‘Bows Cooper Walls named Big West Conference Pitcher of the Week
On Monday, the Big West named their Pitcher of the week, Cooper Walls.
Walls, a True Freshman with the Hawaii baseball team, had a solid showing against the then 15th-ranked UC Santa Barbara Gauchos.
The right-handed pitcher threw 7.0 innings and allowed only 4 hits and did not give up a single run.
Walls helped secure the 'Bows first series win against a ranked opponent since 2010 when UH defeated Oregon. He is also the first Hawaii Freshman to be named Big West Conference Pitcher of the Week since Hawaii joined the Big West back in 2013.
UH improved to 3-3 in conference play and will be back at the Les Murakami Stadium on Saturday against UC Davis.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
a day ago
- USA Today
Florida baseball gets commitment from RHP Cooper Walls via transfer portal
Florida baseball added another player to its 2026 roster this week with the commitment of right-handed pitcher Cooper Walls through the NCAA transfer portal. The rising sophomore competed on behalf of the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors of the Big West during his lone collegiate campaign so far, earning the conference's Freshman Pitcher of the Year in 2025. Walls put together a 3-3 record and a 3.73 ERA over 60 1/3 innings pitched, starting 13 of the 15 games he appeared in. While his 1.39 WHIP is a bit on the elevated side, he allowed just two home runs last spring while striking out 45 batters against 15 walks surrendered. According to Jacob Rudner of Baseball America, the 6-foot-5-inch, 215-pound product of Carlsbad (California) La Costa Canyon has a three-pitch arsenal featuring a fastball that reaches as high as 93 mph along with two breaking ball options in a slider and a curveball. Walls was ranked the No. 99 right-handed pitcher and No. 328 overall prospect in the 2024 recruiting class by Perfect Game. Walls is the third pitcher added to the Gators' roster through the transfer portal, following former Notre Dame Fighting Irish right-hander reliever Ricky Reeth and former UCF right-hander reliever Russell Sandefer. Overall, he marks the fifth commitment to the program through college baseball's de facto free agency system, which also includes former Wabash Valley (JUCO) catcher AJ Malzone and former Jacksonville Dolphins outfielder Jaden Bastian. Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Sacramento State to join Big West in 2026 in all sports except football
FILE - Mike Bibby, center, is introduced as the new head basketball coach of Sacramento State during an NCAA college basketball press conference, Tuesday, April 1, 2025 in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Janie McCauley, File0 Sacramento State will join the Big West conference as a full member starting with the 2026-27 academic year. Sacramento State informed the Big Sky on Wednesday that it will leave the conference after this year and the Big West announced that the school will become the 12th school in the conference. Advertisement 'The Big West membership and conference staff are excited to welcome Sacramento State to The Big West,' commissioner Dan Butterly said in a statement. 'In addition to strengthening The Big West competitively and expanding our geographic footprint, Sacramento State is a staunch advocate for excellence in academics, athletics and service within their community. The new look Big West promises to bring a new level of competition and friendly rivalry for student-athletes and fans alike.' The Big West doesn't sponsor football so Sacramento State's program will be an independent in that sport. The Hornets are trying to move up from FCS level to FBS as an independent and are awaiting a ruling next week from the NCAA Division I Council. The FBS Oversight Committee recommended against the move earlier this week, citing the 'paramount importance' of having an invitation to join an FBS conference. The NCAA had previously granted a waiver to Liberty in 2017 to move to FBS as an independent but said the circumstances have changed since then. The Flames were an independent in football from 2018-22 before joining Conference USA. Advertisement 'Although a waiver of the bona fide invitation requirement was granted in 2017, that decision was made in a different era, under a different set of facts and rules ...,' the committee recommended, according to public meeting minutes. "Due to the significance of the bona fide invitation from an FBS conference requirement and the lack of compelling mitigation explaining why that requirement, one that several other FCS institutions have met in recent years, has not been met, the committee does not support relief.' Sacramento State said the school will consider all conference options for football if the council votes against its application. Sacramento State had been an affiliate member of the Big West in various sports in the past but now will have 16 teams competing in the Big West starting in 2026-27. "We are thrilled to become a full member of The Big West and are grateful for the invitation,' athletic director Mark Orr said. 'Sacramento State strives to provide our student-athletes the opportunity to be in the best position to be nationally competitive, and The Big West for decades has been a conference that has enjoyed national success in several sports. We are eager to compete for championships, enhance existing rivalries, and develop new relationships with our peer conference members." Advertisement The Hornets will officially join The Big West on July 1, 2026, joining a lineup that includes California Baptist, Cal Poly, Cal State Bakersfield, Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State, CSUN, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, and Utah Valley. The Big West has no current plans to expand beyond 12-member institutions. The Hornets have made a big investment in the men's basketball program recently, hiring former NBA star Mike Bibby as head coach and Shaquille O'Neal as a voluntary GM for the program. Sacramento State went 7-25 last season under interim coach Michael Czepil, who was promoted last spring after David Patrick left to take a job as associate head coach at LSU. Advertisement The Hornets had gone 28-42 in two seasons under Patrick and the program has never made an NCAA Tournament since moving up to Division I in 1991-92. The Hornets have had a winning record only twice since then, going 16-14 in 2019-20 and 21-12 in 2014-15. ___ AP sports:
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Yahoo
Matt Elliott named next UH Mānoa athletics director, pending regents' approval
HONOLULU (KHON2) — Matt Elliott has been tapped to serve as the next athletics director at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, pending approval by the UH Board of Regents at a special meeting on June 16. Ex-UH athletics director Craig Angelos reapplies for position UH President Wendy Hensel selected Elliott following a national search. 'I'm excited to welcome Matt, with his Division I experience and strong Hawaiʻi ties, to the UH ʻohana,' Hensel said in a statement. 'He's a passionate leader who's ready to elevate UH athletics.' Elliott spent 13 years in athletics administration at UCLA, most recently as Chief Strategy Officer. There, he helped guide the Bruins' move from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten and led development of a five-year strategic plan. He also played key roles in NIL policy, legal affairs, and a record-setting $280 million apparel 2024, Elliott has served as Senior Director of Policy and Public Affairs at the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation, working closely with state leaders on advocacy efforts. He and his family returned to Hawaiʻi in 2022. 'This is home for us,' Elliott said. 'It's an honor to lead a program that reflects the pride of our local community. I look forward to building something great with our student-athletes, coaches, and fans.' Originally from Massachusetts, Elliott holds a law degree from Northwestern and a BA from Amherst College, where he was on the varsity crew team. He moved to Hawaiʻi in 2005 to clerk for U.S. District Judge Alan C. Kay and met his wife, a Punahou graduate, soon after. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news If confirmed, Elliott will begin no later than July 1, with a base salary of $425,004, plus performance-based incentives. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
