The Seawanhaka Sports Rundown is a weekly roundup of five stories that examine developments in sports news at the local, state, national, and international levels.
By: ZACHARY JONES / STAFF REPORTER
Aaron Judge's 60th Home Run
New York baseball has had a solid week which may come as a delight to some fans, but others want the news of the electric hitter Aaron Judge. Judge hit his 60th home run of the season, while still having 15 games ahead of him. To put this feat into perspective, only 5 other players have hit this single-season tally before Judge. Of these 5 players, 3 are tainted by potential performance enhancing drug (PEDs) use. Due to the use of PEDs in some of the other high totaling years, some people think Judge only needs 2 homeruns to beat the natural home run record of 61, ironically set by Roger Maris in 1961 for the Yankees. After hitting his 60th homer of the season, Judge was given the ball he hit by a fan who requested nothing in return. A bow on top of an already mind boggling achievement.
College Football Playoffs Expansion
Huge news in the College Football world comes recently as the NCAA announced a 12 team playoff system set to take over in 2026. While this doesn’t mean a guaranteed change to the parity of the championships, it does insure more money for schools and broadcasters, more chances for athletes to capitalize on NIL, and most importantly more football for the fans. A 12 team playoffs in years prior would have given teams like UCF, Iowa State, Baylor, Utah, Coastal Carolina, and Indiana a chance to show their players talents against teams of par as well as a chance to compete for a title. Some of these teams went undefeated in their seasons still to be doubted and not given an opportunity to show that they belong. With this expansion, expect many fans to be happy and probably begging for it to kick in sooner.
Rosas Jr. Becomes Youngest UFC Fighter
While many people may dislike the violent nature of combat sports, many are grateful for the electric moments it produces and the stories each individual brings with them. One very new and very interesting story is that of the youngest fighter ever. At 17 years of age Raul Rosas Jr. officially signed with the UFC. This comes after the 6th win of his young career in a fight with Mando Guitierrez at Dana White’s Contender Series. The undefeated fighter, who was born in 2004 showed great ability as a grappler and a mixed-martial artist in general, leading Dana White to sign him immediately after his fight. Dana White was even quoted as saying, “He’s absolutely, positively talented. He’s special, he’s different.” The young man made his mark on the UFC world early and wants to continue with his trendsetting ways by becoming a Champion belt holder by the young age of 20, and with a 6-0 start it is surely possible.
Aces Win WNBA Finals
The WNBA Finals have concluded and the Aces are bringing home a championship to Las Vegas after a 3-1 series with the Connecticut Sun. The Aces looked dominant in the series showcasing just how talented this roster is. Headlined by stars like Kelsey Plum, A’ja Wilson, and Chelsea Gray, the Aces were the leading favorite coming into the series. The offensive trio of Plum, Wilson, and Gray, all respectively in the top 10 in points per game, was simply too much for the Connecticut Sun to handle. Gray grabbed the finals MVP trophy giving her one of the best awards in the WNBA after being snubbed from both the All Star Game as well as an All WNBA selection. A championship and Finals MVP was the perfect way to top off a great season from Gray and the Aces.
Women's Soccer Defeats Stonehill
The LIU women's soccer team grabbed their first NEC win of the season in a 2-1 win over Stonehill. While it hasn’t been the perfect start to the season this game was one that could definitely change the tide for the team. The victory wasn’t just won in casual fashion, but instead on a late free-kick by Nevaeh Rascon in the 56’ minute. Rascon also assisted the only other LIU goal on the day which came via a Taylor Curcio header. This stretch from Rascon is one LIU fans should love to see as she has 3 goal contributions in the last 3 games. Hopefully this hot streak continues for Rascon as well as the rest of the girls as they travel to play at Merrimack next week.