Sports category, Page 1364
Pitt’s Jeff Capel gets commitment from 6-11 Fede Federiko, formerly of First Love
Pitt added some desperately needed size and shot-blocking ability Thursday when coach Jeff Capel received a verbal commitment from 6-foot-11, 210-pound Fede Federiko, who previously played at First Love Christian Academy in Washington, Pa. Federiko is a native of Helsinki, Finland, and he played for the Finnish under-19 national team....
Tight end class that lacks elite prospects likely holds little interest for Steelers in NFL Draft
For the second year in a row, the Pittsburgh Steelers watched a veteran tight end depart in the offseason. Unlike this time last year, they won’t feel obligated to replace him with a player taken high in the NFL Draft. A few months after Vance McDonald retired after the 2020...
Pirates option RHP Roansy Contreras to Triple-A, select Chase De Jong, DFA Luis Oviedo
The Pittsburgh Pirates shook up their pitching staff Thursday when they optioned top pitching prospect Roansy Contreras to Triple-A Indianapolis and selected the contract of Chase De Jong. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Pirates designated right-hander Luis Oviedo for assignment. Contreras (1-0, 3.52 ERA) was thriving in...
Former Raiders QB Daryle Lamonica dies at age 80
Daryle Lamonica, the deep-throwing quarterback who won an AFL Player of the Year award and led the Raiders to their first Super Bowl appearance, has died. He was 80. The Fresno County Sherriff’s said Lamonica passed away at his Fresno home on Thursday morning. The death is considered to be...
After weather delays, Lernerville racing season ready to begin Friday
The weather in Sarver early Friday evening calls for temperatures in the low 60s with no rain in sight. That is good news for area racing fans who plan to flock to Lernerville Speedway as the season finally gets started. Mother Nature put a halt to the first two attempts...
Penguins to start goaltender Casey DeSmith in rematch with Bruins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are scheduled to start goaltender Casey DeSmith in Thursday’s home game against the Boston Bruins at PPG Paints Arena. In 22 games this season, DeSmith has an 8-5-5 record, a 2.89 goals-against average, a .907 save percentage and two shutouts. DeSmith was in net during Saturday’s 2-1...
2 months after Brittney Griner’s arrest, mystery surrounds her case
For another person in another country at another time, the case might have been a minor matter: an American citizen detained at an airport for allegedly possessing a cannabis derivative legal in much of the world. But the circumstances for Brittney Griner couldn’t have been worse. Griner, a WNBA All-Star...
After 1 season, Leon Ayers III decides to transfer from Duquesne
Leon Ayers III’s stay at Duquesne turned out to last one season. Ayers, who averaged 10 points per game in 2021-22, has decided to put his name in the NCAA transfer portal. A 6-foot-5 guard, he came to Duquesne last year after attending Mercer and Henry Ford (Mich.) College. He...
First Call: ESPN reporter says Baker Mayfield signs with Steelers ‘the next day’ if cut; Terrell Edmunds still ‘in the mix’ to return
Thursday’s “First Call” advances another “Baker Mayfield to the Steelers” theory. Liberty’s coach lobbies for Malik Willis to be selected as the NFL draft’s top quarterback. Discussion continues regarding a return of Terrell Edmunds to Pittsburgh. And the Washington Capitals have tied the Penguins for third place in the Metropolitan...
Tim Benz: Penguins players throw their weight — and hope — behind Casey DeSmith
Sure. It’s more than a little disingenuous. More than just a bit intellectually dishonest. But for fans of the Pittsburgh Penguins, what are they to do? Just give up when the playoffs start? Not watch the games? Yes. In Pittsburgh nowadays, there’s a lot of talking ourselves into believing when...
U mad, bro?: Pittsburgh fans tear into the Penguins, Pirates and even… the Maulers?
You didn’t think that just because the Pittsburgh Maulers are a start-up, minor league, spring football team that plays their home games in Birmingham, Ala., they’ll escape the wrath of “U mad, bro?”, did you? Hey, if “Pittsburgh” is in their name, they are not immune. The Steelers know this....
‘Game changer’: Pirates embrace pitch-calling device to improve pace, deter sign stealing
As a 33-year-old catcher in his ninth season in the major leagues who enjoyed the time-honored tradition of flashing fingers to signal pitch calls, Roberto Perez was skeptical about the introduction of pitch-calling technology. Wearing a push-button transmitter on the inside of his left forearm to call pitches was a...
Pirates farm report for April 20, 2022: Anthony Alford homers in Indy win
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 7-6) moved back over .500 with a 5-3 win over Columbus (Guardians). LF Anthony Alford (.167), on a rehab assignment with a wrist injury, went 1 for 4 with a home run. RF Cal Mitchell (.372) went 3 for 4 with a stolen base. LC Canaan Smith-Njigba (.235)...
Reynolds tabbed to lead men’s basketball program at Point Park
After leading a turnaround of considerable note at Slippery Rock, Kevin Reynolds will look to do something similar at Point Park. He was announced Wednesday as the next head men’s basketball coach at NAIA Point Park, replacing Joe Lewandowski, who resigned in March after four seasons in charge of the...
Jay Wright resigns as Villanova coach; Kyle Neptune takes over
PHILADELPHIA — Jay Wright shocked college basketball Wednesday night with his immediate resignation at Villanova, the Big East program he led to two national championships and four Final Fours in a Hall of Fame career. The 60-year-old Wright guided Villanova to titles in 2016 and 2018 and just led the...
Fox Sports makes Easter Sunday a NASCAR ratings success
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Dirt will be back on NASCAR’s schedule next year and likely on Easter Sunday again if Fox Sports has its way. NASCAR delivered the most-watched race at Bristol Motor Speedway since 2016 on Sunday night when an average 4,007,000 viewers tuned in as the Cup Series raced...
Coordinator changes spice up spring practices at Big Ten schoolsVideo
MADISON, Wis. — During an offseason in which more than one out of every five Football Bowl Subdivision programs changed head coaches, the Big Ten was the lone conference that didn’t see a single move. But that doesn’t mean the league stood pat. While all 14 Big Ten members returned...
Duke’s Paolo Banchero declares for NBA DraftVideo
Duke’s Paolo Banchero is leaping to the NBA after one season as a candidate to be the No. 1 overall draft pick. The 6-foot-10, 250-pound freshman announced his decision in a social media video Wednesday, with the school saying he planned to hire an agent. “It has always been a...
Report: 49ers All-Pro WR Deebo Samuel requests trade
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — All-Pro receiver Deebo Samuel told ESPN on Wednesday that he has requested a trade from the San Francisco 49ers as the two sides have been unable to negotiate a long-term deal for one of the league’s top playmakers. Samuel is entering the final year of the...
Masters champ Scheffler returns to work, partners with Palmer in New OrleansVideo
AVONDALE, La. — One of the perks from winning the Masters is recognition that comes from outside the world of golf. For Scottie Scheffler, that included a letter from fellow Dallas resident and former President George W. Bush. One problem. “His handwriting is really hard to read,” Scheffler said Wednesday....
Watson embraced by teammates in Browns’ offseason programVideo
BEREA, Ohio — Deshaun Watson made a strong impression on his new teammates long ago, scrambling for first downs and rifling touchdown passes while becoming an elite quarterback playing in Houston. Now in Cleveland, the impression he makes off the field might matter more. Acquired from the Texans in a...
Hobbled Pitt drags WVU through 11 innings at PNC Park before losing
Mike Bell was unhappy when the 2021 NCAA Tournament field was revealed, and his Pitt baseball team was not among the chosen 64. Who could blame him? Pitt won 17 games against the top 50 of the RPI and was 18-12 against teams in the NCAA field. The Panthers were...
Penguins mindful of — but not fixated on — Eastern Conference standings
The Eastern Conference playoff field is set. How it all shakes out, though, is yet to be determined. Barring a miracle, the Pittsburgh Penguins are locked into one of three postseason seeding spots: third place in the Metropolitan Division, the first wild card or the second (final) wild card. The...
Mitch Keller makes impressive start but Brewers get series sweep
Mitch Keller had the mentality that he wanted to get ahead on counts so he could lean heavily on his fastball, so it was a good sign when the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander threw 18 of 20 first pitches for strikes. As efficient as Keller was, Milwaukee Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff...
Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe to return for senior seasonVideo
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky forward Oscar Tshiebwe will return for his senior year with the Wildcats after a breakout season in which he swept national player of the year awards. The 6-foot-9 Tshiebwe announced his decision Wednesday on ESPN’s SportsCenter. “I’ll be here next year for Kentucky,” he said. The...
