added some help in several events from sprints to the distances. The field events have added some help as well.
Janayah Dotson Huntington HS Shreveport (Sprints)
Amari Godette Barbe HS (Nicholls State)(Sprints)
James Boutte Jr. Houston Christian HS Cypress, Texas(Distance)
Ben Preddy San Francisco College(Distance)
Hya Wright St. Augustine College Prep Bahamas(Sprints)
Ryan McCarthy Cork, Ireland HS(Distance)
NEW PRESSBOX VIDEO
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=842243461296367
I was planning on posting a video that appeared on Facebook yesterday that included a tour of the new press box. I think the tour was hosted by Matt Bonnette and Kevin Martin as they climbed all three floors of the new levels. Level three is in the process of being poured today and Friday. They also informed the viewers that the light towers would be placed on top of the press box in July. The press will be able to use the facility this fall, but the rest of the levels will not be available until 2025. The video has disappeared, so I apologize, but this is an old version that gives out-of-town fans an idea of the size of the press box.
THE DOWNFALL OF COLLEGIATE SPORTS WILL BE THE EASE OF LEAVING
I have no dog in this fight, but what we are witnessing in college softball and baseball is all the great players being recruiting to go play for a national title at a few certain schools. It is great when it is your school(LSU) that picks up the top two players in the nation to add to your roster and they deliver a national title, but it will lead to an annual exodus of players jumping from the Astros and Rangers to the Dodgers and Yankees. The Aggies are loaded with great players and all it will take is for another team to sign three or four future first rounders and they will go to the World Series.
The ripple effect of Jim Schlossnagle’s shocking departure from College Station to Austin is just beginning.
One day after Schlossnagle accepted an offer to become the next head coach at Texas and two days after Texas A&M lost the College World Series final, 11 Texas A&M players have entered the transfer portal, according to The Athletic’s Max Olson. Six of those players were starters for the Aggies in the College World Series against Tennessee.
- Jace LaViolette
- Gavin Grahovac
- Kaeden Kent
- Jack Bell
- Max Kaufer
- Hayden Schott
- Caden Sorrell
- Jett Johnston
- Ali Camarillo
- Justin Vossos
- Carl Schmidt
LaViolette was an All-American, is widely considered the top prospect in the 2025 MLB Draft, and hit 29 home runs for the Aggies this season. Grahovac was just named the SEC’s Freshman of the Year after posting a 1.051 OPS with 19 homers. Schott posted a .916 OPS while Camarillo was the Aggies’ starting shortstop. Kent became one of the stars of the College World Series when he stepped up in Braden Montgomery’s absence. The son of former major leaguer Jeff Kent was selected to the CWS All-Tournament.
These are all difference makers for somebody. We can laugh at A&M fans for being upset, but no one deserves to have the players they have put a lot of money into supporting just walking away from them. Next year it maybe your team or our team.
THE ATHLETIC NAMES THEIR TOP COLLEGE BASKETBALL PORTAL TEAMS
These programs had the best recruiting seasons from the basketball portal. McNeese is in pretty good company with these outstanding national brands. Great job Will Wade! These are the only 13 programs listed.
1.Kansas
2.Indiana
3.Michigan
4.Baylor
5.Louisville
6.Alabama
7.UConn
8.Iowa State
9.Houston
10.West Virginia
11.St. Louis
12.St. John
13.McNeese State University
McNeese State
Portal additions: Sincere Parker (Saint Louis), Brandon Murray (Ole Miss), Quadir Copeland (Syracuse), Joe Charles (Louisiana), Jerome Brewer Jr. (Texas A&M-Commerce)
Will Wade brought in a haul that would have been solid for a high-major, and just like last season, it’s going to be very difficult for anyone in the Southland to compete with the talent he’s putting on the floor. Parker was the leading scorer at Saint Louis; Copeland just averaged 9.6 points at Syracuse; Murray struggled at Ole Miss but was a double-digit scorer at LSU (for Wade) and Georgetown, and both Charles and Brewer were double-digit scorers at their previous schools.
Zem's Gems 
Left off the list of important basketball transfers was Bryant Selebangue from Arizona State.While his stats there will not wow you he did average average about 12 points and 9.2 rebounds at Tulsa prior to going to Arizona State.He led the AAC conference in rebounding 9.2 and offensive rebounding at 3.I also heard good things about the senior 6’3” guard from Providence Alyn Breed.With Shumate,Charles and Selebangue we have 3 really good rebounders as bigs,all around 10 per game.Great column today as always and your special wife Carol and Philip Tarver remain in our prayers.
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You are right, can’t wait to see what these guys bring to the table. They certainly look fit and ready to go. We look like a bunch of prize fighters which translates into good defenders. LOL Thanks for the prayers and Philip could certainly use our thoughts.
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There are still Providence fans on X posting about how Alyn Breed was done wrong (don’t know the whole story, but a woman lied about him and he was prosecuted in the press before the true story came out) and how sorry they are that he’s gone. Lots of good ones have arrived, but I think I may be most excited about Brewer from Commerce. He and Diante Smith (Nicholls) were almost unstoppable.
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Ray sent this to me. Video of pressbox.
(2) Facebook
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