Dec 7, 2021 3 min read

Czech returning to Wild Things

The Wild Things have re-signed another key player from their 2021 team as first baseman Andrew Czech has been given a contract extension, the team announced Tuesday.

He joins shortstop Nick Ward and pitcher Dan Kubiuk as returning players for the 2022 Frontier League season.

Czech went directly from Walsh University last spring to the Wild Things and led Washington in several power departments.

Czech batted .271 in his first season of professional baseball and hit 14 doubles, 15 home runs and drove in 38 runs. The 15 home runs were the team best. Czech also hit one postseason home run that won Game 2 of the league championship series at Schaumburg.

“Czech proved to be a real offensive threat in his first season and we are excited to have him return. Transitioning to the pro game is a process and I am sure he learned a lot about what it takes to be consistent and overcome the day-to-day grind,” said Wild Things president and general manager Tony Buccilli. “We look for Czech to take that next step in his development and provide well-rounded run production to our lineup.”

Czech played more than 130 games during 2021, including 41 at Walsh, 83 during the regular season in Washington and 10 playoff games.

Czech committed only three errors with Washington and had a 14-game on-base streak and hitting streak of 13 games.

In college basketball

Terrence Shannon, Jr. had 18 points and 12 rebounds, and Texas Tech continued its run of Jimmy V Classic upsets in an offensively anemic 57-52 overtime win over No. 13 Tennessee on Tuesday night.

Texas Tech (7-1) might want to petition to play in the Jimmy V Classic every season. The unranked Red Raiders knocked off No. 1 Louisville in 2019.

• Takal Molson made a go-ahead basket with 1:10 remaining and James Madison held off Virginia 52-49 on for its first win against the Cavaliers in 12 attempts.

Molson spun in the lane and hit an off-balance shot with 22.1 seconds left for a three-point lead. Kihei Clark missed a 3-pointer at the other end, Virginia’s 21st miss from distance, and Terell Strickland was fouled. Strickland missed the free throw and Armaan Franklin got it to midcourt for a heave at the buzzer but it didn’t hit the rim.

Many of the fans, in the first sellout at the Atlantic Union Bank Center, rushed the court to celebrate the program’s first win over the Cavaliers. Virginia, located just an hour apart from JMU’s campus, last visited Harrisonburg on Nov. 14, 2014, winning 79-51 in the final sellout at the JMU Convocation Center.

• Oscar Tshiebwe scored 18 of his 23 points after halftime despite being in foul trouble, TyTy Washington Jr. added 14 points and both Wildcats keyed small runs to help No. 10 Kentucky top Southern 76-64 for its seventh consecutive victory.

In the NHL

Anders Leehad had two goals and the New York Islanders snapped an 11-game losing streak with a 5-3 win over the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night.

Oliver Wahlstrom, Kieffer Bellows and Jean-Gabriel Pageau also scored for New York, which last won on Nov. 6. Ilya Sorokin stopped 30 shots.

Roman Josi beat four Detroit defenders for a first-period goal, Ryan Johansen scored on a power play and the Nashville Predators beat the Red Wings, 5-2.