High school boys volleyball preview 2025: Athol on the cusp of program’s first state tournament appearance

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

Can this be the year the Athol boys volleyball team breaks through and reaches the MIAA Div. 2 state tournament for the first time since the new format was put in place?

HS Roundup: Franklin Tech baseball wins third in a row following 8-1 triumph over Smith Academy

The Franklin Tech baseball team is off to a hot start. 

Bulletin Board: Greenfield's Savannah Thomas wins Knights of Columbus Hoop Shoot state title

Greenfield’s Savannah Thomas left the Knights of Columbus State Hoop Shoot with some hardware on Saturday. 

High school track preview 2025: Powerhouse Frontier favorites to lead the local pack

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

Frontier has dominated the Intercounty League the last few years.

UConn women's basketball team captures 12th national title in dominant win over South Carolina

By DOUG FEINBERG

TAMPA, Fla. — UConn is back on top of women’s basketball, winning its 12th national championship by routing defending champion South Carolina 82-59 on Sunday behind Azzi Fudd’s 24 points.

HS Roundup: Ethan Heuer, Logan Cormier power Athol baseball past Mahar 11-1

It was all Athol in the battle of North Quabbin rivals Friday, as the Bears scored in every frame en route to an 11-1 five-inning run-ruled victory over Mahar in Orange.

HS Softball: Turners’ Madi Liimatainen strikes out 17, Franklin Tech’s Kylee Gamache records 100th hit in Thunder’s 10-3 win (PHOTOS)

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

TURNERS FALLS — Turners Falls softball coach Gary Mullins knew his team would be facing tough pitchers throughout the year. Taking on one of them in Franklin Tech’s Hannah Gilbert Friday, the longtime coach was proud of the way his players handled the pressure at the plate. 

High school softball preview 2025: Can Turners Falls defend its Division 5 state title?

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

When Gary Mullins took over the Turners Falls softball program in 1979, he was inheriting a team devoid of much success. 

Keeping Score with Chip Ainsworth: Florida is softball paradise

Good morning!The UMass softball team shocked Boston College this week, 5-4, on the strength of senior catcher Lydia Castro’s go-ahead home run in the top of the seventh inning at Chestnut Hill. 

On The Run with John Stifler: Fast walkers

I rarely listen to podcasts, but “The Omnibus Project,” by musician John Roderick and “Jeopardy” host Ken Jennings caught my ear months ago. Besides the fact that a typical installment lasts about as long as one of my workouts on an exercise bicycle and weight machines, Roderick and Jennings are pretty funny, and they dig into some wonderfully obscure subjects. They found themselves in particularly obscure territory recently, when they chatted about pedestrianism, which, as you’ve correctly supposed, is a fancy word for walking.

HS Roundup: Greenfield’s MacKenzie Paulin throws no-hitter to lift Green Wave past Hopkins, 6-1

Greenfield’s MacKenzie Paulin was dealing against the Hopkins Academy softball team on Thursday. 

High school baseball preview 2025: Pioneer, Greenfield, Frontier all eyeing Suburban League West title

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

The Pioneer and Greenfield baseball teams took different paths to the MIAA Division 5 semifinals last spring. 

UMass hockey: Minutemen lose O'Hara, Suniev, Connors early to NHL deals

By RYAN AMES

The departures keep on coming for the UMass hockey team as juniors Cole O’Hara and Kenny Connors and sophomore Aydar Suniev decided to turn pro and sign NHL contracts this week.

HS Roundup: Frontier baseball earns third win of the season following 5-0 shutout over Hopkins (PHOTOS)

Make it three wins in a row to open the season for the Frontier baseball team. 

Kristian Campbell agrees to $60 million, 8-year deal with Red Sox, less than a week after debut

Amherst’s Ryan Leonard makes NHL debut for Washington Capitals in 4-3 win over Bruins in Boston

By RYAN AMES

Amherst native and former Boston College hockey star Ryan Leonard helped the Washington Capitals defeat the lowly Boston Bruins, 4-3, during his NHL debut Tuesday night at the TD Garden.

HS Roundup: Franklin Tech baseball beats Turners, 8-7, in extras (PHOTOS)

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

TURNERS FALLS — The Turners Falls baseball team refused to go away against Franklin Tech on Tuesday in both teams’ season openers. 

UMass hockey: Carvel reflects on Minutemen’s successful 2024-25 season

By RYAN AMES

UMass hockey head coach Greg Carvel is already hard at work assembling the 2025-26 Minutemen roster.

UMass basketball coach Frank Martin reflects on disappointing season: ‘I obviously didn’t do a very good job doing my job’

By GARRETT COTE

AMHERST — There are times when a head coach does everything they can to put their team in the best possible position to win throughout a season and for whatever reason things still don’t work out. It can be recruiting prior to the year, preparation, in-game adjustments, tweaking substitution patterns based on matchups and anything in between.

HS Roundup: Ethan Mauthe’s three-run homer helps Pioneer baseball knock off Hopkins, 8-5, in opener

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

NORTHFIELD —  The Pioneer and Hopkins baseball teams have had some great battles over the last few years, so it only made sense that the first of two regular season games between the two Suburban League West foes was a back-and-forth affair.