RODEO
The Professional Bull Riders’ Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour returns to Hampton Coliseum on Friday night to start a two-day event. Hampton Mayor Jimmy Gray will be presented a PBR buckle by rider Michael Lane in honor of the organization’s only event in Virginia this year.
Jaxton Mortensen, a 21-year-old from Chino Valley, Arizona, has two victories on the series this year, including last week in Nampa, Idaho. This tour is a pathway to the “Unleash the Beast,” PBR’s top competition.
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Nansemond River grad takes top SoCon honor
VMI senior first baseman Grayson Fitzwater, a Nansemond River High graduate and former Peninsula Pilot, was named the Southern Conference Preseason Player of the Year.
Last season, he drove in 65 runs, scored 53 and had 64 hits — all career highs. On the Keydets’ all-time charts, he is first with 159 RBIs and third with 41 home runs, 17 of which he slugged last season.
VMI was predicted seventh in the eight-team conference, while Samford was first and Mercer second.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Senior QB, WR flip pledges to JMU
Two 3-star high school seniors this week flipped their commitments to James Madison, according to Rivals, which would give the Dukes at least 63 new players for Billy Napier’s first season coaching the defending Sun Belt champions.
Quarterback Tanner Vibabul changed his pledge from Nebraska to JMU, and wide receiver Xavier McDonald switched to the Dukes from Colorado.
Last season, the dual-threat Vibabul, 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds, accounted for almost 3,400 all-purpose yards and 44 touchdowns for Las Vegas High. McDonald is a 6-2 1/2-inch, 160-pounder from Morton High in Mississippi.
COLLEGE LACROSSE
UVA’s openers moved because of conditions
Virginia’s men’s and women’s season openers were moved from Klockner Stadium to the Lower Turf Field because of icy conditions and will be closed to the public, though they will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra.
The No. 10 UVA women meet No. 16 Navy at 4 p.m. Friday, and the No. 10 UVA men host Colgate at noon Sunday.
Meanwhile, because of the weather forecast, the 19th-ranked James Madison women moved up their scheduled opener against No. 1 North Carolina to 3 p.m. Friday on the Sentara Park turf field in Harrisonburg.
COLLEGE TRACK AND FIELD
UVA’s Martin returns to Bowerman watch list
Virginia’s Gary Martin was one of 10 men — and the only one from the Atlantic Coast Conference — named to the latest watch list for the Bowerman, collegiate track and field’s most prestigious award. It’s his fourth appearance on the list.
Last weekend at the 118th Millrose Games at The Armory in New York, Martin clocked his second-fastest time in the indoor mile, 3:52.62, to finish eighth in the men’s Wanamaker Mile. He was the only collegian in the field.
MORE COLLEGES
Chowan’s developmental baseball game against Virginia Peninsula Community College, originally scheduled for Friday, was postponed indefinitely.
Christopher Newport set its Saturday season-opening tennis schedule on indoor courts at James River Country Club. The Captains will play Hampton in a match that should start no later than noon, and the CNU women will meet Longwood at about 4 p.m.
The CNU men were ranked 24th in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association preseason poll, and the CNU women shared the 24th position with New York University.
PRO VOLLEYBALL
Virginia Beach Open set for June 6-7
The Association of Volleyball Professionals lined up June 6-7 for the annual Virginia Beach Open, a Heritage Contender event on the Oceanfront.
It’s much earlier on the schedule than last year, when it was from June 27-29 and featured $30,000 in prize money for men and $30,000 for women, with 24-pair main draws in each division.
Gage Basey and Thomas Hurst won the men’s title, while Marine Kinna and Chloe Loreen captured the women’s title.
The third of eight such events on the tour in 2026, the Virginia Beach tournament will attract players looking to move up to the AVP’s top series.
