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Indianapolis Star
5 days ago
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Homers, gems and steals: Vote for 2025 IndyStar high school softball player of the year
IndyStar has been recognizing the top softball players in Indiana with our Players of the Week poll. With the season now complete, we've decided to run a Player of the Year poll. Obviously, it's impossible to get every deserving player on here, but we did our best, compiling a list of 27 players from around the state (like I said, it's a really difficult list to narrow down). Thanks to everyone who's nominated players and participated in these weekly polls. The participation was crazy this spring. Stay tuned for our Central Indiana all-underclassmen and ALL-USA Super Team teams, which will be out later this month. Congratulations to Floyd Central's Addy Ware on being voted Player of the Week for Sectionals! The Florida State commit had herself a game in the sectional semifinal vs. Bedford North Lawrence, going 3-for-4 with four runs and three RBIs. She tripled twice and stole a base in the 16-2 win. Voting is open until 2 p.m. EST, Friday. Meet this season's top performers: The Indiana commit batted .477 and posted a .550 OBP for the sectional champion Knights. Bruggenschmidt totaled 41 hits (12 doubles, four homers), 34 runs and 25 RBIs, and swiped three bases. She was charged with a career-low six errors in the field, boasting a .929 fielding percentage with three double plays. The Gatorade Indiana Player of the Year led the Panthers to the state semifinals, batting .659 with 56 hits, 53 RBIs and 59 runs scored. Her hits included 21 homers, eight triples and 15 doubles. Erb, a Kentucky commit, also stole 18 bases and posted a .937 fielding percentage on 79 chances with two double plays. The Duke commit was excellent in her first season back with the Millers, batting .544 with 43 hits, 23 RBIs, 35 runs and only three strikeouts. She logged 11 doubles, tripled once and homered thrice for the sectional champions, stole 15 bases and turned three double plays in the field. More: 'If you were coached by him, you knew what love was.' Noblesville softball honors assistant's memory A Miss Softball finalist, Geyer surpassed Keagan Rothrock as the state's all-time strikeouts leader with 1,096 punchouts in her four varsity seasons. 228 of those Ks came this season for the Western Michigan commit, who finished 17-3 with a 1.17 ERA (18 earned runs allowed) and a measly .110 average against. Geyer also batted .444, accumulating 40 hits (12 doubles, one triple, five homers), 37 RBIs and 16 runs scored. More: Meet the five finalists for 2025 Indiana Miss Softball The Cadets' leading hitter, Gruca batted .516 with 49 hits, 21 RBIs and 30 runs scored. She boasted a .539 OBP, stole 10 bases and recorded 35 assists plus a double play in the field. Gruca is a career .461 hitter with 159 hits, 138 runs and 76 RBIs. Helton spun a 1.36 ERA with 155 strikeouts over 113 innings for the sectional runner-up Eagles. She also batted .411 with 30 hits, 29 RBIs, and 13 runs scored. She doubled seven times and homered seven times. 'I love this team': Emma Vargo wouldn't allow dislocated shoulder to keep her from postseason. Hirschy capped her high school career with a breakout season for the regional champion Dragons, setting career-highs across the board with a .533 average, 51 runs, 56 hits, 45 RBIs, 11 doubles, two triples and 12 homers. She struck out just 11 times, drew 12 walks and posted a .587 OBP, a vast improvement over last season (.452). The Kentucky commit also stole four bases. The Virginia Tech-bound Layton capped her decorated career with a similarly impressive senior season. She was 16-4 in the circle, posting a 1.48 ERA and totaling 265 strikeouts (two off her career-high) over 132.1 innings pitched. She graduated with 811 career Ks and a 1.06 ERA, plus a .469 batting average, 120 hits, 142 RBIs and 20 home runs. She had 50-plus RBIs and seven homers in both her final two seasons. Liezert was brilliant in her first season as the 4A state champion Bulldogs' primary ace, finishing 19-2 with a 0.85 ERA and 293 strikeouts over 139.2 innings pitched. She allowed just 17 earned runs and maximized her opportunities at the plate, going 7-for-15 (.467) with two doubles, a homer and 10 RBIs. The state's all-time hits leader and single-season record holder for Tecumseh, Marx batted .561 for the season with 64 hits, 47 runs, 15 RBIs and 26 steals on 26 attempts. The Miss Softball finalist and Southern Indiana signee led Tecumseh softball to three state titles plus last year's runner-up finish in her four varsity seasons. Class A final: She's in a wheelchair — and now a state champ: 'We're so thankful she's part of this program' Moore was critical to the Irish's 3A title run, batting .450 with 45 hits, 46 runs and 38 RBIs. She slugged a career-high seven homers, tripled twice and doubled eight times, and stole a career-best 16 bases on 16 attempts. Moore was nearly perfect in the field, committing just two errors and turning nine double plays. The Purdue commit finished her career with a .518 average, 108 RBIs and 15 homers. 'I know he's with me': Moore remembers late father after leading Cathedral softball to state Munson, an IU Indy commit, enjoyed an explosive senior campaign for the state runner-up Trojans, totaling 54 hits (.486 average, three triples, three doubles), 40 runs and 17 RBIs. A career .449 hitter (123 hits, 96 runs), she also stole a school-record 35 bases (76 career), and registered two assists and 49 putouts on 52 chances in the field. From Regionals: Mae Munson's nerves were 'shot.' But after game-altering defensive play, 'she was golden' The future Ohio State Buckeye and Miss Softball finalist batted .588 (50 hits) with 33 runs, a couple doubles and eight RBIs. Neal, also state medalist in track, is a career .480 hitter with 153 hits, 114 runs scored, 35 RBIs and a paltry 22 strikeouts in 345 plate appearances. More: How a conversation her sophomore year helped Izzy Neal bat nearly .600 as a senior The move-in shined in her first and only season as a Raider, posting a 2.58 ERA with 117 strikeouts over 81.1 innings against one of the state's most difficult schedules. The East Central recruit allowed just four home runs and shutout a potent Noblesville lineup in the regional. Have to lead the East Carolina commit's write-up with what she did during this year's Class A state tournament. She pitched every inning of every postseason game, striking out 108 batters and allowing just 11 hits. She and the Spartans closed the year with nine consecutive shutouts, including a two-hitter in the finale vs. Clay City. Wow. For the season: 22-1, 0.35 ERA (eight earned runs allowed, 10 total), 373 strikeouts, 23 walks, .083 OBA, .129 OBP For her career: 58-8, 0.48 ERA, 1,068 strikeouts, 69 walks, .109 OBA, .154 OBP Rainford was also a career .414 hitter with 125 hits, 68 RBIs, 111 runs and eight homers. The record-setting Auburn commit completed her high school career with a fittingly explosive senior campaign, batting .495 with 47 hits, 12 home runs, 15 doubles, a triple, 25 runs, 38 RBIs and a .588 OBP. She blew by Bremen grad Erin Coffel's all-time home run record (69), finished second in state history with 179 career RBIs and set a school record with 195 hits. She did all this while maintaining a .515 batting average. The Northwestern commit followed a stellar junior (and sophomore) campaign with a brilliant senior season. She batted .510 with 49 hits (seven doubles, three triples, one homer) and totaled 42 runs, 17 RBIs and a .565 OBP, with only five strikeouts. Renschen also stole 36 bases, leaving her with 96 for her career, and was perfect in the field (nine putouts, 36 assists). She finished her career with a .515 average, 158 hits and 141 runs. The state's latest rising star in the circle, Seiler capped an explosive postseason run with a one-hit, 13-K shutout of Andrean in the 2A state final. For the tournament, she pitched 40 innings and allowed zero runs on eight hits with 72 strikeouts. For the season, Seiler went 18-2 with a 0.76 ERA (14 earned runs allowed), 240 strikeouts and a .129 batting average against over 129 innings. She allowed just 57 hits and issued only 10 walks. Sinders led the Eels back to state, compiling a 14-5 record with a 1.74 ERA and 197 strikeouts over 137 innings pitched. She held hitters to a career-best .169 batting average against, and finished her career with 49 wins, a 1.60 ERA and 612 Ks. The Taylor commit also batted .469 (45 hits), scored 23 runs, drove in 15 and smacked her second career homer. Sinders was a career .447 hitter. 'It all means so much': Lizzy Sinders caps Clay City career at state with dad as coach, sister as AD. Stieneker, a Miss Softball finalist, set career-highs in average (.582), runs (52), hits (57), RBIs (49), doubles (20), triples (3), home runs (14) and stolen bases (8). She did her damage across 120 plate appearances (98 at-bats), and did so while striking out just nine times. The Marshall commit finished her career with a .459 average, 174 hits, 121 runs, 154 RBIs , 49 doubles and 29 homers. The two-sport standout sparked Hanover Central's run to the 3A final, setting career-highs in average (.522), hits (47), runs (21), RBIs (54), doubles (11), triples (1) and home runs (17). She maintained a .613 OBP and posted a career-best .984 fielding percentage, committing just four errors on 248 chances (19 assists, two double plays). One of the state's top arms, Grace Swedarsky continued to do Grace Swedarsky things this spring. The Virginia Tech commit compiled a 12-5 record with a 1.37 ERA and 197 strikeouts in 107.1 innings. She matched her career-low with 21 earned runs allowed and limited opposing hitters to a .156 batting average against. Swedarsky enters her senior year with 42 wins and 709 strikeouts for her career. Valentine, an Evansville commit, batted .552 for the 3A state champions, collecting a career-high 53 hits, 44 runs and 54 RBIs. She upped her power numbers this spring, cranking seven doubles, nine triples and nine homers, leaving her with a 1.094 slugging percentage. Valentine, who also stole a career-high 22 bases (60 career), finished her career with a .466 average, 164 hits, 164 RBIs and 23 homers. The Saint Mary's commit closed out her four-year high school career in style, batting .494 with 38 hits (nine doubles), 31 runs and 26 RBIs — all career-highs. She also stole 10 bases and logged outs on 47-of-50 chances in the field with one double play. For her career, Voliva hit .380 with 102 runs, 32 doubles and 124 hits. The third-year speedster swiped 28 bases this spring, leaving her with 105 entering her senior season. She registered 43 putouts and 28 assists (three double plays) in the field and remained a formidable presence at the plate, batting .471 with 49 hits, 45 runs, 18 RBIs, nine doubles, six triples and two homers. 'Her leg is literally snapped in half.' Bump in the road to becoming one of state's top softball players A Notre Dame commit and Miss Softball finalist, Zachary had a career year at the plate, batting .543 with 50 hits, 62 RBIs and 46 runs. Her collection of hits included 10 doubles, four triples and eight homers, and she finished her four seasons with a .482 average (196 hits, 169 runs, 174 RBIs, 20 homers). Zachary also stole 22 bases (79 career) and was charged with just one error on 54 chances in the field. Humphries enjoyed whatever the opposite of a sophomore slump is in 2025. She was 18-1 with a 0.94 ERA and 160 strikeouts in the circle (111.1 innings pitched) and batted .560 with 42 hits (four doubles, two triples, two homers), 28 RBIs and 11 runs at the plate for the regional champions.
Indianapolis Star
04-06-2025
- General
- Indianapolis Star
Meet the five finalists for 2025 Indiana Miss Softball
The finalists for 2025 Indiana Miss Softball have been announced by the Indiana Softball Coaches Association. Each district gets one finalist for the senior-only award as voted upon by their respective coaches. The winner of this year's award will be announced at the SCAI All-Star games 21 at IU's Andy Mohr Field in Bloomington. Meet this year's finalists. Geyer finished her senior season with a 1.17 ERA (18 earned runs allowed) and it actually raised her career average to 0.98. She was that dominant in the circle, stringing together three consecutive seasons with a sub-1.00 ERA and totaling 1,096 strikeouts — 228 of which came this spring. The Western Michigan signee did this while also raking at the plate, batting .434 with 157 hits, 119 RBIs and 24 home runs for her career. She batted .444 with 40 hits, 37 RBIs, 12 doubles, a triple and five homers as a senior. Geyer led the Cougars to a Class 3A state championship as a sophomore, batting .478 with a career-high eight homers, and posting a 0.99 ERA with a career-high 300 strikeouts over 155 innings in the circle. Marx is a three-sport standout and among the most-decorated athletes in school history. She won three sectional titles with two state runner-up finishes in volleyball, helped secure a basketball state championship as a freshman and is currently in search of her fourth consecutive softball state finals appearance (titles in 2022 and 2023). Limited to her softball career, Marx set the single-season hits record as a freshman, broke it as a sophomore, then surpassed it once more with a couple hits in Tuesday's regional, leaving her with 56 for the season and 226for her career. The standout outfielder has also scored 43 runs and stolen 23 bases this season, and has 191 runs, 226 hits and 118 steals for her career — placing her among the all-time state leaders in each category. The future Buckeye batted an astonishing .588 (50 hits) against one of the state's toughest schedules as a senior. She only struck out three times, drew five walks and rounded out her line with 33 runs, a couple doubles and eight RBIs. Neal is a career .480 hitter with 153 hits, 114 runs scored, 35 RBIs and a paltry 22 strikeouts in 345 plate appearances. In addition to boasting a career-best .936 fielding percentage (42 putouts and two assists on 47 total chances), Neal broke her own school record with 39 steals, leaving her with 111 through four varsity seasons. Neal, a state track qualifier, helped the Dawgs to 63 wins during her career, with back-to-back 18-win campaigns. More: How a conversation her sophomore year helped Izzy Neal bat nearly .600 as a senior Stieneker exploded offensively this season, setting career-highs in average (.582), runs (52), hits (57), RBIs (49), doubles (20), triples (3), home runs (14) and stolen bases (8). She did her damage across 120 plate appearances (98 at-bats), and did so while striking out just nine times. The Marshall commit finished her career with a .459 average, 174 hits, 121 runs, 154 RBIs , 49 doubles and 29 homers. She did not strike out more than nine times in any of her four varsity seasons, and established herself as a dependable fielder, posting a .929 career fielding percentage on 325 total chances. Stieneker took part in two sectional championship runs, with the Golden Bears reaching the semistate finals her freshman season. Already a phenomenal fielder, Zachary is amidst her best season yet at the hot corner, committing a career-low one error on 45 chances at the hot corner with 17 putouts and 27 assists. She's increased her efficiency at the plate, as well, batting a career-high .548 with 46 hits in 84 at-bats. The Notre Dame commit has also driven in 60 runs, scored 43 runs herself, and rounds out her line with 10 doubles, four triples and seven home runs. Zachary is batting .481 for her career with 192 hits, 172 RBIs, 19 home runs, 19 triples, 41 doubles and 166 runs scored. She's also stolen 77 bases in four seasons (20this spring), and led the Kingsmen to a 4A state championship her sophomore season. More on Zachary: 'We're very lucky to be able to do this together.' Penn coach enjoys ride with daughters.
CNBC
28-05-2025
- Business
- CNBC
Six-year-olds in Germany could soon start saving for retirement
Most people begin saving for retirement when they start full-time jobs — but primary school kids in Germany could get an early start. The country's new government has made plans to introduce a so-called early start pension, setting up kids as young as six years of age with a retirement pot. Under the new plan, 6-18-year-olds who visit educational institutions could receive 10 euros ($11) each month from the government — coming to a total of 1,440 euros per kid across 12 years of eligibility, plus any profits that could accrue from the cash being invested. From the age of 18, people can add personal funds to the account within annual limits. Any profit is set to be tax-free until the age of retirement, when the cash becomes accessible to accountholders. Germany's current retirement age is 67 — and could always rise — meaning that the savings would accrue over a period of more than 60 years. Policymakers have also argued that beyond just setting young people up for the future, the initiative would also help them become more aware and knowledgeable about money, saving and investing. Many details are still uncertain. There has so far been no guidance on how the savings will be invested and who will manage them. Some experts say the total of these investments might not actually amount to a lot of money for each individual person, with Johannes Geyer, deputy head of the public economics department at research institute DIW Berlin, telling CNBC that the sum is ultimately mostly symbolic. Ideally, he says, the policy could motivate people to think about long-term financial security earlier in life and introduce them to capital markets, including in households where the topic might otherwise not come up in conversation. But Geyer points out that this scenario isn't necessarily realistic. "It is unclear if it increases the motivation to save for old age or improves financial knowledge," he said, according to a CNBC translation. "When people receive money passively and basically don't have to make any investment decisions themselves, it isn't obvious how their financial knowledge is meant to be improved. Simply being in 'contact' with investment decisions does not necessarily lead to good choices," Geyer explained. Christoph Schmidt, president of the RWI Leibniz Institute for Economic Research, struck a similar tone. "A fundamental error of the plan is that the actual lesson of saving — doing without now to have more tomorrow — gets totally lost," he told CNBC in translated comments. The funds would be better off used in the German education system, he added. "The basic idea of the early start pension, so giving young people starting capital when they enter adult life, is well-intentioned, but when looking more closely there are hardly any convincing benefits of the concept," he concluded.
Euronews
23-05-2025
- Euronews
Report: Russian army hackers target Western aid supply to Ukraine
Hackers linked to Russian military intelligence have targeted Western logistics and technology firms involved in transporting aid to Ukraine, the US National Security Agency (NSA) said. The cyber operation, attributed to the notorious Russian military intelligence agency GRU unit 26165, better known as Fancy Bear, sought to gather information on the types and timing of assistance entering Ukraine. According to the NSA's report published late Wednesday, the campaign aimed to breach companies in the defence, transport and logistics sectors across multiple Western countries, including the US. It also targeted ports, airports and railway infrastructure. As part of the operation, hackers attempted to access footage from more than 10,000 internet-connected cameras — both private and public — situated near strategic transit points such as border crossings, ports and rail hubs. While the majority of these cameras were located in Ukraine, others were based in neighbouring countries including Poland, Romania and elsewhere in eastern and central Europe. The cyber attacks reportedly began in 2022, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Authorities have not disclosed how successful the hackers were or how long they remained undetected. The NSA, along with the FBI and cybersecurity agencies from allied nations, warned that Russia is likely to continue its surveillance efforts and advised companies involved in support delivery to remain vigilant. 'To defend against and mitigate these threats, at-risk entities should anticipate targeting,' the NSA said in the advisory. The hackers employed spearphishing tactics — sending deceptive, official-looking messages designed to extract sensitive information or install malware — as well as exploiting vulnerabilities in remote access devices typically used in small or home office networks, which often lack enterprise-level protection. Grant Geyer, chief strategy officer at cybersecurity firm Claroty, said the hackers' methods were not especially sophisticated but were methodically executed. 'They have done detailed targeting across the entire supply chain to understand what equipment is moving, when and how — whether it's by aircraft, ship or rail,' he noted. Geyer warned that the intelligence gathered could help Russia refine its military strategy or potentially plan future cyber or physical disruptions to Ukraine's aid routes. In a related move last autumn, US intelligence agencies issued guidance urging US defence contractors and logistics firms to bolster their cybersecurity, following a series of suspected Russian-linked sabotage incidents in Europe. Evidence gathered by Western countries over the years has shown that FancyBear has been behind a slew of attacks on Ukraine, Georgia and NATO, as well as political enemies of the Kremlin, international journalists and others. The man arrested as the lone suspect in the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy employees in Washington was charged on Thursday with two counts of first-degree murder and murder of foreign officials. Chicago-born Elias Rodriguez, 31, shouted 'Free, free Palestine' as he was led away after shooting and killing two Israeli embassy employees outside an event in the US capital on Wednesday, according to court documents. US citizen Sarah Milgrim and an Israeli-German national Yaron Lischinsky were killed in the attack. The two were a young couple set to become engaged, according to Israeli ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter. After his arrest, Rodriguez told police, 'I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza,' federal authorities said on Thursday as they announced the charges in what they described as a targeted act of terrorism. Rodriguez appeared in a US federal court in Washington on Thursday but did not enter a plea. Prosecutors said additional charges are likely as they investigate the incident as both a hate crime and an act of terrorism. If convicted, Rodriguez could face the death penalty. According to an FBI affidavit, Rodriguez flew to Washington from Chicago with a handgun in his checked baggage. The document said law enforcement has seen and reviewed security footage showing Rodriguez first walking past the victims — who were part of a group of four people —outside the museum, then turning, pulling a firearm and shooting them in the back. One of the victims fell to the ground, while the other, identified as Milgrim, tried to crawl away from him. He approached both and fired several more times, according to the affidavit. Witnesses say he entered the building visibly distressed after the attack, prompting bystanders to help him before realising he was the alleged perpetrator. The event at the Capital Jewish Museum was dedicated to helping Gazans, organisers said. The killings prompted Israeli embassies around the world to increase their security and lower flags to half-staff and caused a slew of condemnations from world leaders. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said he was 'shocked' by the 'horrific, antisemitic' shooting.
23-05-2025
- Politics
Russian hackers target Western firms shipping aid to Ukraine, US intelligence says
WASHINGTON -- Hackers working for Russian military intelligence targeted Western technology and logistics companies involved in shipping assistance to Ukraine, the U.S. National Security Agency said. The hackers were trying to obtain details about the type of assistance entering Ukraine and, as part of the effort, sought access to the feeds of internet-connected cameras near Ukrainian border crossings, according to the NSA's report on the cyberattack, which was issued late Wednesday. The cyber campaign sought to penetrate defense, transportation and logistics companies in several Western countries, including the U.S., as well as ports, airports and rail systems. The report didn't specify which types of aid Russia was surveilling, but Ukraine's allies have contributed significant amounts of military and humanitarian assistance since the war began. More than 10,000 internet-connected cameras were targeted, including private devices and public traffic cameras near critical transportation points, such as ports, rail hubs or border crossings. Most were in Ukraine, though some were in Romania, Poland and other eastern or central European countries. Officials did not disclose details about the hackers' success or how long they remained unnoticed. The activity detailed in the report began in 2022, the same year that Russia invaded Ukraine. Russia is expected to continue its efforts to spy on aid shipments, and companies involved in aid logistics or shipments should be on guard, according to the report, which was issued jointly by the NSA, the FBI and security agencies in several allied nations. 'To defend against and mitigate these threats, at-risk entities should anticipate targeting,' the NSA said. Authorities linked the activity to a Russian military intelligence unit dubbed 'Fancy Bear' that is well known for its past campaigns targeting the U.S. and its allies. The hackers used a variety of tactics to gain access, including spearphishing, which involves sending authentic-looking messages to a potential victim that contain links to harmful software or requests for sensitive information. The Russian team also exploited security vulnerabilities in computer devices used at small and in-home offices, networks that often lack the security measures found in larger systems. The hackers didn't use particularly innovative techniques, according to Grant Geyer, chief strategy officer at the cybersecurity company Claroty. Nevertheless, the sprawling yet carefully orchestrated effort gives the Russians a 'granular understanding' of the aid sent to Ukraine, he said. 'They have done detailed targeting across the entire supply chain to understand what equipment is moving, when and how — whether it's by aircraft, ship or rail,' Geyer said. Russia could use the information it obtained to hone its war planning, Geyer said, or to plot further cyber or physical attacks on the supply chain to Ukraine. Last fall, U.S. intelligence officials issued a public bulletin directing American defense companies and suppliers to increase security precautions following several acts of sabotage in Europe that officials have blamed on Russia.
