Dispatch Executive Editor Michael Shearer is the source of the next question in our What's Up With That proving that even the most loyal readers occasionally miss our stories That's part of what we're trying to solve with this new feature which aims to bring Dispatch readers (and staffers!) answers to questions about developments trends and other interesting goings-on in central Ohio Luckily for Mike (and you), answering his question about the demolition was fairly easy because reporter Jim Weiker and photojournalist Doral Chenoweth were all over the story. It's the former headquarters of the United Way of Central Ohio. Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority plans to replace the three-story, 55-year-old building at 360 S. 3rd St. with a $29-million housing complex called AspireColumbus. Check out the photos below for a look at the demolition work the day it started United Way selected CMHA after putting out a request for proposals from buyers who could make use of the site to fill a community need for affordable housing Email us.Do you have a question you want answered or you can send your questions to newsroom@dispatch.com ideally with "What Up With That?" in the subject line Thank you to the many of you who have already submitted questions; we're hard at work getting answers to them and we look forward to hearing from more of you Dispatch Digital Director Eleanor Kennedy can be reached at ekennedy@dispatch.com 4vs1Penn Photo by: Tamar KreitmanGottam Dominates on the Mound Leads Baseball to Win over Penn5/2/2025 6:04:00 PM | Baseball Parkersburg Catholic High School graduate and Marshall University pitcher Patrick Copen has returned to the mound for Class High-A Great Lakes Loon after an injury last season left him without vision in his right eye — Opening Day starter holds a special place for any professional baseball player The fact Patrick Copen was standing on the same mound where he was hit in the face by a line drive 7 ½ months earlier and leaving him without vision in his right eye was a feat in itself there was never a moment Copen thought he wouldn’t pitch again So here he was facing the Lake County Capitals for the start of the 2025 season in the Midwest League I wasn’t really thinking about (the recovery process),” said the 23-year-old right-hander who pitched for Parkersburg Catholic High School and Marshall University prior to being drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023 “I was just focused on making my pitches and doing the job I needed to do as a starter,” Copen continued The moment really hit me and I kind of took in what I had gone through the past year “It definitely was a full circle moment It was pretty emotional with my family being there on my first time back on the same mound where my injury happened But that kind of gave me a little bit more adrenaline Copen has an overpowering fastball ranging upwards of 97 to 98 miles per hour It’s the movement which gives opposing batters fits and batting at a .162 clip Copen has not allowed a home run and following Wednesday’s no-decision outing of 3.2 innings he leads Midwest League pitchers with 33 strikeouts Part of his success dates back to last season when he adopted a significant leg kick across his body at the end of his delivery “That’s something the Dodgers and I put in,” Copen said “It allows my body to flow smoothly down and keep my hips closed a little longer.” The one downside to Copen’s game is control “It’s a mechanical thing — my pitching coach and I look back at video from my outings to see where my body may not be moving the way I want,” Copen said my coaches and I look at that video and how to tailor my drills to what I need to fix.” Leading up to his assignment to Great Lakes for the start of the regular season Copen arrived at the Dodgers’ spring training site in Arizona ahead of the assigned date pitchers and catchers were required to report His workouts included extra sessions on fielding and adjusting to his limited vision it was like riding a bike – I never felt like that part of my game went away,” Copen said there were definitely some things that needed to be worked out In spring training there would be times I would work on fielding by myself – just kind of throwing a soft ball at the wall and having it come back at me There is nothing that I’m worried about today.” Copen feels blessed to be a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers organization They have been supportive from the moment the injury occurred Aug “Every staff member I talk to at Great Lakes as well as everyone at spring training were extremely supportive and excited I was back and playing again,” Copen said “They have been there the entire time so there’s nothing more I could ask from them “They are a great organization and great people.” Copen earned his first victory last Thursday in a 3-1 win at Lake County Copen allowed just three hits and three walks while striking out seven “It was pretty solid execution – with the help of my pitching coach I obviously went in with a plan and executed it pretty well,” Copen said “We also had some adjusting to do towards the later innings when they get guys on but you get the next guys out Just everything was working that day.” A pitch count kept Copen from going deeper into the win over Lake County He understands the grand plan and protecting arms His one goal is to remain healthy and make all his assigned starts Copen remained in the dugout to support his teammates and close out the win “I try to make baseball a team sport as much as possible,” Copen said “You know every guy there is trying to do the same exact thing I am — we are all trying to win You know we are all trying to make it to the next level “Just being behind our guys gives everybody that little extra juice that we need to accomplish.” With a no-decision in his latest start on Wednesday “I feel extremely good because obviously there is a lot of talent but there is also a lot of hard work that goes into each outing — both physical as well as from a mental standpoint,” Copen said “You are training physically every day and you are also working hard to create a gameplan and to execute that gameplan throughout each game it feels really good when it all comes together Copen actually feels his pitching mechanics are at a better place now than when the injury occurred last August He checked in with an eye specialist several times during spring training but his appointments have become less frequent since the season opened He has transitioned to his daily life away from the ballpark “During my appointments in spring training they said everything was in as good of a spot as it could be,” Copen said “The appointments are more spread out now that everything is stable There is not really much to be worried about.” it’s now just about the tools of his trade And that being his stealth delivery from his right arm “I’m the most blessed about everything — everything is a gift right now,” Copen said “I can’t be more happy with the spot I’m in I’m going to field every day trying to get as good as possible every single day “Opening day was definitely a full circle moment,” Copen said “Just being able to look back at all that hard work that had gone in to get to that point was extremely amazing.” Contact Kerry Patrick at kpatrick@newsandsentinel.com MORGANTOWN — Rich Rodriguez made a big splash in the transfer portal on Wednesday | https://www.newsandsentinel.com | 519 Juliana St. There are plenty of ways to listen to today's game between your Houston Astros and the Chicago White Sox as Lance McCullers Jr You can listen on any radio tuned to 790AM or 94.5-2 on an HD radio or stream for free in the city of Houston on the iHeartRadio app Flower Mound voters headed to the polls May 3 to cast ballots for two bond propositions totaling $112 million Connor is a government reporter covering city councils of Coppell He joined Community Impact in June 2023 and previously covered the cities of Wylie He graduated from Southern Methodist University with a degree in journalism and political science CHICAGO — It ended on something out of his control a cruel instance of irony for a pitcher whose career has stalled under identical circumstances His comeback should have concluded with a called third strike on a full-count curveball the pitch that once launched Lance McCullers Jr into immortality and helped bring Houston its first American League pennant The one he spun in the fourth inning on Sunday afternoon carried no such stakes but still caught the top of Joshua Palacios’ strike zone Home-plate umpire Shane Livensparger disagreed and deemed it a ball Palacios proceeded to first base and the entire Houston Astros infield went to the mound McCullers' final pitch, a 3-2 pitch, certainly appeared to be a strike pic.twitter.com/Up7nwV9PKP — Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) May 4, 2025 offering a handshake to McCullers on a milestone afternoon McCullers had procured just 11 outs but already exceeded his predetermined pitch limit Catcher Victor Caratini handed McCullers the baseball before he exited the mound straying from procedure in a show of sentimentality “From where I’ve come from over the last couple years — especially where I was early this offseason — I would lie to you guys if I didn’t say I was pretty proud of myself getting back here,” McCullers said after Houston’s rain-shortened 5-4 loss against the Chicago White Sox I expect more out of myself and I know I’ll be better as the year and starts progress.” Such is the balance McCullers and this entire ballclub must strike across the next five months That McCullers came back from a second reconstructive elbow surgery is a case study in perseverance turning Sunday’s sleepy matinee on the South Side into something far more meaningful General manager Dana Brown even flew in on Saturday night just to witness it What he saw reaffirmed the reality of this season’s most fascinating subplot a man capable of borderline dominance whenever his body allows Arriving on Sunday with a 2.96 ERA across his past 210 major-league innings proves it That McCullers hadn’t thrown one since Nov “But I would still like to go deeper into the game I’d like to get to two outs and not start walking guys or get into jams and eat up the pitch count.” Whether McCullers can accomplish that won’t be answered in an instant but Houston will give him enough runway to render a verdict The team plans to deploy a six-man rotation beginning on Friday when it begins a stretch of 17 consecutive games without an off day Expanding the rotation will shrink Houston’s bullpen by one reliever putting the onus on all six starters to cover enough innings and avoid overworking a short-handed unit McCullers has never been known as an innings-eater though with workhorses Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown alongside him Needing 87 pitches to finish 3 2/3 innings on Sunday offered an ominous omen but expecting a man who was out of Major League Baseball for 915 days to deliver dominance on Day 1 is foolish So is putting any long-term expectations on his effectiveness or role on a club with championship aspirations McCullers’ evolution this season will epitomize the “one day at a time” mantra “That many pitches in that little of time is not ideal coming off rehab Wish I would’ve gone a little bit deeper and given the guys a little more length but we are what we are and we’ll have to build off of it.” McCullers is not the same pitcher who last appeared in a major-league game he averaged 91.8 mph on a sinker that sat 93.8 mph in 2022 but never reached 94 on any of the 25 sinkers he threw coming out of rehab (from another arm injury) I think as I got into that six-to-eight start realm The slider he uses to generate chases and whiffs against right-handed hitters “was not good,” McCullers said two were swung on and missed and one was called a strike he threw 12 right-on-right changeups while navigating Chicago’s order a second time six guys deep with the righties,” McCullers said of a lineup that started five right-handed hitters and one switch-hitter main game plans evaporates in front of you.” The White Sox awoke on Sunday with the American League’s lowest batting average baseball’s lowest slugging percentage and a .623 OPS that ranked ahead of only the Colorado Rockies Only six teams swing-and-miss more than the White Sox who whiffed just six times on the 38 swings they took against McCullers giving Chicago no reason to chase anything it saw outside the strike zone McCullers needed 55 pitches to procure his first six outs Loading the bases during the second inning prompted activity in the Astros’ bullpen Miguel Vargas popped up an out-of-zone sinker to stop it A 12-pitch third inning showed encouraging flashes Two weak ground balls sandwiched a strikeout of Luis Robert Jr on the best slider McCullers threw all day accentuates the reality of how McCullers’ reintroduction to the major leagues will manifest “I think two things can be true at the same time,” McCullers said “I know I need to make strides and continue to get my feet under me and I can also feel proud of getting back to this point.” Chandler Rome is a Staff Writer for The Athletic covering the Houston Astros. Before joining The Athletic, he covered the Astros for five years at the Houston Chronicle. He is a graduate of Louisiana State University. Follow Chandler on Twitter @Chandler_Rome On the scrub‑covered plains of northeastern Brazil millions of brown cones rise just high enough to catch the late‑day sun They look like random piles left by passing farmers and Satellite images finally revealed their true extent: an earthen metropolis spread over roughly 88,000 square miles – about the size of Great Britain – and built grain by grain by termites no longer than a fingernail Most ecosystems show traces of the animals that shape them The Syntermes dirus termites have pushed more than 2.4 cubic miles of soil to the surface assembling around 200 million mounds without a single blueprint Only when scientists from the University of Salford and the Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana (UEFS) began pairing drone flights with ground surveys did the pattern emerge The caatinga – a seasonally dry forest shot through with thorny shrubs – offers slim pickings they carve tunnels just beneath the surface shoving spoil upward through temporary shafts Each shaft becomes a cone about 8.2 feet high and 29.5 feet wide; over time those cones harden into permanent landmarks Unlike the tower‑like nests seen in Africa or Australia these Brazilian mounds hold no royal chamber or nursery They are solid waste dumps – the visible residue of an underground traffic system optimized for hauling leaf litter home sealing narrow access tubes until darkness brings cooler air and fewer predators researchers drilled cores from mound centers and dated mineral grains with optically stimulated luminescence Some cones formed 3,820 years ago; others are as ‘young’ as 690 years old That makes them among the oldest termite structures on Earth older than many stone monuments humans celebrate Every termite mound cone holds roughly 65 cubic yards of packed clay and the displaced soil rivals about 4,000 Great Pyramids of Giza – a statistic the team highlighted to put insect power in perspective Field crews could visit only a fraction of the cones, so the study turned to a modeling tool called MAXENT By feeding confirmed mound locations into the algorithm the scientists projected where similar terrain likely hosts more cones Follow‑up hikes backed the prediction: the grid stretches for hundreds of miles yet human activity barely nicks it because the acidic clay is poor farmland and another sits about 65 feet away in any direction – a pattern called ‘over‑dispersed’ To discover whether rival colonies enforced such order the team introduced termites from neighboring heaps to one another No hostility surfaced unless the insects came from sites roughly 31 miles apart implying that spacing is not a product of territorial squabbles so pushing spoil to a single point and never digging there again saves energy the termites created a lattice with an average density of 4,660 mounds per square mile Chemical signals probably keep the lattice intact; pheromone trails guide workers through labyrinthine tunnels to food Beneath each cone lies a central artery that branches like a tree root The network lets colonies reach new leaf drops without surfacing midday in brutal heat The cones themselves do nothing more than hold discarded clay yet they mark the tunnel map for generations Naked mole‑rats in East Africa build similar subterranean webs to chase tubers North American gophers leave spoil piles comparable in form sparse resources push small creatures to redesign the very ground they inhabit but they play a massive role in shaping ecosystems These insects live in highly organized colonies humid environments where they chew through wood While we tend to associate termites with destruction – especially when they invade homes – they actually help recycle nutrients back into the soil What’s fascinating is how they build and communicate Termites use chemical signals to coordinate everything Some species even construct towering mounds that regulate temperature and humidity through intricate tunnel systems – essentially natural air-conditioning while they might give homeowners nightmares The Brazilian grid shows that big construction does not require big bodies or even central planning move on – run through countless termite lifetimes and shape an entire biome When food is scattered and rain unreliable The cones stand as silent mile‑markers of that principle reminding visitors that the world’s grandest civil engineers sometimes weigh less than a paperclip The full study was published in the journal Current Biology Like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter for engaging articles Check us out on EarthSnap, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com BOX SCORE PA) - The Reading Fightin Phils (5-16) fell to the Harrisburg Senators (11-12) 6-3 in the second game of the series The Fightin Phils got themselves on the board first in the bottom of the fourth inning Aidan Miller and Hendry Mendez both singled during their time at bat Keaton Anthony came in with an RBI single that scored Miller Felix Reyes followed with a sac fly to center field and Mendez made home Reading found themselves up 2-0 by the end of the fourth Reading extended their lead in the bottom of the sixth starting with a double on a line drive to right field Felix Reyes came in with his second sac fly of the night this time to right field and scored Mendez The Senators chipped away at Reading’s lead in the top of the seventh inning Cortland Lawson doubled on a sharp line drive to left field A wild pitch from Mitch Neunborn allowed Lawson to advance to third Phillip Glasser grounded out and Lawson scored Reading held on to the lead for the remainder of the inning and it was now 3-1 Harrisburg had a late push in the top of the eighth that started with a single on a line drive to left field from Joe Naranjo Carlos De La Cruz walked and Naranjo went to second had a three-run home run and the Senators took the lead 4-3 The Senators added to their lead in the top of the ninth Phillip Glasser singled on a sharp line drive to center field Yohandy Morales lined out sharply to center field Phillip Glasser advanced to third after a throwing error from Elio Prado Joe Naranjo came in with a two RBI single and Harrisburg made it 6-3 The Fightin Phils were unable to respond in the bottom of the ninth and the Senators took game two by calling 610-370-BALL or at the Customers Bank Ticket Office The 2025 R-Phils season is presented by Pepsi Follow the Fightin Phils on Twitter @ReadingFightins Incumbent Sheila Taylor is facing Ryan Echols in the race for Place 7 on the Lewisville ISD Board of Trustees CLOQUET — It certainly wasn’t the start Cherry’s Noah Sundquist was looking for against Cloquet Thursday at Mettner Field Sundquist walked the first four Lumberjacks batters he faced and only threw four strikes in his first 16 pitches Sundquist struck out the next three to end the Cloquet threat he wouldn’t allow a hit — though his control remained an issue over the four innings he pitched but walked seven and hit two more in an 11-3 win for the Tigers Coach Brian Kemp said sometimes the senior gets a little too excited early in games and it leads him to press more than he needs to “Noah is such a competitive kid in everything that he does,” Kemp said “Oftentimes he wants to overdo things and let his velocity do the work for him where he doesn’t have to do that all the time It’s just toning him down and calming him down a little.” Sundquist knows it wasn’t his “best performance” Thursday but his defense — which was error-free for back-to-back games for the first time this season — lets him relax a little on the mound “I’ve got all the confidence when I’m throwing because I know I’ve got a great D behind me,” he said “Then I just settle in and hopefully throw strikes.” who was behind the plate for Sundquist’s innings “He just got in a rhythm — that’s the biggest thing,” Asuma said focusing on one pitch at a time and he went from there.” While Sundquist put Cherry in a position to win from the mound His third-inning triple drove in three runs and got the Tigers on the scoreboard but that’s par for the course for Sundquist basketball and baseball the last three years and the kids feed off him,” he said We’ll score three to five in an inning and then might lay a goose egg here and there Today we had five in one and four in another — we score in bunches and that comes from feeding off each other.” Much of why the Tigers have been successful early is their bats “The bats have been carrying us a lot,” he said “That’s a really important part of why we’ve been good and it gives our pitchers a lot of confidence.” but the northern Minnesota spring has kept the Tigers’ practices inside for much of the season — which means a lot of time in the batting cages “All the work — for everybody — is starting to pay off,” Sundquist said Sundquist is the guy that sets the tone for Cherry “The guy radiates energy and other people feel it,” Asuma said “All it takes is one swing to get everyone going and that was a swing today.” Cherry has its toughest stretch of games so far beginning with a game against 2024 Section 5A champion New York Mills at 11 a.m They will also host Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin later Friday and Class AAA Hibbing Saturday Kemp knows it will be a challenge and the Tigers need Sundquist to be at the top of his game if they are going to repeat as section champion or contend for a state title I’m just worried about him throwing strikes but he’s also capable of doing it offensively and when he plays in the field or catching I don’t know that anyone’s stolen a base on him this year — he’s just our little spark plug.” photo by John Tyler www.BuzzPhotos.com HOUSTON — Lance McCullers Jr is to start for the Houston Astros against the Chicago White Sox in his first major league appearance since Game 3 of the 2022 World Series in Philadelphia “I’m really excited to have him on the mound on Sunday,” Astros manager Joe Espada said “He’s worked his tail off to get back to this point and this whole entire team and this city should be excited to get Lance back.” to repair his right flexor tendon and to remove a bone spur The 31-year-old right-hander threw a bullpen session last June but had a setback and was shut down for the year He has made four minor league rehab starts this year allowing four runs and 10 hits over 12 2/3 innings with 16 strikeouts and six walks he struck out seven in five shutout innings for Double-A Corpus Christi “My last two outings I’ve felt really good my stuff has been pretty crisp,” McCullers said He is 49-32 with a 3.48 ERA in seven seasons McCullers first injured his flexor tendon while pitching on short rest during the 2021 AL Division Series He missed the first four months of the 2022 season “Been waiting for it for a long time,” McCullers said “Almost feel like I’m making my debut in some aspects McCullers has missed three full seasons since making his major league debut in 2015 “It would’ve been a pretty sad ending to my story,” McCullers said A Division of NBCUniversal. 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Best Version Media, LLC. although the Astros ultimately lost the game the Atlanta Braves snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 4-3 victory fueled by a strong performance from Austin Riley the Kansas City Royals hit a franchise-record seven home runs in a single game against the Baltimore Orioles Other highlights included the New York Mets getting swept by the St Louis Cardinals and the Tampa Bay Rays' rookie Chandler Simpson impressing with his speed The upcoming series between the Rays and Reds on July 25-27 will spotlight rookie Chandler Simpson's speed and potential matchups against Elly De La Cruz McCullers' return offers hope for the Astros and potentially revitalizes their rotation while the Royals' explosive performance raises questions about their offensive consistency moving forward The summary of the linked article was generated with the assistance of artificial intelligence technology from OpenAI We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it OK Privacy policy 12vs2South Dakota State Photo by: Joey KurtzPrindl Shines on the Mound, While Bats Blast Three Home Runs in 12-2 Win4/23/2025 7:59:00 PM | Baseball Bailey Falter deserved better than a no-decision Saturday night at PNC Park The Pirates fell to the Padres, 2-1 for a seventh loss in their past nine games But Falter gave his team every chance to win this one pitching seven innings with one run allowed on one mistake on this slider over the middle to Manny Machado: That swing tied the score at 1-1 in the seventh inning a single to Martin Maldonado in the third that was immediately erased by getting Fernando Tatis Jr to ground into an inning-ending double play "He did a really good job of executing pitches throughout the entire game," Derek Shelton said of Falter It looked like it was a cutter or slider to Manny I thought he was pretty much in total control." which was the main reason why he worked so efficiently needing only 89 pitches to mow through a potent lineup in those seven innings then threw the occasional slider to keep guys off balance or put them away: he threw it 1.2-mph harder than his season average and his spin rate was 66 rpms more than his season average "I noticed in the bullpen that we had a really good fastball today so I tried to use it as much as possible," Falter said just being able to establish the heater down opened up a lot of room for all the other stuff I just overall think it was a really good day Kudos to Joey Bart for calling a really great game We were on the same page the entire time." Maybe it's just the friendly confines of PNC Park Machado's home run was the first run he'd given up in this ballpark since April 5 and the third inning of the 10-4 loss to the Yankees this was fresh off back-to-back starts in which he gave up eight total earned runs over 8 1/3 innings on the West Coast I feel kind of like the weak link right now," Falter said. "It was good Just happy to go out there and try and get these guys a W and do whatever it takes Thought it was a pretty good day overall." There's no weaker link than the offense, of course. If it weren't for Oneil Cruz, the Pirates would have been completely shut down in this game, mustering all of six singles. This team needs the pitching to be what it was advertised to be prior to the season. "It's challenging because you're delayed, and then you go out and pitch as well as he did. I mean, that's all he can do. Control what he can control," Shelton said. "To go through eight right-handed hitters, especially the caliber of that group at the top and arguably one of the best left-handed hitters in baseball, and he gave up two hits. He was outstanding." Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits! Make your voice heard on the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates, and hear right back from tens of thousands of fellow Pittsburgh sports fans worldwide! Plus, access all our premium content, including Dejan Kovacevic columns, Friday Insider, daily Live Qs with the staff, more! And yeah, that's right, no ads at all! Link IconCopy linkFacebook LogoShare on FacebookXShare on XEmailShare via EmailLink copied to clipboardPhillies have a little fun with José Castillo’s return to the mound to secure a win against ArizonaSlugger Kyle Schwarber gave Castillo a rough welcome back José Castillo hadn’t pitched in the major leagues since 2023 before he took the mound for the Arizona Diamondbacks in the seventh inning on Friday evening Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber gave the left-hander a rough welcome back sending the first pitch he saw — a sinker on the inside corner — 398 feet to right-center for a game-tying home run Max Kepler went deep to almost the same spot putting the Phillies in front for the 3-2 win over Arizona and trying to get the information for what his ball’s going to play like,” Schwarber said “And you’re trying to envision that in your head And it kind of started right where I was telling myself ‘That’s a pitch that I need to go on,’ and I was able to put a good swing on it.” with fly balls that just stayed inside the park for outs “I usually try and approach lefties just like righties,” said Kepler whose homer marked his first hit off a lefty since April 19 ”It just gets a little harder when you don’t get to see them as routinely as you do the righties.” The Phillies’ bullpen, which had been a significant weakness early in the season, shut down the Diamondbacks to seal the win. Matt Strahm, Tanner Banks, Jordan Romano, and José Alvarado combined in relief to not allow a single run the Phillies’ bullpen is riding an 11-inning scoreless streak dating back to Wednesday “Maybe they’re finding out about themselves, just settling in, getting into the right moments and feeling good about themselves,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Alvarado, who came in for the ninth inning after meeting fan Princeton Bailey before the game was helped out by a spectacular catch from Johan Rojas The center fielder snagged a well-hit fly ball from Lourdes Gurriel Jr while on the run for the first out of the inning » READ MORE: ‘He got my heart’: José Alvarado meets the 12-year-old Phillies fan who was imitating him Rojas slammed into the center field wall after making the catch but remained in the game after being checked out by the Phillies’ training staff “I just saw the ball and ran to the wall because I knew he hit it hard,” said Rojas who added that he felt fine after the collision It had been a low-scoring affair before the homer barrage off Castillo. The Phillies plated a run in the first inning on a Trea Turner single followed by a Schwarber double The offense hit seven balls harder than 95 mph off Arizona starter Merrill Kelly who started in center before being replaced by Rojas in the eighth was responsible for one of those hits in the fifth The Diamondbacks put good at-bats on Phillies starter Jesús Luzardo to get his pitch count to tick up The lefty needed 26 pitches to get through the second and 24 in the third He allowed Arizona to put two runners on in each of the first four innings but managed to hold them to just one run in that span Gurriel — who went 3-for-3 against Luzardo — doubled in the fourth and Geraldo Perdomo drove him in with a single I would have just gone three or four [innings] max and given up a lot more runs,” Luzardo said I feel like we’re able to weather the storm and make it work and try to save the bullpen as much as possible.” He struck out Josh Naylor in three pitches and induced a fly ball to Gabriel Moreno but Stevenson couldn’t come up with the catch on the center field warning track A single from Gurriel scored Moreno and gave the Diamondbacks a 2-1 lead » READ MORE: Andrew Painter is one step from his major league debut: His next start will be at Lehigh Valley The nine hits he allowed are a season-high felt strong and felt like I had some good velo I just didn’t have good command of it,” Luzardo said Strahm took over and gave up a first-pitch single but got some good fortune with a popped-up bunt from Geraldo Perdomo that became an inning-ending double play The single was the only hit allowed by the bullpen on Friday Home » Tapping on the Mound Highlights UA Honors Week TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama will recognize the achievements of outstanding students and faculty during Honors Week, March 31-April 4, culminating in the Tapping on the Mound ceremony on Honors Day The Tapping on the Mound ceremony will be at 1:30 p.m on the historic Mound at the west side of the UA Quad The rain location will be the UA Student Center Ballroom The Tapping on the Mound ceremony has been a university tradition since the early 1900s University honor groups Omicron Delta Kappa Blue Key National Honor Society and Anderson Society will induct members Outstanding students and other special awards will also be presented ODK’s membership includes students of junior standing or above who are in the top 35% of their class scholastically and who exhibit leadership one of the highest honors granted to college seniors Blue Key National Honor Society recognizes seniors who represent high scholastic ideals The Anderson Society recognizes UA students who have made significant contributions to the University or the Tuscaloosa community The Tapping on the Mound ceremony will be streamed live on the UA Division of Student Life YouTube page. UA shapes a better world through its teaching UA provides a forward-thinking environment and over 200 degree programs on a beautiful creative inquiry and knowledge through more than 30 research centers As the state’s largest higher education institution UA drives economic growth in Alabama and beyond University of Alabama News This website uses cookies to collect information to improve your browsing experience. Please review our Privacy Statement for more information Flower Mound is overflowing with family-friendly things to do One Dallas-area city took the top slot on a new list of "the 100 Best Places to Live in 2025." The list — from relocation marketing platform Livability.com — put Flower Mound at No 1 for its appealing size and affordability The list was restricted to small and mid-size cities with populations between 75,000-500,000 residents And it also considered only cities with a median home value of $500,000 or less They considered factors such as average rent and home prices relative to income to keep their list centered around affordability And while Flower Mound did come in at No. 1, the site specifies that the list is not a numbered ranking but one where users are encouraged to create their own ranking based on personal priorities Flower Mound earned the highest score out of all the cities on the report with a LivScore totaling 875 out of 1,000 possible points Flower Mound is 28 miles northwest of Dallas with a population of more than 77,000 residents and a median household income that's well into the six-figures These affluent residents have median home values of $476,609 the suburb ranked the highest for its health (88) The report said Flower Mound has a "diverse and robust" economy bolstered by more than 2,000 locally based businesses in tech Rheudasil Park is a great place for families to enjoy the outdoors.Town of Flower Mound Livability's profile of Flower Mound praises its safe neighborhoods "Local residents (and their pets) have all kinds of fun ways to enjoy the great outdoors thanks to more than 1,000 acres of parkland," the profile says with amenities galore — including a splash pad 18-hole disc golf course and bronze statues of animals native to the area Flo-Mo is a repeat award winner: In 2024, the city was found to be the 29th most livable small city in America in a separate study by SmartAsset Seven other Texas cities were also included in the list of best places to live in the U.S.: Sugar Land (854 points) The top 10 cities that earned the most points on Livability's list are: The City of Dallas has unveiled a new system designed to streamline business-y tasks such as obtaining permits and inspections. Called DallasNow it's a cloud-based application for "land management" — incorporating services such as permitting used by developers and businesses who need city permission before they start doing what they do the City of Dallas will use DallasNow to submit and review applications and schedule inspections all on one platform According to Dallas' director of Planning & Development Emily Liu the project has been in the making for two years "We heard from our customers that things needed to be changed Some have been steady incremental changes and with DallasNow this will be a monumental change in the way we will do business with much improved transparency and customer service,” Liu says but it grinded to a halt during the pandemic causing many developers to raise flags about the effects on business City personnel hope that some of the benefits will include: They're anticipating a transition and from May 5-16 will be hosting open house sessions with hands-on support to assist customers with setting up new accounts and navigating DallasNow These sessions will be held at Oak Cliff Municipal Center from 8–11:30 am and 1:30–4:30 pm Self-serve stations are set up in the Permit Center at Oak Cliff Municipal Center during regular business hours High school pitchers in the Pacific theater have now thrown a dozen no-hitters this season after two more were recorded Wednesday American School In Japan’s Billy Freund blanked Nile C Kinnick 8-0 Wednesday in the final of the Kanto Plain baseball tournament at Yokosuka Naval Base’s Berkey Field It was the junior right-hander’s second complete-game no-hitter this season and he has been involved in three total Freund struck out 12 and didn’t allow a walk He helped himself by hitting a double and a home run In the Kanto softball tournament at ASIJ’s Mustang Valley senior right-hander Zaylee Gubler fired her second no-hitter of the season as Yokota shut out ASIJ 16-0 in the semifinal The best cities in America aren’t scattered across the country; they’re right here A booming job market and no state income tax Texas is topping relocation lists nationwide and Round Rock all landed top spots in a new ranking of the best places to live in the country If you’re thinking of relocating, here’s why the Lone Star State should be at the top of your list, according to Livability Flower Mound has officially earned bragging rights as the #1 place to live in the U.S Sugar Land blends Southern hospitality with modern-day luxury Round Rock has become a magnet for families The secret’s out: Texas isn’t just a great state, it’s the best place to live in the U.S. right now.\nRead More If you’re thinking of relocating, here’s why the Lone Star State should be at the top of your list, according to Livability. Nestled just outside Dallas, Flower Mound has officially earned bragging rights as the #1 place to live in the U.S. And it’s not hard to see why. Just southwest of Houston, Sugar Land blends Southern hospitality with modern-day luxury. Right outside Austin, Round Rock has become a magnet for families, young professionals, and startups. It’s not just about the cities, it’s about the lifestyle. Texas offers: Pirates Preview: Bucs Start Quick Getaway in St. Louis Nick Gonzales Close to Starting Rehab Assignment: ‘I’m Feeling Great’ One of Pirates’ Few Bright Spots Dimming; Team’s Struggles Build Pirates Conclude Dreadful Homestand With Lifeless Loss to Padres Pirates Preview: Bucs Try to Salvage Series vs. Padres, Ugly Homestand Pirates Minor League Report: Hunter Barco Earns Triple-A Promotion Pirates Minor League Report: Konnor Griffin’s Five-Extra Base Hit Weekend Pirates Top Prospects Update: Developing Another Ace? Pirates Minor League Report: Hunter Barco’s Hot Start Pirates Minor League Report: Termarr Johnson Starting Strong Pirates Q&A: Holderman’s Struggles, When Will They Finally Win? Pirates Q&A: Offense, Paul Skenes Velo, Spending (+) Pirates Q&A: Why Won’t MLB Step in?, Lineup Construction, More (+) Pirates Q&A: Oviedo Timeline, A Shortstop of the Future? (+) Pirates Q&A: Fan Frustration Boils, Back of Bullpen Woes (+) Pirates Roster Moves: Dennis Santana Returns From Bereavement Pirates Transactions: Liover Peguero Back in the Big Leagues Pirates Roster Moves: Hunter Stratton Joins Bullpen in Place of Key Reliever Pirates Roster Moves: Gorski Selected, Burrows Recalled; Suwinski Optioned to Indy Pirates Roster Moves: David Bednar Returns From Stint in Minors The right-hander tore his patellar tendon in a freak accident behind home plate in a game at PNC Park between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds on Aug I was smiling an hour later,” he said standing outside of his locker stall in the clubhouse Stratton’s knee injury resulted in season-ending surgery but his road to returning back to the mound in a Pirates’ uniform was going to take more than just a rehab process Stratton was non-tendered by the Pirates in November but was brought back on a minor-league contract later in the offseason As a non-roster invitee in spring training Stratton cracked the team’s 40-man roster but began the season in Triple-A Indianapolis Thanks to what has been described as a dominant rehab Stratton was recalled by the Pirates at the beginning of their current homestand Just over eight months after the unfortunate injury, the 28-year-old returned to the mound ahead of schedule at PNC Park for the Pirates against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night I didn’t think it would be this quick and here we are now,” he said on returning “I’m really proud of myself for putting in that work It’s been a lot of work and prayer.” Stratton entered Tuesday’s game in the seventh inning with a runner on first base but the right-hander worked around a single and a walk to keep the Cubs from scoring another “Game sped up on me,” he said on making his first 2025 appearance Stratton made his second appearance on Thursday afternoon and allowed three runs on four hits in an inning of work Though Stratton continues to shake off the rust who served as acting manager in the series finale against the Cubs “It’s only his second outing here so really tough (to evaluate),” said Kelly Seeing the way the ball’s coming out has been pretty good right now as far as the command goes I think we’ll have to look into that I don’t know exactly what it is as far as command He was so dominant for us last year.” Stratton went 2-1 with a respectable 3.58 ERA He notched his first save on March 31 in Miami and his first big-league win on Apr His performance during his first two appearances this year notwithstanding the fact that Stratton appeared in game – especially this quickly – is an achievement in itself “Never a doubt in our minds that he was going to exceed expectations This is one of the hardest working human beings that I’ve ever had the opportunity to work with,” Pirates senior director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said “I know it wasn’t the performance he wanted but to see him out on the mound and with that traumatic of an injury so extremely happy for Hunter and extremely excited to see him part of this team and to be a contributor.” Pirates Preview: Bucs Face Another Tough Opponent as Homestand Continues Fielding Questions for Weekly Pirates Q&A Enter your email address to get all of our posts sent directly to your inbox In no way endorsed by the Pittsburgh Pirates or Major League Baseball Call 1-800-GAMBLER (PA/IL) or 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN only) or 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA only) or 1-800-522-4700 (CO Only) or TN REDLINE: 800-889-9789 Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More HOUSTON — Lance McCullers Jr is to start Sunday for the Houston Astros against the Chicago White Sox in his first major league appearance since Game 3 of the 2022 World Series in Philadelphia “I’m really excited to have him on the mound on Sunday,” Astros manager Joe Espada said Wednesday he struck out seven in five shutout innings for Double-A Corpus Christi on Saturday Ohtani throws off mound in first bullpen session since paternity leaveApril 27th LOS ANGELES -- Shohei Ohtani threw off the mound ahead of Saturday's game against the Pirates marking his first bullpen session since going on paternity leave last week Ohtani threw 31 pitches in his most recent session will not take place until the 30-year-old is working with his entire pitch mix Per Roberts, Ohtani is expected to resume the general throwing schedule he's been on during the regular season: throwing a light session on Wednesdays, followed by a full bullpen on Saturdays. He did not throw last Saturday while spending time away from the team for the birth of his daughter and he only played catch rather than throw off the mound last Wednesday because of the layoff The timeline for Ohtani to return to the mound remains indefinite The Dodgers had previously been aiming for sometime in May before Ohtani's progression as a pitcher was paused ahead of the Tokyo Series Rather than targeting a particular return date the team is focused on bringing Ohtani back the right way from the right UCL repair he underwent in September 2023 his second major surgery on his pitching elbow Ohtani did not have a full offseason to build up on the mound because he had left shoulder labrum surgery last November "It's going to be a week by week [process]," general manager Brandon Gomes said Saturday we've got to make sure that he's feeling good and we're being smart so we can't lose the offensive side of it as well because it's a one-of-one type thing." Gomes reiterated that the team does not plan on having Ohtani make any Minor League rehab starts in part because it would be logistically difficult to keep his bat in the lineup That means that Ohtani would primarily use simulated games to build his pitch and inning counts the Dodgers should have a better idea of a prospective timeline But there are several boxes to check before he gets to that point among them mixing in offspeed pitches and doing an up-down in the bullpen One thing is for certain: the team is not planning on rushing Ohtani back The Dodgers want him at his best -- both at the plate and on the mound -- down the stretch and during the postseason "Even if you're talking about Spring Training and a normal buildup for a pitcher you're still looking at a couple months [from now]," Roberts said "I just don't know what that even looks like You just kind of look at the natural progression on what it entails and understanding that we need to build him up as a starter as well APPLETON – Another step forward for Brandon Woodruff The pitching vet was back on the mound pitching for the Appleton Timber Rattlers on Wednesday. The veteran right-hander tossed 5 2/3 innings, giving up one unearned run on three hits and a walk while striking out three “It was awesome. (Woodruff) was dominating,” Sr VP and GM Matt Arnold told WTMJ’s Wis. Morning News on Thursday “It’s really exciting to see Big Woo back on the mound.” RELATED: Are the Brewers holding a secret bullpen session with a FA pitcher? Woodruff hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since undergoing shoulder surgery in October 2023 “We don’t want to him to rush him but I know he can’t wait to get back with us We want to make sure he’s recovering well.” Woodruff will make at least one more rehab start The 30-day window for his assignment ends May 11th is voluntarily recalling its "on the vine" tomatoes over concerns of potential salmonella contamination... MILWAUKEE -- On the Monday before Mother's Day the Daisie Foundation is bringing its signature "Random acts of Kindness" event.. MILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee Brewers are bringing back a fan favorite in partnership with local police departments: Brewers trading card.. Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here Of course, the Dodgers have to be careful with whatever they do with Ohtani, as he's one of the top players in MLB At worst, Ohtani is the second-best hitter in MLB behind Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees the hope was for him to be on the mound at some point Bob Nightengale of USA Today recently suggested that Ohtani might not pitch for much longer than another year or two — if he does return to the mound Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani bats in the fourth inning against the Miami Marlins at Dodger Stadium “I’d be more curious to see what happens after next year,” Nightengale told Dodgers Nation’s Doug McKain “I think he’ll be in the rotation again in 2026 I think his sheer love is just as a hitter. "So it’ll be fascinating in a couple years if he gives up pitching probably would be a waste as a full-time DH since his athleticism is so good.” the best season of his career on the mound. He struck out 219 hitters in 166 innings the Dodgers also want to make sure he doesn't get injured again As if by request, Cole McGovern came off the bench and promptly induced a crucial double play that snuffed out a Framingham rally The junior then took care of the rest of the Flyers and sported an oversized Nipmuc cap after the teams finished shaking hands The double play and the work of the two right-handers led the Warriors to a 1-0 non-league baseball victory on Friday afternoon Nipmuc’s second one-run win over Framingham in two years Varney explained that he and fellow captains Jackson Allcock and Josh Giancola came up with the idea The chain is for “the grinder; the dog of the game.” The huge hat goes to the MVP we wanted to bring some passion and joy – basically an incentive to work towards,” Varney said “It allows you to not only work harder but to appreciate others that work hard.” in just his second appearance of the season after undergoing elbow surgery last year pitched into the fifth inning before the Flyers loaded the bases with one out Nipmuc coach Anthony Leonelli summoned McGovern who quickly got Franco Saglimbeni to hit a sharp grounder to shortstop Johnny Desmond who flipped to Giancola at second to start an inning-ending 6-4-3 “Johnny and Josh spun it good and got us out of the inning,” McGovern said “It’s hard for a junior in high school to be conditioned to come in as a short reliever; it’s a lot of pressure But he just jumped into the role with two feet and he’s been outstanding.” “Cole’s been our short guy this entire year,” added Varney “Cole brings the energy – the juice; his nickname’s ‘the juice.’ I love having Cole on the team because he’s got our players’ back.” Framingham junior Noah Sonnenberg was just as solid. He threw 60 pitches in six innings and received defensive help from his corner outfielders. Left fielder Jimmy Bortolotti made a running catch to end the third frame and right fielder Zach Deptula made the play of the game with a diving grab in the gap to rob Giancola of extra bases Framingham had little trouble putting runners on base “Just a lot of runners left on base,” said coach Matt Milano “Guys are still competing up there and putting the ball in play with guys on; just didn’t find any holes today.” The Warriors (7-5) scored the only run in the second inning when Giancola hit a ground-rule double and was sacrificed to third by Grady O’Neil. Desmond’s sharp single to center plated Giancola for the lead Varney with his chain and McGovern with his juice took it from there “and to beat someone like that (Framingham is Div 1) is just incredible and gets us fired up for the rest of the season.” (Look for a story on Varney's recovery from elbow surgery next week.) Tim Dumas is a multimedia journalist for the Daily News He can be reached attdumas@wickedlocal.com PHILADELPHIA — Last week’s scare in New York could have been serious for the Phillies perhaps the club’s second best starting pitcher left his last outing against the Mets early with forearm tightness The team decided to push back his next start a development more crucial than any individual win Sánchez threw five innings and allowed two runs in a 7-2 victory against the Nationals on Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park After manager Rob Thomson said the lefty would have “no restrictions,” Sánchez exited the game after a solid 87-pitch performance “He looked a little rusty,” Thomson said “It’s been a week since he’s pitched delivering his usual 95 and 96 mph sinker in the top of the first inning then ran into some control problems in the third as he walked two batters and hit another in the frame hit an RBI double down the third-base line off Sánchez to give Washington its first run The Nationals added another in the fifth on a run-scoring fielder’s choice off the bat of Amed Rosario That was Sánchez’s final inning of work but it was good enough to leave with a 4-2 Phillies lead “I went out and competed and did the best that I could,” Sánchez said through a club interpreter “… I feel fine; that is the most important thing for today.” Sánchez said that no real injury was found with his forearm It’s a big relief for the Phillies that it wasn’t something more Philadelphia (17-13) had a big game at the plate as Kyle Schwarber Tanner Banks and Carlos Hernández combined for four scoreless innings out of the bullpen to close out the Phillies’ fourth win in a row and clinch a series win the game wasn’t too stressful for the Phillies How could it have been after Sánchez eased the biggest reason to be concerned “That’s what I was looking for today,” he said Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Shop for vintage Philadelphia Phillies shirts and hats! Phillies Nation is hiring writing interns for the 2025 season Read - Phillies 2025 walk-up songs - and more Phillies news and rumors at.. Read - Phillies Injury Updates -and more Phillies news and rumors at PhilliesNation.com Read - First Look: Phillies 2025 giveaway schedule - and more Phillies news and.. Read - Phillies reportedly offered Kyle Schwarber an extension during offseason - and more.. Phillies Nation has been bringing Phillies fans together since 2004 with non-stop news or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading Six-day (Tuesday through Sunday) print subscribers of the Watertown Daily Times are eligible for full access to NNY360 If you have an existing six-day print subscription to the Watertown Daily Times please make sure your email address on file matches your NNY360 account email You can sign up or manage your print subscription using the options below Start your digital-only membership today and not only receive full access to our premier news website NNY360.com but also to the NNY360 mobile app no promotional deals were found matching that code POTSDAM — Devin Fitzpatrick hit a walk-off grand slam in the first game and the Clarkson University softball team went on to sweep Skidmore College 10-0 and 11-3 on Saturday in a Liberty League doubleheader at Scott Field drove in seven runs and scored a pair of runs in the first game for the Golden Knights She also went the distance on the mound for Clarkson (22-13 striking out seven while allowing just four hits through six innings drove in two runs and scored two runs and Isabel Haspil doubled and singled Fitzpatrick doubled and singled and knocked in a run and Kovach and Kaya Johnson each singled twice and drove in two runs against Skidmore (13-23 Clarkson will face Ithaca College in the first round of the Liberty League playoffs at Thursday at a time to be announced at the University of Rochester The Engineers swept the Saints to win a Liberty League doubleheader in Canton Sarah Decker went 3-for-3 and drove in three runs in the second game for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (25-9 singled and knocked in three runs and Vivian Johnson singled twice and drove in a run Leah VerSchneider doubled in the first game for the Saints The visiting Bears’ season finale ended in a tie with the Mustangs in a SUNYAC game played in Morrisville which was shortened to six innings because of poor weather conditions singled and drove in two runs for SUNY Potsdam (14-21-1 Alexys Rosick was 3-for-3 with a run and an RBI Kaylee Dombrosky tripled and drove in a run and Lexie Cottrill and Rebecca Holmes each singled twice hit her 100th career home run with the Bears Cottrill allowed two earned runs on five hits while striking out six in five innings for SUNY Potsdam against SUNY Morrisville (9-19-1 The Golden Knights won the opener of a Liberty League division crossover series in Potsdam but the Garnet Chargers bounced back to win the second game two-run home run in the bottom of the 10th inning in the first game and also tripled and drove in three runs for Clarkson Joe Figliolino doubled and singled in the first game for the Golden Knights and Seth Albert doubled drove in three runs and scored three runs in the second game for Union (22-7) and Kyle Zaslaw homered singled and drove in two runs in the second game for Clarkson (17-3) Davis Harris singled twice and Vardion doubled The third and deciding game will be played at noon on Sunday at Clarkson The Kangaroos wrapped up their season by being swept by the Lakers in a Liberty League doubleheader played in Canton on their senior day Eliezer Vazquez homered and drove in two runs in the first game for SUNY Canton (6-22 AJ Campi and Gabe Wainwright each doubled in the nightcap for the Kangaroos Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Honors Week 2025 culminated with the recognition of outstanding students faculty and staff at the annual Tapping on the Mound ceremony April 4 The following were recognized during the ceremony Thomas Parks Davis Outstanding Freshmen: Colby Braden and Alexander Kim Outstanding Sophomore: Javen Bies-Dupree Outstanding Transfer Students: Preston Ewing and Chloe Prickett The Anderson Society is a leadership honorary that recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to UA While these contributions often take many forms there are certain qualities of members of the Anderson Society that are prominently and ubiquitously found – an immersion into some sort of community service passion for improving the university community through both explicit and implicit means and persistent effort to attain excellence in some sphere of university life. Mortar Board is the premier national honor society recognizing college seniors for superior achievement in scholarship UA’s Hypatia Chapter is one of the oldest chapters in the nation Blue Key Honor Society is a premier honor society that recognizes college students for balanced and all-around excellence in scholarship The Omicron Delta Kappa Society is the national leadership honor society for college students and alumni that recognizes and encourages superior scholarship Morgan Grzybowski, Ella Hallman The purpose of the Alumni Student Award is to honor seniors who have excelled in academics and extracurricular activities and displayed exceptional hospitality toward guests and friends of the UA Nominations are accepted from student organizations The selection committee for the Alumni Student Award and the Outstanding Senior Award consists of students The students receiving the award are Hannah Adams and Joe Clark Summersell Award: Stan and Star Bloom Randi Hamm and the Culverhouse First-Gen Community Other Club Outstanding Student Award: Madison Hasnani Other Club Outstanding Faculty/Staff Award: Jerran Hill Amanda Grace Taylor Watson Distinctive Image Award: Joyce S This website uses cookies to collect information to improve your browsing experience. 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