Oregon Ducks News: Neville drops, Bo Nix rolls, Liberty rally

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Retired NFL quarterback Eli Manning and former Auburn and Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix throw toilet paper during the filming of the ESPN show Eli’s Places at Toomer’s Corner in Auburn, Ala. on Tuesday, July 8, 2025.
Retired NFL quarterback Eli Manning and former Auburn and Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix throw toilet paper during the filming of the ESPN show Eli’s Places at Toomer’s Corner in Auburn, Ala. on Tuesday, July 8, 2025. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Steal of the Draft! Mason Neville passed over on Day 1 of MLB draft

Duck leadoff hitter and NCAA home run champ Mason Neville wasn't taken in the first three rounds of the Major League Baseball draft Sunday, a shock, since Neville was No. 32 on MLB.com's list of prospects and ranked No. 59 at Baseball America.

Neville clubbed 26 home runs for the Ducks in 2025, a season record. He batted .290 with an on-base percentage of .429 with 53 walks in 57 games.

The first round was heavy with pitchers and high school shortstops. So far 104 prospects are off the board with the draft concluding today with rounds 4-20.

Neville, Jacob Walsh and pitcher Jason Reitz participated in the MLB combine and should be selected today. They led Oregon to a 42-16 record in 2025 and a share of the Big Ten regular season Championship.

Heisman finalist Nix helps Auburn set record

Pro Duck Bo Nix dropped by his old school, Auburn, to help Tiger fans set a Guiness World Record for Rolling Toomer's Corner.

Nix, from Pinson, Alabama and a two-year starter at Auburn before transferring to the Ducks, came to town along with two-time Super Bowl winner Eli Manning to help an enthusiastic crowd toss more than 7,000 rolls of paper into the famed trees where fans celebrate Tiger victories.

It was part of a stunt for Manning's TV show, "Eli's Places." Nix's wife Izzy was an Auburn cheerleader and his dad Patrick was also a quarterback for the Tigers, so the whole family is steeped in the tradition.

As a rookie with Denver last year Nix made the All-Rookie team, leading the Broncos to a 10-7 record and the first round of the playoffs. He completed 66.3 percent of his passes for 3,775 yards and threw 29 touchdowns.

Liberty douse Flames with second half rally

Trailing 42-31 at halftime at the Barclay's Center in Brooklyn, Sabrina Ionescu, Nyara Sabally and the WNBA defending champion New York Liberty put together a 24-11 third quarter to beat Atlanta 79-72 Sunday afternoon.

Ionescu struggled with her shot, hitting just 3-20 from the floor but contributed 5 assists, 2 rebounds and a steal to the winning effort. Teammate Leonie Fiebich picked up the slack with a career day, hitting 8-9 from the field and 4-5 from three-point range for 21 points.

Sabally started in place of the injured Jonquel Jones as she has for much of the year. In 24 minutes she gathered 9 rebounds and blocked 4 shots while scoring 7 points.

The Liberty reached 14-6 with the win, third in the league standings. The top eight teams will make the playoffs in September. They play next on Wednesday against Caitlyn Clark and the Indiana Fever before the All-Star Game on Saturday.

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