Wisconsin Radio Network

Wisconsin News and Sports

You are here: Home / Archives for Sports

Brewers deal for starting catcher

By

After losing free agent Yasmani Grandal to the Chicago White Sox, the Milwaukee Brewers made a deal today to acquire his potential replacement.

The Brewers sent minor league pitching prospect Adam Hill and a Competitive Round B draft pick to the Seattle Mariners for left-handed hitting Omar Narvaez.

Hill was acquired from the Mets last year in the Keon Broxton trade.  He went 7-9 with a 3.92 ERA in 26 games at Class A Wisconsin.  The Competitive Round B selection comes after the second round in 2020 that the Brewers were assigned this week.  That pick is currently the 70th overall selection in the draft.

The 27-year-old Narvaez played in 132 games with Seattle last season, hitting .278 with 22 home runs and 55 RBI.  He had a .353 on-base percentage, a .813 OPS and a .516 slugging percentage.

Narvaez is considered to be an offensive catcher and hit .289 against right-handed pitching last season.  Against lefties, he his just .227.  Narvaez hit 20 of his 22 home runs against right-handers.  Those numbers would suggest a potential platoon at catcher with right-handed hitting Manny Pina under contract for next season.

Defensively, Narvaez threw out just 18% of runners attempting to steal.

Narvaez still has three more years of contractual control and is projected to make about $2.9 million in salary arbitration this offseason.

 

Packers to give newcomer Ervin a shot on return units

By

The Green Bay Packers are wasting no time in giving newly acquired running back and returner Tyler Ervin a shot on both kick and punt returns this week against Washington.  Packers coach Matt LaFleur indicated that would likely be the case when speaking with reporters on Wednesday.

The Packers claimed Ervin off waivers from Jacksonville on Monday and threw him right into the mix when practice resumed on Wednesday.

Ervin is listed as a running back and gives the Packers some depth there, but has just five carries and 14 receptions during his brief NFL career.  Ervin has primarily been used as a return specialist since being drafted by Houston in the fourth round out of San Jose State in 2016. [Read more…]

Badgers Taylor named Big Ten’s top back

By

Wisconsin Badgers tailback Jonathan Taylor was named the Ameche-Dayne Big Ten running back of the year for the second straight season.  He becomes the third back to win the award twice, joining former Badger Montee Ball and former Penn State standout Saquon Barkley.

Taylor was also a consensus first-team all-Big Ten selection for the third straight season.

Tayor finished at the top of the Big Ten in rushing yards per game (146.8) and rushing touchdowns (20).

Teammate (C) Tyler Biadasz was also a consensus first-team pick for the second straight season.

Left tackle Cole Van Lanen was a second-team pick by the media and honorable mention according to the coaches.

Wide receiver Quintez Cephus, tight end Jake Ferguson and right tackle Logan Bruss were consensus honorable mention.  Quarterback Jack Coan was honorable mention according to the media.

 

Bucks pull away from Detroit for 13th straight win

By

The Milwaukee Bucks winning streak now stands at 13-games.  Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 35 points and pulled down 9 rebounds to lead the Bucks to a 127-103 win over the Pistons in Detroit on Tuesday night.

Khris Middleton added 17 points for the Bucks, which improved to 10-2 on the road and 19-3 overall this season.

Andre Drummond had 23 points, 14 rebounds and five assists for the Pistons, who had their two-game winning streak snapped.  Detroit fell to 8-14.  Langston Galloway added 20 points off the bench for the Pistons.

The game was physical and chippy, leading to a number of technical fouls on both sides.  The Bucks only put up with so much of it before putting their head down and separating themselves from the Pistons on the scoreboard.

The Bucks are now 2-0 against the Pistons this season.  They return home to host the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night at Fiserv Forum.

 

Sitton retires as a Packer

By

Josh Sitton (WRN File Photo)

Former guard Josh Sitton, who played eight seasons (2008-15) in Green Bay, has informed the club of his decision to retire with the Packers.

Sitton, who was originally selected by the Packers in the fourth round (135th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft out of Central Florida, started 112 of 121 regular-season games and all 13 postseason games he appeared in for the Packers.  From 2009-15, he started 110 games, which is the most by a Packer offensive lineman.

Sitton was named to the Pro Bowl three times with the Packers (2012, ’14-15) and was also selected second-team All-Pro by the Associated Press three times (2013-15).  He was the first Green Bay guard to be named to the Pro Bowl in back-to-back seasons since Marco Rivera went to three straight from 2002-04.  He was also selected as a Pro Bowl alternate in 2010, 2011 and 2013. [Read more…]

Badgers climb to 8th in latest CFB Playoff rankings

By

The Wisconsin Badgers jumped four spots in this week’s College Football Playoff rankings.

The 10-2 Badgers went from 12th to eighth following Saturday’s 38-17 win over the Minnesota Gophers.  That clinched the Big Ten West division title, earning UW a spot in Saturday’s Big Ten Championship game against the Ohio State Buckeyes.

The Buckeyes will go into Saturday’s game against Wisconsin at the top of the playoff rankings, followed by LSU, Clemson and Georgia.

Utah is fifth, Oklahoma sixth and Baylor seventh.  After Wisconsin at number eight is Florida and Penn State rounding out the top 10.  Alabama dropped from fifth to 12th after the Crimson Tide fell to Auburn this past weekend.  It’s the lowest ranking for Alabama in the six years of the committee rankings.

The final rankings that set the pairings for the national semifinals come out Sunday after each FBS conference plays a championship game this weekend.

Seven Badger players earn Big Ten honors

By

Zach Baun

The Wisconsin Badgers had six members of their defensive unit named all-Big Ten on Tuesday, led by linebackers Zach Baun and Chris Orr.

Baun was named a first-team selection, while Orr was named to the second-team.

Safety Eric Burrell, defensive ends Matt Henningsen and Isaiahh Loudermilk and cornerback Faion Hicks were named honorable mention on defense.

Baun had two sacks and nine tackles in the Badgers 38-17 win at Minnesota last week.  He leads Wisconsin with 18 1/2 tackles for loss and shares the team lead in sacks with Chris Orr (11 1/2).

Wisconsin’s return specialist, Aron Cruickshank was a second-team pick as a return specialist.

The league will announce the their offensive selections on Wednesday.

Ohio State’s Chase Young, who led the Big Ten in sacks with 16 1/2 was named the Nagurski-Woodson Defensive Player of the Year.

Minnesota’s P.J. Fleck was named the Hayes-Schembechler Coach of the Year, selected by  the Big Ten’s coaches.  Ohio State’s Ryan Day was the Dave McClain Coach of the Year, picked by the media.

 

Packers rebound to beat Giants in New York

By

Allen Lazard

Aaron Rodgers tossed four touchdown passes to lead the Green Bay Packers to a 31-13 win over the New York Giants on Sunday.

Rodgers completed 21 of 33 for 243 yards with rain, sleet and eventually heavy snow falling.

Rodgers hit Davante Adams on touchdown passes of 8 and 17 yards, Allen Lazard for 37 yards and veteran Marcedes Lewis on a short 1-yard touchdown pass.

The Packers also intercepted rookie Daniel Jones three times, winning the turnover battle 3-0.

The loss sent the Giants (2-10) to their eighth straight loss, their worst losing streak in 15 years.

The Packers scored the first three times they had the ball, with the first two drives ending on touchdown [Read more…]

Marquette falls to Maryland in Orlando Invitational

By

After scoring 91 points in the first two games of the Orlando Invitational, Marquette’s Markus Howard scored just six points on 1 of 12 shooting as the Golden Eagles fell to the Maryland Terrapins 84-63 in the tournament’s championship game on Sunday.

Brendan Bailey scored 27 points and senior forward Sacar Anim added 21 for the Golden Eagles.  Bailey finished 7 of 12 from three-point distance.

Senior guard Anthony Cowan led Maryland with 22 points, six rebounds and four assists.

Maryland improved to 8-0 with the win, while the Golden Eagles fell to 5-2.

 

Badgers claim Big Ten Volleyball title, will host NCAA 1st and 2nd round matches

By

Wisconsin Volleyball – File Photo

The Wisconsin Badger women’s volleyball team captured the Big Ten title outright after sweeping Rutgers on Saturday and seeing Minnesota knock off Penn State.

For the seventh-straight season and the 23rd time in program history, the Badgers earned a bid to the NCAA tournament.  The Badgers were selected as the No. 4-seed in the tournament and will host first and second round matches on Friday-Saturday in the UW Field House.

UCLA (18-11) takes on Notre Dame (19-9) in the opening first-round match on Friday at 4:30 p.m. before Wisconsin (22-6) faces off against Illinois State (22-11) at 7 p.m.  First-round winners advance to the second round of the tournament on Saturday at 6 p.m. in the Field House.

The Badgers hold a 46-22 (.676) all-time record in the program’s 22 NCAA tournament appearances.  UW [Read more…]