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SEC softball power rankings: Missouri, Kentucky put everyone on notice with early upsets

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SEC softball power rankings: Missouri, Kentucky put everyone on notice with early upsets


The SEC showed its dominance in softball to start the season, only logging five losses as a conference in the first week of games.

Only three teams played ranked competition, though, and those three teams are sitting at the top the rankings this week. Some SEC teams challenge themselves early in the season, like the four heading to Clearwater, Florida, this week for a gauntlet of an invitational. Others prefer to get their battle testing in conference play. To each their own.

Here’s how SEC softball teams stack up in our power rankings after the first week of action:

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1. Tennessee

Destiny Rodriguez only got one at bat Friday, but it was all she needed to become the hero in Tennessee’s 3-2 win over No. 22 Baylor. Rodriguez pinch hit with two outs and sent a two-run homer over the centerfield wall – talk about guts. The Lady Vols have her to thank for their undefeated start.

Last week: 1

Record: 3-0

RECORD CHASING: Kiki Milloy ties Tennessee softball career home run record with No. 57

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2. Missouri

This is my mea culpa to the Tigers – I wasn’t familiar with your game. Missouri put the country on notice in its season-opening win over No. 13 Utah, and it closed out the week in Clearwater with an upset over No. 5 Clemson. The Tigers do not care about your preseason rankings.

Last week: 12

Record: 5-0

3. Kentucky

Kentucky would have been No. 2 if not for a narrow loss to No. 24 San Diego State. The Wildcats handed No. 3 Stanford two losses to lead the SEC’s efforts to end Pac-12 softball a few months early. Rutgers transfer Jaden Vickers is the real deal in the circle and Stephanie Schoonover looks ready for a comeback season after an injury derailed her junior campaign.

Last week: 9

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Record: 4-1

4. Georgia

The Bulldogs are off to an undefeated start, but they also beat up on unranked teams at home. Hopefully the cupcake opening weekend prepared Georgia for the real competition in Clearwater coming up next.

Last week: 2

Record: 5-0

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5. LSU

LSU’s pitching staff didn’t give up a single run in its opening week. It’s an impressive feat, but I’m not going to pretend to be impressed by the competition. Luckily, the Tigers are also going to Clearwater to face some real competition so we can see what these pitchers are made of.

Last week: 3

Record: 5-0

6. Alabama

Kayla Beaver stole the show in her debut for the Crimson Tide, throwing a no-hitter against Villanova. The transfer pitcher from Central Arkansas threw 21 strikeouts over 14 innings the opening week, but we’ll see how she holds up against tougher competition. Luckily for Alabama, that won’t happen until SEC play starts with the abysmal nonconference slate it has before then.

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Last week: 4

Record: 5-0

7. South Carolina

The Gamecocks have the pitching, but boy do they need to figure out their hitting. Of the seven batters who saw 10 or more at bats last week, only two hit above .275. South Carolina needs its lineup to get deeper if it wants to compete in the SEC.

Last week: 8

Record: 5-0

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8. Florida

The Gators’ freshmen pitchers impressed in their first week with three one-hitters and Olivia Miller tossing the first perfect game by a freshman in program history. Florida dropped one, but it just might have the pitching to terrorize the SEC.

Last week: 5

Record: 4-1

9. Arkansas

Arkansas barely escaped with one win against its two Power Five opponents. The Razorbacks went 1-1 against unranked Big Ten teams, so they’re not exactly inspiring confidence right now.

Last week: 7

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Record: 4-1

10. Texas A&M

Four of the Aggies’ opening week wins were run-rule wins, but you can probably guess why. We’ll see what Texas A&M is really made of when it leaves home and plays some real west coast competition this week.

Last week: 10

Record: 4-0

11. Auburn

Auburn’s opening week was a strange one. It was ended two games early by weather conditions, but not before the Tigers’ second game against Virginia Tech ended in a 5-5 tie as the Hokies’ offense started heating up. Auburn is probably just grateful it didn’t add a second early loss to the record.

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Last week: 6

Record: 1-1-1

12. Mississippi State

With the tough nonconference schedule ahead of them, this might be the only time the Bulldogs rise in the power rankings. Enjoy this one, Starkville.

Last week: 13

Record: 4-0

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13. Ole Miss

The Rebels were welcomed to paradise by BYU, which took advantage of their errors to log a five-run first inning en route to a 7-4 win. Ole Miss recovered with four wins in Hawaii, but it started off the season on the wrong foot.

Last week: 11

Record: 4-1



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Kentucky

Alleged Kentucky deadbeat dad who owes over $100K in child support arrested getting off cruise ship in Miami

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Alleged Kentucky deadbeat dad who owes over 0K in child support arrested getting off cruise ship in Miami


An alleged deadbeat dad who was on the run and owed more than $100,000 in child support was arrested last week as he exited a cruise ship in Miami, authorities said. 

Dominic Weaver, a Kentucky resident, had been on the lam for more than 10 years when his holiday vacation ended after being taken into custody and brought back to Louisville, WDRB-TV reported. 

FLORIDA ARTIST’S PATRIOTIC ANDY WARHOL PIECE FEATURED AT POPULAR EVENT DRAWING THOUSANDS OF VISITORS

Row of cruise ships docked at Port of Miami. (Jeffrey Greenberg/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

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Detectives from a local child support division flew to Miami and eventually brought Weaver back to the Bluegrass State.

“I don’t know when he left, but he fled the jurisdiction, and from the date of his sentence until today, and even today, he’s not paid one cent of child support,” Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell said. 

MEXICO TO IMPOSE TAX FOR CRUISE SHIP VISITORS STARTING IN 2015

Dominic Weaver mugshot

Dominic Weaver, 47, was arrested in Miami while exiting a cruise ship over thousands owed in back child support, authorities said. (Louisville Metro Department of Corrections)

Weaver, 47, owes somewhere between $114,000 and $120,000 in child support, according to O’Connell.

O’Connell said Weaver has a total of four cases with the child support division.

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“Two more of those are ready for indictment again of more felonies,” O’Connell said.

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O’Connell said he planned to ask a judge to revoke Weaver’s original sentence and ask that he be sentenced to four years in prison. 



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WATCH: Kentucky five-star signee Jasper Johnson sinks longest shot in OTE history

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WATCH: Kentucky five-star signee Jasper Johnson sinks longest shot in OTE history


One of the most exciting players committed to the Kentucky in the 2025 class is five-star guard Jasper Johnson. He is a Kentucky native but plays his current hoops for OTE in Atlanta where he is playing some great basketball.

So far on the season, Johnson is averaging 21 points, 5.6 assists, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game. Johnson is shooting 50.4% from the field and 40.4% from three on the year. The sharpshooter has proven why he will be perfect for Mark Pope’s system.

Recently, in a game, Johnson had only a few seconds before the third quarter clock expired, so he threw up a shot from the three-point line of the other end of the floor and sank it for three. This is the type of shot that would send Rupp Arena into a frenzy.

Let’s take a look at the circus shot that Kentucky signee Johnson hit in one of his recent OTE games.

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Here is the scouting report on Johnson from Adam Finkelstein of 247Sports, “Johnson is a southpaw scoring guard with solid positional size at 6-foot-4, a long 6-foot-8-inch wingspan, and a still lean frame. He’s smooth, slippery, and has extremely soft natural touch in all aspects of his individual offense. He’s a shot-maker first and foremost, with a high-arcing ball and great rotation. He’s capable of making some very tough shots off the catch and the dribble, including deep step-backs, and will also have a ton of gravity as a floor-spacing threat. He made 41% of his threes during his junior year at Link Academy, and while that number decreased to 28% during the recent EYBL season, that was more a reflection of his shot selection, with close to 8 attempts per game. He’s very crafty in the mid-range area, with a deep bag of runners, floaters, and wrong-footed finishes.”





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'He punched the baby in the head’: Kentucky father sentenced for killing 1-year-old over video game loss – Times of India

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'He punched the baby in the head’: Kentucky father sentenced for killing 1-year-old over video game loss – Times of India


Anthony Trice and the victim child (Picture credit: X)

A Kentucky man was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Thursday for the brutal killing of his one-month-old son, who he punched in the head after losing a video game. Anthony Trice, 32, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in Jefferson Circuit Court, concluding a chilling case that exposed the horrifying extent of violence inflicted on the infant.
The night of violence
The tragic incident unfolded on May 3, 2019, in Louisville, Kentucky. Trice, left alone to care for his infant son, flew into a rage after losing a video game. In a fit of uncontrolled anger, he threw his controller across the room and then punched the baby in the head with his fist, causing devastating injuries.
As the child cried in distress, Trice attempted to prepare a bottle but dropped the infant during the process, further injuring him. Instead of seeking immediate medical help, he propped the baby up with a bottle in a bedroom and left to use the bathroom. By the time he returned, the infant was in severe distress. Trice called 911, and the baby was rushed to the hospital, where he later died from his injuries.

From criminal abuse to manslaughter
Initially charged with criminal abuse, Trice’s charges escalated to first-degree murder following the child’s death. Court records revealed the brutality of the attack, which left the baby fatally injured. Trice eventually entered an Alford plea to manslaughter, maintaining his innocence but conceding that evidence against him was sufficient for a conviction.

Family’s heartbreak
The baby’s family, devastated by the events, recalled their shock and disbelief. Speaking to WLKY, the child’s aunt shared that the baby had been left with Trice while the family attended Kentucky Derby weekend festivities. “We were talking about the clothes he got and what we were about to get him,” she said, still struggling to comprehend the violence that unfolded.
The child’s grandmother also expressed her outrage. “I’m mad,” she said. “I would have never thought this would happen to our family.”





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