reaction – Page 1117 – Syndication Server

The best images from Auburn’s time at the Auburn Regional

The season came to an unfortunate end for the regional hosts on Saturday after dropping two consecutive games.

Auburn Baseball’s season came to an unfortunate end on Saturday as the Tigers fell to the Southern Miss Golden Eagles, 7-2 in an elimination game in the Auburn Regional at Plainsman Park.

The tough ending cannot erase a historic season for the Tigers, who ended the season with a 34-23-1 record. Auburn earned its second-straight regional host bid for the first time in program history after finishing 12-3 in the second half of the SEC schedule, and the program also reached new heights as [autotag]Bryson Ware[/autotag] set the program’s single-season home run record by smacking 24 long balls.

Auburn falling short of its third trip to the College World Series in four seasons is disappointing, but the team has nothing to be ashamed of.

Here’s a look back at the best images from Auburn’s losses to Penn and Southern Miss in the Auburn Regional.

Three-star WR Bryce Cain schedules official visit to Auburn

Auburn and Ole Miss are the top two programs in the running for the wide receiver from Mobile.

Auburn football is high on the list of three-star wide receiver [autotag]Bryce Cain[/autotag] and will have the chance to seal the deal later this month.

Cain, the No. 40 prospect from the state of Alabama for the 2024 cycle, has locked in an official visit to Auburn for the weekend of June 9. Auburn is on the top of Cain’s list, but they will have to fight off Ole Miss in order to obtain his signature. Head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and wide receivers coach [autotag]Marcus Davis[/autotag] have the chance to lock in his commitment during the visit.

In a recent interview with Christian Clemente of Auburn Undercover ($), Cain says that he is intrigued by what Auburn has to offer.

“Auburn — everything sticks out to me,” Cain said. “I love the facility, love the coaches, love the players. I feel like they can take me to the next level.”

Davis, a former Auburn wide receiver himself, has been Cain’s primary contact. Cain says that Davis hopes to get the chance to coach and develop him at Auburn.

Cain is a 5-11, 170-pound wide receiver from Baker High School in Mobile and is rated as a three-star by 247Sports. Steve Wiltfong and David Johnson, both of 247Sports, have given Ole Miss a crystal ball to land Cain. Both predictions were made prior to April 6, however. According to On3, Cain has a 97.8% chance to sign with Ole Miss.

It will be vital for Freeze to blow Cain away during his visit if he hopes to record another one of his trademark “flips” on the recruiting trail.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1367]

Auburn’s offense will ‘go as Payton Thorne goes’ in 2023 according to one analyst

Pressure is a privilege, and Payton Thorne will have no shortage of that this season on the Plains.

Out of all the transfers that Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers have landed since December, the one that has the ability to make the most impact is quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag].

Thorne played three seasons at Michigan State before transferring to Auburn, with two full seasons of starting experience. That resume will be important to Auburn’s offense, as they prepare to go into full rebuild mode under Freeze and offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery.

High qualifications, however, lead to high expectations. In a recent episode of The Hard Count podcast from On3, host J.D. PicKell shared his list of quarterbacks that will begin the season “in a pressure cooker”, and Thorne, of course, made the cut.

PicKell says that he understands the newfound optimism that has graced Auburn with Thorne’s signing, and says that the Tigers’ offense will only be as good as Thorne is on any given Saturday.

“You know what you’re getting in him. He’s a starter. He’s had solid production throughout the course of his career. But he’s the batteries for this offense at Auburn,” PicKell said. “Make no mistake about it, the offense under Hugh Freeze at Auburn will go as Payton Thorne goes.”

PicKell also referenced Auburn’s impressive transfer portal haul when discussing the improvements to the program, but doubles down on his claim that the energy and attitude of Auburn’s offense will run through Thorne, so it will be important for him to play at a high level every single snap.

“(Auburn) did a lot through the portal. Have one of the top portal classes this cycle. Payton Thorne being a part of that portal class. But if Payton Thorne doesn’t bring his a-game, if he doesn’t allow the offense to operate because he’s not up to speed, or he’s making mistakes, he’s not consistent, whatever it ends up being, they will go as Payton Thorne goes,” PicKell said.

Thorne passed for 6,493 yards and 49 touchdowns in three seasons at Michigan State. He led the Spartans to 10 wins and a Peach Bowl victory in 2021 before a lower-body injury in the Spartans’ opener against Western Michigan slowed down his production during the 2022 season.

Check out the entire segment of PicKell’s breakdown on The Hard Count below:

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1364]

NJPW Dominion 6.4 in Osaka-jo Hall results: Sanada retains, but Yota Tsuji looks like a fan favorite

Yota Tsuji looked like a star even in defeat while challenging Sanada for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Dominion 6.4 in Osaka.

Is Yota Tsuji the kind of supernova that can shoot right to a world title? He’ll need to be to defeat Sanada for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship so soon after returning from his overseas excursion. Now a member of LIJ, Tsuji has Tetsuya Naito, Hiromu Takahashi, Bushi and Titan out ringside to support him, and Shingo Takagi even leaves the Japanese commentary desk to join in. The Just 5 Guys crew is out to back the champ as well, watching as all six members of LIJ do the raised fist circle.

The “Yota” chants are evident and draw a smile from the challenger as the bell rings. Tsuji grabs a side headlock, then runs over the champ with a shoulder tackle. He spears Sanada when he tries a leapfrog, and the crowd loves it. They love it even more when he hits a somersault plancha to the floor.

Tsuji coms charging in from a football crouch but catches a kick to the face. Sanada decides to grab and lean back into the Skull End, and Tsuji is in the hold for quite some time. Sanada finally lets it go and attempts a moonsault, but he catches nothing but knees.

The two men stand and trade strikes, with forearms and chops going both ways. A backbreaker by Tsuji leads to a Boston Crab, with Yota smiling again as he leans back. Some fans are chanting for Sanada, but Yota chants drown them out.

A reverse Gory special is on target for Yota, but his moonsault not so much. Sanada isn’t quick to rise, however, as he is still shaking off earlier offense. The champ picks up the pace and hits a dropkick, knocking Tsuji out to the floor where he’s nailed by a plancha.

A huge missile dropkick by Sanada is immediately answered by a superkick. Both men are down, with the fans mostly urging on Tsuji. Back to chops they go, and once again Tsuji seems to be giving better than he gets. A driver of some sort gets him a two count, and he takes the champ up to the top rope. He delivers a Spanish Fly with a half twist and nearly gets a three from it.

Some back and forth leads to a Deadfall attempt, but Tsuji breaks free for a headbutt and a Stomp. He hooks the leg but Sanada just barely kicks out in time.

They run the ropes and Tsuji looks for a spear, but Sanada hits a dropkick, a moonsault, a Shining Wizard and Deadfall, and that burst of offense is enough to end it. LIJ doesn’t enter the ring to help out Tsuji, which the announcers note.

Sanada gets on the mic and says Tsuji should get on the grind and get some results for LIJ, then he can challenge for the title again. He says next time they are in Okada it will be for the G1, and that he will win it as champion and choose his challenger for Wrestle Kingdom. Taichi gives him a fist bump for that.

Sanada says today he can say that he really, really likes this town before a burst of gold streamers goes up and he’s held on the shoulders of his teammates.

Click here for full NJPW Dominion 6.4 results from Osaka.

NJPW Dominion 6.4 in Osaka-jo Hall results: Hiromu Takahashi squeaks by Master Wato

Hiromu Takahashi had just enough to retain his IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against Master Wato at NJPW Dominion 6.4.

Carrying his Best of Super Juniors trophy, Master Wato heads down the ramp first. The English announce team reminds viewers of how Wato made his debut during the pandemic and finally has a chance to make it to the top of the mountain tonight. Hiromu Takahashi makes his entrance next as only he can.

Wato hears the cheers from his hometown fans as the bell rings, bringing a wry smile from Hiromu. He gets the better of the early exchanges, but the champ drags him to the floor and hammers him into the barricades several times. A dropkick off the apron sends Wato through the gate, and Hiromu brings him back in the ring to cover for a quick two.

Chops and a corner charge set up a low dropkick for Takahashi. He brings Wato up the ramp in the fireman’s carry position, then suplexes him on the ramp. The ref orders them back to the ring, then starts a count for Wato. Hiromu is amused as Wato rolls himself back down the ramp to help him get back there quicker and beats the 20 counts.

Wato retaliates with a dropkick to compose himself, then hits a nice tope con hilo to the outside. A bulldog follows, and he covers for a two count. They roll around on the floor until Hiromu can force a rope break.

A short series of counters ends with a falcon arrow for Hiromu. He picks up Wato and smashes him into the corner pad, but gets countered on the mat with a lot of pressure on his neck. Takahashi has to scoot forward on his backside to get his legs to the ropes for a break.

Hiromu gets in trouble on the apron, and ends up on the floor where he is a sitting duck for a torneo, Wato tries to come off the top rope but is countered and hits the mat hard.

It takes some doing, but Hiromu scores a near fall with the Dynamite Plunger. He connects with a clothesline, but his Time Bomb II is countered and leaves Wato looking for the RPP. Hiromu meets him in the corner and they battle back to the center of the ring. Wato hits Recientemente and gets another near fall.

A big German suplex and a bridge force Takahashi to kick out, then he nerly gets rolled up. Wato switches to Vendaval, and Hiromu looks like he’s fading but manages to hang in there. He’s not tapping out, and he summons up all the strength he has left to get his foot on the middle rope for a break.

Wato’s waistlock forces a series of elbows from the champ, who finds the mark with a series of kicks and a big lariat. Wato hits a spinning kick to the head and hits the Tsutenkaku German for two. Hiromu nearly rolls him up for the win, then hits a pair of kicks but can’t hit Time Bomb II. He hits the original Time Bomb instead, and that’s not enough to win it.

The fans are louder now as they get behind Wato. But the Time Bomb II is on the mark, and the hometown challenger goes down to defeat.

Click here for full NJPW Dominion 6.4 results from Osaka.

NJPW Dominion 6.4 in Osaka-jo Hall results: David Finlay snuffs out El Phantasmo’s bid for revenge

See how David Finlay was able to prevent El Phantasmo from getting revenge in the NEVER Openweight Championship match at NJPW Dominion 6.4.

The man who vowed to take down Bullet Club one member at a time, El Phantasmo, comes to the ring first. That task might be more difficult now, since BC leader David Finlay has added four more members to the group just tonight, and they flank the entranceway as he makes his ring walk.

ELP wastes no time taking it to his former teammate, flying to the floor and then over the barricade to crash into Finlay. The fans seem to enjoy that quite a bit.

Phantasmo lays in some chops and forearm shots before sliding the champ back into the ring. A springboard cross body and springboard moonsault lead to a two count for the challenger.

Some more fancy rope work has Finlay back on the floor, but when Phantasmo tries to run the ropes, the new Bullet Club recruits menace him into hesitation that Finlay uses to his advantage.

Finlay continues his assault on the outside, shares a Too Sweet salute with the others, then hurls ELP into the post before posing. The champ goes under the ring and gets out a table. He almost regrets it as Phantasmo tries for a move off the apron, but Finlay takes the fight back into the ring for a senton and a near fall.

A hard Irish whip into the corner racks ELP’s back with pain, and Finlay steps on the back of his neck as well. Finlay stays on the attack, grabbing a chinlock and forcing Phantasmo’s face into the mat.

The fans try to rally ELP as he’s hit repeatedly in the back of the head. A dropkick finally buys the challenger a breather, and the fans chant for him again. An atomic drop and a body slam score for Phantasmo, who comes off the middle rope with an elbowdrop.

The Bullet Club recruits get on the apron as a distraction, and Finlay charges into the corner to make him pay. The champ whips out an exploder suplex, but he’s caught rushing into the corner and hung in the tree of woe. ELP’s sliding kick connects, and he covers for another two.

A big springboard tornado DDT is on target, but Finlay kicks out again at two. ELP looks for CRII, but Finlay fights out and sets off an exchange of strikes. Phantasmo twists his foe’s nipples and bounces right back up after a suplex and stomps the champ into a corner.

ELP comes in a little too fast and is catapulted into the turnbuckle, and Finlay scores a couple of near falls in quick succession. Phantasmo replies with a series of kicks, then another two count. But Finlay powers him off the top rope into a Dominator, forcing the challenger to dig down to kick out before the three.

Finlay looks for Oblivion but gets caught with a pair of superkicks, and it’s a longer two count this time. ELP slams the champ down and ends up diving onto all four members of the BC on the outside. He superkicks Gedo too, but he’s now taken too long, so Finlay pushes him off the top rope and then sends him through a table on the floor.

They head back into the ring, where Finlay hits a powerbomb. He does the throat slash gesture and hits Oblivion, and that’s all she wrote for ELP.

Click here for full NJPW Dominion 6.4 results from Osaka.

NJPW Dominion 6.4 in Osaka-jo Hall results: Zack Sabre Jr. pulls out slick counter to retain against Jeff Cobb

See how Zack Sabre Jr. was able to hold off a title challenge from Jeff Cobb at NJPW Dominion.

The English announce team notes that Zack Sabre Jr. has been keeping a busy schedule lately, including defending this title against Action Andretti earlier this week on AEW Rampage. Of course, none of his challengers are the size of Jeff Cobb. They get right in each other’s faces and start jawing before the bell.

Cobb fires out of his corner when the match begins, but the champ is able to stand his ground with a series of kicks. A jumping shoulder block changes that, but Sabre reverses a Tour of the Island attempt and grabs Cobb’s arm.

The challengers gets a couple of two counts, then pushes Sabre off him at one following a dropkick to the back of the head. This is a furious pace so far, undoubtedly because of the 15-minute time limit.

Cobb’s forearm shots are answered in kind, but Jeff simply hits much harder. ZSJ waves Cobb in for more and is sent back down to the canvas. A backdrop sees Cobb crawl over for another cover, but ZSJ kicks out at two.

Sabre finally gets a chance to really stretch Cobb for the first time, switching from limb to limb as only he does. It takes all of Cobb’s strength to roll his foe off of him, but those holds took their toll.

Cobb picks up momentum, slinging Sabre into the corner pads repeatedly. ZSJ is able to grab a sleeper but takes an electric chair drop that leaves both men slow to rise from the mat.

Sabre goes back to work on Cobb’s arm and shows his strength with a suplex, then a penalty kick that leads to several unsuccessful covers. Cobb fires back with an overhead release suplez and nearly wins with a bridging pin combination that gets the crowd to react.

After hitting a Spin Cycle, Sabre is suplexed yet again. Cobb tries for the Tour of the Islands, but ZSJ counters with a crucifix rollup and manages to keep Cobb’s shoulders down for three.

Click here for full NJPW Dominion 6.4 in Osaka-jo Hall results.

Dominion 6.4 in Osaka-jo Hall results: Sanada holds off intriguing challenger, Bullet Club grows

Check out all of the action for NJPW’s start of the summer card with full Dominion 6.4 in Osaka-jo Hall results.

Is there change in the air? It’s always possible when eight championships are on the line on one pro wrestling card, which is the case for NJPW Dominion 6.4 in Osaka-jo Hall.

Except for one eight-man tag and one match to determine a No. 1 contender for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship — and even that bout is intriguing considering the man holding that particular title is Kenny Omega — every bout on this year’s card is a championship match.

With that much gold on the line, it’s tricky to pick the showdowns that stand out from the rest, but three figure to be measuring sticks for whether things will be shaken up across New Japan this summer. The first sees David Finlay, leader of the Bullet Club, take on former teammate El Phantasmo for Finlay’s NEVER Openweight Championship. Will this be a measure of revenge for ELP after he was unceremoniously booted from the group, or further validation of Finlay’s new direction for one of pro wrestling’s most famous stables?

Hiromu Takahashi defends his IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against Master Wato, who made quite the impression by winning the 2023 Best of the Super Juniors tournament. A victory over Hiromu would give him the right to claim he’s the best junior heavyweight in the company.

And in the main event, Sanada will attempt to fend off a challenge to his IWGP World Heavyweight Championship from Yota Tsuji. While Sanada had to break free from Los Ingobernables de Japon to take his game to the next level, Tsuji is attempting to do just the opposite, saying he wants to join LIJ while trying to bring home the top prize in NJPW.

It should be an exciting night with a title change or two and perhaps a couple of surprises before it’s all said and done, not to mention the reveal of the G1 Climax 33 lineups.

Dominion 6.4 in Osaka-jo Hall results:

(click on any match with a link for full details)

Will Ospreay def. Lance Archer by pinfall to become No. 1 contender for Kenny Omega’s IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship
Ospreay gets on the microphone and says he’s out for revenge on Omega, and will walk into Canada to bring the title back … likely meaning at Forbidden Door in Toronto
Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, Bushi and Titán) def. Just 5 Guys (Taichi, Douki, Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Taka Michinoku) by submission
Catch 2/2 (Francesco Akira and TJP) def. Intergalactic Jet Setters (Kushida and Kevin Knight) by pinfall to become the new IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions …
… but the new champs are attacked right after the match by Dan Moloney, who cornered them during the bout, and Clark Connors
Zack Sabre Jr. def. Jeff Cobb by pinfall to retain the NJPW World Television Championship
Bishamon (Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi) def. House of Torture (Evil and Yujiro Takahashi) and United Empire (Great-O-Khan and Aaron Henare) by pinfall to become the new IWGP Tag Team Champions and Strong Openweight Tag Team Champions …
… but after their victory, they are laid out by the new Bullet Club War Dogs, Alex Coughlin and Gabriel Kidd
The G1 Climax 33 field will include Kazuchika Okada, Naito, Sanada, Ospreay, Hiroshi Tanahashi, David Finlay, Shota Umino, Takagi, Tomohiro Ishii, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, Hikuleo, Goto, Yoshi-Hashi, Toru Yano, Kenta, ZSJ, Taichi, Eddie Kingston, El Phantasmo, Ren Narita, Evil, Chase Owens, Cobb, Great-O-Khan, Henare, Kidd, Coughlin, Shane Haste, Mikey Nicholls, Yota Tsuji, and Kaito Kiyomiya
David Finlay def. El Phantasmo by pinfall to retain the NEVER Openweight Championship
Hiromu Takahashi def. Master Wato by pinfall to retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
Chaos (Kazuchika Okada and Tomohiro Ishii) and Hiroshi Tanahashi def. Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli) and Shota Umino by pinfall, with Okada accepting a recorded challenge from Bryan Danielson after the match and suggesting “the Forbidden Door will be opened”
Sanada def. Yota Tsuji by pinfall to retain the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship

Bijan Robinson is Draft Wire’s highest-rated RB prospect since 2004

Falcons rookie Bijan Robinson was Draft Wire’s highest-graded RB prospect since 2004

[connatix div_id=”3f8b015acdd24c648befc5d5dac47469″ player_id=”afe1e038-d3c2-49c0-922d-6511a229f69c” cid=”7cbcea0d-4ce2-4c75-9a8d-fbe02a192c24″]

Ever since hiring Arthur Smith and Terry Fontenot in 2021, the Atlanta Falcons have been forging their own path back to NFL relevance. That’s especially true if you look at the team’s approach to the draft.

In Year 1, the Falcons drafted Kyle Pitts at No. 4 overall — the highest pick ever used on a tight end. In 2023, the team once again went against conventional draft strategy by selecting Texas running back Bijan Robinson in the top 10.

Pitts and Robinson were some of the highest-rated players at their respective positions in recent memory. In fact, Draft Wire’s Jeff Risdon ranked Robinson as his No. 1 RB prospect of the last 20 years.

No, it’s not recency bias. Robinson, the No. 8 overall pick in 2023 by the Falcons, earned the highest running back grade of the last 20 years. His blend of speed, vision, elusiveness, receiving ability and freshness (I’m a stickler against overworked college RBs) earned Robinson a grade of 9.55.

We’ll see what comes of the Texas standout in the NFL in the coming years, but his grade reflects a prospect who should be an All-Pro-caliber player every year. Prior to Robinson in 2023, the highest RB grade belonged to Reggie Bush back in 2005. – Jeff Risdon, Draft Wire

The Falcons are clearly buying into the hype around Robinson, especially considering they just added 1,000-yard back Tyler Allgeier in the fifth round of last year’s draft and still have both Cordarrelle Patterson and Caleb Huntley under contract.

Robinson has an all-around skill set that you just don’t see very often out of the running back position. His incredible patience and vision combined with elite pass-catching ability make him an every-down weapon that should terrorize NFL defenses for years to come.

And with Allgeier and Patterson still in the picture, the Falcons can ease Robinson into the rotation. This will help the longevity of all three backs as they play in Arthur Smith’s run-heavy offense this season.

[lawrence-related id=114918,114902,114883,114873,114858,114841]

Denver Jones ranks high on CBS Sports’ transfer portal rankings

The FIU transfer is expected to make an immediate impact in his first season on the Plains.

The Auburn Tigers are shaping up to have another great season in 2023-24.

The Tigers roster will have a steady mix of returning starters in [autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag], a stellar freshman in [autotag]Aden Holloway[/autotag], and three transfers that are poised to make an immediate impact.

One member of Auburn’s transfer portal class, [autotag]Denver Jones[/autotag], is projected to be the starter at the two-guard position, taking the place of outgoing senior [autotag]Zep Jasper[/autotag]. The FIU transfer averaged 20 points and 3.8 rebounds for the Golden Panthers last season and made 47% of his shots. His production has led him to a high spot on CBS Sports college basketball top 50 transfer portal rankings, where he checks in at No. 19

David Cobb of CBS Sports says that Jones will enhance Auburn’s backcourt ahead of the new season.

Jones finished second in Conference USA in scoring at 20.1 points per game during his sophomore season on 37.1% 3-point shooting, 55.2% 2-point shooting and 84.5% free-throw shooting. The 6-4 guard reached the 20-point mark in 17 of 28 games this past season. He is the type of instant impact offensive player who can help make Auburn’s backcourt more efficient, provided that he embraces a role that will surely include fewer shots than he took at FIU.

Jones is expected to team up with Holloway at the guard position, while fellow transfers [autotag]Cheney Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Chad Baker-Mazara[/autotag] will aid the frontcourt.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=702301474]