Westminster coach headed to Duke

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. — Westminster College Director of Athletics Jason Lener announced Monday that head football coach Scott Benzel has accepted a position on Manny Diaz’s staff at Duke University. Offensive coordinator EJ White will serve as interim head coach as the College launches a nationwide search for its next leader.

“I want to thank the Westminster community for all the support given to me and my family over our 12 seasons. Being part of the Titan football tradition has been truly special. Westminster will forever be a part of us, and I’m excited to watch the continued success of the program and the standard that Titan football demands,” said Benzel.

Benzel, who completed his 12th season leading the Titan program in November, has produced a remarkable run of sustained success – both on and off the field – since becoming the head coach in January 2014.

Benzel led Westminster to PAC titles in the unprecedented 2020-21 spring COVID-19 season and the 2021 fall season. His 85 wins rank No. 3 on the College’s all-time victories list, trailing only College Football Hall of Famers Joe Fusco, who posted 154 wins between 1972-90, and Harold Burry, who finished with 127 wins between 1952-71. The pair combined to win five of Westminster’s six National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Division III championships (1970, 1976, 1977, 1988, 1989).

Westminster wrapped up its 2025 season with an 8-3 record. It was the sixth season winning eight or more games under Benzel’s watch. Some of his finest work came late in the season with a 24-8 (.750) record in November games, which includes back-to-back wins in the Opendorse Bowl Series’ Extra Points Bowl in 2024 and 2025, respectively.

“The search for our new head football coach is underway, and because of the strong foundation that’s been built over the past 12 years, I am confident we will identify the right leader to honor and carry our rich traditions forward while driving our program to even greater success,” said Lener.

YSU’s Gebhardt gets 2nd HL honor

Senior left-hander Braden Gebhardt (Howland) of the Youngstown State baseball team was named the Under Armour Horizon League Pitcher of the Week for the second time in as many weeks to begin the 2026 season, the league office announced on Monday.

Gebhardt, who earned the first weekly Horizon League honor of his career following opening weekend, did not allow an earned run while limiting Oregon to two hits over seven strong innings on the mound in YSU’s 3-0 loss to the Ducks on Friday evening at PK Park in Eugene, Ore.

Gebhardt delivered his second masterful starting pitching performance in as many outings to begin the 2026 season. A week after he recorded a career-high 11 strikeouts over six innings in a stellar Opening Day effort in a 2-1 loss at Auburn in the season opener, Gebhardt matched the longest outing of his career while blanking Oregon in six different frames on Friday.

Gebhardt, who has allowed no earned runs and just four hits with 16 total strikeouts in 13 innings pitched through two starts, retired the side in order on three different occasions on Friday at Oregon. He did not allow a hit over the first three innings while surpassing 150 career strikeouts in his 58th appearance as a Penguin.

Youngstown State will continue its early season road stretch on Friday when it begins a four-game series at Longwood. First pitch for Friday’s series opener at Buddy Bolding Stadium is scheduled for 3 p.m.

Gregory earns Player of the Week

YOUNGSTOWN — After averaging 21.5 points and 18 rebounds while delivering a performance unmatched nationally in nine years, Sophia Gregory (West Branch) has been named the Under Armour Horizon League Women’s Basketball Player of the Week.

The conference announced its weekly honors on Monday, and Gregory earned the award for the second time this season.

Gregory, a sophomore forward, led the Penguins to two road victories over teams that were tied for third place in the Horizon League standings entering the week. She totaled 43 points and 36 rebounds while shooting 19-for-26 from the field, and she added eight assists, five steals and three blocks. Gregory averaged nine more rebounds per game than any other player in the conference and ranked third in the league last week in scoring and field-goal percentage. Nationally, she tied for third in rebounding average for the week.

In Saturday’s win at Purdue Fort Wayne, Gregory scored 37 points on 16-for-19 shooting and grabbed 19 rebounds. Only two Horizon League players scored more than 37 total points over two games last week. According to HerHoopStats.com, Gregory recorded the first 37-point, 19-rebound game by any Division I player since Columbia’s Camille Zimmerman on Jan. 27, 2017. Gregory scored 14 points in the final 5:28 to help the Penguins secure the victory and clinch the No. 2 seed in the 2026 Barbasol Horizon League Women’s Basketball Championship. She also contributed three assists, three steals and two blocks.

The last YSU player to score at least 37 points was Heidi Schlegel on Feb. 21, 2015, and Lilly Ritz was the most recent Penguin to grab at least 19 rebounds in a game on March 2, 2023.

Gregory began the week with 17 rebounds, which is tied for the second-most rebounds in a game by a Horizon League player this season, in a win at NKU. She added six points, five assists, two steals and a block.

Youngstown State will host Detroit Mercy in its regular-season finale at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday inside Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center.

NBA fines Pippen Jr. and Gardner

NEW YORK — The NBA fined Memphis Grizzlies guard Scotty Pippen Jr. and Miami Heat forward Myron Gardner $35,000 each on Monday for their scuffle in a game over the weekend.

With 1:55 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Heat’s 136-120 victory on Saturday night, Gardner bumped Pippen from behind and knocked him down. Pippen then jogged down court to confront Gardner and gave him a hard two-handed shove, resulting in a melee that spilled into the seats with 1:19 remaining. Both received technical fouls and were ejected.