Latest Slidescroller coverage mentioning Derek Houston across Football, Baseball.
Sacramento State prepares for its first California road game against Fresno State, seeking its first win in six historic meetings while key players shine under new conference affiliations.
The Hornets posted a 52-0 victory, their first FBS-era win and largest shutout margin since 1988, highlighted by record-breaking offensive output and a stifling defense.
Sacramento State’s football program is transitioning to the FBS after an early Mid‑American Conference invitation, driven by Coach Alonzo Carter’s unconventional tactics, a $7 million NIL boost, and ambitions to heighten student engagement and national exposure.
The Tar Heels finished 2026 with 54 wins and a near‑miss at the national title, prompting a strategic overhaul through the transfer portal.
The University of North Carolina’s baseball program, fresh off a 54‑win campaign that fell one game short of the national championship, is turning to a deep transfer portal haul to fill key departures. Head coach Scott Forbes has assembled eleven Division I transfers and three junior‑college players, including shortstop Jamie Laskofski, pitchers Jimmy Voorhies and Scott Doran, and a host of seasoned catchers and outfielders. The move aims to restore a veteran foundation and return the team to the Omaha stage in 2027.
Derek Houston, a redshirt sophomore from Utah Valley, brings a .307 average, five home runs and a .938 OPS to Chapel Hill, bolstering a catching corps in flux.
The MAC Football Kickoff on July 22 will showcase Sacramento State’s first official appearance in the Mid‑American Conference, featuring a full slate of interviews, media sessions and a preview of the 2026 season.
The Hornets enter the Mid‑American Conference as preseason underdogs, backed by a $23 million five‑year commitment and a mantra of ‘Fast, Violent, Physical.’
The Mid-American Conference will unveil its 2026 football season during a live kickoff event on July 22 at Detroit’s Ford Field, featuring media sessions with coaches, players and conference leadership.