Drake football coach Todd Stepsis hopes the first “normal” spring practice in three years will help the Bulldogs regain their winning ways. After having spring drills and the fall season canceled in 2020 The Bulldogs posted a disappointing 2-9 record last year. It was Drake’s worst season since 1983.

Improvement begins with an offense that averaged just over 12 points per game last season.

Stepsis says the Bulldogs will benefit from spring drills.

The Bulldogs close out spring drills with an intra squad game on April 23rd.

Xavier Nwampa is getting noticed this spring at Iowa. The five-star safety out of Southeast Polk High School enrolled for the second semester to get an early start on his career. Senior defensive back Kaevon Merriweather.

Merriweather says Nwampa has a bright future.

Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker has been impressed with Nwampa’s eagerness to learn.

Parker says they are trying to keep things simple for Nwampa this spring.

The Hawkeyes close out spring drills with an open practice on April 23rd.

The Cardinals got back to back homeruns from Nolan Arenado and Albert Pujols in the 1st inning to start the scoring and eventually picked up a 6-5 win.

Salvador Perez and Michael A. Taylor hit homers in the 2nd inning to tie the game for the Royals. Andrew Knizner broke the tie and secured the win with a 3-run blast for the Cardinals in the 4th inning. The Royals plated runs in the 7th and 8th to get within a run.

Jordan Hicks picked up the win on the mound for the Redbirds after Dakota Hudson started the game. The Cardinals move to 3-1 on the season and the Royals are now 2-3.

Wednesday’s game was later called off due to weather.

Iowa State forward Tristan Enaruna has entered the transfer portal. The 6-8 junior played an average of 14.4 minutes per game last season for the Cyclones, averaging 4.3 points and 2.9 rebounds along the way.

Enaruna will be heading to his third team in three years. He came to Iowa State from Kansas as a transfer before last season. He will have to sit out a year next season unless he gets an NCAA waiver since it’s his second transfer. Enaruna joins Tre Jackson and Jaden Walker as ISU players that have entered the transfer portal.

As the roster currently sits ISU still has three scholarship spots available for next season.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department is starting up a COED Slow Pitch Softball League. For more information, see the flyer:

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa, California, Clemson, and TCU headline the field for the 2022 Emerald Coast Classic, presented by Global Sports.

The tournament will be held Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 25-26, at Raider Arena on the campus of Northwest Florida State College in Niceville, Florida. As part of the tournament, each of the four teams will also play two preliminary home contests prior to traveling to Florida. Game matchups will be announced later this summer.

Iowa and TCU, who competed in the 2022 NCAA Tournament, will both be making their second appearance in the Emerald Coast Classic. The Horned Frogs won the 2017 Emerald Coast Classic title, beating St. Bonaventure in the championship. The Hawkeyes played in the 2016 Emerald Coast Classic.

Iowa captured the 2022 Big Ten Tournament championship, tied for fourth in the conference regular season standings and won 26 overall games, the second most wins in a single season in program history.

Fran McCaffery has coached Iowa to 20-plus wins eight of the last 10 seasons, including four straight years. The Hawkeyes have competed in the last three NCAA Tournaments and have been ranked in the final Associated Press Poll each of the last three years: No. 16 in 2020, No. 8 in 2021 and No. 25 in 2022.

“We’re excited that we continue to attract teams from the premier basketball conferences in the country,” said tournament director Maury Hanks, chief executive officer of Global Sports. “We strive to bring the best college basketball teams possible to the Emerald Coast of Florida.”

For more tournament information visit emeraldcoastclassic.com.

The Shenandoah boys golf tournament was held on Tuesday at American Legion Memorial Golf Course. The tournament was shortened to a 9-hole event instead of 18 due to weather.

Team Scores Large Division

1. Maryville 165
2. Atlantic 170
3. Glenwood 173
4. Harlan 180
5. Clarinda 189
6. Denison 200
7. Red Oak 221
8. Shenandoah 228

Team Scores Small Division

1. Sidney 172
2. Bedford 179
3. Fremont-Mills 186
4. Nodaway Valley 188
5. Southwest Valley 209
6. East Mills 219
7. Essex/Stanton 230

Individual Top 10

1. Bradley Gebbie, Nodaway Valley, 37
2. Jacob Scott, Maryville, 38
3. Trevin Cunningham, Maryville, 38
4. Cole Jorgensen, Sidney, 39
5. Jace Gubbels, Harlan, 39
6. Jade Spangler, Shenandoah, 39
7. Lane Nelson, Atlantic, 40
8. Braden Sneed, Glenwood, 40
9. Kyle Beam, Sidney, 40
10. Gavin Schau, Glenwood, 41

Atlantic Scores
Lane Nelson, 40 -7th Place
Cruz Weaver, 42- 11th Place
Tristan Hayes, 43- 12th Place
Garrett McLaren, 45
Roth Den Beste, 47
Cooper Jipsen, 52

• Atlantic vs. Kuemper Catholic boys soccer has been postponed to 4/22 at 5:30 p.m. at Kuemper.
• Atlantic vs. Des Moines North girls soccer has been cancelled.
• Atlantic vs Glenwood girls golf has been postponed to a date TBD.
• Atlantic vs. Glenwood boys tennis and Atlantic at Glenwood girls tennis have been postponed to a date TBD.
• The Co-Ed Ken Carstens Relays at Harlan have been postponed.

Iowa Cubs President Sam Bernabe says things are returning to as normal as they can but it will never be like 2019 again. After two years of dealing with the pandemic, including the loss of the entire 2020 season, The I-Cubs open their International League home schedule tonight (Tuesday night) against Toledo.

Bernabe on one of the biggest changes that will remain permanent.

Bernabe says Principal Park will be cashless and paperless.

Bernabe says they are returning to more on field promotions but access to the players will still be limited.

The Quad Cities River Bandits open their Midwest League home schedule Tuesday night against the Cedar Rapids Kernels and General Manager Joe Kubly says they were moving to a cashless and paperless system before the pandemic hit.

Kubly says the only thing that remains printed is the game ticket.

Kubly says game operations will look much like 2019 prior to the pandemic.

Kubly says the COVID protocols in Modern Woodmen Park have been eliminated.

Iowa State coach Matt Campbell believes Trevor Downing has a chance to become an elite offensive lineman. The native of Creston has made the move from guard to center this spring after playing center in a CHEEZ-IT Bowl loss to Clemson. He takes over a spot that was anchored by Collin Newell.

Downing hopes to anchor an offensive line that shows improvement next season.

Iowa State offensive coordinator Tom Manning like the progress this spring.

Manning says there is good competition at several spots up front.