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Chardon softball defeats Trinity, 5-4

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Chardon softball gets 5-4 win against Trinity.

CHARDON, Ohio -- Chardon's softball team defeated Trinity, 5-4, at home on Thursday.

Chantal Daugherty went 2-for-4 and scored a run. 


Aurora baseball shuts out Orange, 6-0

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Aurora baseball defeats Orange, 6-0.

PEPPER PIKE, Ohio -- Aurora's baseball team defeated host Orange, 6-0, on Thursday.

The Greenmen scored three runs in the fourth and again in the seventh to take the win and split the series in this Chagrin Valley Conference game.

Aurora's Adam Long threw the complete game shutout, and struck out three batters. Griff Peterson went 2-for-3 with two doubles, a run scored and one RBI.

Terry Francona, Joe Torre discuss catch that wasn't: Cleveland Indians chatter

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Terry Francona calls his old rival, Joe Torre, to get some clarification on Elliot Johnson's drop that was really a catch in second game of Wednesday's doubleheader.

CHICAGO, Ill. -- Seen and heard around U.S. Cellular Field on Thursday.

Clubhouse confidential: Manager Terry Francona called former rival manager Joe Torre, to get some clarification on right fielder Elliot Johnson’s drop in the second game of Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Padres. Francona challenged the call of first base umpire Bob Davidson in the first inning, saying Johnson caught the ball, but dropped it on the transfer.

Francona, who lost the challenge, and Torre were the best of enemies when they managed the Red Sox and Yankees, respectively. Torre is now MLB’s executive vice president of baseball operations.

Torre watched the play, but Francona would not reveal their conversation.

“When they put replay in, you have to have (the rules) in writing,” said Francona. “It used to be based on the umpire’s judgment. Now you have to have it in writing because they check it.

“(Johnson’s play) got lumped in with the transfer on the double play at second base. I think, at some point, they’re going to try and change that ... which is appropriate.”

Welcome back: When Nick Swisher saw Justin Sellers in the locker room Thursday, he wrapped him in a bear hug to welcome him back. Sellers will be with the Tribe until Sunday when Lonnie Chisenhall returns from his stay on the Paternity List.

“It felt good to have Swish welcome me back like that,” said Sellers.

Stat of the day: Last year the White Sox lost their last 14 games to the Indians. It’s their longest losing streak against one opponent in franchise history.


Highland baseball gets 8-0 win against Revere

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Highland baseball shuts out Revere 8-0.

RICHFIELD, Ohio -- Highland's baseball team got an 8-0 road win against Revere on Thursday.

Highland scored five runs in the seventh inning to solidify their win. Clay Sposit had three hits, while Bruce Kinsey had two hits, including a double.

Where can I watch the Ohio State spring football game? Plus rosters, format, tickets and other details on the Buckeyes

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Urban Meyer divided the roster into two even teams. The spring game will consist of four 10-minute quarters, with clock stoppages in the first half and a running clock in the second half.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Details on Ohio State's spring football game at Ohio Stadium on Saturday. Ohio State released the rosters for the Gray team and Scarlet team on Thursday night after Urban Meyer divided up the roster.

• More than 30 stories from Ohio State's spring football practice


Time: 1:30 p.m.

TV: Big Ten Network (Tom Werme, play by play; Glen Mason, analysis; Lisa Byington, sideline)

Tickets: $20 at the game, $12 in advance. Cash only day of the game. Children 6 and under free, but only in general admission sections.

Lacrosse: At 11 a.m. Ohio State will host Michigan in a men's lacrosse game. The football game will follow. One ticket gets you in to both games.

Format: Four 10-minute quarters. Clock stops in the first half, running clock in the second half. No kickoffs. Cameron Johnston will punt for both teams, but no returns.

Rosters:


GRAY TEAM Roster

Gray Team Head Coach: Kerry Coombs

Assistant Coaches: Ed Warinner, Zach Smith, Luke Fickell


No. Name Pos. Ht. Wg. Cl./Elg. 

1 Johnnie Dixon WR 5-11 198 Fr./Fr. 

3 Michael Thomas* WR 6-3 203 Jr./So. 

5 Raekwon McMillan LB 6-2 240 Fr./Fr. 

6 Evan Spencer*** WR 6-2 208 Sr./Sr.. 

7 Rod Smith*** RB 6-3 231 5th/Sr.

8 J.T. Moore** TE 6-3 260 5th/Sr. 

8 Noah Spence** DL 6-3 252 Jr./Jr.

11 Vonn Bell* SAF 5-11 200 So./So.. 

12 Doran Grant*** CB 5-11 193 Sr./Sr..

14 Jake Russell P 6-1 198 Jr./Jr..

15 Luke Morgan QB 6-2 225 So./So.. 

16 J.T. Barrett QB 6-1 225 So./Fr. 

16 Cam Burrows* SAF 6-0 208 So./So.

17 Jalin Marshall H-B 5-11 205 So./Fr. 

19 Gareon Conley CB 6-0 190 So./Fr.

21 Devlin McDaniel WR 5-11 200 So./So..

23 Tyvis Powell* SAF 6-3 205 Jr./So.

25 Bri’onte Dunn* RB 6-0 216 Jr./So.

26 Armani Reeves** CB 5-10 198 Jr./Jr.. 

28 Warren Ball* RB 6-1 224 Jr./So.

30 Devan Bogard** LB 6-0 210 Jr./Jr.. 

32 Russell Doup SAF 6-2 198 5th/Sr.

33 Frank Epitropoulos WR 6-1 206 Jr./So.

37 Joshua Perry** LB 6-4 250 Jr./Jr.

38 Craig Fada LB 6-0 233 Jr./Jr.

39 Kyle Clinton K 6-1 218 5th/Sr. 

41 Aaron Mawhirter LB 6-2 230 So./So. 

43 Darron Lee LB 6-2 225 So./So.

46 Devin Hill FB 5-10 235 Jr./Jr.

48 Joe Burger LB 6-2 230 Jr./Jr.

49 Ryan Carter TE 6-6 240 Jr./Jr.

54 Billy Price C/OG 6-4 305 So./Fr. 

55 Tommy Brown* OL 6-4 310 Sr./Jr. 

59 Tyquan Lewis DL 6-3 260 So./Fr.

61 Logan Gaskey OL 6-4 292 So./So. 

64 Marcelys Jones OL 6-4 345 Fr./Fr. 

65 Pat Elflein* OL 6-3 300 Jr./So. 

66 Kyle Dodson OL 6-6 310 Jr./So. 

71 Kyle Trout OL 6-6 302 Fr./Fr. 

72 Chris Carter** DL 6-4 342 Sr./Jr. 

81 Nick Vannett** TE 6-6 260 Sr./Jr.. 

87 Peter Gwilym WR 6-0 195 Sr./Jr..

89 Jeff Greene WR 6-5 220 Sr./Sr. 

90 Tommy Schutt** DL 6-2 300 Jr./Jr.

92 Adolphus Washington** DL 6-4 288 Jr./Jr.. .

93 Tracy Sprinkle DL 6-3 283 So./Fr. 

95 Cameron Johnston* P 6-0 195 So./So.. 

***Letters earned thru 2013 season Cl./Elg. Indicates Autumn 2014 status


SCARLET TEAM Roster

Scarlet Team Head Coach: Stan Drayton

Assistant Coaches: Tom Herman, Tim Hinton, Chris Ash, Larry Johnson


No. Name Pos. Ht. Wg. Cl./Elg. 

2 Dontre Wilson* H-B 5-10 185 So./So.. 

4 Curtis Samuel RB 5-11 190 Fr./Fr. 

5 Braxton Miller*** QB 6-2 215 Sr./Sr.

9 Devin Smith*** WR 6-1 197 Sr./Sr.

12 Cardale Jones QB 6-5 250 Jr./So.

13 Eli Apple CB 6-1 195 So./Fr. 

13 Stephen Collier QB 6-3 215 Fr./Fr. 

14 Curtis Grant*** LB 6-3 240 Sr./Sr.

15 Ezekiel Elliott* RB 6-0 225 So./So.

17 Devonte Butler CB 5-7 170 So./So.

18 Kato Mitchell WR 5-11 190 Jr./Jr.

19 Joe Ramstetter WR 6-3 210 So./So.

20 Ron Tanner** SAF 6-0 205 Sr./Jr.

24 Michael Cibene SAF 6-0 186 So./So. 

25 Kevin Niehoff SAF 6-3 205 Jr./Jr.

29 Jayme Thompson SAF 6-0 195 So./Fr. 

32 Khaleed Franklin SAF 6-1 206 So./So. 

33 Nik Sarac CB 5-9 183 Sr./Sr.

34 Jamal Marcus** DL 6-1 243 Jr./Jr. 

35 Chris Worley LB 6-2 218 So./Fr. 

36 Trey Johnson* LB 6-1 225 So./So.

41 Bryce Haynes** LS 6-4 220 Sr./Jr.

46 Nick Snyder LB 6-1 215 Jr./Jr. 

50 Jacoby Boren* C 6-1 285 Jr./Jr. 

51 Joel Hale*** OL 6-4 310 Sr./Sr.

52 Donovan Munger DL 6-4 306 So./Fr. 

55 Camren Williams** LB 6-1 228 Jr./Jr.

57 Chase Farris** OL 6-4 300 Sr./Jr.

63 Michael Bennett*** DL 6-2 288 Sr./Sr.

68 Taylor Decker** OL 6-7 315 Jr./Jr.

70 Chris Rock TE 6-3 275 Sr./Jr.

73 Antonio Underwood** OL 6-2 303 Sr./Jr.

75 Evan Lisle OL 6-6 300 So./Fr. 

76 Darryl Baldwin*** OL 6-6 307 5th/Sr. 

77 Michael Hill DL 6-2 315 So./So.

82 James Clark WR 5-10 182 So./So.

84 Corey Smith WR 6-0 190 Sr./Jr.

85 Marcus Baugh TE 6-4 248 So./Fr. 

86 Jeff Heuerman*** TE 6-5 255 Sr./Sr. 

88 Steve Miller*** DL 6-3 255 Sr./Sr.

88 Brandon Ojikutu WR 6-2 211 Sr./Sr. 

94 Rashad Frazier DL 6-4 272 5th/Sr.

95 Cameron Johnston* P 6-0 195 So./So.

96 Sean Nuernberger K 6-1 237 Fr./Fr. 

97 Joey Bosa* DL 6-5 285 So./So.

98 John Holman DL 6-3 280 Sr./Sr.

***Letters earned thru 2013 season Cl./Elg. Indicates Autumn 2014 status



Bedford softball defeats Mayfield, 9-2

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Bedford softball gets 9-2 win against Mayfield.

MAYFIELD, Ohio -- Bedford's softball team defeated Mayfield, 9-2, on the road on Thursday.

Bearcats' Raelene. Jones had a triple with three RBIs, while teammate Ashley Minute went 3-for-5 with two runs scored. 

Hathaway Brown softball defeats Gilmour, 8-0

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Hathaway Brown softball gets 8-0 win.

SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Hathaway Brown's softball team got an 8-0 home win against Gilmour on Thursday.

Pitcher Logan Paul had 15 strikeouts, while teammate Erin Schwartz had a double that brought in two RBIs.

Keystone softball throws no-hitter against Lutheran West for 13-0 victory

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Keystone softball defeats Lutheran West, 13-0.

ROCKY RIVER, Ohio -- Lauren Shaw and Madi Candrosky combined to throw a no-hitter for Keystone's softball team, leading them to defeat Lutheran West, 13-0, on the road on Thursday.

Shaw had four strikeouts for the Wildcats, while Candrosky struck out six batters. It is the team's second no-hitter after Emliy Cornish threw a no-hitter against Oberlin. 

Keystone's Carleigh Herrington went 3-for-4 with four RBIs and two doubles, while Sammie Stefan went 2-for4 with two runs scored and one RBI.


Nordonia softball defeats Highland, 6-4

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Nordonia softball gets 6-4 win against Highland.

MACEDONIA, Ohio -- Nordonia's softball team got a 6-4 road win against Highland on Thursday.

Highland's (3-3) rally of scoring two runs in the seventh inning fell short. 

Nordonia's (5-1) Hanna Strow is now 4-1 on the mound. Teammate Pam Vicker went 1-for-2, with a double and four RBIs.

Mayfield baseball defeats Twinsburg, 10-7

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Mayfield baseball gets 10-7 Twinsburg.

TWINSBURG, Ohio -- Mayfield's baseball team defeated Twinsburg, 10-7, on the road on Thursday.

Mayfield (2-2) was led by John Schreiber who went 3-for-4, scored three runs and had two RBIs. 

Cleveland Indians vs. Chicago White Sox: Get updates and chat live with Zack Meisel

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Get scoring updates and analysis as the Indians take on the White Sox in the first game of a four-game set at U.S. Cellular Field and chat with cleveland.com's Zack Meisel in the comments section.

CHICAGO, Illinois -- The Cleveland Indians were able to reach the playoffs for the first time in six years last season thanks in large part to their dominance over the Chicago White Sox.


Cleveland looks to pick up where it left off Thursday night when it goes for a 15th straight win over Chicago, a streak that would tie the second longest in franchise history against one opponent. They play tonight at 8:10 p.m.


Get scoring updates and analysis as the Indians take on the White Sox in the first game of a four-game set at U.S. Cellular Field and chat with cleveland.com's Zack Meisel in the comments section.


Cleveland Browns not sleeping on science of sport as they plan to monitor players' rest patterns

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The Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles are among teams using similar devices.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Browns coach Mike Pettine doesn’t want his players thinking football round the clock. He does, however, plan to monitor their dreams.

Pettine told an audience Friday at the Ohio State Football Coaches Clinic that the Browns will have players wearing computerized wrist bands that chart sleep patterns in an effort to maximize on-field performance.

The coach did not answer questions from the media, so it’s unclear when the program will begin and how many players are expected to participate. But Pettine appears to be a believer in the science of sport.

The Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles are among NFL teams known to track their players’ rest habits. Quarterback Russell Wilson was one of 19 Seahawks to wear black wrist monitors to catalog sleep patterns last season, according to the USA Today.

A year ago, Eagles coach Chip Kelly touted the importance of rest and nutrition, even hiring a sports science coordinator who used to train Navy SEALs. The Eagles’ sleep reports go into a computer system that can be accessed by the coordinator. The franchise also requires players to take a daily wellness questionnaire on their iPads.

According to phillymag.com, the sleep device is linked to an app that can be downloaded to a phone. It monitors how many times a player wakes up during the night and whether or not he’s getting quality sleep. 

Pettine said proper rest is not just important for players, but coaches as well. He made the mistake as a young coach, he told the audience, of working too many hours and feeling sluggish on game days when decision making was the most crucial. It's unclear if Pettine will have his coaches wear the bands as well.


'We're very competitive': Ohio State QB J.T. Barrett sees personal growth in battle with Cardale Jones

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"We're very competitive," Barrett said. "But that's also my guy. When he makes a good play, I root for him. If he does well, that's great. I am just working on myself. It is an individual thing, but there is competition."

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Player A is a former four-star prospect who was the first quarterback personally recruited to the program by a newly hired head coach.

Player B was already on the roster that coach inherited and arrived at the program only after being a three-star recruit in high school and going to prep school for a grayshirt year first.

Put Player A vs. Player B in a position battle.

Easy winner, right?

But that isn't how it has played out this spring as J.T. Barrett (Player A) and Cardale Jones (Player B) battle to replace Kenny Guiton as Ohio State's backup quarterback behind Braxton Miller.

Jones, a redshirt sophomore, started the spring taking snaps with the first team offense because of seniority, but offensive coordinator Tom Herman said he would have a short leash if he didn't perform.

Though Jones has had some rough practices – one that Urban Meyer said was "really bad" – he has maintained a leg up on Barrett, a redshirt freshman, heading into Saturday's spring game.

But with both quarterbacks given the opportunity to lead a team, the competition will finally be out in the public eye, giving everyone a chance to decide which quarterback they like better.

"We're very competitive," Barrett told Cleveland.com after Ohio State's Student Appreciation Day last Saturday. "But that's also my guy. When he makes a good play, I root for him. If he does well, that's great. I am just working on myself. It is an individual thing, but there is competition."

Jones is an interesting option at quarterback because he has a rocket arm and vast size as 6-foot-5, 230 pounds. But Meyer said he has sometimes allowed nerves to impact how he performs, something he won't be able to hide from in Ohio Stadium on Saturday.

Barrett can't match that arm strength or size, but Herman has been pleased with his inherent leadership qualities. Barrett said that taking command of an offense is just natural to him.

"My biggest thing is to just lead by example. You can't lead anybody if you're not doing right," he said. "You have to have that personal integrity, and I tell that to my guys. I wouldn't actually be able to do it if I didn't do it, so that's biggest thing. Then also developing that trust over time so they can believe in you and believe in what you say." 

Barrett hasn't been down that he didn't overtake Jones, even though conventional wisdom would suggest that he's more at the center of Meyer's future vision. Because Barrett has been real about his decencies. 

“It is just a lot of me being inconsistent, and there are countless things I have to work on," Barrett said. “Just knowing what to do with the football as far as coverages, seeing blitzes earlier and things like that. I just need to get to know where to get the football.

“All I have done is put an emphasis on getting better every day." 

Cleveland Browns matching Jaguars' five-year, $42 million offer for Alex Mack

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The Browns matched Jacksonville's five-year, $42 million offer for Alex Mack, meaning they'll have him for at least the next two years.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Browns will hang on to Pro Bowl center Alex Mack for at least the next two seasons.

Question is, will he be two-and-through?

The Browns on Friday announced that they'll match Jacksonville's offer sheet, which is a five-year deal worth $42 million, including $26 million guaranteed.

The deal includes $18 million guaranteed over the first two years, after which Mack can void the deal and become an unrestricted free agent. If he walks away, he stands to hit the jackpot again in 2016 despite the fact he'll be 30 for most of that season.

"I'm excited for both Alex and the Browns,'' general manager Ray Farmer said in a statement released by the team. "We have talked about keeping our own players and this is a positive for us. Alex is a quality person and player that truly brings to life what playing like a Brown means.

 

"The ending is positive for everyone. Keeping our young, good nucleus of players is vital for clubs and specifically the Browns, and therefore is this a good step. I'm excited for Alex and our football team as we continue to prepare for the 2014 season. The next step is the upcoming draft."  

 If Mack, 27, opts to stick around after two years, he'll receive $8 million more guaranteed from the Browns in 2016 -- and maybe more if they're really motivated to keep him.

What's more, the Browns can't trade him until the 2017 season is underway and can't use the franchise or transition tag on him after 2015.

The $8.4 million average also makes Mack the highest paid center in the NFL, surpassing Carolina's Ryan Kalil, who averages $8.186 million per year.

The deal gives Mack the opportunity to control his own destiny and hit the market after two more seasons here. The Browns, on the other hand, solidified their center position for the next two years, which is essential if they start a rookie quarterback in 2014.

The Browns are in the process of conducting private workouts with most of the key quarterbacks in the draft, including Johnny Manziel, Blake Bortles, Teddy Bridgewater and Derek Carr.

If the Browns had let Mack go, they probably would've had to use at least a third- or fourth-round pick on a center. Overall, they have 10 picks in the draft, including three in the first 35.

If Mack leaves after 2015, the Browns will have paid him an average of $9 million a year, which is high for a center. For comparison's sake, he's making $2 million to $3 million more than comparable centers from his draft class. Seattle's Max Unger, a second-round pick in 2009 and two-time Pro Bowler, averages $6.45 million a year, and Buffalo's Eric Wood, a first-round pick in 2009 averages $6.3 million and up to $7 million with incentives.

But at this point in the offseason, all of the good free agent centers are gone and the Browns had few options. Besides, they were prepared to pay Mack $10.039 million under the transition tag in 2014, so less than $8 million for the second year isn't unreasonable.

Since being chosen by Cleveland with the 21st overall pick of the 2009 draft, Mack has started all 80 career games and has not missed an offensive snap, a streak of 4,998 consecutive plays. He was named to his second Pro Bowl following the 2013 season, becoming the third Browns center to earn multiple Pro Bowl honors, joining John Morrow and Tom DeLeone. Mack was also named second-team All-Pro by the Associated Press in 2013 and to the Professional Football Writers of America 2013 All-AFC team.

One of the only downsides to the deal is that the extra $5 million or so the Browns will pay Mack over the next two seasons could've been used to help fund extensions for Joe Haden, Josh Gordon, Jordan Cameron and Phil Taylor.

 But at the NFL Annual Meeting last month, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam stressed that he'd go the extra mile to keep Mack.

“Alex Mack is a quality person and quality player and he’s the kind of person we want to play with the Cleveland Browns for a long time,'' Haslam said. "I personally like Alex a lot besides him being a good player. We were very frank (during a meeting in California). We want him to finish his career with the Cleveland Browns.''

He also dismissed the notion that Mack wanted out of Cleveland.

“In my conversations with Alex, I think he wants to be a Cleveland Brown,'' said Haslam. "We had lunch that day and he sat next to me at lunch, and I came away convinced he wants to be a Cleveland Brown.”

And now he will be -- at least for the next two years.




Who will be Ohio State's spring game surprise? And a roundup of 40 spring football stories

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Check out 40 stories from our football coverage this spring, and give us your pick for the surprise of Saturday's spring game.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- We've covered a lot with the Buckeyes this spring, even the idea of whether spring football games will ever go away, and now spring practice is almost over.

Ohio State will hold its spring game Saturday at 1:30 p.m. and one thing is almost certain - someone will shine that most people didn't expect. It's a spring tradition.

Ari and I each picked a surprise of the spring game in the video above. Ari went with running back Bri'onte Dunn. I chose cornerback Gareon Conley. You can offer your choice for a surprise in the comments. If you need some help, or some light reading before Saturday, check out our roundup of stories from spring football.

There are more than 30 listed here. That's actually not quite all of them, but I think this list should get you ready for Saturday.

Details

Buckeyes lower ticket prices to $5, admit $20 was too much

Rosters, tickets, TV

Projected starting lineups for the Scarlet and Gray teams


First day of practice

The initial two-deep from the first day

Urban Meyer works with D, wants angry team

Stars and surprises from day one


Offense

After redshirt season, WR Michael Thomas was waiting for this spring

Redshirt freshman QB J.T. Barrett grows in battle with Cardale Jones

New guys, same attitude on the offensive line

Five things to watch on offense in the spring game 

Like brothers, Jacoby Boren looks to earn starting spot

Backup QB Cardale Jones learns from second chance

Tight end Marcus Baugh still trying to earn back trust

Offensive quick hits from open scrimmage

Freshman Curtis Samuel takes advice to get the ball and go

Will Nick Vannett, Jeff Heuerman make Buckeyes play with 2 tight ends?

Urban Meyer's most improved players of the spring

Playmaker Dontre Wilson feels like himself again

Why and how the OSU offense will be different

Tackle Darryl Baldwin looks to earn starting job as senior

Guard Antonio Underwood decided to be a dude

Running back Bri'onte Dunn making a spring move 

Injured QB Braxton Miller works on talking a better game


Defense

Five things to watch on defense in the spring game

Chris Worley making spring play but at same position as Darron Lee

Buckeyes will show off new press coverage in spring game

Don't forget about injured linebacker Devan Bogard

Vonn Bell on way back from injury, with knot in stomach

Converted corner Cam Burrows fits new safety model

Star of spring LB Darron Lee doesn't know what he doesn't know

CB Eli Apple stars in scrimmage, loses black stripe

Defensive quick hits from open scrimmage

DE Joey Bosa to be marked man after big freshman season

Buckeyes will rotate more on the defensive line

Explaining Ohio State's new linebacker alignment 

Safety Tyvis Powell shows new defensive aggression

Could freshman LB Raekwon McMillan start?

Did Luke Fickell fear for his job last year?



Major League Soccer: Toronto FC defender Justin Morrow blooming closer to his St. Ignatius roots

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Toronto's offseason trade for Cleveland native Justin Morrow was overshadowed by bigger deals, but he has been a key to the Reds' sudden success.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – A Great Lakes expansion football team with a rabid fan base spends big bucks to turn around its seemingly endless misfortune, and begins by trading for a native Clevelander who played on two state championship teams at St. Ignatius.

Suddenly, they are in first place and the talk of the league.

Is this another Hollywood script featuring the Cleveland Browns?

Wrong football and wrong side of Niagara Falls, but the right idea. It's a big story, so far, on the shores of Lake Ontario.

Justin Morrow, one of the great talents Cleveland has produced in recent years, is the key player in this scenario. The 26-year-old left back has helped lead Toronto FC to a 3-1 start and first-place tie in the Major League Soccer's Eastern Conference.

“I'm loving Toronto and the city so far. I couldn't be happier,'' Morrow said this week in a phone interview with The Plain Dealer. “TFC has had some trouble in the past getting results. Putting together a good team and having talent on the pitch is something the fans deserve, because they've been waiting a long time.''

JUSTIN_MORROW_MLS_TORONTO_FC_CREW_SOCCER_16560739.JPGView full sizeColumbus Crew forward Justin Meram, bottom, stretches for the ball against Toronto FC defender Justin Morrow (2) during the second half of Toronto's 2-0 victory on April 5 in Columbus. Morrow, a Cleveland native, had an assist and helped the Reds post their second shutout in four games.

The Reds are in their eighth season and have yet to finish with a winning record or make the MLS playoffs. Their best record was 10-11 in 2009, and they were 6-17-11 last year, after which the team made wholesale changes.

The first in a series of major player acquisitions by new president Tim Leiweke was to land Morrow in a trade with San Jose for allocation money, the soccer equivalent of a salary cap move. At the time, Toronto fans hailed the attention being paid to a porous defense while San Jose fans were stunned to see a young, 2012 MLS All-Star let go for so little in return.

Leiweke, known for bringing David Beckham to the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2007, was just getting started. He then added to TFC's roster Brazil star Gilberto, former TFC leading scorer Dwayne DeRosario, U.S. national player Michael Bradley and English star Jermain Defoe. Bradley and Defoe are two of the league's top three paid players at $6.5 million and $6.18 million, respectively.

The subsequent moves overshadowed the addition of Morrow, whose base salary is $160,000. However, he has quietly helped settle a defense that has allowed just four goals and has posted two shutouts. He was widely praised for his play in a 1-0 shutout of D.C. United on March 22, and received more raves at Columbus last Saturday.

“I think I've been solid so far. Except for the Real Salt Lake (a 3-0 loss), the defense has done a great job in keeping their offense off the board and really get things going from the back of the field to the front,'' Morrow said.

As a left back who was a star forward at St. Ignatius and Notre Dame, he also has been a quiet cog in the Reds' reborn attack. He had assist on Toronto's second goal of a 2-0 victory at previously unbeaten Columbus. Morrow has had plenty of success at Crew Stadium. He scored a goal there last year for San Jose, and he led St. Ignatius to its first two state titles there in 2004 and 2005. He was the Wildcats' leading scorer as a senior.

Morrow is not alone as an Ohioan in the MLS. According to the league office, he is one of 33 current players with Ohio ties.

Playing in Toronto will allow his parents, Leroy and Noreen, to get to more games.

“That was awesome to have them come up for the D.C. United game, and they came to Columbus,'' said Morrow, who lived in Shaker Heights while in high school. “I get home about once or maybe twice a year.''

Morrow didn't become a defender until his last year at Notre Dame, where he earned a degree in finance. He was a Big East academic all-star twice and was a senior captain. He also met his wife, Jimena, at Notre Dame.

“I ended up being drafted (2010 second round) as a defender with a little bit of versatility. I think teams like that about me,'' he said.

Morrow (5-9, 165 pounds) has had a taste of international experience, starting for the U.S. national team in a friendly against Canada in 2013, and was an unused sub in two World Cup qualifiers. He is not expected to be on the U.S. World Cup team this year.

“It was an honor to be able to do that. It left a good taste for what the next level of football is like and I'm always striving to be at that level,'' he said. “Right now, I'm focused with being at my best so I can get that call-up again.''

Morrow has played every minute for Toronto.

TFC didn't have its full roster together until a week before the season opener, and could be missing Bradley and perhaps others with injuries this Saturday at home against Colorado (2-2-1).

“Preseason was a tough time for us because we had players all over the place and getting that last bit of chemistry was really important for us. Even now, we have a bunch of injuries, and that's something that's still developing,'' Morrow said.

He has been a big part of that.

“I'm having fun. Winning is always fun,'' he said.

Starting lineups for Friday's Cleveland Indians–Chicago White Sox game

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Here are lineups and pitching matchups for Friday's affair.

CHICAGO, Ill. -- After the White Sox snapped Cleveland's 14-game winning streak against them on Thursday night, the Indians will attempt to rebound on Friday. Here are the starting lineups and the pitching matchup.

Pitching matchup: Carlos Carrasco (0-1, 6.35 ERA) vs. Chris Sale (2-0, 1.76 ERA)

Starting lineups:

Indians

SS Asdrubal Cabrera

1B Nick Swisher

2B Jason Kipnis

3B Carlos Santana

DH Ryan Raburn

CF Michael Brantley

C Yan Gomes

LF Mike Aviles

RF Elliot Johnson

White Sox

CF Adam Eaton

2B Marcus Semien

3B Conor Gillaspie

1B Jose Abreu

DH Adam Dunn

RF Dayan Viciedo

LF Alejandro De Aza

SS Alexei Ramirez

C Tyler Flowers


Spring is prime time to take a kid fishing around Northeast Ohio

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Spring is a fine time to get out the fishing tackle, round up the kids and head to one of many great fishing holes to catch stocked trout or other feisty game fish.

LEROY TOWNSHIP, Ohio – Spring is a fine time to get out the fishing tackle, round up the kids and head to one of many great fishing holes to catch stocked trout or other feisty game fish.

The new catch-and-release fishing for bass, catfish and bluegill at Hidden Lake in Leroy Twp. in the Lake Metroparks is one of many areas that are perfect for shoreline fishing success. Rainbow trout are being released in many small waters, fishing derbies are coming right up and the Ohio Division of Wildlife's Youth Fishing Area will open soon in Akron.

Rainbow trout were released this weekend at Little Turtle Pond in Akron and Punderson Lake in Newbury, and over the next couple of weeks in Paine Creek at Indian Point in the Lake Metroparks.

The Cleveland Metroparks releases trout each week into the East Branch of the Rocky River. Trout have also been stocked by the Cleveland Metroparks at Wallace, Shadow, Ledge, Judges and Ranger lakes, and by the ODOW at Hinckley Lake.

The ODOW will release rainbow trout into Norton's Silver Creek Lake on Wednesday. Canal Lock No. 4 in Canal Fulton gets a trout transfusion on April 26.

The largest youth fishing event each spring is the Cleveland Metroparks Kid's Fishing Derby on May 17-18. The derby will take over well-stocked Wallace Lake in Berea on May 17 and the Ohio & Erie Canal Reservation pond in Cuyahoga Heights on May 18. Anglers aged 4 through 8 fish from 9 a.m. to noon, while the 9- to 15-year-olds can tackle trout and catfish from 1-4 p.m.

Pre-registration is not needed, some fishing tackle is available and expert instruction is easy to find. There are prizes for the biggest and smallest fish and a special casting contest.

The Youth Fishing Area at the ODOW district office, 912 Portage Lakes Dr., Akron, offers weekends of summertime fishing fun. The special ponds are stocked with a wide variety of fish, and are open from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Fishing hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

Only kids 15 or younger are allowed to fish and must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. The kids can catch as many fish as they want, but are allowed to keep only one fish per day. For family camping, Portage Lakes State Park is nearby.

Major League Soccer: Toronto FC's Justin Morrow one of 33 players with Ohio ties

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Ten Northeast Ohio natives and 15 former University of Akron players are on Major League Soccer rosters this season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Toronto defender Justin Morrow, a Cleveland native and St. Ignatius graduate, is one of 33 current Major League Soccer players with Ohio ties, according to a list compiled by the league. Fifteen played for the University of Akron and 10 graduated from Northeast Ohio high schools. Ohio State has three alumni and Cleveland State has two in the league.

Major League Soccer Ohio Connections

Chad Barson, D, Columbus Crew: Columbus native, University of Akron

Austin Berry, D, Philadelphia Union: Cincinnati native

Eric Brunner, D, Houston Dynamo: Dublin native, Ohio State University

Teal Bunbury, F, New England Revolution: University of Akron

Marc Burch, D, Colorado Rapids: Cincinnati native

Evan Bush, GK, Montreal Impact: Concord native, Lake Catholic, University of Akron

Scott Caldwell, M, New England Revolution: University of Akron

Omar Cummings, F, Houston Dynamo: University of Cincinnati

Ross Friedman, D, Columbus Crew: Columbus native, Columbus Crew Homegrown Player

Nick Hagglund, D, Toronto FC: Cincinnati native, Xavier University

Perry Kitchen, M, D.C. United: University of Akron

Chris Korb, D, D.C. United: Cleveland native, University School, University of Akron

Matt Lampson, GK, Columbus Crew: Ohio State University

Darren Mattocks, F, Vancouver Whitecaps FC: University of Akron

Justin Morrow, D, Toronto FC: Cleveland native, St. Ignatius, Notre Dame.

Darlington Nagbe, M, Portland Timbers: Lakewood, St. Edward, University of Akron

DARLINGTON_NAGBE_MLS_SOUNDERS_TIMBERS_SOCCER_16559439.JPGView full sizeThe Portland Timbers' Darlington Nagbe (6) goes down against the Seattle Sounders on April 5. Nagbe grew up in Lakewood and played at St. Edward and the University of Akron.

Michael Nanchoff, M, Portland Timbers: North Royalton native, Walsh Jesuit, University of Akron

Erik Palmer-Brown, D, Sporting Kansas City: Napoleon native

Troy Perkins, GK, Montreal Impact: Springfield native

Chris Rolfe, F, D.C. United: Kettering native, University of Dayton

Kofi Sarkodie, D, Houston Dynamo: Huber Heights native, University of Akron

Dillon Serna, M, Colorado Rapids: University of Akron

Ben Speas, M, Columbus Crew: Stow native, Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, Columbus Crew Homegrown Player

Eric Stevenson, M, New York Red Bulls: Columbus native, University of Akron

Brad Stuver, GK, Columbus Crew: Mayfield native, Twinsburg Chamberlin, Cleveland State University

Wil Trapp, M, Columbus Crew: Gahanna native, University of Akron, Columbus Crew Homegrown Player

Kenney Walker, M, LA Galaxy: Cleveland native, Wickliffe High, Ohio State University

Matt Walker, M, Columbus Crew: Cincinnati native, Xavier University

Matthew Wiet, D, Columbus Crew: Columbus native, Columbus Crew Homegrown Player

Josh Williams, D, Columbus Crew: Akron native, Copley High School, Cleveland State University

DeAndre Yedlin, D, Seattle Sounders FC: University of Akron

Steve Zakuani, M, Portland Timbers: University of Akron

Ben Zemanski, M, Portland Timbers: Akron native, Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, University of Akron.

SOURCE: Major League Soccer


Lake Metroparks develop little Hidden Lake to be a fishing honey hole for young anglers, campers

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Hidden Lake has become a fishing jewel in the Lake Metroparks. The small patch of water now has lots of nice bass, catfish and bluegill to catch, with new rules designed to keep it a honey hole for young anglers.

LEROY TOWNSHIP, Ohio – Hidden Lake has become a fishing jewel in the Lake Metroparks. The small patch of water now has lots of nice bass, channel catfish and bluegill to catch, and new angling rules designed to keep it a honey hole for young anglers.

"We've designated the nine-acre lake as catch-and-release-only waters," said Natural Resources Manager Tom Koritansky. "With the amount of fish we've stocked, including baitfish, Hidden Lake should provide great fishing for years to come."

The 800 pounds of largemouth bass released earlier this week are already big enough to provide a thrill for young anglers. The 4-year-old bass are a foot long and stout enough to be acrobatic when hooked.

"That's a pretty fine kettle of fish," said Mike Clark, a park maintenance worker, as he helped to transport buckets of wriggling bass from a hatchery truck to Hidden Lake.

Also released were 800 9- to 12-inch channel catfish and 350 4- to 6-inch bluegill, fish known for their willingness to bite. The Lake Metroparks also released 600 pounds of bass and 900 channel catfish in Granger Pond at Veterans Park in Mentor. Those fish, as well as rainbow trout stocked recently by the Ohio Division of Wildlife, can be caught and kept for dinner.

An Ohio fishing license is not needed to wet a line at Hidden Lake. Anglers 16 and older, must have a license when fishing Granger Pond, because it features state-stocked trout.

Family fishing and camping are being expanded around the Lake Metroparks. Once a permit-only destination, the 111-acre Hidden Lake property will be open this year for primitive family tent camping. Sites will feature a picnic table, grill and fire ring. The Lake Metroparks will begin taking camping reservations online in May for Hidden Lake, Girdled Road, River Road, Baker Road and River View parks.

Hidden Lake also has a loop trail that covers almost a mile, and a pier for fishing and wildlife watching. Parking is limited, though, at the small park on Kniffen Rd., a couple of miles east of Leroy Center Rd.

The Lake Metroparks will release rainbow trout in Paine Creek at Indian Point in a couple of weeks, an annual addition to the big, feisty steelhead trout that run the Northeast Ohio rivers and streams.

The Lake Metroparks fishing mission is to also give steelhead trout fishermen easy access to productive waters on the Chagrin and Grand rivers and their tributaries. The new Big Creek at Liberty Hollow area fits the bill, opening up a mile section of Big Creek, a tributary of the Grand River. The 62-acre property has a short natural hiking trail and a stairway to access a very hard-to-reach area. Parking is still limited at Big Creek at Liberty Hollow and street parking is not permitted.

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