The Buckeyes famously sang Cyrus' "Party in the USA" three years ago. And now she was photographed in a No. 23 OSU jersey.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State basketball has an association with Miley Cyrus going back to the early days of the pop star's cultural influence. Who can forget this from the 2010-11 season, the freshman year for Buckeyes Jared Sullinger and Aaron Craft?

Sunday night, Cyrus, who has, er, evolved as an artist in recent years, performed at the home of Ohio State basketball, the Schottenstein Center on the OSU campus.

The Twitter account of the Schottenstein Center sent out this tweet on Monday.

Miley showing some love for @OhioStateHoops! #GoBucks #BangerzTourColumbus pic.twitter.com/UzgCIsYRYO

— Schottenstein Center (@TheSchott) April 14, 2014

I noticed that while everyone around me was screaming in excitement, I was standing, virtually motionless, with my mouth hanging open. I must have been missing something, because nobody else seemed as appalled as I did. But I regained consciousness and tried to embrace the strangeness of Bangerz.

“Ohio!”

That is all Miley had to say to send a crowd of thousands into a royal tizzy. Overtop the screaming, Miley informed the crowd that “tonight is going to be the biggest party you’re ever going to go to in your entire life.” I think the crowd knew it, too, because they brought plenty of party favors.

According to TMZ, the autopsy for the Ultimate Warrior revealed he died of a heart attack.

Just hours after his last public appearance in a WWE ring, the wrestling world was shocked last week to hear that The Ultimate Warrior had passed away.

"Officials tell TMZ … the official cause of death for Warrrior — real name James Hellwig — was determined to be “Atherosclerotic/Arteriosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease” … aka heart disease. Officials classified Warrior’s death as “natural” — meaning neither drugs nor alcohol were directly involved."

The WWE Hall of Famer collapsed Tuesday evening outside an Arizona hotel while walking to his car with his wife. He was transported to a hospital and pronounced dead.

The Brewers' surprise start to the season puts them No. 1 in this week's power rankings. The Indians sit at No. 20.

Cleveland.com's Glenn Moore reveals his Major League Baseball power rankings every Monday.

San Francisco Giants' Brandon Crawford, center, is greeted by teammates after his walk-off home run to beat the Colorado Rockies on Sunday. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Erasmo Ramirez wipes his brow as he stands on the mound in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Been a rough start to the season for Terry Francona and the Tribe. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Minnesota Twins' Trevor Plouffe (24), Chris Herrmann (12), Joe Mauer (7) and Darin Mastroianni (19) celebrate the Twins' 4-3 win over the Royals. (AP Photo/Tom Olmscheid)

In a Q and A interview with Northeast Ohio Media Group reporter Stephanie Kuzydym, Lough, 28, advises kids to never give up on their dream, whatever field that dream may be in.

BALTIMORE, Md. – Tucked in the deep cherry wood locker of the Baltimore Orioles clubhouse is the jersey with the name of an Akron kid. It’s there, just to the left of Manny Machado’s lockers.

David Lough. No. 9.

Well, Lough isn’t still a kid. He’s a 28-year-old leadoff hitter for the Baltimore Orioles – by way of Green High School, Mercyhurst (Pa.) University and the Kansas City Royals organization.

The Northeast Ohio Media Group sat for a Q & A interview with Lough last week before an O’s game against Toronto.

A former four-sport athlete, Lough made his major league debut on Sept. 1, 2012. He hit his first major-league home run on June 11, 2013. Lough isn't the biggest outfielder around - the Orioles list him at 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds. But he led AL Rookies in the stat Wins Above Replacement, and finished eighth in AL Rookie of the Year balloting.

Then in the offseason, Lough was traded to Baltimore in exchange for infielder Danny Valencia. In his first six games with the O’s, Lough batted four times, twice as the leadoff man. Both of those leadoff appearances came against right-handers.

On Saturday, Lough helped the Orioles to victory when he hit a walk-off single to give the O’s the 2-1 lead. The victory also marked his first start since dealing with recurring concussion symptoms.

Here’s what Dan Connolly wrote about the win in the Baltimore Sun: “As a reward for his game-winning night, Lough got his first, post-game shaving cream pie in the face from Adam Jones. It was done gingerly though and with a warning from Jones that it was coming. Of course it occurred after 24 of his teammates mobbed and shook Lough as his liner dropped into left and Lombardozzi scored.”

The ballplayer who rarely treats himself to junk food finally got something sweet.

On Sunday, Lough entered the game at the top of the ninth inning when he replaced Jones. He didn’t see an at-bat.

View full sizeGreen High product David Lough had a big hit in the Orioles' 2-1 win over Toronto on Saturday night.AP

 In Charm City, it’s all work for the new O’s player, known around town as a true Ohioan, a real blue-collar guy.

Northeast Ohio Media Group: I’d like to take you back to Ohio and Green High School.

Lough: Woah. All the way back there. That’s quite a long way back.

What was it like all the way back then? Did you envision this?

As a kid, you always have those dreams about becoming a professional athlete at some point. It’s been a long journey for me. Coming from a school like that, not really getting recruited to heavily for colleges … I’ve always envisioned it. I didn’t know it would take so much work that it did. I’m happy that it did. It’s still a work in progress obviously, but I’m glad I’m here and playing for the Orioles.

What were you told back then? That you were too small?

Oh yeah. There were plenty of reasons behind it. Mostly too small. I was always a good athlete in high school, always one of the best athletes in high school. It always seemed like it wasn’t good enough. It wasn’t good enough for the next level. Wasn’t good enough for that level.

Then I get in college and I’m the best college player and they were saying, ‘Well, is it good enough? You’re playing Division II. It’s not Division I.’ Then you have to go out and prove yourself every day once you do get drafted. I was fortunate enough to go in the 11th round. It’s not super high but it’s not super late. It’s always been a – and it always will be – a fight. A fight to stay. I’m trying to get better as a player, but it’s always something.

When was the feeling of, ‘Hey I made it to the big leagues?'

It was my first home run that I hit. I hit it off of Max Scherzer. Obviously a candidate if not the best pitcher in the AL. When I hit that it was in Kansas City. It was a great moment for me.

What was running through your head?

It was just like my first hit when I was playing the Twins when I got called up in September the year before last year. I got on first and I didn’t even know what the heck was going on. I didn’t even feel like a baseball player. Then I’ve got Joe Mauer at first talking to me. It was just a blank. That’s kind of how it was when I hit the first home run. My mind was just blank running around the bases as fast as I possibly could. I was excited and I was pumped and it’s always good to get that out of the way, too.

Then you came to Baltimore and earned the leadoff spot early this year. On the April 4 you batted second and stole a base. On April 5, you walked, stole a base and scored off Chris Davis’ single. Then the next day you go hitless in five at-bats. What are you telling yourself? How do you get yourself through all that?

I mean, when people talk about this game, it’s a game of failure. I think everybody knows that. There are going to be times when you’re not going to get a hit and you’re not going to help the team at all, even if you still win the game. There’s times when it’s individually and you’re not going to do well. For everybody that happens, so you try to deal with it the best you possibly can and you try to move on. Obviously, there’s so many games in the season that you kind of just put it behind you and move on and focus on the next day.

What was it like to get that leadoff spot? And what’s it like to open up a game.

The leadoff spot is different. You technically only lead off one time during the game but to be the first guy to get up there, your job is to get on base so you can eventually score, which is what I was doing the first couple games. It was obviously helping our team getting on the board first. Like I said, I’m always trying to work on my game, whether I’m hitting first or I’m hitting ninth. It doesn’t really matter.

What would you tell kids back in Northeast Ohio about trying to make it?

Just to stick with it and never give up on your dreams. If you truly believe you can make it and succeed in anything, it doesn’t even have to be in sports. It can be whatever you dream of. You should always go after it and never give up on it.

What’s the one thing in Baltimore that reminds you of back home? Is it eating pierogies?

(Laughs). Usually when I’m back I like to hunt or fish. I may eventually (go fishing) once it starts heating up a little bit – like at a lake like Lake Erie or the little lakes that we like to go to in Ohio, I think that would be one thing. Right now, I just got here so I’m trying to get settled in.

The skies cleared and allowed plenty of softball games to be played this past weekend.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A beautiful weekend meant fields are beginning to dry up around Northeast Ohio. But that wasn't the only reason to get excited about last week, as there was plenty of great softball action.

Here's are some things you might have missed from last week's softball action:

Euclid's Isabella Roberts throws back-to-back no-hitters

It was a week to remember for Euclid's Isabella Roberts, as she threw no-hitters on Wednesday and Thursday. The Wednesday no-hitter was against Shaw, while Thursday's was against Cleveland Heights.

After the first no-hitter, Euclid coach Jason Cleaver wanted to go right back to his ace.

"I expected her to throw well, but I can’t say that I expected her to throw another one," Cleaver said.

Cleaver expects Roberts to have plenty of big moments this season.

"It’s not very often you get someone who can put the whole package together," Cleaver said.

Elyria headed in right direction

Despite the 6-0 loss for Elyria against Walsh Jesuit on Saturday, the Pioneers are playing well after losing a large portion of their team.

"We lost seven seniors, and that is hard to replace," said Elyria coach Ken Fenick. "They have been staying positive."

Earlier in the week, Elyria picked up an extra-inning victory over Perkins and defeated Hudson and Maumee.

Fenick believes his team, which went to the state title game last season, will be playing its best at the end of the season.

Ohio Invitational a showcase for local teams

This weekend some of the area's top local teams were in Akron for the Ohio Invitational. Reporters David Cassilo and Mark Kern were there and have observations from Saturday's action.

Keystone off to an undefeated start

It comes as no surprise that Keystone has started the season well. One of the top teams in Northeast Ohio, Keystone has yet to lose this season.

Pitching has been key lately, as Keystone has not allowed a run in each of its last three games.

Independence is rolling early on

The Blue Devils are a force to be reckoned with early. They have yet to lose a game this season and held on for a 7-6 win over Magnificat on Friday.

Keep an eye out for Nicole Ferrara. She had two hits in the win on Friday, and she can be a real factor at the plate.

Contact high school sports reporter David Cassilo by email (dcassilo@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@dcassilo). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Irving was less clear when asked whether a Tweet from Saturday had anything to do with his long-term future.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio – Kyrie Irving was clear on one front and more vague on another in describing exactly what has happened with his Cavaliers and with him in recent days.

After dropping two straight contests without much fight, Irving conceded that Cleveland must give more effort in the season finale Wednesday.

"It's disappointing based on our effort," Irving said. "Our fans definitely don't deserve it, especially at the end of the season. We preached it and said we wanted to finish strong, but teams are just getting the best of us. Just our effort level wasn't there. It's disappointing and we have to be disappointed in ourselves. The last two games, the fans don't deserve it."

After falling to the worst team in the NBA, Milwaukee, 119-116, the Cavaliers followed with a 111-99 loss to Boston that wasn't as close as the score.

How to prepare for the final game of the season Wednesday, when the Brooklyn Nets come to Cleveland?

"We had a lengthy film session today and we came out and did what we normally do on days like today," Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said. "Guys worked hard. It was good to see. I don't know any other way. We want to establish a foundation, a culture here going forward, not just to try to get better for today or do the right thing for today, but long-term it can have lasting effects on the team that are very beneficial for us."

It's the long-term and a potentially unnerving Tweet from Irving (@KyrieIrving) that has raised some eyebrows, however.

Early Saturday morning, Irving Tweeted, "'Jump over the fence ... no regrets.'"

Speculation on whether that was a reference to Irving's future with the Cavaliers wasn't halted when Irving offered no deciphering Monday.

"I'm going to let you dissect that," he said. "I'm just going to let you dissect that. Whatever you want to think about that."

Urbandictionary.com defines the act of "jumping over the fence," as "the moment when you are trapped in a bad situation, and you are quickly trying to get away, hoping things won't get worse."

Irving is expected to be offered a contract extension this summer, which he could accept or decline.

Irving did expound on how difficult the final three games of the season have been, ever since the Cavaliers officially were eliminated from the playoffs.

"It's difficult because I feel like it definitely has a little bit of hangover, especially when it gets to near the end of the season," he said. "I know it did for me. Just being disappointed in not being able to get a taste of playoffs in my third year. It's more or less a pride thing, but we're professionals and we've just got to pick ourselves up and play this last game as hard as we can and finish the season strong, like we preached."

Deng out: Luol Deng will miss the season finale with a sore back, Brown said. Deng, a free agent this summer, has missed the last two games with the same injury.

Urban Meyer maybe didn't love the spring game, but he should have been happy with how halftime went.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Urban Meyer wasn't thrilled with Ohio State's spring game Saturday. With so many starters sitting out, either because of injury or because he didn't need to see the veterans, even Meyer admitted, "To sit through a spring game, sometimes I don't want to be watching it."

Jason Pelz of Sandusky and Norwalk's Matt Clifton captured the first of four Lake Erie Walleye Trail tournaments on Saturday with a limit of five walleye weighing 46.44 pounds.

OAK HARBOR, Ohio – A full field of 50 two-angler teams had to wait a week to battle for walleye supremacy on Lake Erie on Saturday, and the trophy fish were waiting. Jason Pelz of Sandusky and Norwalk's Matt Clifton captured the first of four Lake Erie Walleye Trail tournaments with a limit of five walleye weighing 46.44 pounds.

Despite a lingering ice cover around Western Lake Erie just over a week ago, the fishing conditions were good enough Saturday to allow anglers to troll minnow-style plugs to catch walleye in the Magee East Marina event, hosted by the Western Basin Sportfishing Association.

Pelz and Clifton anchored their catch with the big walleye of the day, a 13.17-pound trophy. Jeff Graves and Todd Rainigh were right behind with a 12.11-pound walleye. Gary Bowman and Paul Curmi were second in the standings with 44.01 pounds, followed by Randy Eyre and Corey Miller (43.32 pounds), Shawn Ritchie and John Wagner (43.28 pounds ) and Ali Shakoor and Thomas Wampler (42.74 pounds).

Anglers brought 216 walleye to the scales, many large females in a spawning mode. Tournament officials reported all of the walleye weighed at the tournament were successfully released. The average tournament walleye was a hefty 7.4 pounds.

The tournament trail moves to Lakevue Marina in Lakeside on May 3, followed by a May 17 tournament at the Sandusky City Launch Ramp and the circuit championship on June 7-8 in at the Huron City Launch Ramp.

Moran spent four years as an assistant coach at Lake Catholic before being promoted to head coach.

MENTOR, Ohio -- One week after Mark Chicone resigned, Lake Catholic boys basketball has a new head coach. The school hired Matt Moran, who had been an assistant with the team for four seasons.

Moran, who has previously been a head coach at Parma and Chardon, learned a lot from Chicone and is ready to take over for him.

"I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel here," Moran said. "Mark Chicone did a phenomenal job, and he left this program headed in the right direction. I'm taking over for a guy who did simply great things here."

Moran, 32, interviewed for the job last week and left with a good feeling. On Monday, he was officially offered the position by athletic director Sam Colcarro, and he accepted.

"He made it feel like as smooth as a transition as possible," Moran said. "They welcomed me with open arms. It's a great feeling and environment."

Chicone resigned last Monday after seven years as head coach of Lake Catholic. He cited family reasons as for why he decided to move on.

In his final season at Lake Catholic, Chicone led the Cougars to a 19-6 record. They advanced to a Division II regional semifinal before losing to St. Vincent-St. Mary.

Part of the group returning from that team is Justin Robinson, a first-team member of the Division II Northeast Lakes District team last season. He should be one of the reasons the Cougars should be strong next season.

"Mark left it in a great position," Moran said. "We have a nice group coming back. They play well with each other."

Contact high school sports reporter David Cassilo by email (dcassilo@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@dcassilo). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

It's Monday. And here are 5 Moore Observations from cleveland.com's Glenn Moore.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It's Monday. Indians are off. Cavaliers are off. We are a few weeks away from the NFL Draft. And it's supposed to snow tomorrow.

"We're glorified linemen, we're out there to bust heads and do our job...it's fun, it's physically challenging" - Pressley on role of FBs

— Daryl Ruiter (@RuiterWrongFAN) April 14, 2014

"Officials tell TMZ … the official cause of death for Warrrior — real name James Hellwig — was determined to be “Atherosclerotic/Arteriosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease” … aka heart disease. Officials classified Warrior’s death as “natural” — meaning neither drugs nor alcohol were directly involved."

The WWE Hall of Famer collapsed Tuesday evening outside an Arizona hotel while walking to his car with his wife. He was transported to a hospital and pronounced dead.

Ron Rutt leads candidates as new Bay football coach.

BAY VILLAGE, Ohio -- The Bay school board looks to name its next football coach this evening during a meeting.

Ron Rutt, who is an assistant coach on the football team, will be recommended as the next coach of the Rockets, according to a school spokesperson. If the board selects Rutt, he will replace Ryan Gorius, who stepped down in February.

The board is expected to make a decision tonight at its 6:30 p.m. meeting.

Rutt is a technology teacher at Bay after earning his masters degree from Bowling Green State University and bachelors from Kent State. The 2000 Bay football co-captain and graduate of the school also coaches the boys track team.

Check back later for remarks as they become available.

Contact high school sports reporter Nathaniel Cline by email (ncline@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@nathanielcline). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Because Ohio State's biggest offseason concern is putting together a competent offensive line, landing Alabama graduate transfer Chad Lindsay could be a huge get for the Buckeyes.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – With only two starting spots on Ohio State's offensive line set in stone, Urban Meyer knows putting together a competent offensive front is the Buckeyes' main offseason concern.

It could be eased a little bit.

That's because Alabama center Chad Lindsay, a graduate transfer, is set to visit Ohio State and California this week, according to a report from CBS Sports college football insider Jeremy Fowler. 

Lindsay already visited Louisville, Michigan and Oklahoma the previous two weeks.

Since Lindsay has already graduated, he'll have immediate eligibility and would factor into one of three ongoing position battles for the Buckeyes, one at center, his position. Lindsay started four games at center last year for the Crimson Tide. 

Ohio State lost four senior starters from last year's offensive line, and the only veteran returner is junior Taylor Decker, who Meyer held out of Saturday's spring game to give youthful players more experience.

After the game Meyer said incoming 2014 freshman are needed immediately.

"Offensive line, we've got to really go, we gotta really go from here," Meyer said. "I saw Jamarco Jones, Demetrius Knox is coming in, Brady Taylor - those are three bodies that are going to be coming in in June. I look them right in the eye and said 'You're not redshirting, you're playing.' That's hard for an offensive lineman." 

Ron Rutt leads candidates as new Bay football coach.

BAY VILLAGE, Ohio -- The Bay school board announced its next football coach this evening during a meeting.

Ron Rutt, who is an assistant coach on the football team, was recommended as the next coach of the Rockets, according to a school spokesperson. Rutt replaces Ryan Gorius, who stepped down in February.

“What you know as a coach is not as important as what you can get your players to understand and execute,” Rutt said in a release. “A coach can call the perfect play, but if the players are not prepared to execute through coaching and repetition, it will not work. Success in practice translates to success in games.”

Rutt is a technology teacher at Bay after earning his masters degree from Bowling Green State University and bachelors from Kent State. The 2000 Bay football co-captain and graduate of the school also coaches the boys track team.

“You never hear a negative word come from him,” athletic director Matt Spellman said. “Ron promotes many great things about our student athletes and he builds their confidence.”

Contact high school sports reporter Nathaniel Cline by email (ncline@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@nathanielcline). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Michael Bourn is expected to rejoin the Indians on Tuesday in Detroit for his first game of the season. Bour has been sidelind with a strained left hamstring since. The Indians will have to drop a player to make room for Bourn.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Hamstring injuries are tricky so when Michael Bourn strained his left one running the bases on March 16, and said he’d be back by opening day, well, the statement was taken with a grain of salt.

Better make that a pound.

Players and managers always side with the most opportunistic diagnosis involving injuries. A team’s medical staff almost always knows better and takes care to encase the injured player in plastic bubble wrap until they feel he’s ready to play again.

Bourn is likely to return to the Indians’ lineup Tuesday night against Detroit at Comerica Park. It’s been 29 days, just over four weeks, since his injury. Hamstring injuries, no matter how mild, usually take four to six weeks to mend. In Bourn’s case the Indians showed extra caution because he had surgery on the same hamstring at the end of last season.

The Indians are 6-7 and just lost three out of four games to the White Sox, a team that paved the road to the postseason for them last year by losing 17 out of 19 games to manager Terry Francona’s club. They could use a double shot of Bourn at the top of the lineup.

In his first 10 games with the Indians last year, Bourn hit .333 (15-for-45) with seven runs, four doubles, one triple, two homers and two RBI from the leadoff spot. The hot start ended when White Sox left-hander Matt Thornton spiked Bourn on the right index finger on May 14 after Bourn dove into first base. He went on the disabled list the next day.

In Bourn’s absence this year, the Tribe’s leadoff hitters have batted .235 (12-for-51) with eight runs, two doubles, one homer, seven RBI and a .667 OPS. Nyjer Morgan has hit leadoff seven times, Asdrubal Cabrera five and Elliot Johnson once.

Bourn has played four rehab games, two with Class AAA Columbus and two with Class AA Akron. He did not play Monday.

When Bourn returns, the Indians will have to make a roster move to create a spot for him.

The easy move would be to option reliever Chen-Chang Lee to Class AAA Columbus. The Indians are carrying eight relievers so they have an excess, but manager Terry Francona likes extra arms in the pen. Over the last four games, the starters have failed to get through the fifth inning three times so the extra arm has helped.

If it’s not a reliever, infielder Lonnie Chisenhall has an option left. Johnson and Morgan, who made the club as non-roster players could be at risk as well.

Big G: Jason Giambi was eligible to come off the disabled listMonday, but the Indians will probably asked him to play a couple of more rehab games. He went 0-for-4 with Akron on Sunday.

Giambi suffered a broken rib on March 6 when Cubs right-hander Edwin Jackson hit him with a pitch.

Wet work: Corey Kluber has made three starts this season. The first two were pushed back because rain and third was delayed twice for the same reason.

On Sunday, Kluber’s start against the White Sox was delayed 1 hour and 15 minutes before a pitcher was thrown. Rain stopped play again for 45 minutes in the fourth with Kluber on the mound.

After the second delay, Kluber went to the bullpen and threw an inning to stay ready.

“What we normally do is after about 20 minutes, we let the pitcher simulate an inning and continue to do that if need be and just count it as an inning, even though they're not exerting the same amount of intensity,” said Francona. “So Corey went out to the bullpen and he had just started to throw about 10 pitches when they said they were going to take the tarp off, so it really didn't cost him anything.”

Kluber had his best start of the season, despite the delays. He entered the eighth inning with the score tied 1-1 before giving up a homer to Marcus Semien. The Indians lost the game, 4-3, on Alexei Ramirez’s two-run homer in the ninth.

Kluber allowed two runs on eight hits in 7 1/3 innings. He struck out six, didn’t walk batter, while throwing 72 percent (70-97) of his pitches for strikes.

Bottom’s up: David Murphy, who has spent the first 13 games of the season hitting at the bottom of the order, leads the Tribe with 11 RBI.

He pulled the Indians into a 2-2 tie in the ninth inning Sunday with an RBI single to left center field to score Michael Brantley.

After hitting .204 (11-for-54) in spring training, Murphy is hitting .297 (11-for-37) with three doubles, one triple and two homers since opening day. He leads the club with two four RBI games and has yet to hit higher than sixth in the lineup

“I still feel great up there,” said Murphy.

Murphy drove in only 45 runs last year despite playing 142 games for Texas. This year he’s hitting .500 (5-for-10) with runners in scoring position.

“You know the situation,” said Murphy. “Every time you get up there, it's a great opportunity to put some runs on the board.

“In the ninth inning, I didn’t try to do too much. That was the perfect approach right there. Sometimes adrenaline might start to take over a little bit. You get a little bit big, swing a little too hard and things don't work out the way that you want. It was a nice, easy approach.

“Two years ago, I might have hit it right at them. I feel teams have started to play me a little more up the middle. Fortunately, it got by them.”

Finally: Closer John Axford is 4-for-5 in save situations, but is pitching on the edge. He’s walked six batters in 5 2/3 innings. It hurt him Sunday when he walked Dayan Viciedo to start the ninth just before Ramirez took him deep with the game winner. Last year Axford walked 26 in 65 innings for Milwaukee and St. Louis.

The fullback missed all of last season with a knee injury.

BEREA, Ohio – After signing a two-year deal worth a reported $6.2 million, the Browns’ Ben Tate spoke last month about how devalued the halfback position has become.

“Right now I think (teams) feel like they can get away with not really giving us our real worth,” he said.

At least all NFL franchises recognize the importance of having running backs. That hasn’t been the case with traditional fullbacks, who might surface on World Wildlife Fund lists if their species continues to dwindle.

The Browns took a step in reversing the trend Monday, signing former Cincinnati Bengals fullback Chris Pressley to a free-agent deal. Terms were not disclosed. The club was one of several in the NFL last season that did not employ a traditional lead blocker after releasing Owen Marecic in training camp.

The 5-foot-10, 249-pound Pressley now occupies that role for Tate and hopes to escort him often to the end zone.

"I think any fullback who doesn’t understand that pressure shouldn’t play fullback,” Pressley said in a conference call. “If you guys want to devalue the position, me or any other fullback playing the game right now, we have to be the ones showing we have the skills and do everything it takes for us to be relevant in this game again.”

Pressley’s acquisition appears to be a tacit admission the organization made a mistake by not replacing Marecic last season. The Browns tried using converted halfback Chris Ogbonnaya (6-foot, 225), who was more willing than able to meet the position's punishing standards. The club finished 27th in rushing and was near the top of the NFL in ground-game futility. The Browns went so far as to utilize defensive lineman Billy Winn as a lead blocker on a few short-yardage situations.

They weren’t the only team attempting to get by at lead back in an era of spread offenses, shotgun formations and versatile tight ends. ProFootballFocus.com ranked just 25 fullbacks a season ago in the 32-team league.

“For me, I take it personally that the game wants to look at the position as a devalued position,” Pressley said. “ . . . It’s physical, it’s challenging . . . You got to bring your hard hat. I think it’s a position that’s going to be here to stay. If I can do anything to help it, I’m going to try to (help it).”

New Browns coach Mike Pettine has preached the importance of toughness, and new general manager Ray Farmer delivered by signing a position that Pressley, 27, acknowledged is a “glorified lineman." In 43 career games, he has run the ball just two times for no yards and caught six passes for 28 yards and a touchdown.

He is eager to build chemistry with Tate and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.

“He’s the guy that I want to get to the end zone,” Pressley said of Tate. “It makes him look good, it makes me look good, it makes the line look good. It’s just a matter of communication and just practicing.”

The fullback is excited to have a full offseason and training camp to prepare.

Pressley, who debuted with Tampa Bay in 2009 as an unrestricted free agent, suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament as a member of the Bengals on Dec. 13, 2012. He opened last season on the club’s physically unable to perform list, returned to practice in November, but was waived Dec. 10, 2013.

He was disappointed over being released, but has taken an optimistic approach to his rehab and search for a new team. Pressley said he has played in zone-blocking schemes favored by Shanahan and they are “beautiful once everyone’s on the same page.”

"I think I fit in well because I have the foot speed and I’m able to, if I see something that’s not there, come back behind it," he said "I’ve been playing for a while, so I kind of can see things before they happen a little better."

The fullback, a native of Woodbury, N.J., played with Browns All-Pro tackle Joe Thomas at the University of Wisconsin.

Pressley spent the 2011-12 seasons as the Bengals' primary fullback. Two seasons ago, he ranked tied for sixth out of 25 fullbacks and helped BenJarvus Green-Ellis lead the league in third-down conversions (14-of-15).

“I feel like my best days are definitely ahead of me,” Pressley said. “Last year was just a small step back, and I’m ready to come out here and do a lot of great things for the Cleveland Browns.”

On Cavs Insider, cleveland.com's Glenn Moore talked Cavs with The Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Is the rift between Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters overblown? Will Mike Brown be back next season?

If you have any questions about the Elyria softball team, the current state of high school softball or general inquiries about the game, feel free to ask them in the comments section.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- During the second installment of The Pitchout podcast, we will be interviewing Elyria coach Ken Fenick.

If you have any questions about the Elyria softball team, the current state of high school softball or general inquiries about the game, feel free to ask them in the comments section.

This week's podcast will be published Thursday morning. 

Last week, Columbia and Cuyahoga Heights joined the podcast, and you can listen here.

Let your voice be heard and tell us what you want to know. 

New this school year: Readers can now comment on all cleveland.com high school sports stories — and we encourage it.

Look for the comments section at the bottom of every post. Registering for an account is free and takes just a few minutes (click here for an account). Once you register you will have the ability to comment on all posts.

Contact high school sports reporter David Cassilo by email (dcassilo@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@dcassilo). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Power-hitting Jesus Aguilar is off to fast start at Class AAA Columbus.

DETROIT, Mich. -- Jesus Aguilar, 0-for-15 with the big league club in spring training,  Tuesday was named the Indians minor league player of the week.

Aguilar, a 6-3, 250-pound first baseman, is hitting .417 (15-for-36) with a 1.266 OPS in 10 games for Class AAA Columbus. He leads the team with three homers, four doubles, eight RBI and eight runs.

The right-handed hitting Aguilar opened the season with hits in the Clippers first eight games and has reached base safely in all 10 of their games. He leads the International League in OPS and ranks fifth with a .588 on-base percentage.

The Indians signed Aguilar as a non-drafted free agent in his native Venezuela on Nov. 13, 2007.  Last year he created a stir by driving in a franchise-record 105 runs at Class AA Akron. He hit .275 (137-for-499) with 28 doubles and 16 homers at Akron.

Aguilar then proceeded to tear up the Venezuelan winter league by hitting .327 (74-for-266) with seven doubles, 18 homers and 50 RBI in 58 games for Caracas.
 

A Masters victory by Bubba Watson gave Web.com Tour alums their 382nd PGA Tour victory.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Turns out, Bubba Watson's Masters victory could not have come at a more perfect time.

Undoubtedly, it was well-timed for Watson, who snagged his second green jacket over the weekend. But it also was perfect for organizers of the Cleveland Open, who were able to tout Watson's win as an indication of the Web.com Tour talent that will be on display at Lakewood Country Club June 2-8.

"There's not a whole lot of difference between the Web.com Tour and the PGA Tour," said Web.com Tour player Chris Wilson at a Cleveland news conference Tuesday.

Web.com Tour alums have a total of 382 PGA and 19 major championships after Watson's most recent trophy.

The Cleveland Open will be contested at Lakewood Country Club, a 7,022-yard, par-71 layout designed by noted architect A.W. Tillinghast. The course opened in 1921, and is the only original Tillinghast design in Ohio.

The Greater Cleveland Sports Commission and PGA Tour entered into a three-year agreement to hold the Cleveland Open. Two Cleveland-area venues previously have held Web.com Tour events: Quail Hollow Country Club in Concord (1990-2001) and StoneWater Golf Club in Highland Heights (2005-07).

At a news conference Tuesday, Cleveland Open executive director Ben Cooke announced that the event will include a Cleveland Indians pro-am on Monday, June 2, and an official pro-am on June 4. The draw party for the latter event will be held at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on June 3.

Wilson, a Columbus native who attended Northwestern, has been on the Web.com Tour since 2012 after losing his PGA Tour card in 2011. He praised the Web.com Tour for offering players valuable experience.

The PGA Tour first played in Cleveland in 1938 when Ky Laffoon defeated Sam Snead by one shot in the first Cleveland Open. After a 25-year hiatus, the Cleveland Open returned in 1963 when Arnold Palmer took home the trophy at Beechmont Country Club.

Cooke, from Milestone Sports Management, which was instrumental in bringing the event to Cleveland, is hopeful that the Web.com Tour stop can be a complement to Akron's WBC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club.

"We realized there was a void in Cleveland, and maybe a PGA event wasn't right, but a Web.com Tour event was perfect," Cooke said. "Our event's different than Bridgestone. They have the 70 best players in the world. They've got Tiger (Woods), they've got Phil (Mickelson). What we offer is a much more relaxed setting, the players are more accessible, the Pro-Am's a great opportunity to meet the players."

Tickets range from $10 per day to $25 for the week. More information can be found at theclevelandopen.com.

The first meeting between the Indians and Tigers this season has been delayed by at least a day with Tuesday night's game being postponed because of bad weather conditions.

DETROIT, Mich. -- The Indians' game with Detroit on Tuesday night has been postponed because of cold weather. No makeup date has been announced.

Tribe right-hander Zach McAllister was scheduled to face Tigers right-hander Anibal Sanchez at 7:08 p.m. at Comerica Park. The Indians have already had three games postponed because of rain or cold this season.

It was 31 degrees at 2 p.m. in Detroit on Tuesday.