See the rosters and details for the Greater Cleveland Football Coaches Association's annual scholarship game.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Here is a look at the 43rd Cuyahoga County East-West All-Star high school football game conducted by the Greater Cleveland Football Coaches Association.

What: 43rd annual Cuyahoga County East-West All-Star high school scholarship football game.

When: Friday at 7.

Where: Baldwin Wallace University Finnie Stadium, 141 East Bagley Road, Berea.

Tickets: $7 at the gate (children under 5 admitted free).

East head coach: Pete Zappas (Former University School assistant).

West head coach: Patrick Patton (Holy Name assistant).

Notable: Both teams will wear uniforms donated by the Cleveland Browns for the seventh consecutive season. The West will wear white jerseys and the East will wear brown jerseys. The players get to keep their jerseys. . . . Proceeds benefit the Scholarship Fund of the Greater Cleveland Football Coaches Association. . . . Honorary coach for the game is longtime University School assistant Tony Iliano.

Series: The East has won three consecutive games and leads overall, 22-19-1. Last year the East scored touchdowns on two straight plays in the fourth quarter — a 44-yard reception by Julio Stevens (Beachwood), and a 22-yard interception return by Craig Sloan (Garfield Heights) — then held on to defeat the West, 14-7.

What to watch: East – Look for the law firm of Balazas and Borgman to get things moving on offense for the East. Beachwood quarterback Max Balazas passed for 1,412 yards and 15 touchdowns for the Bison, while Stephen Borgman of Orange completed 61 percent of his passes for 2,094 yards and 24 TD. They will have a big (6-foot-4) target in Brush TE Moses Marshall to throw to near the end zone. And if they need to go deep, John Adams WR Jordan Leverette has state track-qualifing speed. The East might be a little small on the offensive line, but Solon OG Joe Rinicella is a first-team All-Northeast Ohio Conference performer who gives them some punch. Defensively, Garfield Heights LB Anthony Kastellic had 101 tackles, including 26 for loss and 10 sacks for the Bulldogs. He was named All-NOC Lake Division Defensive Player of the Year. In the defensive backfield, Bedford's Anthony Copeland is a big (6-2) safety who recorded 55 tackles and defended 15 passes. Shawn Hofman of Euclid will handle the punting and kicking duties.

West – The West will try to break through behind a trio of talented passers, including Rocky River's Matt Lowry (2,511 yards and 37 TD), Fairview's Collin McNamara (1,504 yards and 12 TD) and Christian Klink of Holy Name (1,226 yards and 15 TD). Their targets include Padua's Nick Medaglia who caught 21 passes and averaged 9.6 yards per reception along with Rex Sunhara of Bay who averaged 22.6 yards per catch and scored four TD. In the backfield, Berea-Midpark's Justin Harris will be playing his final game in his home stadium. Harris averaged better than six yards per carry and scored eight TD while catching 32 passes for better than 11 yards per reception. The West has a significant size advantage up front on offense with St. Edward's Drew Turner (6-3, 290) and Ben Gauthier (6-2, 260) on the line. Defensively, St. Ignatius DT Ray Brown gives the West some punch up front. Brown had 45 tackles, including 21 for loss and nine quarterback sacks. Berea-Midpark DL Kenny Sladick (6-2, 215) like Harris will be playing his final game at Finnie Stadium. Linebackers Adam Kantor (North Royalton) and Chad Bata (Westlake) have good size and can cover a lot of ground. In the backfield, St. Edward safety Kyle Hegedus is a jack-of-all-trades type player. He can defend the run (94 tackles) break up the passing game (3 INT) and return punts (10-yard average, no fumbles). Corey Griffith of St. Ignatius will handle the punting and kicking duties.

EAST ROSTER

5 Cash Mitchell
School: Shaker Heights
Pos: RB/LB
Ht: 6'0
Wt: 215
College: Youngstown State

7 Curtis Brown
School: Maple Heights
Pos: RB/CB
Ht: 5'9
Wt: 175
College: University of Pikesville

8 Jay Bullock
School: University School
Pos: LB
Ht: 6'2
Wt: 245
College: Gannon University

10 Moses Marshall
School: Brush
Pos: TE/DE
Ht: 6'4
Wt: 225
College: University of Charleston

12 Robert Drake
School: Lutheran East
Pos: S/WR
Ht: 5'7
Wt: 165
College: Lake Erie College

15 Josh Coffee
School: Maple Heights
Pos: LB
Ht: 5'10
Wt: 205
College: University of Charleston

17 Laquan White
School: Brush
Pos: WR/CB
Ht: 5'10
Wt: 185
College: West Virginia State University

18 Max Balasz
School: Beachwood
Pos: QB
Ht: 5'10
Wt: 170
College: Ohio Wesleyan University

19 Ronald Salters
School: John F. Kennedy
Pos: WR/CB
Ht: 5'8
Wt: 160
College: Notre Dame College

20 Rajon Griffin
School: John Hay
Pos: LB/S
Ht: 6'0
Wt: 195
College: Notre Dame College

21 Kenyon Tomlinson
School: John F. Kennedy
Pos: CB/WR
Ht: 5'11
Wt: 180
College: Undecided

22 Anthony Kastelic
School: Garfield Heights
Pos: LB
Ht: 6'0
Wt: 225
College: University of Findlay

23 Jameel Miller
School: Garfield Heights
Pos: QB/WR/DB
Ht: 5'10
Wt: 185
College: University of Findlay

26 Elijah Young
School: John F. Kennedy
Pos: WR/S
Ht: 6'0
Wt: 155
College: Iowa Western Community College

30 Stephen Borgman
School: Orange
Pos: QB
Ht: 6'0
Wt: 210
College: Ohio State University

32 DeWayne Lykes
School: Shaker Heights
Pos: RB
Ht: 5'11
Wt: 190
College: Erie Community College

42 Nate Hamilton
School: Beachwood
Pos: RB/CB
Ht: 5'10
Wt: 180
College: Lake Erie College

43 Julius Henderson
School: Shaw
Pos: WR/S
Ht: 5'11
Wt: 190
College: Ohio Dominican University

44 Tre'von Madison
School: John Adams
Pos: LB/RB
Ht: 5'10
Wt: 180
College: Baldwin Wallace University

45 De'andre McClain
School: Collinwood
Pos: WR/RB/S
Ht: 5'7
Wt: 165
College: Redemption Christian College

46 Jordan Leverette
School: John Adams
Pos: WR/CB
Ht: 6'1
Wt: 170
College: Baldwin Wallace University

50 Karlton Pickens
School: Lutheran East
Pos: OT
Ht: 6'2
Wt: 260
College: St. Francis University of PA

51 Mervin Scott
School: Cleveland Heights
Pos: OG/OT
Ht: 6'1
Wt: 265
College: Notre Dame College

52 Danny Simko School: Benedictine
Pos: OT
Ht: 6'3
Wt: 255
College: St. Vincent College

53 Tyler Wasser
School: University School
Pos: DE/OT
Ht: 6'3
Wt: 220
College: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

54 Greg Page
School: Benedictine
Pos: LB/OG
Ht: 6'2
Wt: 225
College: Tiffin University

55 Mike Rush
School: John Hay
Pos: NT
Ht: 5'11
Wt: 275
College: Baldwin Wallace University

58 Micah Balogh
School: University School
Pos: C
Ht: 5'10
Wt: 255
College: Hamilton College

61 Jovon Abernathy
School: John Adams
Pos: OL/DL
Ht: 6'3
Wt: 265
College: Baldwin Wallace University

65 Joe Rinicella
School: Solon
Pos: OG
Ht: 6'0
Wt: 250
College: Ohio Northern University

73 Thomas Conkle
School: Collinwood
Pos: OG
Ht: 6'0
Wt: 290
College: Baldwin Wallace University

77 Taiy'von Bates
School: Collinwood
Pos: DT
Ht: 6'3
Wt: 275
College: Hiram College

80 Shawn Hoffman
School: Euclid
Pos: PK/P
Ht: 5'11
Wt: 170
College: Ohio State University

81 Anthony Copeland
School: Bedford
Pos: S/WR
Ht: 6'2
Wt: 185
College: Wayne State

82 David Ballew III
School: Collinwood
Pos: WR/S/LB
Ht: 6'1
Wt: 200
College: Edinboro University

83 Donald Shanks
School: Warrensville Heights
Pos: DE/TE
Ht: 6'3
Wt: 225
College: Alabama State

East assistant coaches: Kevin Bates, Greg Wheeler (Collinwood), Eric Mitchell (Firestone), Tim Richards (Orange), Eric Rinehart (University School), Beano Watkins (Shaker Heights), Greg Wheeler (Collinwood).

WEST ROSTER

12 Corey Griffith
School: St. Ignatius
Pos: K
Ht: 6-2
Wt: 205
College: Duquesne

53 Kenny Sladick
School: Berea Midpark
Pos: DL
Ht: 6-2
Wt: 215
College: Carnegie Melon

33 Aaron Crosby
School: Valley Forge
Pos: DL
Ht: 6-2
Wt: 270
College: Ashland

19 Evan Bashko
School: Brecksville
Pos: DL
Ht: 6-5
Wt: 290
College: John Carroll

25 Andy Coad
School: Parma
Pos: DL
Ht: 6-1
Wt: 210
College: Heidelburgh

54 Nick Storc
School: Olmsted Falls
Pos: DL
Ht: 6-3
Wt: 210
College: Mercy Hurst

52 Ray Brown
School: St. Ignatius
Pos: DL
Ht: 6-1
Wt: 245
College: John Carroll

90 Mike Sabol
School: Holy Name
Pos: DL
Ht: 6-2
Wt: 225
College: Tiffin

51 Devon Ventura
School: Holy Name
Pos: DL
Ht: 5-10
Wt: 233
College: Ashland

30 Chad Bata
School: Westlake
Pos: LB
Ht: 6-1
Wt: 215
College: Eastern Michigan

44 Damon Jackson
School: Brooklyn
Pos: LB
Ht: 5-11
Wt: 220
College: Ashland

31 Adam Kantor
School: North Royalton
Pos: LB
Ht: 6-1
Wt: 215
College: Ohio University

16 Colin Lowry
School: Lutheran West
Pos: LB
Ht: 6-0
Wt: 180
College: Grove City

42 Dominic Crute
School: Valley Forge
Pos: LB
Ht: 5-9
Wt: 205
College: Undecided

21 Brandon Brown
School: Central Catholic
Pos: DB
Ht: 5-8
Wt: 160
College: Youngstown State

41 Desmond Lundy
School: Central Catholic
Pos: DB
Ht: 5-10
Wt: 165
College: Saint Francis

34 Javonte Cummings
School: Parma
Pos: DB
Ht: 5-11
Wt: 185
College: Lake Erie

24 Austin Guder
School: Brooklyn
Pos: DB
Ht: 6-0
Wt: 190
College: Ashland

15 Kyle Hegedus
School: St. Edward
Pos: DB
Ht: 5-10
Wt: 185
College: Youngstown State

5 Travis Smith
School: Rocky River
Pos: DB
Ht: 5-8
Wt: 170
College: Tri-C

10 Colin McNamara
School: Fairview
Pos: QB
Ht: 6-0
Wt: 175
College: Tiffin

8 Christian Klink
School: Holy Name
Pos: QB
Ht: 6-1
Wt: 225
College: Wayne State

7 Matthew Lowry
School: Rocky River
Pos: QB
Ht: 5-9
Wt: 170
College: Mount Union

50 Ryan Swingle
School: Lakewood
Pos: OL
Ht: 6-1
Wt: 245
College: Baldwin Wallace

65 Chase Kiricizis
School: Cuyahoga Heights
Pos: OL
Ht: 6-2
Wt: 260
College: Ohio Northern

55 Deandre Jones
School: John Marshall
Pos: DL
Ht: 6-5
Wt: 235
College: Undecided

56 Jayden Groppi
School: Normandy
Pos: OL
Ht: 6-0
Wt: 220
College: Blufton

60 Ryan Sosic
School: Olmsted Falls
Pos: OL
Ht: 6-1
Wt: 240
College: Baldwin Wallace

72 Andrew Lucci
School: Padua
Pos: OL
Ht: 6-2
Wt: 305
College: Saint Francis

73 Alex Uhas
School: Strongsville
Pos: OL
Ht: 6-1
Wt: 280
College: Mount Union

32 Nick Kessel
School: Lutheran West
Pos: DL
Ht: 6-4
Wt: 245
College: Butler

64 Ben Gauthier
School: St. Edward
Pos: OL
Ht: 6-2
Wt: 260
College: Dayton

58 Drew Turner
School: St. Edward
Pos: OL
Ht: 6-3
Wt: 290
College: John Carroll

70 Elijah Scarbro
School: Lincoln West
Pos: OL
Ht: 6-3
Wt: 297
College: Hiram

23 Wes Galetti
School: Normandy
Pos: RB
Ht: 5-9
Wt: 170
College: Akron

22 Justin Harris
School: Berea Midpark
Pos: RB
Ht: 5-9
Wt: 170
College: Ashland

83 Lenny Soeder
School: St. Ignatius
Pos: WR
Ht: 6-1
Wt: 190
College: Ohio University

80 Nick Medaglia
School: Padua
Pos: WR
Ht: 5-9
Wt: 165
College: Mount Union

17 Rex Sunhara
School: Bay Village
Pos: WR
Ht: 6-7
Wt: 200
College: Rhode Island

20 Deondra Bell
School: Rhodes
Pos: WR
Ht: 5-7
Wt: 153
College: Baldwin Wallace

81 Nick Hoerig
School: Strongsville
Pos: TE
Ht: 6-2
Wt: 200
College: Akron

82 Dean Supelak
School: Holy Name
Pos: WR
Ht: 6-0
Wt: 180
College: Otterbein

18 Austin Buc
School: Independence
Pos: TE
Ht: 6-1
Wt: 200
College: Walsh University

West assistant coaches: John Hunek (Massillon), Joe Beavers (Brooklyn), Brad Staples, Bryan Massenin, Mike Cook (St. Edward), Dan Day (Holy Name).

The Lake Erie Walleye Trail Championship based in Huron last weekend was ample evidence the summer walleye season is in full swing.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Lake Erie Walleye Trail Championship based in Huron last weekend was ample evidence the summer walleye season is in full swing, with Jason Kopf of Avon Lake and Rodger Riggs of Cleveland teaming up to catch five trophy walleye off Lorain Harbor to capture this year's crown.

The Lake Erie walleye reports from all of the ports along the Ohio shoreline were good to glowing in recent days, despite a major blow Saturday chasing most fishermen off the big lake. The LEWT, sponsored by the Western Basin Sportfishing Association, cancelled Saturday's action, but 47 two-angler reams were ready to go Sunday.

"There was an absolute load of walleye on our sonar screen off Lorain," said Riggs.

"We fished the 36- to 38-foot depths. There was a nicer layer of walleye suspended at 20 to 25 feet, but we targeted the big fish that were right one the lake bottom."

Riggs owns Brother's Lounge in Cleveland and Kopf is project manager for Kopf Builders. They finished second in last year's LEWT Championship.

Trolling the Sunset color pattern of Reef Runner lures, they used 2-ounce sinkers to weigh the lures down. The pattern worked, as they checked a limit of five walleye weighing 47.03 pounds. It was a tight finish, with Dustin Clark and Adam Williams (46.85 pounds) finishing second and Jason Pelz and Chuck Oeder (45.62 pounds) third.

Mike Robinson and Michael Tobias (445.01) finished fourth and won the LEWT's Knockout Challenge. Jason Plant and Rod Weaver (43.30 pounds) finished seventh to claim Team of the Year title.

On Cleveland's east side, Mitch Shipman and Chad Fenstermaker braved Saturday's big waves to win the Walleye Madness Tournament out of Wildwood Park with five walleye weighing 38.95 pounds. Mike and Dana Daugherty (38.15 pounds) were second in the 30-team field, with Chris Duffus and Chris Romano (35.75 pounds) third.

Boating, fishing fest: Safe boating has long been the theme of Saturday's North Coast Boating & Fishing Fest from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. in Cleveland. Family fun has also been an objective of the free show.

This year is no different, with power and sailboat rides and boating and fishing exhibits to entertain everyone. The boat rides include outings aboard the 65-foot schooner Journey from the B-About Sail Ministry and kids fishing trips aboard the 60-foot Holiday party fishing boat.

Kids won't need to bring tackle or bait for the fishing trips, or for shoreline fishing at East 55^th Street Marina on the Cleveland lakefront, a new location for the boating exposition that also offers lots of free parking. There will be music, food stands and stage shows, as well.

The boating safety groups participating include the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Power Squadron, Sea Scouts, Spirit of America Foundation, Greater Cleveland Boating Association, Lake Erie Marine Trades Association, North Coast Black Bass Anglers Association and Ohio's Division of Watercraft.

NCCBA walleye, steelhead event: The 23^rd annual Lake Erie Walleye-Steelhead Tournament hosted by the North Coast Charter Boat Association will motor out of the Grand River on Saturday, reported Roger St. Clair. For online registration visit eriefishingcharters.com or attend the captain's meeting at Pickle Bill's Restaurant in Grand River on Friday at 7 p.m.

Team entry for the walleye tournament is $200, $100 for the steelhead trout event. Teams are allowed as many as eight fishermen.

Kids fish in Eastlake: The Chagrin River Salmon Fishing Association has its annual Kids Seawall Fishing Day at the Eastlake Seawall on Erie Rd. in Eastlake on Saturday at 9 a.m. Club members are providing live bait and expert advice, and providing lunch and door prizes at the CRSA clubhouse on Erie Rd. at 11:30 a.m.

Safe ice on Erie: The U.S. Coast Guard wants to keep Western Lake Erie's ice anglers safe. After an ice-breaking effort last winter from Catawba Island to Put-In-Bay on South Bass Island to provide construction supplies put ice anglers in peril, the Coast Guard has proposed special safety zones to protect recreational ice anglers. The new safety zones are in the vicinity of South Passage and the Lake Erie Islands and Maumee Bay from the Channel Light to Grassy Island.

Where's the perch?: The spring Lake Erie walleye fishing might have been sensational, but the yellow perch fishing was a bust. The summer yellow perch fishing isn't much better. Ohio fisheries experts blame the lack of success on Lake Erie being slow to warm this season, but that hadn't seemed to put such a damper on the yellow perch fishing in past years.

A mainstay for shoreline and small boat anglers, yellow perch are popular from Toledo to Conneaut. If the big schools don't show up and start biting soon, Ohio's Division of Wildlife will need some better answers.

Bud Shaw and Chris Fedor were joined on today's Cavs Insider by Joe Vardon and Chris Haynes to recap the first three games of the NBA Finals against the Warriors and preview Game 4. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- After losing Game 1 of the NBA Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers have won two straight, taking a 2-1 series lead against the Golden State Warriors.

In the 96-91 win on Tuesday night, LeBron James scored 40 points while Matthew Dellavedova added 20 in his second straight start for the injured Kyrie Irving. 

With a win on Thursday night, the Cavs will be one away from the first championship in franchise history.

Bud Shaw and I were joined on today's Cavs Insider by Joe Vardon and Chris Haynes to recap the first three games against the Warriors and preview Game 4.

• Has David Blatt out-coached Steve Kerr?
• Will LeBron continue his same approach?
• What adjustments will the Warriors make to try to even the series?
• Is Dellavedova ready after cramping in Game 3?
• Which team has the edge going into Thursday's game?

The End Zone: Feel free to talk about your thoughts about the Cavs performance in the NBA Finals and more!

When you think Cleveland sports right now, it's all about the Cleveland Cavaliers.

As the Cavs (and Cleveland in general) prepare for Game 4 of the NBA Finals, use this post as a space to chat. We welcome conversation of any topic in the daily End Zone, whether it has to do with the Indians' win this afternoon, Dellavedova's coffee choices or where you're going to watch the game. 

However, if you do want to talk about the Cavs, here are some highlights from our coverage today: 

• The Dellavedova of it all: Delly's popularity is breaking the Internet
• Jim Brown on LeBron James bowing to him: 'It was an honor for this young man to pay tribute to an old soldier' 
• Final thoughts before Game 4 of Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden States Warriors NBA Finals: Bill Livingston (photos)

Justin Gilbert had a wasted rookie season like Johnny Manziel, and he acknowledged that their situations were in some ways similar. He also admitted to having a personal issue that hampered him last year, but declined to say what it was. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- Browns 2014 top pick Justin Gilbert admitted to having a personal issue last year that resulted in what his teammates described as a wasted year. He declined to share what it was, but acknowledged that he can relate to what Johnny Manziel has gone through.

"We haven't really talked about (our struggles and hopes),'' said Gilbert, who spoke for the first time since before the season finale last year. "But I'm pretty sure our situations are not 100 percent the same but similar."

Gilbert at first denied having a personal issue, but when asked if he had one but just doesn't want to share it, he said, "You could say that, yeah."

Coach Mike Pettine first revealed at the NFL combine in February that Gilbert was dealing with something deeper than a lack of maturity last season when he managed just two starts and played sparingly.

"I don't want to get into it,'' Pettine said at the time. "It's very personal and I'm not going to get into details about it."

Manziel spent 10 weeks at the Caron addiction treatment center outside Philadelphia and was discharged April 11. When Gilbert describes his situation as similar to Manziel's, he was believed to be referring to their rookie foibles and not anything related to a problem with substances.

"I'm not worried about (last year's) mistakes right now,'' said Gilbert. "I'm just looking forward from here.''

Gilbert acknowledged that being suspended for the season finale in Baltimore after being late for a team meeting the night before was a turning point for him. In a fitting end to the seasons they had, both Gilbert and Manziel, the No. 22 overall pick, were banned from that game for breaking team rules. Manziel, on injured reserve at the time, overslept the day before for treatment on his pulled hamstring.

The suspensions came just days after both players vowed to turn things around and have stellar sophomore years.

"I would like to say so, yes (it's pivotal),'' said Gilbert. "I wish it didn't happen that way, but I think it really helped me as well.''

Like Manziel, Gilbert always seemed to take one step forward and two steps back last season.

"There were times I realized it but mistakes just kept on happening,'' he said. "So once the season ended, I just wanted to come back looking straight forward, not looking back."

The day after the season finale, Gilbert received lectures from all over the building.

"Just talking to the coaches, some of the players, some of my teammates, Ray Farmer after the season was over with, talking about how I have to grow up, have some maturing to do, I kind of took that to heart,'' he said. "I didn't disagree with them on anything that they said. We talked for quite awhile.''
 
Going back home to Texas after the season was also a sobering experience for Gilbert. Instead of strutting in as the superstar NFL cornerback, he went home having to explain starting only two games and being called out by his teammates on a consistent basis.

"Seeing how everyone in my small town looked up to me and how much my family supported me and not wanting to let them down (made a difference),'' Gilbert said.

In addition to the support of family and friends, teammates such as cornerback Joe Haden took Gilbert under their wing and mentored him through the offseason. Gilbert flew to Miami to work out with Haden, and added 10 pounds of muscle to his chiseled frame.    

"(Haden) just (showed) me that this is really a sport that you have to be committed to year-round,'' he said. "You can't really take too long off from this game, or your body will be behind in a lot of things. Just to continue to grind, weekly, daily, whatever the case may be.''

Gilbert acknowledged that 2014 was a learning experience for him. He started two of the first six games and then rode the bench most of the season, finishing with 29 tackles and one pick-six off of Andrew Luck.

"I think last year pretty much humbled me a lot, and I learned from my mistakes,'' he said. "I'm just looking forward from here on out, and coming to work every day with the same attitude, love being around my teammates and communicating with them more than last year, so it's been pretty good so far.''

Gilbert admitted it "added a little fuel to the fire'' that his teammates often went public with their criticism of him, "(but) we fixed everything, and everybody's on the same page now, so there's no hard feelings toward anyone.''

Teammates and coaches have praised the Oklahoma State product all offseason, and secondary coach Jeff Hafley went so far Thursday as to say that he sees Gilbert starting this season. Currently, Haden and Tramon Williams, the nine-year veteran signed as a free agent from Green Bay, are the starters.

"I hope (he starts),'' Hafley said of Gilbert. "I do believe he can start this year and play and help us win games. The thing that we'll do, and Jimmy's (O'Neil) done an awesome job of, we're going to have so many packages and guys are going to have so many roles, we'll get guys on the field that deserve to be. And if he's working and if he deserves it and he's consistent, we're going to get him on the field.''

Hafley said that if Gilbert comes out and does his best every day, "then I think he's got a great chance.''

Safety Jordan Poyer, who's been starting in place of Tashaun Gipson while the Pro Bowl safety continues to work out at home, has noticed the big change in Gilbert.

"He's got a lot more confidence, he's more focused in the meeting rooms,'' said Poyer. "He's a freak athlete and he's just going out there and playing and competing every day.''

So why should the Browns trust Gilbert after all the broken promises last season?

"I can't really say a reason, but just by my actions, that's the best I can do, prove it every day,'' he said.

Is the turnaround legit?

Most definitely yes.

Now that he's gotten his head on straight, Gilbert is confident he'll live up to No. 8 overall status -- and his four-year, $12.833 million guaranteed contract.

"I most definitely will be,'' he said. "One hundred percent."

He's also determined to crack the starting lineup again, exactly what one would expect from a top 10 pick.

"I always told myself that I'm going to put a picture of one of my best friends from last year, Buster Skrine, up on my locker because I came in and everyone was expecting me to take his spot, and he didn't say a word about it, nothing to me, nothing to the coaches, he just went out every day and he proved himself on the practice field and that's the same thing I intend on doing,'' he said.

Skrine parlayed his quiet confidence into 16 starts and a four-year, $25 million free agent contract with the Jets. Gilbert already has the money and the pedigree.

Now all the Browns need from him are the starts.

Two innings after his first major league hit, Urshela notched his first big league home run, some extra backing for Shaun Marcum in a 6-0 Tribe victory on Thursday afternoon.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Giovanny Urshela pointed to the sky, clapped his hands and stepped on home plate.

The baseball he launched to left field caromed off of the railing atop the wall and bounced back onto the outfield grass. Carlos Santana popped out of the dugout to retrieve it for the rookie.

Two innings after his first major-league hit, Urshela notched his first big-league home run, some extra backing for Shaun Marcum in a 6-0 Tribe victory on Thursday afternoon.

Marcum tossed seven scoreless innings. He limited Seattle to two hits. Mark Trumbo ended his bid for a no-hitter with a single to left with one out in the fifth. To that point, only one batter had reached against the soft-tossing righty: Logan Morrison was plunked by an errant heave to begin the fourth.

Marcum had plenty of support from the Tribe's bats, even though leadoff hitter Jason Kipnis -- the American League Player of the Month for May -- had the day off. Zach Walters plated Brandon Moss with a bloop single to right in the second inning. In the third, the Indians produced four runs on five singles and a convenient passed ball.

Michael Brantley and Ryan Raburn opened the frame with consecutive singles. After Yan Gomes struck out, Moss and Urshela followed with run-scoring singles. When Walters missed with a healthy hack in the ensuing at-bat, the baseball skipped off of catcher Mike Zunino, which allowed Moss and Urshela to each advance a base. Roberto Perez's single to left-center plated both runners and staked the Indians to a 5-0 advantage.

Urshela's solo shot in the fifth provided the final margin.

What it means

The Indians avoided a sweep and wrapped up their six-game homestand with a 2-4 mark. The club owns a 12-18 mark at home and a 16-13 record against teams outside of the AL Central.

The kids are all right

The bottom third of the order, comprised of Urshela, Walters and Perez, combined for five hits and five RBI in 11 at-bats. Urshela collected the first two hits of his big-league career.

Change of pace

After his last outing, in which he held the Orioles to three runs across 6 1/3 innings, Marcum described his brief tenure in the Tribe rotation as "a roller coaster." His start on Thursday was his best with the Indians in five opportunities. Overall, Marcum has posted a 4.50 ERA in those five starts, having allowed 23 hits in 28 innings.

Veteran right-hander

Reverend Myrtle Eppler, who is 100 years old, stood atop the rubber as she threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

They came, they saw

An announced attendance of 15,316 watched the game at Progressive Field.

What's next

The Indians and Tigers will battle at Comerica Park this weekend. Cleveland will send Danny Salazar (6-1, 3.50 ERA) to the mound on Friday. Detroit will counter with southpaw David Price (5-2, 2.70 ERA). On Saturday, Carlos Carrasco (7-5, 4.35 ERA) will oppose Justin Verlander, who will be making his first major league start of the season after dealing with an arm injury. Corey Kluber (3-7, 3.53 ERA) and Alfredo Simon (6-3, 2.76 ERA) will duke it out in the series finale on Sunday. The Indians are 1-5 against the Tigers this season. Following the trip to Detroit, the club will play a pair of games at Wrigley Field against the Cubs.

Potter committed to Ohio State in April.

MENTOR, Ohio -- Before Micah Potter heads to Columbus to play for Ohio State, he'll be making a brief stop in between. Potter announced on Twitter on Friday that he was transferring from Mentor to a prep school for his senior season.

pic.twitter.com/B2V8Relx31

— Micah Potter (@BigJam_23) June 12, 2015

Potter did not announce which school he was transferring to and could not be reached for comment.

A 6-foot-10 forward and three-star recruit, Potter committed to the Buckeyes on April 20. He is the second player in the Buckeyes' Class of 2016, as he joins St. Edward junior Derek Funderburk.

This past season was the first for Potter as a starter, and he took a huge leap forward. During the 2014-15 season, Potter averaged 20.2 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.

Potter had the following to say when he made the decision to commit to Ohio State.

"Ohio State has always been a dream school growing up in Ohio," Potter said. "I've always cheered for them for basketball or football."

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.

Chance to play Firestone South too much to pass up for Web.com Tour veteran.

WESTLAKE, Ohio -- Last year Web.com Tour veteran Shane Bertsch gave a wonderful and interesting golf clinic to members of the Return to Golf program at the Northern Ohio Golf Association headquarters in North Olmsted.

Bertsch, 45 and a native of Denver, then proceeded to miss the cut at the Cleveland Open.

This year, Bertsch skipped the clinic, opting instead to play Firestone Country Club's famed South Course for the first time. He said that experience helped him make the cut at the renamed Rust-Oleum Championship, this time with rounds of 67-65 for a 10-under total which put him in a first place tie with Dawie van der Walt and Dustin Bray before officials pulled remaining golfers off the course at 1:02 p.m. because threatening weather.

"I enjoyed doing that clinic, but playing Firestone South for the first time was an opportunity I couldn't pass up," he said. "What a tough golf course ... I can see why it's such a special place.

"This year I feel more comfortable at Lakewood Country Club. It's just golf. ... I'm hitting the ball solid and today (Friday), I hit every green in regulation."

Bertsch also sank six birdie putts while posting no bogeys. His best birdie effort came on the 11th hole, a 432-yard par 4. He drove the ball into the right rough, but placed his pitching wedge to 8 feet and sank the putt.

"You must hit the fairways here at Lakewood, something I didn't do often enough last year. I hit the driver well this week, and I use driver because I'm not the longest driver (off the tee)."

Missing in action: Two notables who played last season at the Cleveland Open aren't here this week. Defending champion Steven Alker, who defeated van der Walt in a record-breaking 11-hole playoff, is currently on the PGA Tour. The news is not so good for Ryan Armour, the ex-star at Walsh Jesuit High School who lost his Web.com tour card by failing the finish among the top 75 in earnings.

Rain go away: Officials resumed play at 2 p.m. after the first wave of rain stopped play at 1:02 p.m. Weather was a concern all day because the field of 156 needed to be reduced to the top 65 plus ties. Four groups of morning golfers still needed to complete rounds before the remaining afternoon groups, which started teeing off at 12:10 p.m. could start playing.

Lucky man: Peter Tomasulo of Long Beach, California was among the lucky golfers to tee off Friday at 7 a.m. His two-round total of 67-68 has him in title contention. But his round required 4 hours, 44 minutes. It took two hours to play the front, he said, but the back nine was stalled when they ran into golfers who had teed off at 12:30.

"It was great playing early because we finished before it got really windy," Tomasulo said. "Rain can help a golfer score well, but wind does not. High wind was playing tricky."

Like most of the field, Tomasulo loves playing Lakewood C.C. -- the only course in Ohio designed by the great A.W. Tillinghast.

"I grew up in Long Beach playing a Tillinghast course, and I played his San Francisco Golf Club in college," he said. "His courses have small greens. There's nothing over the top with his designs ... they're simple, but tough."

Eagle crazy: Former Kent State golfer Taylor Pendrith made the cut with the aid of two eagles on Friday. He eagled the par-5 sixth, and holed out from the fairway on the par-4, 421-yard 13th. Pendrith, a Canadian, also had an eagle in his first-round score of 68.

By Pat Galbincea / Special to The Plain Dealer

See all the content at cleveland.com during the 2015 NBA Finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -Golden State was able to tie the series at two games apiece with a 103-82 victory on Thursday night, as the series goes back to California for Game 5.

The collection of links is broken down by content from cleveland.com and from Northern California media outlets. At the bottom is general NBA links of note.

See an interesting article or column about the NBA Finals online? We invite you to share a link to it in the comments section below.

Game 5 tips off Sunday night at 8 p.m. on ABC.

Check cleveland.com's Cavs page for more content throughout the next two days and all the latest developments leading up to tipoff.

Content from cleveland.com

Dennis Manoloff talks with Dan Labbe about what has to happen in Game 5.

Beating the Warriors for a title will be a team effort, and that means J.R. Smith has to play better.

The Cavaliers are once again underdogs, something Bud Shaw says Cleveland teams have done very well as.

After Game 4, J.R. Smith admits he hasn't been playing his best.

Matthew Dellavedova is playing his hardest, but Cavaliers fans want more.

While it is a big game in this series, Game 5 at Golden State is not the biggest moment of LeBron James' career.

The Cavaliers didn't win Game 4, but they were absolutely dominant on the glass, led by Tristan Thompson.

LeBron James says it was the offense that was bad in Game 4, not the defense.

Steph Curry gets the win over LeBron James.

For the Cavaliers to win this series, someone off the bench has to get going.

Dan Labbe wrote down his thoughts during Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

Steve Kerr proved to be the difference Game 4.

Andre Iguodala and Stephen Curry said the different look played a huge role in the game.

While the Warriors hit some shots, it was the effort that Steve Kerr said was the difference.

 

Content from Northern California

Iguodala brought a smile, and grit to the starting lineup for the Golden State Warriors. (San Francisco Chronicle)

James did not get enough help from the bench on Thursday night. (San Francisco Chronicle)

Draymond Green has been struggling in this series, but he responded to his challenge in Game 4. (San Francisco Chronicle)

The Warriors hustle was the difference in the victory. (San Jose Mercury News)

Harrison Barnes and Draymond Green got back to being the role players that the Warriors needed. (San Jose Mercury News)

General NBA links

The Bucks cleared up cap space by trading Ersan Ilyasova. (ESPN)

Get to know the man who helped Steve Kerr make his Game 4 starting decision. (Yahoo)

Steph Curry's wife takes a shot at the Cavaliers fans. (Fox Sports)

See what some celebrities, both local and national, had to say about the game on social media after the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Golden State Warriors in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Needless to say, Game 4 of the NBA Finals did not turn out the way local fans wanted as the Golden State Warriors tied the series, 2-2, heading into Game 5 back in Oakland. 

See what some celebrities, both local and national, had to say about the game on social media in the Storify below. Some showed support for the team while others, unsurprisingly, did not hold back with their critiques. 

The new punter will wear No. 8 in memory of his later daughter, Madelyn. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio - Punter Andy Lee wore the same red 49ers cap to practice for 10-plus seasons. The color of the bill faded, the material frayed and holes developed in the back of the lid, but until last year he rarely switched hats.

It wasn't as much superstition as comfort. The four-time All-Pro loved how it fit his head - and his lifestyle.

"I'm not a big proponent of change," he said Thursday while meeting with Browns media for the first time since being traded here Saturday for a 2017 seventh-round pick.

Who could blame him? Lee seemed to have an ideal life. He has a wonderful family with a wife and two boys, worked in a beautiful city by the Bay for 12 seasons and earned league-wide recognition for a franchise that played in three conference championships and a Super Bowl in the past four years.

And, then it all went sideways like a shanked punt.

What was supposed to be a precious moment, the birth of the family's daughter, Madelyn, on Jan. 27, turned tragic. Complications arose and the infant developed an infection. She never left the neonatal intensive care unit and died eight days later.

The grief is unimaginable. Five months later, Lee still has difficulty speaking about it publicly, the raw emotions right below the surface.

"(The) biggest thing it's done for me is made me appreciate my kids, the two boys I have," Lee said of Ryan, 5, and Adam, 3. "Made me appreciate my wife (Rachel), my family and friends. It just shows you how fragile life is."

Adversity never leaves us where it finds us and an athlete who's taken so much solace in routine has been thrown completely out of it. What strikes you about the 32-year-old is how willing he seems to embrace change.

The Niners cap that punter Andy Lee wore for 10-plus seasons at practice.Cam Inman, San Jose Mercury News 

Lee has a new team, a new number - he switched from No. 4 to No. 8 to honor the number of days Madelyn lived - and a new outlook on life and death.

"I'm a big Christian guy, so I believe she's in heaven." Lee said. "I don't want to die, I don't want to leave my wife and my kids. I want to raise them and have a great life with them. But also I get to see my little girl one day."

For a man who doesn't like discussing family sorrow, he certainly finds the right words. His way of life on and off the field has been torn asunder since January.

The Niners have imploded. They fired coach Jim Harbaugh. They have seen key players retire unexpectedly, highlighted by the stunning decision of promising linebacker Chris Borland. In full rebuild mode, the organization drafted a punter in the fifth round, most likely to save money. Lee is set to make $2.5 million this season in base salary, according to spotrac.com.

The South Carolina native sensed his days with the only franchise he's known probably were numbered after the draft.

"Did I see me coming to Cleveland? No," Lee said. "But happy to be here and excited to be closer to what I call my off-season home in Charlotte. ... It's been a breath of fresh air to be here. I feel really welcomed."

The Browns haven't posted a winning season in eight years and their last playoff appearance came in 2002. How many players would say they were happy to be dealt here and mean it? Lee words sounded genuine, though. The move has proven a brilliant distraction, taking the family's mind "off everything but this."

In the coming months, Lee will need the Browns as much as they need him.

The club dealt with similar anguish at the end of last season. Kicker Garret Hartley delivered a eulogy for a daughter he never knew two days before converting a pair of field goals in a 17-13 loss at Carolina. His girlfriend was seven months pregnant when unexpected complications set in Nov. 26.

Hartley, waived last month, expressed gratitude to his new teammates and the organization for supporting him through one of the most trying weeks of his life. Lee has met Hartley, but was unaware of the kicker's loss. The punter said he plans to reach out to him.

Lee knows the value of support at times like these.

"It really brought out a lot of friends and family for us, a lot of friends we didn't know they were as good of friends as they were," Lee said. "It brought a lot of blessing to our life as well as tragedy.

"It's something we're still dealing with and I think we'll deal with for the rest of our lives, but it's something I think we've gotten a grasp on and are dealing with."

Lee spent Thursday booming punts into the Berea sky. His towering kicks sent returners retreating on one of the short practice fields. It led one assistant to jokingly yell, "back up" to Lee.

The veteran ranks among the NFL's best all-time punters statistically with a 39.5-yard net average and 46.2-yard gross average. The Browns had a reliable punter in Spencer Lanning, but opted to upgrade at a time many worry about their offensive efficiency. Lee might become a weapon for a club that likely will play in many low-scoring games.

Those contests remain months away, however. The Browns will conclude off-season workouts next week and players will scatter until late July. Lee is headed home to bond with family and heal emotionally.

"It's just kind of changed the mindset of, say, your son is outside and you don't feel like getting up and throwing the ball with him because you're tired," Lee told the team's website, which first reported the story. "Well, get your butt up and go out there and do it because who knows? You give everything you can to them because it shows that sometimes you don't know if something is going to happen."

Material possessions are fleeting. Colors fade, fabrics give way. It's memories that endure. The Lees had Madelyn for eight days. Eight days that, despite tumultuous change, will last a lifetime.

Check out the Ohio roster and a preview of Saturday's Ohio-Michigan Border Classic high school football game.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Here is a look at the 2nd Ohio-Michigan Border Classic high school football game conducted jointly by the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association and the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association.

What: 2nd annual Ohio-Michigan Border Classic football game.

When: Saturday at 1 p.m.

Where: Wayne State University, Tom Adams Field, 42 West Warren Avenue, Detroit, MI .

Tickets: $10 at the gate.

Website: borderclassic.org

On Twitter:@OMBorderClassic

On the air: The game will air live on Time Warner Channel 311 and 1311 in HD.

Ohio head coach: Mike Pavlanski (Canfield).

Michigan head coach: Terry Hessbrook (Ithaca).

Series: Michigan won the inaugural game, 27-14, last year at the University of Findlay with Glenville WR/DB Marshon Lattimore earning Offensive Most Valuable Player honors for Ohio and RB Davon Anderson scoring one of the two Ohio touchdowns.

What to watch:

Team Ohio's roster features a dozen football stars from Northeast Ohio, including recruits headed to Big 10 schools such as Illinois and Ohio State. Medina OL Zeke Martin joins Benedictine's Alex Heil and Tommy Benson of Streetsboro up front on offense, while Fairview's Collin McNamara will play wide receiver for Ohio quarterbacks Brody Hoying (Coldwater) and Nate Densel (Dublin Scioto). Defensively, Team Ohio is loaded with local stars, including Lorain's Rashod Berry, an Ohio State signee and LaMarr Davis, Benedictine's Division IV state champion defensive tackle who is headed to Toledo. Kirtland's Matt Finkler, a Bowling Green signee who was the defensive MVP in last month's Ohio North-South All-Star game in Dayton, joins LBs London Cloud of Bedford and Duray Hill of Glenville. Cincinnati signee Trevon Story will join his former Glenville teammate Frank Sumpter in the defensive backfield for Ohio. Note: Rosters for the Ohio-Michigan Border Classic are subject to change.

OHIO ROSTER (as of 6/5/2015)

2 Nate Densel
School: Dublin Scioto
Pos: QB
Ht: 6-2
Wt: 200
College: Findlay

3 Vito Penza
School: Ursuline
Pos: LB
Ht: 6-3
Wt: 220
College: Dartmouth

4 Cory Contini
School: Dover
Pos: WR
Ht: 6-1
Wt: 175
College: Ohio Dominican

5 Darius Shackleford
School: Newark
Pos: WR
Ht: 6-3
Wt: 190
College: Youngstown State

6 Rashod Berry
School: Lorain
Pos: DE
Ht: 6-5
Wt: 240
College: Ohio State

7 Abu Daramy
School: Westerville South
Pos: RB
Ht: 5-10
Wt: 175
College: Yale

8 Maxwell McCormick
School: Toledo St. John's Jesuit
Pos: WR
Ht: 6-3
Wt: 204
College: Cornell

10 Trevon Story
School: Glenville
Pos: CB
Ht: 5-10
Wt: 170
College: Cincinnati

11 London Cloud
School: Bedford
Pos: LB
Ht: 6-0
Wt: 229
College: Ohio University

12 Stanley Jackson
School: Columbus Mifflin
Pos: WR
Ht: 6-3
Wt: 185
College: Ashland

14 Jalen Ward
School: New Albany
Pos: DB
Ht: 5-10
Wt: 170
College: Notre Dame College

15 Brody Hoying
School: Coldwater
Pos: QB
Ht: 5-11
Wt: 198
College: Eastern Michigan

18 Colin McNamara
School: Fairview
Pos: WR
Ht: 6-1
Wt: 180
College: Tiffin

20 Prince Franklin II
School: Streetsboro
Pos: WR
Ht: 5-7
Wt: 159
College: Ohio Dominican

21 Frank Sumpter
School: Glenville
Pos: DB
Ht: 5-11
Wt: 155
College: Illinois

25 Cario Davison
School: Galion
Pos: DB
Ht: 6-2
Wt: 190
College: Western Michigan

32 Bryan Kristan
School: Canfield
Pos: K
Ht: 6-3
Wt: 180
College: Cincinnati

33 Matt Finkler
School: Kirtland
Pos: LB
Ht: 6-3
Wt: 230
College: Bowling Green

34 Justin Harris
School: Bedford
Pos: DE
Ht: 6-1
Wt: 232
College: Undeclared

42 Duray Hall
School: Glenville
Pos: LB
Ht: 6-0
Wt: 190
College: Urbana

51 Tayron Washington
School: Bishop Hartley
Pos: DB
Ht: 6-2
Wt: 240
College: Georgetown

53 Robert Landers
School: Huber Heights Wayne
Pos: DT
Ht: 6-1 Wt: 290
College: Ohio State

54 Chad Coeling
School: Centerville
Pos: DT
Ht: 6-2
Wt: 290
College: Toledo

55 Tommy Benson
School: Streetsboro
Pos: OL
Ht: 6-3
Wt: 209
College: Findlay

59 Lucas Maynard
School: Teays Valley
Pos: DE
Ht: 6-3
Wt: 230
College: Toledo

61 Tom Cain
School: Teays Valley
Pos: OL
College: Findlay

62 Ramone Miles
School: Toledo Central Catholic
Pos: OL
Ht: 6-5
Wt: 270
College: Toledo

72 Ben Cooper
School: Westerville Central
Pos: DT
Ht: 6-4
Wt: 290
College: Duquesne

73 Justus Satterfield
School: Toledo Bowsher
Pos: OL
Ht: 6-3
Wt: 270
College: Undeclared

75 LaMarr Davis
School: Benedictine
Pos: DL
Ht: 6-2
Wt: 300
College: Toledo

76 Alex Heil
School: Benedictine
Pos: OL
Ht: 6-2
Wt: 260
College: Air Force

77 Zeke Martin
School: Medina
Pos: OT
Ht: 6-5
Wt: 286
College: Illinois

79 Drew Dickinson
School: Ashland
Pos: OL
Ht: 6-3
Wt: 295
College: Findlay

85 Nathan Childress
School: Rossford
Pos: DE
Ht: 6-3
Wt: 220
College: Toledo

West coaching staff: Andy Clark (Chesapeake), Tom Pavlansky (Lakeview), Doug Pearson (Toledo St. John Jesuit), Mark Weber (Teays Valley), Dan Yeagley (South Range).

The head coaches from Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State, as well as Minnesota's Jerry Kill and Penn State's James Franklin, attended the Sound Mind Sound Body camp. Watch video

MACOMB, Mich. -- They didn't share ribs, but they did share a news conference.

Ohio State's Urban Meyer, Michigan's Jim Harbaugh, Michigan State's Mark Dantonio, Penn State's James Franklin and Minnesota's Jerry Kill - arguably the five best head coaches in the Big Ten - all took part in the Sound Mind Sound Body recruiting camp outside Detroit on Friday.

They were all forced into a news conference, with Dantonio seated between Meyer and Harbaugh on one side and Kill and Franklin on the other side.

Then they took to the practice fields to oversee workouts of the hundreds of players on hand, chatting up old friends, making new contacts with top prospects and making sure that their teams were represented and seen.

The coaches were together in the spring at the Big Ten meetings and will be back together at the preseason Big Ten gathering in Chicago at the end of July.

Chat about weekend sports news and more in the comments of today's End Zone post!

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It's Friday night, and the weekend will bring a lot of chatter about Cleveland sports, with the Indians playing the Tigers this weekend and the next game in the NBA Finals taking place Sunday. 

Here are some of our highlights from sports news headed into the weekend: 

• Terry Pluto shares his thoughts on how the Cavs need to look to their bench to help ensure the team's success. 
• Cleveland Browns grieving punter Andy Lee embraces change while not letting go of what matters: Tom Reed.
• Here's what you need to know about the Cleveland Indians' series versus the Detroit Tigers.  

You can talk about these topics, what you're doing this weekend or whatever comes to mind in the comments of this post. All discussion is welcome! 

Here are the lineups and the pitching matchup for Friday's series opener between the Indians and the Tigers.

DETROIT -- Here are the lineups and the pitching matchup for Friday's series opener between the Indians and the Tigers.

Pitching matchup: Danny Salazar (6-1, 3.50 ERA) vs. David Price (5-2, 2.70 ERA)

Lineups

Indians

1. 2B Jason Kipnis

2. 1B Carlos Santana

3. CF Michael Brantley

4. LF Ryan Raburn

5. DH Nick Swisher

6. C Yan Gomes

7. RF Brandon Moss

8. 3B Giovanny Urshela

9. SS Mike Aviles

Tigers

1. DH Rajai Davis

2. 2B Ian Kinsler

3. 1B Miguel Cabrera

4. LF Yoenis Cespedes

5. RF Tyler Collins

6. 3B Nick Castellanos

7. C James McCann

8. SS Jose Iglesias

9. CF Anthony Gose

Righthander Cody Anderson continues to impress after moving up to Class AAA Columbus.

Cody Anderson has moved up from Akron to Columbus. Akron RubberDucks 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland Indians pitching prospect Cody Anderson has had a seamless transition from Class AA Akron to Class AAA Columbus.

Anderson moved up earlier this month after an impressive two-month stint in Akron. A 14th-round selection in 2011, he had a 1.69 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 42 innings.

He has continued to impress on the next level. Anderson allowed only four hits, nine strikeouts and one earned run in his Class AAA debut for a victory over Detroit Tigers ace Justin Verlander, who was on an injury rehabilitation assignment with the Toledo Mud Hens.

Anderson did not get the win in his next start, Thursday against Syracuse, but he remained impressive nonetheless. He only allowed one run on six hits and didn't give up a walk while striking out six in seven innings.

Anderson owes his success to his off-season dedication.

"It was tough not going home for most of the off-season, but you have to sacrifice a little bit to get a little bit," Anderson said to The Columbus Dispatch. "It's starting to pay off. I want to keep it going and keep the Clippers winning."

Close calls: Through Thursday, the Clippers had five straight games decided in the last at bat, with the Clippers winning four, including three walk-offs. Four games went to extra innings.

Lindor update: Shortstop Francisco Lindor has a 17-game on-base streak through Thursday and has led off a game with a hit eight times and a walk three times. Lindor had a three-hit game vs. Louisville this week and is hitting .366 over his last 10, lifting his season average to .279 with 11 doubles, five triples, two homers, 22 RBI and seven stolen bases.

Catching up: Lonnie Chisenhall went 2-for-4 in his first game with the Clippers after being demoted, then was 0-for-4 in his second game. ... Shortstop Jose Ramirez has four hits in 11 at-bats and three walks in three games. ... Lefty reliever Kyle Crockett is 2-0 with a 3.48 ERA in his last 10 games covering 10.1 innings. He's allowed 13 hits, but just one walk while striking out nine. ... Left-hander T.J. House is on the seven-day disabled list with a left shoulder strain. He was on the DL with the Indians last month.

Many moves: The Clippers are currently on pace for 196 roster moves this season, which would rank third all-time. There have been 83 moves in the first 61 games.

• Clippers stats, schedule, scores

While his scores rise and his ranking tumbles, Tiger Woods believes he is making progress heading into the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay next week in Washington. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Tiger Woods believes he can repeat what he did at the Masters next week at the 2015 U.S. Open.

Judging by how he played last week at The Memorial Tournament, Woods' game would appear to be so far out of whack that nothing positive can be expected during the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay, near Seattle, Washington.

"You have to look at the big picture. You can't be so myopic with your view,'' Woods cautioned during The Memorial.

While his scores rise and his world ranking plummets, Woods is taking the approach that, much like his game leading into the Masters, he is ready to take another leap ahead. Woods finished 17^th at 5-under at the Masters. He was fifth through three rounds.

That surprising finish followed poor results at the Phoenix Open (73-82, missed cut) and Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines (47 through 11 holes, withdrew).

"Hopefully, things will be a lot better and I'll be ready to try to win a U.S. Open,'' he said.

Woods spoke constantly about how his swing was "between patterns'' at The Memorial last week, as though it was a quilt simply needing stitched together. To casual observers, it appeared to be unraveling at the seams with a horrendous week off the tee and an inconsistent result between the fairways and pins. He recorded the worst score of his career (14-over par 308).

It all fell apart in the third round last Saturday. Woods shot a PGA Tour career-worst round of 85 at Muirfield Village Golf Course.

"It felt a lot higher,'' he said.

Seriously?

"Yeah,'' he replied.

After the tournament, Woods said the 85 was part of the process where he believes he is taking a step backward before more steps forward as yet another swing revamp comes together.

Tiger Woods hits out of a bunker last week during The Memorial Tournament, where he set career highs for a round (85) and a tournament (308). He said he believes his swing is making progress as he prepares to play in the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay in Washington next week. Tim Warsinskey, The Plain Dealer 

"I was changing a few things, and I was stuck right between patterns,'' he said. "I had to go through (the 85). I had to go through those painful moments, just like I did at Torrey and Phoenix to be able to make the leap I did at Augusta.

"(The 85) was the same thing. It was just unfortunately on a golf course like this where you can't get away with much. It kicked my butt pretty hard.''

His 74 on Sunday was more up to speed, according to Woods.

"It was more what we've been doing on the range. And to be able to step up and tag those drives like I did today and even shape some of the irons, which I was struggling with early in the week, I got those shapes back again, but doing it with a different pattern,'' he said.

The swing change is largely a result of the many injuries Woods has sustained in his career, most recently a back injury that required surgery on a pinched nerve in March 2014. The comeback has been rocky. He wrenched his back during the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Akron last August and withdrew. He cited his back in withdrawing from the Farmers Insurance Open in February.

"It's so much more flush, and so much more solid and a lot easier on my body,'' he said of the new swing.

Woods was the most dominant golfer in the world for more than a decade. He won 14 major championships between 1997 (age 21) and 2008 (age 32).

He's 39 and his body is breaking down. Now, no one talks any more about whether he will break Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 majors.

Woods indicated at The Memorial he believes he can return to dominance.

"I'm staying committed to what we're working on,'' he said. "And I've gone through phases like this, rounds like this before in the past where, yeah, it's easy to revert back and go ahead and hit some old pattern, but it doesn't do you any good going forward.

"Sometimes it's taken me about a year and then it kicked in and I did pretty good after that. And subsequent years went down the road, I did the same thing.

"I've got to suck it up. If you believe in it, do it. Eventually, it will start turning, and when it turns, I've had periods where I've played good for four or five years, where I've won close to 20 tournaments in that stretch.''

Woods is taking a scheduled week off this week before heading to Chambers Bay, where he got in two days practice before the Memorial.

Woods has sunk to 181^st in the world rankings, and his last victory was at the 2013 WGC-Bridgestone in Akron.

But he believes his game is on the upswing.

"Progress however slow is still progress, and I'm creeping up on it,'' he said. "But I need to put a few more pieces together to really, really get it going.''

Pro bass angler and school teacher Michael Simonton reports Lake Erie smallmouth bass fishing has enjoyed a major recovery in recent years.

MIDDLE BASS ISLAND, Ohio - Michael Simonton has been splashing along the shoreline of South Bass Island since he was a youngster, casting for smallmouth bass or any fish eager to chase a lure or gobble his bait.

"I grew up in Fremont, Ohio, and we would visit South Bass Island every summer," Simonton said. "I was already a fishing fanatic, and would climb the shoreline rocks to wade and cast. The Bass Islands have always been my favorite fishing hole."

Simonton called recently because he wanted to invite me to see how the smallmouth bass numbers around the Bass Islands have rebounded. Perhaps not to the levels of the 1990s, when the bass population was at an all-time high and trophy fish were the norm. The bass fishing has become so good lately, said Simonton, that a long boat ride to Canadian waters where fishing pressure is far less is no longer a much-needed option.

Simonton, 35, had given up teaching full-time in the Sandusky schools to compete on the Bassmaster Elite circuit for three years, and found success. He had a trio of top 10 finishes and a solid group of sponsors. Fishing national tournaments is extremely rigorous and expensive, though, and last fall Simonton felt he needed a break from long days on the road and on the water.

"I decided to go back to teaching, but keep my hand in tournament fishing by entering three Bassmaster Northern Open tournaments this year on the James River, Oneida Lake and Lake Erie at Sandusky," he said. "That's where I got started in tournament fishing. I cashed a check in all seven of the Open tournaments I'd fished and qualified for the prestigious Elite Series."

Simonton is now a sixth grade special education teacher at Margaretta Elementary in Castalia.

"I thoroughly enjoy the challenges of working with the kids, and being able to fish on Lake Erie all of the time," he said. "I live a stone's throw from the Ballville Dam on the Sandusky River, where I can cast a lure in the morning or evening when I need a quick fishing fix."

Launching his colorful tournament-wrapped Triton bass boat at the Catawba Island State Park ramp, Simonton deftly handled the big waves on a wind-swept lake on Wednesday morning. When you're racing around Lake Erie in a bass boat, rain gear is mandatory, even when the sun is shining.

"I want to fish around Middle Bass Island this morning," he said. "The smallmouth bass are in transition, just finishing up their spawning season. We'll have to search a bit for them. They could be in 8 to 10 feet of water, or suspended in 20 to 30 feet. I'm confident we can find bass and that they'll bite."

We slipped past the old Lonz Winery on the southeast corner of the island and set up in shallow water. Casting a homely orange and brown Storm Mag Wart, I quickly had a bass jumping out of Lake Erie in a bid to shake off the crankbait.

A typical tournament angler, Simonton was testing a variety of water depths with an array of lures: tube jigs, drop shot rigs, crankbaits, even a big and bulky chartreuse bass spinnerbait. A sheepshead would interrupt our bass success every now and then.

It was a superb morning of bass fishing, with the largest brown bass estimated to be a shade heavier than four pounds. What was just as impressive were the numbers of smaller bass, a good sign for future seasons.

"This lake is again one of the great smallmouth bass fishing holes in the country," Simonton said. "It wasn't so hot for a while, back when people were keeping tons of bass and tournament fishing pressure was high. The closed spring season has made quite a difference."

In 2004, the Ohio Division of Wildlife provided more protection for smallmouth bass. The agency allowed only catch-and-release fishing on Lake Erie and its tributaries from March 1 to the last Saturday in June and imposed a 14-inch minimum size limit.

Fisheries biologist Travis Hartman at the Sandusky Fisheries Research Station said the changes invigorated the bass population over the last decade.

"We simply had too high of a bass harvest during the spawning season of a nest-guarding species," said Hartman. "Especially with a new egg predator, the invasive round goby.

"After we set the rules, it became common for fishermen to release bass they caught all year, not just during the closed season. The annual Lake Erie smallmouth bass harvest of 40,000 to 50,000 fish significantly dropped to about 10,000 bass, according to creel checks."

When school's out, Simonton hikes, paddles and fishes all around the region. He is a certified scuba diver and often takes a visual look at Lake Erie structure painted on the Humminbird sonar unit on his bass boat. A licensed Lake Erie charter skipper, he also guides bass anglers.

"I offer one- and two-man Lake Erie trips during the summer that range from $250 to $400," he said. "It's a good way for fishermen to learn the tackle, techniques and locations for bass fishing success."

Simonton can be reached at Michael@michaelsimonton.com or 419-463-0698.

A report surface Friday that Braxton Miller has been fully cleared to throw, but Ohio State coaches said they were unaware of any change in his status.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The last time anyone outside of the Ohio State football program saw Braxton Miller on the field, he was wearing shorts and a visor, and playing the role of spectator during the Buckeyes' spring game.

He did, for a brief moment, remove his shirt and visor to take part in the 40-yard dash contest at halftime. He showed then what everyone already knew, he's fast, a gifted athlete who can perform sometimes amazing feats with the ball in his hand.

Except then he couldn't throw, at least not at full strength. The right shoulder he injured twice in the span of eight months was still hindering him. And as far as Northeast Ohio Media Group has learned, it's still hindering him now.

A report released Friday by 247Sports cited team sources saying Miller has been "fully cleared" to throw without limitation.

NEOMG's Doug Lesmerises and Ari Wasserman were in Detroit on Friday where several members of the Buckeyes coaching staff, including Urban Meyer, were on hand to work with high school players at the Sound Mind Sound Body Camp. Several members of the coaching staff said they were unaware of any change in Miller's status.

"Braxton Miller continues to work through the progressions of his rehabilitation and continues to prepare for the start of the season," read a statement from an Ohio State spokesman on Friday.

That falls in line with what other outlets were reporting.

Regarding Braxton Miller, a source close to the #OhioState QB told me there's been no change in his status. 1/2

-- Bill Rabinowitz (@brdispatch) June 12, 2015

Miller will see Dr. James Andrews later this month. Urban Meyer said last wk that Braxton has been throwing up to 35 yds.2/2

-- Bill Rabinowitz (@brdispatch) June 12, 2015

Note on Braxton Miller: He's already throwing, working out with Buckeyes. Key is to be cleared by the doctor for August for pads/contact.

-- Austin Ward (@AWardESPN) June 12, 2015

So where does that leave us? Until otherwise notified by Ohio State, Miller is still just slightly ahead of where he was in the spring.

He was throwing then, but never really letting loose. I spent the entirety of the Buckeyes' only fully-open spring practice watching the quarterbacks, and Miller was relegated to some stretching, work with a medicine ball and some light throwing between 20-40 yards.

Meyer said on May 29 that Miller was throwing the ball about 35 yards with some zip on it, but still not fully letting it go. That's progress, but still throwing with limitations. But it's not surprising that things would be moving at such a gradual pace; the coaching and training staffs are all too aware of the fragile nature of such an injury.

"I can tell you that the labrum doesn't heal particularly well," Dr. Mark Schickendantz of the Cleveland Clinic told NEOMG last August. "The surgery is difficult, the blood supply is poor and it's hard to get these things to heal. It's a difficult thing to come back from. If you look across the board, successful return to play is not all that predictable. People don't understand how difficult it is to come back from that type of surgery."

That doesn't mean that Miller won't be able to bounce back completely, and so far the word from Ohio State is that they expect Miller to be fully involved in the quarterback battle once August comes.

But to do that, he needs to be cleared by Ohio State's doctors, and members of the coaching staff said Friday that that hasn't happened yet.

Browns safety Tashaun Gipson has skipped voluntary workouts in a contract stand, but could sign his second-round tender and be back on the field by the mandatory minicamp Tuesday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio --  Pro Bowl safety Tashaun Gipson, who's been skipping the Browns voluntary offseason program, could sign his tender by Monday and be at the mandatory minicamp by Tuesday.

If Gipson opts not to sign the second-round tender by Monday, the Browns could reduce their offer by $1.729 million. Considering that's more than Gipson made over the first three years of his rookie contract ($1,441,500) he might decide it's too risky.

Dismayed that the Browns offered him the second-round tender ( $2.356 million) instead of the first ($3.347 million in 2015), Gipson opted to work out at home in Dallas instead of joining his teammates at the voluntary offseason workouts, which began April 20th and ran through organized team activities Friday.

Per the collective bargaining agreement, the Browns have the right to reduce their offer to Gipson on Monday to 110% of his 2014 base salary, which is $627,000.

If the Browns had assured Gipson's camp that they wouldn't slash the offer, he might've been able to keep the heat on and sit out the mandatory minicamp, which is Tuesday through Thursday. Instead, they've used it as leverage of their own and have remained mum.

"I prefer to stay out of that contractual stuff,'' coach Mike Pettine said Thursday after organized team activities.  "I'm not going to comment on that.''

What's more, the Browns have made it a point to praise Gipson's replacement at safety, Jordan Poyer.

"(Jordan) sees himself out there with the ones,'' said secondary coach Jeff Hafley. "I hope in Jordan's mind, I hope he's saying, 'I'm going to be the starter' because that's what we would want from every one of our guys. He's come out and I can't say enough about him. He's probably got more reps than everybody too. And never says a thing, just keeps running to the ball, keeps making plays.''

The Browns have indicated they'd be comfortable starting Poyer if it comes to that.

"He's determined, focused, passionate, intelligent,'' said Hafley. "He has taken such a step mentally, he is really running things back there. When (Donte Whitner's)  not in there, he takes over. and that is so big, considering our scheme is so multiple. The way he runs to the ball, the way he's covering, the way he comes in for extra meetings, that guy's taken a huge step and it's really exciting.''

Poyer, originally a seventh-round pick of the Eagles in 2013 and claimed off waivers by the Browns that year, views this as his moment to shine.

"It's almost impossible to replace a guy like Tashaun, but definitely being able to get the reps with the ones and showcase what I can do, (I'll) just keep working hard and hard every day,'' he said.

He's also being coached up from afar by Gipson, who's one of his best friends on the team.

 "Gip's texting me quite a bit, letting me know what he sees on the practice tape,'' Poyer said. "I'm just trying to take it all in and compete. He's letting me know what's going on and what he sees and just giving me some tips of how I can be a better player.''

Gipson, who's studying the Browns tape every day, told Wyoming radio station KFBC on Tuesday night that he'll be playing for the Browns this season whether it's under the one-year tender or the long-term contract he's seeking.

"At the end of the day, I'm going to play football,'' said the Pro Bowl safety.  "No matter if this contract situation is shook out, I will be playing in Cleveland. It's just about, how will it be? I would like a long-term extension, but if it doesn't work out, then you know, hey, I'm going to show up, be the same guy that I've been for the past three years, not causing problems, and continue to give 100 percent to the city of Cleveland and my organization."
 
Gipson, who finished second in the NFL with a career-high six interceptions despite missing the last give games with a torn medial collateral ligament, said ideally the Browns and his agent, Jared Fox, will work out a long-term extension that would keep him in Cleveland for the foreseeable future. Gipson will be looking at the contract signed this offsets by Patriots Pro Bowl safety Devin McCourty. Before hitting the market, he re-signed with New England for five years, $47.5 million, including a $15 million signing bonus and $28.5 million guaranteed.

"That's definitely the plan," Gipson told KFBC.  "To be in this situation, first and foremost, it's a blessing. Here I am, a guy who was undrafted. Now I'm in contract negotiations. So, yeah, I love the city of Cleveland. There's no other team that I would rather play for. That's the team that gave me the opportunity, and I'm more than grateful for the opportunity that they gave me looking back on it. So there's no other place I want to play. As far as a timetable, that's just something that I just can't give right now because of the matter of the situation.''
Browns defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil cautioned that Gipson will have plenty of catching up to do when he gets back, but coach Mike Pettine knows it's all in the name of business.
"When he's here, we'll coach the heck out of him,''  Pettine said Thursday. "I can't speak for where he is from a frame of mind or what his plans are, but when he's here he'll be welcomed. "(I've) been through this in all my time in the NFL -- guys with contract issues. Things very quickly get forgotten once they show up."
Gipson has also kept in close contact with his position coach.

"Gip and I have a great relationship, and I believe he'd say the same thing,'' said Hafley. "I can't wait to get him back so I can coach him again as hard and do the best job I can when he's here. I think he's going to come in, I think he's going to work hard and I think we'll get him going.''

From the looks of things, that could be as early as Monday.