S&P/TSX composite ticks lower, U.S. markets rise after latest Trump tariff threatJim Montgomery made an immediate impact with the St. Louis Blues after replacing Drew Bannister as head coach, earning a 5-2 road victory over the New York Rangers in his debut. "It felt like something," Blues captain Brayden Schenn said. "It felt like we were having fun out there. That's the main part. It felt like we weren't sitting back and we played with energy tonight, and we played with the puck. Just wasn't a couple chances we were able to generate. Power play had a couple good looks. It was just fun to be out there." The Blues will try to keep the good times rolling Wednesday night in Newark, N.J. against the New Jersey Devils. St. Louis lost 3-1 at the New York Islanders Saturday night to fall to 9-12-1. Come Sunday morning, Blues general manager Doug Armstrong hired Montgomery to take over for Bannister. Montgomery, who was fired as head coach of the Boston Bruins last week, previously worked as an assistant coach for the Blues and forged a relationship with about half of the team's current players. "He brings a ton of energy to the rink," Schenn said. "He likes to have fun. At the same time, he's detailed and he's serious and he's respected. It's our job to bring the energy with him." When the coaching change was made, the Blues ranked 26th in the NHL standings by points percentage, 25th on the power play and 24th in penalty killing. They are scoring 2.48 goals per game, which is the league's fifth-worst average. "This is a talented roster," Montgomery said. "We've got a lot of guys with really good offensive hockey sense. If we're committed to checking like we were, the offense is going to come." The Blues will catch the Devils in the middle of a prolonged hot streak. New Jersey has won three straight games and eight of 10. After starting the season 5-4-2, the Devils have gone 10-3-0. They are coming off a 5-2 victory over the Nashville Predators on Monday night at home. "Every game, we have a plan," Devils captains Nico Hischier said. "If you execute it, gives ourselves a chance to win a hockey game. The plan switches, depends who you're playing." Hischier led the charge in Nashville by scoring his first NHL hat trick. "Just happy for him," Devils center Erik Haula said. "He's just such an important player for us, obviously. Eight years and first hat trick. You'd think he has five or six of them." Prior to that outburst, Hischier had gone 10 games without scoring a goal. "He starts the season on absolute fire, and then he goes cold for a while there," Devils coach Sheldon Keefe said. "His demeanor didn't change, his game didn't change, most importantly he didn't cheat the game. He continued to meet the tough matchups every night head on, continued to lead the way for us in the faceoff circle and penalty kill." New Jersey will be without forward Timo Meier on Wednesday after he was given a one-game suspension for cross-checking Nashville's Zachary L'Heureux and drawing blood. This article first appeared on Field Level Media and was syndicated with permission.HOUSTON (AP) — The Astros welcomed first baseman Christian Walker to the team Monday, in one of two moves that almost certainly marks the end of Alex Bregman’s time in Houston. Walker signed a $60 million, three-year contract that will pay him $20 million annually just more than a week after the Astros acquired infielder Isaac Paredes from Cubs in the trade that sent outfielder Kyle Tucker to Chicago . “The way I view it right now is Paredes is going to play third base and Walker is going to play first base,” general manager Dana Brown said Monday. “And Bregman’s still a free agent.” The Astros had hoped to re-sign Bregman, the team’s third baseman for the last nine seasons, but Brown said the negotiations stalled. “I thought we made a really competitive offer, showing that we wanted him back,” he said. “But we had to pursue other options. We couldn’t just sit there. We locked in Paredes early in that trade, knowing that he could play third or first and then when the opportunity to add another bat came up we just jumped on it.” The addition of a first baseman was a priority this offseason for the Astros after they released struggling first baseman José Abreu less than halfway through a $58.5 million, three-year contract. “We knew we had to get better at first base,” Brown said. “We pursued (Walker) and we’re excited to have him because we know that we’re going to have a really good first baseman that can defend and also hit the ball on the seats from time to time.” Walked was attracted by the sustained success of the Astros, who won their first two World Series titles in 2017 and '22. “I’ve been watching this team for a while now, and that edge, the energy, the expectation, you can tell that they’re going out there with a standard,” he said. “And I’m very excited to be a part of it.” Walker is looking forward playing on an infield with star second baseman Jose Altuve. He’s fascinated by the success and consistency Altuve has had over his 14-year career. “I get a chance to learn from Jose Altuve,” Walker said. “Nothing really gets better than that.” Brown was asked what he would tell fans disappointed to see the Astros lose another star after George Springer and Carlos Correa left as free agents in recent years. “I would just tell the fans that look, we are very focused on remaining competitive,” he said. “We’re very focused on winning division and going back to the World Series, and I think with these additions that we have the ability to do that. So, I feel strongly that we’re going to be picked to win the division first off. And if our pitching holds up, which I feel strongly about, as well, I think we’ll get deep into the postseason.” The Astros won the AL West for a fourth straight year this season before being swept by the Tigers in an AL Wild Card Series. Walker, who turns 34 during the opening week of the season, hit .251 with 26 homers, 84 RBIs, 55 walks and 133 strikeouts this year. That was down from 2023, when he batted .258 with 33 homers and 103 RBIs as the Diamondbacks reached the World Series. Walker played in 130 games this year, down from 157 in 2023 and 160 in 2022. He was sidelined between July 29 and Sept. 3 by a strained left oblique. He spent the last eight seasons with the Diamondbacks, where he hit 146 homers with 442 RBIs and a .251 batting average. He didn’t secure a full-time job in the big leagues until 2019. He’s provided consistent power over the past six seasons and has grown into an elite defensive first baseman, winning Gold Gloves in each of the past three seasons. Walker played college ball at South Carolina and was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in 2012. He made his big league debut with the Orioles in 2014 but couldn’t stick in the majors and was claimed off waivers by Atlanta, Cincinnati and Arizona in a five-week span. Walker’s contract has a limited no-trade provision allowing him to block deals to six teams without his consent. He would earn $200,000 for winning an MVP, $175,000 for second, $150,000 for third, $125,000 for fourth and $100,000 for fifth. Walker also would get $100,000 for World Series MVP, $50,000 for League Championship Series MVP and $75,000 apiece for making the All-Star Game or winning a Gold Glove or Silver Slugger Award. Infielder Grae Kessinger was designated for assignment to open a roster spot. AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report. AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb
CRANFORD, N.J. , Dec. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Citius Oncology, Inc. ("Citius Oncology" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: CTOR), a specialty biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel targeted oncology therapies, today reported business and financial results for the fiscal full year ended September 30, 2024 . Fiscal Full Year 2024 Business Highlights and Subsequent Developments Financial Highlights "Reflecting on 2024, Citius Oncology has achieved pivotal milestones that underscore our commitment to advancing cancer therapeutics," stated Leonard Mazur , Chairman and CEO of Citius Oncology. "The FDA's approval of LYMPHIR for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma marks a significant advancement in providing new options for patients battling this challenging disease. It is the only targeted systemic therapy approved for CTCL patients since 2018 and the only therapy with a mechanism of action that targets the IL-2 receptor. Additionally, the successful merger forming Citius Oncology, now trading on Nasdaq under the ticker CTOR, strengthens our position in the oncology sector. We expect it to facilitate greater access to capital to fund LYMPHIR's launch and the Company's future growth. With a Phase I investigator-initiated clinical trial combining LYMPHIR with pembrolizumab demonstrating promising preliminary results, indicating potential for enhanced treatment efficacy in recurrent solid tumors, and preliminary results expected from a second investigator trial with CAR-T therapies in 2025, we remain excited about the potential of LYMPHIR as a combination immunotherapy." "These accomplishments reflect the dedication of our team and the trust of our investors. As we look ahead, we remain steadfast in our mission to develop innovative therapies that improve the lives of cancer patients worldwide," added Mazur. FULL YEAR 2024 FINANCIAL RESULTS: Research and Development (R&D) Expenses R&D expenses were $4.9 million for the full year ended September 30, 2024 , compared to $4.2 million for the full year ended September 30, 2023 . The increase reflects development activities completed for the resubmission of the Biologics License Application of LYMPHIR in January 2024 , which were associated with the complete response letter remediation. General and Administrative (G&A) Expenses G&A expenses were $8.1 million for the full year ended September 30, 2024 , compared to $5.9 million for the full year ended September 30, 2023 . The increase was primarily due to costs associated with pre-commercial and commercial launch activities of LYMPHIR including market research, marketing, distribution and drug product reimbursement from health plans and payers. Stock-based Compensation Expense For the full year ended September 30, 2024 , stock-based compensation expense was $7.5 million as compared to $2.0 million for the prior year. The primary reason for the $5.5 million increase was due to the amounts being realized over 12 months in the year ended September 30, 2024 , as compared to three months post-plan adoption in the year ended September 30, 2023 . Net loss Net loss was $21.1 million , or ($0.31) per share for the year ended September 30, 2024 , compared to a net loss of $12.7 million , or ($0.19) per share for the year ended September 30, 2023 . The $8.5 million increase in net loss was primarily due to the increase in our operating expenses. About Citius Oncology, Inc. Citius Oncology specialty is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing novel targeted oncology therapies. In August 2024 , its primary asset, LYMPHIR, was approved by the FDA for the treatment of adults with relapsed or refractory CTCL who had had at least one prior systemic therapy. Management estimates the initial market for LYMPHIR currently exceeds $400 million , is growing, and is underserved by existing therapies. Robust intellectual property protections that span orphan drug designation, complex technology, trade secrets and pending patents for immuno-oncology use as a combination therapy with checkpoint inhibitors would further support Citius Oncology's competitive positioning. Citius Oncology is a publicly traded subsidiary of Citius Pharmaceuticals. For more information, please visit www.citiusonc.com Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such statements are made based on our expectations and beliefs concerning future events impacting Citius Oncology. You can identify these statements by the fact that they use words such as "will," "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "plan," "should," and "may" and other words and terms of similar meaning or use of future dates. Forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could negatively affect our business, operating results, financial condition and stock price. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated, and, unless noted otherwise, that apply to Citius Oncology are: our ability to raise additional money to fund our operations for at least the next 12 months as a going concern; our ability to commercialize LYMPHIR and any of our other product candidates that may be approved by the FDA; the estimated markets for our product candidates and the acceptance thereof by any market; the ability of our product candidates to impact the quality of life of our target patient populations; our dependence on third-party suppliers; our ability to procure cGMP commercial-scale supply; risks related to research using our assets but conducted by third parties; our ability to obtain, perform under and maintain financing and strategic agreements and relationships; uncertainties relating to preclinical and clinical testing; market and other conditions; risks related to our growth strategy; patent and intellectual property matters; our ability to identify, acquire, close and integrate product candidates and companies successfully and on a timely basis; government regulation; competition; as well as other risks described in our Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") filings. These risks have been and may be further impacted by any future public health risks. Accordingly, these forward-looking statements do not constitute guarantees of future performance, and you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Risks regarding our business are described in detail in our SEC filings which are available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov , including in Citius Oncology's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2024 , filed with the SEC on December 27, 2024 , as updated by our subsequent filings with the SEC. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof, and we expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in our expectations or any changes in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law. Investor Contact: Ilanit Allen ir@citiuspharma.com 908-967-6677 x113 Media Contact: STiR-communications Greg Salsburg Greg@STiR-communications.com -- Financial Tables Follow – CITIUS ONCOLOGY, INC. CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS SEPTEMBER 30, 2024 AND 2023 2024 2023 Current Assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 112 $ — Inventory 8,268,766 — Prepaid expenses 2,700,000 7,734,895 Total Current Assets 10,968,878 7,734,895 Other Assets: In-process research and development 73,400,000 40,000,000 Total Other Assets 73,400,000 40,000,000 Total Assets $ 84,368,878 $ 47,734,895 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY Current Liabilities: Accounts payable $ 3,711,622 $ 1,289,045 License payable 28,400,000 — Accrued expenses — 259,071 Due to related party 588,806 19,499,119 Total Current Liabilities 32,700,429 21,047,235 Deferred tax liability 1,728,000 1,152,000 Note payable to related party 3,800,111 — Total Liabilities 38,228,540 22,199,235 Stockholders' Equity: Preferred stock - $0.0001 par value; 10,000,000 shares authorized: no shares issued and outstanding — — Common stock - $0.0001 par value; 100,000,000; 71,552,402 and 67,500,000 shares issued and outstanding at September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively 7,155 6,750 Additional paid-in capital 85,411,771 43,658,750 Accumulated deficit (39,278,587) (18,129,840) Total Stockholders' Equity 46,140,339 25,535,660 Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity $ 84,368,878 $ 47,734,895 CITIUS ONCOLOGY, INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS FOR THE YEARS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2024 AND 2023 2024 2023 Revenues $ — $ — Operating Expenses: Research and development 4,925,001 4,240,451 General and administrative 8,148,929 5,915,290 Stock-based compensation – general and administrative 7,498,817 1,965,500 Total Operating Expenses 20,572,747 12,121,241 Loss before Income Taxes (20,572,747) (12,121,241) Income tax expense 576,000 576,000 Net Loss $ (21,148,747) $ (12,697,241) Net Loss Per Share – Basic and Diluted $ (0.31) $ (0.19) Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding – Basic and Diluted 68,053,607 67,500,000 CITIUS ONCOLOGY, INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS FOR THE YEARS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2024 AND 2023 2024 2023 Cash Flows From Operating Activities: Net loss $ (21,148,747) $ (12,697,241) Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities: Stock-based compensation expense 7,498,817 1,965,500 Deferred income tax expense 576,000 576,000 Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Inventory (2,133,871) - Prepaid expenses (1,100,000) (5,044,713) Accounts payable 2,422,577 1,196,734 Accrued expenses (259,071) (801,754) Due to related party 14,270,648 14,805,474 Net Cash Provided By Operating Activities 126,353 - Cash Flows From Investing Activities: License payment (5,000,000) - Net Cash Used In Investing Activities (5,000,000) - Cash Flows From Financing Activities: Cash contributed by parent 3,827,944 - Merger, net (2,754,296) - Proceeds from issuance of note payable to related party 3,800,111 - Net Cash Provided By Financing Activities 4,873,759 - Net Change in Cash and Cash Equivalents 112 - Cash and Cash Equivalents – Beginning of Year - - Cash and Cash Equivalents – End of Year $ 112 $ - Supplemental Disclosures of Cash Flow Information and Non-cash Activities: IPR&D Milestones included in License Payable $ 28,400,000 $HP reports soft Q1 guidance; shares tumble in afterhours trading
Troy scores 21 points in less than 2 minutes in the fourth quarter to beat Southern Miss 52-20
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One of the wonderful features of Christmas is how different cultures have different ways of celebrating the holiday. If you are Irish, for example, you might go to Midnight Mass or take a plunge for a Christmas Swim. Italians traditionally celebrate Christmas Eve with the insanely delicious Feast of the Seven Fishes ( La Vigilia in Italian). Germans are generally recognized as the culture that first brought us advent calendars and the Tannenbaum or Christmas tree (thank you, Martin Luther), but they also brought Krampus Nacht for the naughty children. If you are an American small government conservative, however, one Christmas tradition you always look forward to is the annual Festivus airing of grievances from Senator Rand Paul . Each year, Paul publishes a report of some of the worst examples of federal government waste ... and calls out his colleagues on both sides of the aisle while doing so. But Senator Paul may have outdone himself this year. For the first time ever, his Festivus list contains over $1 TRILLION in government waste. That's 'trillion' with a T. Are you listening, Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, and DOGE ? It's that time of year again. Happy Festivus! I've got a lot of problems with you people! And now, you're gonna hear about it. pic.twitter.com/XHyhyGueTl Paul's full report is available here , but his introduction lets everyone know that, as usual, he is pulling no punches. Last Festivus, we bemoaned the national debt nearing $34 trillion. In just a year, Washington’s career politicians and bureaucrats have managed to push it beyond $36 trillion—unsurprisingly, with hardly a second thought. Who’s to blame for our crushing national debt? Everybody. This year, members of both political parties in Congress voted for massive spending bills, filled with subsidies for underperforming industries, continued military aid to Ukraine, and controversial climate initiatives. As Congress spends to reward its favored pet projects, the American taxpayers are forced to pay through high prices and crippling interest rates. The same big spenders teamed up, yet again, to continue sending Americans’ hard-earned money to foreign countries, funding endless wars, all while STILL ignoring our wide-open southern border. And our mountain of debt will continue to pile even higher. The Congressional Budget Office predicts we will add an average of $2.1 trillion in debt annually for the next decade. According to a July House Budget Committee Report, the U.S. government will add over $6.4 billion of debt every single day for the next ten years, borrowing over $268 million every hour, $4.5 million every minute, and over $74,401 every second. This year, I am highlighting a whopping $1,008,313,329,626.12. That’s over $1 trillion in government waste, including things like ice-skating drag queens, a $12 Million Las Vegas pickleball complex, $4,840,082 on Ukrainian influencers, and more! No matter how much money the government has wasted, politicians keep demanding even more. As always, taking the path to fiscal responsibility is often a lonely journey, but I’ve been fighting government waste like DOGE before DOGE was cool. And I will continue my fight against government waste this holiday season. Paul noted some of the highlights -- or lowlights, to be more precise -- above, but Eric Daugherty was kind enough to summarize some of the ridiculous spending contained in the report. 🚨 BREAKING: Senator Rand Paul releases his yearly report on government waste - the "Festivus Report." $1 TRILLION. In government waste. Highlights of INSANE, useless spending: - $3M for "Girl-Centered Climate Action" in Brazil - $20M for a new Sesame Street show - $10K for the... pic.twitter.com/ubQziZ2dc6 Oh, you can bet that tweet continues: Yikes. Look at all of that. Maybe the Germans need to send Krampus after the naughty adults in Washington, DC. Speaking of DOGE, Paul didn't back away from telling Musk and Ramaswamy that he would hold them to their pledge. I was a one-man @DOGE before @DOGE was a gleam in the eyes of amped-up tech executives, and new media barons got behind the idea. Don't get me wrong, I'm VERY happy they're here. I passed along 2,000 pages of waste to @ElonMusk and @VivekGRamaswamy in the interest of curbing... Paul concludes that tweet with some light ribbing, saying, 'Now, they don't have to work too hard to find what I've already found.' He then listed some of his favorites from the list and took the time to throw some shade at Senator Joni Ernst while he was at it. Here are some of my favorites from this report, soon to become yours, @ElonMusk 's, @VivekGRamaswamy 's, AND @JONIERNST 's. Ok, maybe not hers. I don't know who she thinks she's kidding. She's voted for every spending bill since she got here... Read more here:... pic.twitter.com/zvzXEFdTwM OOF. As if Ernst wasn't already in hot water with conservatives . But as we said, Paul does not hold anything back just because someone might have an (R) after their name. Here are more big-ticket wasteful items Paul released in his report : Some more of the smaller, silliest items include nearly $1 million from the State Department to produce films in Jordan, $300,000 from the National Science Foundation for 'affinity group' safe spaces for bird watchers, $7 million across the federal government for magic projects (yes, magic, as in 'Abracadabra,' your tax money is gone), $10 million from the Department of Defense for cat experiments, another $250,000 from the State Department to fight 'misinformation' in Bosnia, and the list goes on for far too long. The huge dollar figure in Paul's list each year comes from interest on the national debt, which this year accounted for $890 billion in taxpayer money out the window. Paul's airing of grievances isn't limited to just spending, however. He says every year that he uses Festivus to make enemies and this year was no exception. What are some of your Festivus traditions? Tell us in the replies! I tried to get feats of strength on the Senate floor as a tradition, but since everyone else is over 80, there weren't many takers. Quick, who has the higher average age, the Senate or the top touring musical acts of 2024? They have Jagger, Richards, Springsteen, and Dylan, but we have Grassley. It's a tough call. Ouch. We are also seeing the end of an era, a new Republican Majority for the first time in nearly a century not led by Mitch McConnell. I don't want to tell Mitch it's time to retire, but his best job offer so far is a reboot of Tales from the Crypt. HAHAHAHA. Hey, maybe we ought to consider term limits, Washington. What do you think? Shots were fired at Democrats too, of course. The other Chuck (Schumer) was trying to joke with me the other day that my amendment to fix Social Security got only 3 votes. Well, Chuck, that's 3 more people who won't be sad when you're no longer the leader in January. No one will be sad to see Schumer and his raw hamburger grilling photos out of the Majority Leader position. Trump's new MAHA czar (and HHS Secretary) RFK, Jr. was in for some ribbing as well. But I can tell you this: He will pry the Diet Coke out of my cold, dead hands. And Paul welcomed in new Education Secretary Linda McMahon who has the ideal professional background for Capitol Hill. Our new Secretary of Education made her money in professional wrestling as Chair of WWE. So Linda McMahon is PERFECT for politics. They are a bunch of overamped loudmouths following their script and pretending they are shocked by the outcome. After all of the ribbing (Ted Cruz and Kevin McCarthy got some too), Paul returned to a point about which he is deadly serious. The power some of us will have must be used for good — like putting Fauci in jail. Last year, I hoped that Congress would hold Dr. Fauci accountable. Though the House tried, he's still walking around a free man. Well, he's got two new major problems for Christmas this year — I'm the incoming chairman of the Senate HSGAC committee, and I have subpoena power to... The tweet concludes, '... I have subpoena power to force him to turn over everything he's been hiding.' That Fauci monster who calls himself 'The Science' should probably be getting VERY worried right about now. Paul promised to return later tonight with more 'airing of grievances, but before he took a break away from Twitter, he did offer one final explanation for why Washington is the way it is. Of course, evil is only one part of their MO. Some of it is just sheer stupidity. Embrace the power of 'AND,' Dr. Paul. The rest of America has.
Troy scores 21 points in less than 2 minutes in the fourth quarter to beat Southern Miss 52-20Carbon Streaming Announces Board and CEO Changes
E-invoicing: Sarawak activist warns of economic strain on small businessesEditor’s note: The Texas A&M baseball team’s run to the College World Series finals, followed by the departure of Jim Schlossnagle and hiring of Michael Earley, is The Eagle’s No. 2 sports story of 2024. This is part of a daily series of the top 10 stories in Bryan-College Station and the Brazos Valley this year. Stories will appear daily with No. 1 running in the Dec. 31 edition. The Texas A&M baseball team’s run to the College World Series finals and the two weeks that followed was a rollercoaster ride of emotions to say the least. Head coach Jim Schlossnagle’s departure to rival Texas the day after A&M’s loss to Tennessee in the CWS finals almost caused a mass exodus of A&M’s most successful team in school history. But the Aggies' hiring of assistant coach Michael Earley — who originally left Schlossnagle — circled the wagons, kept the roster intact and now has one of the nation’s best teams going into 2025. Hours after the Aggies returned home from Omaha on the heels of a heartbreaking loss to Tennessee in a winner-take-all Game 3 of the championship series, Schlossnagle stunned Aggieland with his departure to Texas. Rumors had swirled of the possibility, but the reality of his decision was a gut-punch and came less than a day after Schlossnagle berated a reporter for asking about his name being linked to the Longhorns’ opening during a postgame press conference. In one of the wildest coaching changes in A&M’s, and possibly college baseball’s history, Schlossnagle explained how leaving Aggieland for Austin was mainly rooted in his friendship with Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte, whom he worked with at TCU from 2009-17. “All I can say is: I have a career, too,” Schlossnagle said in his introductory press conference in Austin. “I have a personal life as well that I have goals I just simply felt like, no negative at A&M, just the positives of the alignment and frankly my relationship with Chris. There wasn’t anybody at Texas A&M that I couldn’t trust, I just know that I can trust Chris. I know that. And as hard as that decision was, I could not walk away from it.” Animosity from Aggies about Schlossnagle’s decision was loud. Fans and even players aired their grievances on social media. A&M utility player Travis Chestnut told The Eagle he was treated poorly by Schlossnagle during his tenure with the Aggies. “I’m blown away by the disrespect of Schlossnagle,” Chestnut said. “Not once in my career was he a respectable man to me. I stuck with him because I wanted to be an Aggie and in the SEC. But quite frankly, I didn’t stick to him. I stuck to [assistant coaches] Mike Earley and Nolan Cain.” That animosity turned into a groundswell of support for A&M to hire Earley, the Aggies' hitting coach. A number of current and former A&M players expressed their support for the Aggies to hire Earley. "Nobody more deserving, no more questions need to be asked," A&M first baseman Ted Burton wrote in a social media post. "One of the brightest, young baseball minds out there and a genuine love for his guys. Any player would run through a wall for this man.” A&M athletic director Trev Alberts conducted a full search, which he said included conversations with nine candidates. But after Alberts’ first interview with Earley, he said the assistant coach became a serious candidate. And while player support and respect was a key component to Alberts’ decision, he said Earley’s vision for the program, plan to build a staff and self-awareness of his “blindspots” and solutions for those caught his attention. “I was very, very pleasantly surprised,” Alberts said. “I didn’t know what to expect. I would say that he knocked it out of the ballpark on the initial Zoom.” A week that began with sadness of losing a championship that turned into bitter disgust of Schlossnagle’s decision to leave ended with elation and excitement of where the program could go under Earley. “We got our guy that we wanted,” A&M pitcher Brad Rudis said at Earley’s introductory press conference. “And he’s going to be here to stay for a long time.” That concluded a memorable spring for the Aggies, who won an NCAA regional at Blue Bell Park and then defeated Oregon 2-0 in a best-of-three regional at home that ended with a 15-9, come-from-behind win. The Aggies opened the CWS at Omaha, Nebraska, with a late-night 3-2 victory over Southeastern Conference rival Florida before Ryan Prager's pitching gem against another SEC foe, Kentucky, sent A&M to the semifinals. The pitching staff came through again in a 6-0 win over Florida that sent A&M to its first championship series in school history. Another SEC opponent, top-ranked Tennessee, stood in the Aggies' path in the best-of-3 final. Buoyed by a five-run third inning, the Aggies won Game 1 9-5 before the Volunteers responded by allowing just seven hits in a 4-1 Game 2 victory. Tennessee took a 6-1 lead in the decisive Game 3 before A&M scored twice in the top of the eighth and two more in the ninth to close the gap to 6-5. But the Volunteers held on for their first national championship and set in motion a wild week off the field.Kirill Kaprizov gives the Minnesota Wild long-absent offensive star power