Ruston All-Stars head to Diamond Youth Baseball World Series: The Ruston 7u All Stars recently won the District 4 championship held in Shreveport June 19-22 and finished as state runner-up in Shreveport the following weekend. The team will now head to Texarkana to compete in the Diamond Youth Baseball 7u World Series July 16-21. Team members include Toxey Taylor, John Wesley Clark, Caleb Delucci, Beckett Wells, Grady Williams, James McIntyre, Hayes Best, Sawyer Guillot, Sutton Norwood, Brooks Walpole, and Logan Jones. They are coached by Danny Walpole, Daniel Delucci, Mitchell Best, and Andy McIntyre.
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Ford Headed to Arcadia: Former Louisiana Tech great Cheryl Ford was recently named the head girls varsity basketball coach at Arcadia High School. Ford inherits a program that advanced to the Non-Select School Division IV state title game last season where the Lady Hornets fell 38-34 to Lakeview. Ford, who served as the head varsity girls coach at Glenbrook HS a few years ago, starred with the Lady Techsters from 1999 through 2003 where she earned WAC Player of the Year honors her junior and senior seasons. She was the No. 3 overall selection in the 2003 WNBA Draft by the Detroit Shock and earned WNBA Rookie of the Year honors. Ford, who was recently named to the Louisiana Tech Hall of Fame Class of 2025, spent seven years in the WNBA and led Detroit to three WNBA championships.
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Szymanski earns national honors: Former Ruston Bearcat Justin Szymanski earned NJCAA Division II honorable mention All-American honors following the 2025 baseball season. Szymanski is the first SouthArk athlete to ever receive all-American accolades. During his sophomore season, Szymanski batted .415 with 16 home runs, 21 doubles and 59 RBI while recording a team-best 78 hits. The two-year starter helped lead SouthArk to the Region 2 championship.
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Dixie World Series coming to Ruston: The Girls Dixie World Series will be in Ruston from July 25-30. The Ruston Sports Complex will host 90 teams from 10 states. They are looking for volunteers for the following positions: Scorekeepers, Announcers, Gate Workers, Host Families, and more. Interested individuals can call Stephanie at 318-278-5454.
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NFA All-Star Game at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field tonight: The Ruston Sports Complex will host a showcase of some of the top talent in three age divisions this week (14u, 16u, 18u). The 2025 NFA National championship will bring together some of the top young players from across the country as they compete for the title in their respective divisions. The week will begin tonight when Louisiana Tech’s Dr. Billy Bundrick Field will play host to a pair of all-star games connected to the event. Start times are as follows: 14u All-Stars at 5:30 p.m.; 16u/18u All-Stars 7:30 p.m.
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Podcast Remembers Voice of Tech Athletics: Hall of Fame broadcaster Dave Nitz is remembered during this half hour segment on Beyond 1894 as his former broadcast colleagues Teddy Allen and Malcolm Butler join historian Chris Kennedy, who wrote Louisiana Tech’s Dave Nitz: The Voice of Tech Athletics. The trio tell stories about the legendary broadcaster who passed away a few weeks ago after serving as the Voice of Tech Athletics for 50 years. To listen to the podcast, CLICK HERE
