Concord-Carlisle boys’ soccer captain Mitchell Palmer watched the ball bounce once, rotated his body, and released a winding bicycle kick with enough torque to spin past the goalie and into the net.
“To be honest, I was as surprised as everybody else was when it went in,” Palmer said. “When it went in I was just ecstatic.”
Palmer’s tally in the 14th minute was the first of a barrage of goals as the top-seeded Patriots (19-0-1) surged by No. 15 seed Woburn, 5-2, in the Division 2 North final on Tuesday.
Five players scored for Concord-Carlisle, but there was no goal more impressive than Palmer’s bicycle kick.
“It was great,” coach Ray Pavlik said. “It was a spectacular goal.”
Woburn entered the game as the heavy underdog. After squeaking into the tournament, the Tanners ripped off wins over Masconomet, Boston Latin, and Winchester. Palmer and Co. knew a key was to squelch their momentum early and grab a lead.
“I think they were demoralized,” Palmer said. “I think it took a toll on them.”
Garrett Leahy and Andrew Verrilli added goals for Concord and Michael Haley scored for Woburn as it stood at 3-1 at halftime.
Midfielders Xavier Arroyo and Ben Beyer tacked on goals in the second half for the final margin.
“The past couple seasons we haven’t made it this far,” Palmer said. “We’ve had great seasons but we’ve come up a little short. We’re hoping to go all the way this year.”
Monday, April 13, 2015
Gillette Stadium to host US men’s national soccer team match
Gillette Stadium will host the US men’s national soccer team on Friday, July 10, the New England Revolution announced in a press release Tuesday.
The game will be part of a doubleheader for the group stage of the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup. The last time the US played in Foxborough was June 2011 in a friendly against Spain.
Gillette has hosted the Gold Cup four times since the stadium opened in 2002 — 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009 — for a total of 18 matches.
The US is 6-0-2 in eight previous Gold Cup games at Gillette, and 16-2-5 all time in Massachusetts.
Groups and a more detailed schedule will be announced in the coming months. Tickets will be on sale through the Revolution.
Follow Trevor Hass on Twitter @TrevorHass.
The game will be part of a doubleheader for the group stage of the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup. The last time the US played in Foxborough was June 2011 in a friendly against Spain.
Gillette has hosted the Gold Cup four times since the stadium opened in 2002 — 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009 — for a total of 18 matches.
The US is 6-0-2 in eight previous Gold Cup games at Gillette, and 16-2-5 all time in Massachusetts.
Groups and a more detailed schedule will be announced in the coming months. Tickets will be on sale through the Revolution.
Follow Trevor Hass on Twitter @TrevorHass.
Acton-Boxboro edges Nashoba to win Division 1 state title
WORCESTER — The Acton-Boxboro field hockey players huddled on the sideline at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, with blue and yellow blankets resting on their shoulders to keep themselves warm. They bounced in place because of the cold and because their team was just 10 seconds away from a state championship.
Five . . . four . . . the clock ticked down and the players looked at one another with wide eyes. Three . . . two . . . one. When the buzzer sounded, they threw their blankets to the ground and jumped in jubilation. Suddenly, the cold wasn’t so unbearable.
The whole team sprinted to goalkeeper Sarah Bentley and they hopped and shouted as one.
“It was such a relief when the clock hit zero,” senior Leah Cardarelli said.
After beating Nashoba, 1-0, Acton-Boxboro (23-0-1) had plenty to celebrate. First, it survived the Chieftains’ bombardment at the end of the game. Second, it avenged last year’s loss to Walpole that ended its chance at a state championship. Third, and most important, it was the Division 1 state champion.
“It’s an incredible feeling,” Colonials senior Maggie Bettez said. “Everything you worked for paying off.”
Acton-Boxboro controlled the tempo early, as Cardarelli and junior Meg Barrett had multiple scoring chances. The Colonials attempted seven corners in the first half, including one that eventually was the difference.
Coach Mae Shoemaker called a timeout with 8:12 remaining in the half. She didn’t make any tactical adjustments, but encouraged her team to slow down and relax.
“I was trying to get them not to rush anything because they were playing with a little franticness,” Shoemaker said. “I said, ‘You’ve just got to calm down and do what you do best.’ ”
Barrett sent a corner to Cardarelli, who dropped it to Bettez. Bettez fired a shot that Barrett tipped in to give Acton-Boxboro the lead with 8:05 remaining in the half.
In the second half, the Chieftains (20-2-1) applied more pressure and had multiple chances, but defender Caroline Little and Bentley prevented any Nashoba shots from finding the back of the net.
“Sarah has been a rock,” Shoemaker said. “The defense just works so hard.”
Nashoba had one final chance with just more than a minute remaining. Shoemaker said she flashed back to last season’s semifinal loss to eventual champion Walpole on a late goal.
“I was like, déjà vu,’’ Shoemaker said with a smile.
This year the result went Acton-Boxboro’s way, as the Colonials captured the school’s fifth title.
Cardarelli and Co. can now forget about last season’s loss and cherish this season’s triumph.
“It’s just really exciting,” Cardarelli said. “I love this group of girls and I’m so happy I got to share this moment with them.”
Five . . . four . . . the clock ticked down and the players looked at one another with wide eyes. Three . . . two . . . one. When the buzzer sounded, they threw their blankets to the ground and jumped in jubilation. Suddenly, the cold wasn’t so unbearable.
The whole team sprinted to goalkeeper Sarah Bentley and they hopped and shouted as one.
“It was such a relief when the clock hit zero,” senior Leah Cardarelli said.
After beating Nashoba, 1-0, Acton-Boxboro (23-0-1) had plenty to celebrate. First, it survived the Chieftains’ bombardment at the end of the game. Second, it avenged last year’s loss to Walpole that ended its chance at a state championship. Third, and most important, it was the Division 1 state champion.
“It’s an incredible feeling,” Colonials senior Maggie Bettez said. “Everything you worked for paying off.”
Acton-Boxboro controlled the tempo early, as Cardarelli and junior Meg Barrett had multiple scoring chances. The Colonials attempted seven corners in the first half, including one that eventually was the difference.
Coach Mae Shoemaker called a timeout with 8:12 remaining in the half. She didn’t make any tactical adjustments, but encouraged her team to slow down and relax.
“I was trying to get them not to rush anything because they were playing with a little franticness,” Shoemaker said. “I said, ‘You’ve just got to calm down and do what you do best.’ ”
Barrett sent a corner to Cardarelli, who dropped it to Bettez. Bettez fired a shot that Barrett tipped in to give Acton-Boxboro the lead with 8:05 remaining in the half.
In the second half, the Chieftains (20-2-1) applied more pressure and had multiple chances, but defender Caroline Little and Bentley prevented any Nashoba shots from finding the back of the net.
“Sarah has been a rock,” Shoemaker said. “The defense just works so hard.”
Nashoba had one final chance with just more than a minute remaining. Shoemaker said she flashed back to last season’s semifinal loss to eventual champion Walpole on a late goal.
“I was like, déjà vu,’’ Shoemaker said with a smile.
This year the result went Acton-Boxboro’s way, as the Colonials captured the school’s fifth title.
Cardarelli and Co. can now forget about last season’s loss and cherish this season’s triumph.
“It’s just really exciting,” Cardarelli said. “I love this group of girls and I’m so happy I got to share this moment with them.”
After years of struggles, Maryland is back on the college baseball map
Maryland baseball coach John Szefc paused and looked forward, trying to articulate just how special it was to be part of the Terps' first NCAA tournament team in 43 years.
Szefc was just 4 years old when Maryland lost its first two games in Gastonia, N.C., in the 1971 national tourney.
"It's kind of hard for me to wrap my mind around that," Szefc said.
Since then, the program has endured 27 losing seasons in 43 years, failing to compete with perennial Atlantic Coast Conference powerhouses such as North Carolina State, Georgia Tech, Virginia and Florida State.
This year, though, the Big Ten-bound Terps swept N.C. State in March, took two of three from Georgia Tech in April and shocked Virginia and Florida State in the ACC tournament last week. Maryland (36-21, 15-14) finished with a winning record in the ACC for the first time since 1981 and has won more games overall than ever before. And after reeling off 11 wins in the past 13 games, the Terps earned the No. 2 seed in the Columbia, S.C., regional of the NCAA tournament.
They will face Old Dominion on Friday at 1 p.m. with hopes of capturing the program's first tournament win since 1970. One team emerges from the four-team, double-elimination regional, in which host South Carolina is the top seed.
"It's crazy," senior pitcher and Baltimore native Ben Brewster said. "It's just surreal, watching on TV every year, seeing these playoffs, and now to finally be a part of it."
The current crop of seniors — a group that finished 5-25 in conference play in 2011 — has helped catapult Maryland baseball back into the national landscape. With a revamped, business-like coaching staff in its second year, a mix of young and veteran talent, and a newfound swagger, the vision the players and coaches shared has become a reality.
"It's no longer a long shot or a hope," said Brewster, who starred at Park School. "This thing's actually happening. I'm ready to go do some damage in this tournament."
'Trouble recruiting'
Elton "Jack" Jackson coached the Maryland baseball team from 1961 through 1990. He remembers struggling to lure top local talent to College Park.
It was a tough sell — a program with a track record of inconsistency in an unrelenting conference. The Terps made the NCAA tournament in 1965, 1970 and 1971 but couldn't transform their short-term triumphs into long-term results.
"At Maryland, you've got to be good enough to get a lot of the local kids," Jackson said. "The tough part is that everybody wants to go south."
In 1986, when Maryland basketball star Len Bias died of a cocaine overdose, Jackson saw an effect on his baseball program. Some parents were unsure about the culture in College Park.
Jackson remembered one player in particular who was a top pitcher from Baltimore. The pitcher's plan was to come to Maryland, but the news of Bias' overdose made his family rethink the decision, and he chose to attend UMBC.
"The Len Bias thing really turned everything upside down," Jackson recalled. "From that point on, for a long period of time, we had a lot of trouble recruiting at the University of Maryland."
Since Jackson retired in 1990, four coaches have taken the reins at Maryland. Tom Bradley finished 243-306-4 (.442) in nine seasons. Terry Rupp was 227-271 (.456) in nine of his own. Erik Bakich started 38-74 (.339) in his first two years, Maryland's worst two seasons since 2001.
Bernie Walter, the legendary former Arundel High baseball coach who worked on Maryland's staff under both Bakich and Szefc, said there were 13 players on other ACC and Southeastern Conference schools from the state of Maryland in 2009. If the Terps had been able to land at least some of those top recruits, Walter suspects the team wouldn't have struggled as much.
"I think the key to improving your program is keeping the better players home," said Walter, who is now retired.
Eventually, Bakich started to glean some of that local talent, paving the way for Szefc (pronounced CHEF) to take over a deeper, more talented team when Bakich left for Michigan in 2012.
In Bakich's final season in College Park, the Terps won 32 games and were one of the final teams left out of the NCAA tournament.
The Terps didn't reach their ultimate goal — that year they wore caps with "Omaha," the location of the College World Series, written on the back — but suddenly the state of Maryland baseball was starting to look a little brighter.
'Get away from mediocrity'
The atmosphere was lively as Maryland finished its final practice Tuesday at Shipley Field before heading to South Carolina on Wednesday. Players cheered as 6-foot-8 pitcher Ryan Selmer fell on his back but still threw a runner out at first during a drill. Senior shortstop Blake Schmit playfully gestured toward his teammates as they distracted him from the dugout. Those same dugout dwellers urged a cycle of players filling in as third-base coach to use enthusiasm as they waved runners around to score.
But practice never got more animated than that. That's partially because the team is focused on making sure its season continues as long as possible, but it's also because Szefc was watching like a hawk the entire time.
The stone-faced, stocky coach stood with his arms crossed by third base, monitoring his players as they breezed through drill after drill in the 88-degree heat. Szefc didn't say much. He didn't have to. His presence was felt.
"I'm going to be honest," junior right-hander Bobby Ruse (C. Milton Wright) said as a smile formed underneath his bushy mustache. "The first time I met Coach Szefc, it was a little bit intimidating."
Every once in a while throughout the practice, Szefc offered his two cents. He commended one player for handling a ground ball a certain way. He bashed another for not sliding into home plate. He only swore once, and never raised his voice except to shout out instructions.
Szefc, who led Marist to the NCAA tournament four times and was most recently an assistant at Kansas State, immediately put his stamp on the program after being hired in July 2012.
Between the talent Bakich brought in and the professionalism Szefc demanded, the players knew they could end the 43-year tournament drought.
"The more you get away from mediocrity, maybe something like this can happen," Szefc said. "I never really saw a deal-breaker in [deciding to come to Maryland]. Any coach is going to have some kind of vision. It's not really a matter of if. It's a matter of when."
'Out with a bang'
After Maryland began the season by losing two of three at Florida, players remember reading a Baseball America story saying that they wouldn't be an NCAA tournament team. It added even more motivation for them.
"I think that's when guys realized, 'Alright, we really need to prove something this year,'" said sophomore right-hander Kevin Mooney (North Harford).
The team won its next seven games. Despite a few hiccups — like getting swept at Boston College and losing to James Madison — the Terps qualified for the ACC tournament for the first time since 2005, when every team in the conference was invited.
Starters Jake Stinnett, Jake Drossner and Mike Shawaryn emerged as anchors on the mound. Maryland batted .270 as a team during the regular season, while their opponents batted a measly .232. Few gave the Terps a shot against Virginia and Florida State in the ACC tournament, but the Terps beat both teams and surged into the championship before losing to Georgia Tech.
"They've got that stigma to them," Ruse said of Virginia and Florida State, both top-5 teams at the time Maryland faced them. "They're almost like a big league squad, but when we play, we can beat anybody."
The former coach Jackson suspects recruiting will become easier once Maryland moves to the Big Ten, because it will be one of the conference's southernmost schools, and players prefer to play in warmer weather.
The current players can leave satisfied that they've left their mark on the ACC.
"We kind of struggled in years past," Mooney said, "but I think now we've gone out with a bang. Don't forget who we are."
Patience rewarded
The moment the entire team, coaching staff and fan base waited years for had finally arrived. The ignominy that surrounded the program since 1971 would finally be removed.
Eyes remained glued to a projection screen inside Looney's Pub in College Park as team names were called during Monday's NCAA tournament selection show. Players gasped when Texas and Texas A&M were paired together. They groaned when Louisiana-Lafayette was shown celebrating. They waited anxiously, region by region, as their name still wasn't called.
"Before it, if you had asked me, I would have said 100 percent [we'd make it], but each name got rattled off," Ruse said. "We thought we were going to go to Vanderbilt. We thought we were going to Oregon State. We were like, 'Damn, were we actually going to make it?'"
A program that waited 43 years for their name to be called had to wait a little while longer.
And then it happened, when the final region was revealed.
Players, coaches and fans jumped, celebrating and hugging one another.
The wait was finally over. Maryland baseball is back in the NCAA tournament.
thass@baltsun.com
twitter.com/TrevorHass
Szefc was just 4 years old when Maryland lost its first two games in Gastonia, N.C., in the 1971 national tourney.
"It's kind of hard for me to wrap my mind around that," Szefc said.
Since then, the program has endured 27 losing seasons in 43 years, failing to compete with perennial Atlantic Coast Conference powerhouses such as North Carolina State, Georgia Tech, Virginia and Florida State.
This year, though, the Big Ten-bound Terps swept N.C. State in March, took two of three from Georgia Tech in April and shocked Virginia and Florida State in the ACC tournament last week. Maryland (36-21, 15-14) finished with a winning record in the ACC for the first time since 1981 and has won more games overall than ever before. And after reeling off 11 wins in the past 13 games, the Terps earned the No. 2 seed in the Columbia, S.C., regional of the NCAA tournament.
They will face Old Dominion on Friday at 1 p.m. with hopes of capturing the program's first tournament win since 1970. One team emerges from the four-team, double-elimination regional, in which host South Carolina is the top seed.
"It's crazy," senior pitcher and Baltimore native Ben Brewster said. "It's just surreal, watching on TV every year, seeing these playoffs, and now to finally be a part of it."
The current crop of seniors — a group that finished 5-25 in conference play in 2011 — has helped catapult Maryland baseball back into the national landscape. With a revamped, business-like coaching staff in its second year, a mix of young and veteran talent, and a newfound swagger, the vision the players and coaches shared has become a reality.
"It's no longer a long shot or a hope," said Brewster, who starred at Park School. "This thing's actually happening. I'm ready to go do some damage in this tournament."
'Trouble recruiting'
Elton "Jack" Jackson coached the Maryland baseball team from 1961 through 1990. He remembers struggling to lure top local talent to College Park.
It was a tough sell — a program with a track record of inconsistency in an unrelenting conference. The Terps made the NCAA tournament in 1965, 1970 and 1971 but couldn't transform their short-term triumphs into long-term results.
"At Maryland, you've got to be good enough to get a lot of the local kids," Jackson said. "The tough part is that everybody wants to go south."
In 1986, when Maryland basketball star Len Bias died of a cocaine overdose, Jackson saw an effect on his baseball program. Some parents were unsure about the culture in College Park.
Jackson remembered one player in particular who was a top pitcher from Baltimore. The pitcher's plan was to come to Maryland, but the news of Bias' overdose made his family rethink the decision, and he chose to attend UMBC.
"The Len Bias thing really turned everything upside down," Jackson recalled. "From that point on, for a long period of time, we had a lot of trouble recruiting at the University of Maryland."
Since Jackson retired in 1990, four coaches have taken the reins at Maryland. Tom Bradley finished 243-306-4 (.442) in nine seasons. Terry Rupp was 227-271 (.456) in nine of his own. Erik Bakich started 38-74 (.339) in his first two years, Maryland's worst two seasons since 2001.
Bernie Walter, the legendary former Arundel High baseball coach who worked on Maryland's staff under both Bakich and Szefc, said there were 13 players on other ACC and Southeastern Conference schools from the state of Maryland in 2009. If the Terps had been able to land at least some of those top recruits, Walter suspects the team wouldn't have struggled as much.
"I think the key to improving your program is keeping the better players home," said Walter, who is now retired.
Eventually, Bakich started to glean some of that local talent, paving the way for Szefc (pronounced CHEF) to take over a deeper, more talented team when Bakich left for Michigan in 2012.
In Bakich's final season in College Park, the Terps won 32 games and were one of the final teams left out of the NCAA tournament.
The Terps didn't reach their ultimate goal — that year they wore caps with "Omaha," the location of the College World Series, written on the back — but suddenly the state of Maryland baseball was starting to look a little brighter.
'Get away from mediocrity'
The atmosphere was lively as Maryland finished its final practice Tuesday at Shipley Field before heading to South Carolina on Wednesday. Players cheered as 6-foot-8 pitcher Ryan Selmer fell on his back but still threw a runner out at first during a drill. Senior shortstop Blake Schmit playfully gestured toward his teammates as they distracted him from the dugout. Those same dugout dwellers urged a cycle of players filling in as third-base coach to use enthusiasm as they waved runners around to score.
But practice never got more animated than that. That's partially because the team is focused on making sure its season continues as long as possible, but it's also because Szefc was watching like a hawk the entire time.
The stone-faced, stocky coach stood with his arms crossed by third base, monitoring his players as they breezed through drill after drill in the 88-degree heat. Szefc didn't say much. He didn't have to. His presence was felt.
"I'm going to be honest," junior right-hander Bobby Ruse (C. Milton Wright) said as a smile formed underneath his bushy mustache. "The first time I met Coach Szefc, it was a little bit intimidating."
Every once in a while throughout the practice, Szefc offered his two cents. He commended one player for handling a ground ball a certain way. He bashed another for not sliding into home plate. He only swore once, and never raised his voice except to shout out instructions.
Szefc, who led Marist to the NCAA tournament four times and was most recently an assistant at Kansas State, immediately put his stamp on the program after being hired in July 2012.
Between the talent Bakich brought in and the professionalism Szefc demanded, the players knew they could end the 43-year tournament drought.
"The more you get away from mediocrity, maybe something like this can happen," Szefc said. "I never really saw a deal-breaker in [deciding to come to Maryland]. Any coach is going to have some kind of vision. It's not really a matter of if. It's a matter of when."
'Out with a bang'
After Maryland began the season by losing two of three at Florida, players remember reading a Baseball America story saying that they wouldn't be an NCAA tournament team. It added even more motivation for them.
"I think that's when guys realized, 'Alright, we really need to prove something this year,'" said sophomore right-hander Kevin Mooney (North Harford).
The team won its next seven games. Despite a few hiccups — like getting swept at Boston College and losing to James Madison — the Terps qualified for the ACC tournament for the first time since 2005, when every team in the conference was invited.
Starters Jake Stinnett, Jake Drossner and Mike Shawaryn emerged as anchors on the mound. Maryland batted .270 as a team during the regular season, while their opponents batted a measly .232. Few gave the Terps a shot against Virginia and Florida State in the ACC tournament, but the Terps beat both teams and surged into the championship before losing to Georgia Tech.
"They've got that stigma to them," Ruse said of Virginia and Florida State, both top-5 teams at the time Maryland faced them. "They're almost like a big league squad, but when we play, we can beat anybody."
The former coach Jackson suspects recruiting will become easier once Maryland moves to the Big Ten, because it will be one of the conference's southernmost schools, and players prefer to play in warmer weather.
The current players can leave satisfied that they've left their mark on the ACC.
"We kind of struggled in years past," Mooney said, "but I think now we've gone out with a bang. Don't forget who we are."
Patience rewarded
The moment the entire team, coaching staff and fan base waited years for had finally arrived. The ignominy that surrounded the program since 1971 would finally be removed.
Eyes remained glued to a projection screen inside Looney's Pub in College Park as team names were called during Monday's NCAA tournament selection show. Players gasped when Texas and Texas A&M were paired together. They groaned when Louisiana-Lafayette was shown celebrating. They waited anxiously, region by region, as their name still wasn't called.
"Before it, if you had asked me, I would have said 100 percent [we'd make it], but each name got rattled off," Ruse said. "We thought we were going to go to Vanderbilt. We thought we were going to Oregon State. We were like, 'Damn, were we actually going to make it?'"
A program that waited 43 years for their name to be called had to wait a little while longer.
And then it happened, when the final region was revealed.
Players, coaches and fans jumped, celebrating and hugging one another.
The wait was finally over. Maryland baseball is back in the NCAA tournament.
thass@baltsun.com
twitter.com/TrevorHass
Orioles' Adam Jones surprises two local sports teams at Patterson Park
Members of the Bluford Drew Jemison Rockets baseball team gathered in a group on the third-base line of Utz Twardowicz Field on Tuesday afternoon.
The day was already special. The weather was gorgeous, they were playing baseball and knew they had raised enough money to keep their previously struggling program afloat.
But all of a sudden, their day got even better. Orioles center fielder Adam Jones walked through the third-base gate, waved and strolled down the base path toward the players, many of whose mouths hung open in shock. They had no idea he was coming.
“It’s awesome meeting Adam Jones because he’s an Orioles player,” 14-year-old outfielder Danyelle Dominique-Taylor said. “Watching him play last night was amazing.”
Jones, wearing a pink and black plaid shirt and sporting a pair of snazzy sunglasses, high-fived the Rockets players and members of the Girls on the Run of the Greater Chesapeake track team. The baseball team raised $3,500 and the track team raised $10,500, and Dick’s Sporting Goods matched each of those totals as part of their Sports Matter initiative.
Tuesday was a day to celebrate those accomplishments and promote youth sports in Baltimore.
Jones presented a $7,000 check to the Rockets and a $21,000 check to the track team. He then signed autographs underneath a green canopy to the right of home plate and schmoozed with the young athletes in attendance.
He joked with players as they came up to him one-by-one.
“What position do you play?” he asked a fan.
“Center field,” the fan responded.
“You better than me?” Jones asked, looking up from the glove he was signing and smiling.
“Definitely.”Jones then talked about the importance of programs like this to keep kids involved in sports. Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation has worked to help at least 180 teams across the country to raise a total of more than $4 million.
The SHARP Center predicts that 27 percent of United States public high schools will not have sports by the year 2020. The goal of fundraisers like this one, Dick’s community marketing manager Bobbie Bardzik said, is to ensure that children across the country have a chance to continue doing what they love and have someone to look up to like Jones.
“When I was 5 to 16 or 17 [years old], everything was free or a very low cost,” Jones said. “Nowadays it’s $100 or more for the summer. Programs like this give the kids an opportunity.”
As soon as Girls on the Run executive director Lara Mish submitted her grant to Dick's, she started freaking out. “Oh my god, how are we going to do this?” she thought.
But once she got hefty donations from Charm City Run and orthodontist Mairead O’Reilly in Annapolis, among other organizations, the goal didn’t seem so daunting.
When her sister, Jen Bornemann, was married May 10, she didn’t ask for any gifts. Instead, she and her partner asked for donations for Girls on the Run. They raised $1,900, and are still collecting money to this day.“It actually seemed impossible to me at the beginning,” Mish said. “It really did.”
But they did it. They reached the goal they set out to achieve of $10,500, and Dick’s matched that amount.
For baseball coach John Merrill, Tuesday was a chance to see his kids soak in the moment and meet one of their heroes. As soon as Danyelle saw a chance to jump in a picture with Jones, she darted over and snuck into the shot.
A team that nearly didn’t have enough funding to remain in existence is now flourishing, thanks to the fundraising campaign orchestrated by the Parks and People Foundation.
“It gives them sort of a goal to look at,” Merrill said. “He’s a hero and is a good role model for them to look up to.”
One player who looks up to Jones -- and loved watching his two-run home run Monday night -- is Dujuan Heckstall. Heckstall’s favorite player is Wei-Yin Chen, but he was still star struck when he met Jones on Tuesday.
As Dujuan and his teammates posed for a picture, he pointed to his right sleeve. There was Adam Jones’ signature.
“I’m never washing this shirt!” he exclaimed.
thass@baltsun.com
twitter.com/TrevorHass
The day was already special. The weather was gorgeous, they were playing baseball and knew they had raised enough money to keep their previously struggling program afloat.
But all of a sudden, their day got even better. Orioles center fielder Adam Jones walked through the third-base gate, waved and strolled down the base path toward the players, many of whose mouths hung open in shock. They had no idea he was coming.
“It’s awesome meeting Adam Jones because he’s an Orioles player,” 14-year-old outfielder Danyelle Dominique-Taylor said. “Watching him play last night was amazing.”
Jones, wearing a pink and black plaid shirt and sporting a pair of snazzy sunglasses, high-fived the Rockets players and members of the Girls on the Run of the Greater Chesapeake track team. The baseball team raised $3,500 and the track team raised $10,500, and Dick’s Sporting Goods matched each of those totals as part of their Sports Matter initiative.
Tuesday was a day to celebrate those accomplishments and promote youth sports in Baltimore.
Jones presented a $7,000 check to the Rockets and a $21,000 check to the track team. He then signed autographs underneath a green canopy to the right of home plate and schmoozed with the young athletes in attendance.
He joked with players as they came up to him one-by-one.
“What position do you play?” he asked a fan.
“Center field,” the fan responded.
“You better than me?” Jones asked, looking up from the glove he was signing and smiling.
“Definitely.”Jones then talked about the importance of programs like this to keep kids involved in sports. Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation has worked to help at least 180 teams across the country to raise a total of more than $4 million.
The SHARP Center predicts that 27 percent of United States public high schools will not have sports by the year 2020. The goal of fundraisers like this one, Dick’s community marketing manager Bobbie Bardzik said, is to ensure that children across the country have a chance to continue doing what they love and have someone to look up to like Jones.
“When I was 5 to 16 or 17 [years old], everything was free or a very low cost,” Jones said. “Nowadays it’s $100 or more for the summer. Programs like this give the kids an opportunity.”
As soon as Girls on the Run executive director Lara Mish submitted her grant to Dick's, she started freaking out. “Oh my god, how are we going to do this?” she thought.
But once she got hefty donations from Charm City Run and orthodontist Mairead O’Reilly in Annapolis, among other organizations, the goal didn’t seem so daunting.
When her sister, Jen Bornemann, was married May 10, she didn’t ask for any gifts. Instead, she and her partner asked for donations for Girls on the Run. They raised $1,900, and are still collecting money to this day.“It actually seemed impossible to me at the beginning,” Mish said. “It really did.”
But they did it. They reached the goal they set out to achieve of $10,500, and Dick’s matched that amount.
For baseball coach John Merrill, Tuesday was a chance to see his kids soak in the moment and meet one of their heroes. As soon as Danyelle saw a chance to jump in a picture with Jones, she darted over and snuck into the shot.
A team that nearly didn’t have enough funding to remain in existence is now flourishing, thanks to the fundraising campaign orchestrated by the Parks and People Foundation.
“It gives them sort of a goal to look at,” Merrill said. “He’s a hero and is a good role model for them to look up to.”
One player who looks up to Jones -- and loved watching his two-run home run Monday night -- is Dujuan Heckstall. Heckstall’s favorite player is Wei-Yin Chen, but he was still star struck when he met Jones on Tuesday.
As Dujuan and his teammates posed for a picture, he pointed to his right sleeve. There was Adam Jones’ signature.
“I’m never washing this shirt!” he exclaimed.
thass@baltsun.com
twitter.com/TrevorHass
'Track record' is difference between Tommy Hunter and Jim Johnson, Buck Showalter says
When Jim Johnson blew a save in the past two seasons, Orioles manager Buck Showalter continued to stick with him as the club’s closer because of his experience in the role.
This year, though, closer Tommy Hunter’s leash seems to be a bit tighter.
After giving up four runs in the ninth inning Tuesday, Hunter didn’t get a chance to redeem himself Wednesday in the Orioles’ 7-5 loss to the Detroit Tigers at Camden Yards. Hunter still appears to be the closer, but there seems to be a small level of uncertainty after he blew his second consecutive save Tuesday night.
“The difference between Tommy and Jimmy is that Jimmy had a track record,” Showalter said. “Tommy does, too, with certain other things, so there’s some unknown about where this will go with Tommy.”
Johnson converted 51 of 54 save opportunities in 2012, tops in the American League.
Showalter continued to stick Johnson in the closer’s role last year, even though he wasn’t as unhittable as the previous season and led the major leagues with nine blown saves. He went on to save 50 games again.
That might not be the case for Hunter, who had flirted with disaster for most of the early season before it finally caught up to him with the back-to-back blown saves.
After allowing just three earned runs in 112/3 innings to start the season, Hunter has given up at least one run in his past four appearances. He has a 21.60 ERA in 31/3 innings in that span, making his season ERA climb to 6.60.
Showalter has never been a fan of a closer-by-committee approach, but he said he’s considering it.
“I consider everything,” Showalter said. “Which time of the night? Midnight, 1, 2, 3 of 4 [a.m.]?”
Showalter objects to call reversal
Showalter said he disagrees with the decision made by baseball’s replay officials to overturn the call when Tigers pinch-runner Rajai Davis slid into second base in the ninth inning Tuesday night.
Davis was initially called out by second base umpire Paul Nauert, but the call was reversed after the officials examined the play more closely at the request of Tigers manager Brad Ausmus.
“I finally saw the replay that they used to overturn it,” Showalter said Wednesday. “I’m glad I didn’t see that last night before we talked. That’s what they overturned it with?”
After Don Kelly and Ian Kinsler lined out and Torii Hunter walked, Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera hit a three-run home run to give Detroit a 3-1 lead. Victor Martinez followed with a solo home run.
Though the call at second base didn’t directly lead to the Orioles’ downfall, Showalter said he thinks the crew made the incorrect decision. He said part of Davis’ guard protruded and helped him reach second base. The longer the extension is, Showalter said, the quicker the runner gets to second base.
“They have a thing now, it can only be X amount of inches,” Showalter said. “Otherwise you could take a lead at first, take one step and carry a 10-foot pole and reach and touch second base.”
Johnson back on minor league DL
Right-hander Steve Johnson had right shoulder discomfort once again Tuesday night, Showalter said.
The Orioles considered promoting Johnson this week, according to Showalter, but they didn’t do so because Johnson hadn’t pitched enough since coming off the disabled list May 3.
Johnson, who was placed on the disabled list again Wednesday, is coming to Baltimore to be examined by team doctors, according to an industry source. He has faced continued discomfort in his shoulder this year.
Johnson gave up three runs, three hits and two walks in two innings for Norfolk on Tuesday in his third start after missing three weeks because of the inflammation in his throwing shoulder.
Guilmet impresses in two games
Showalter praised relief pitcher Preston Guilmet for his performance Monday night and said he has liked what he saw from the right-hander in his brief stint with the Orioles.
Guilmet, 26, replaced Bud Norris after the starter was ejected in the eighth inning Monday for hitting Torii Hunter and retired all four batters he faced. Guilmet then recorded the final out in Tuesday’s loss before he was optioned back to Triple-A Norfolk after the game.
Showalter said he and his staff are still searching for a weakness from Guilmet.
“What am I missing?” Showalter said. “What did Cleveland know that we didn’t know?”
Around the horn
Orioles director of player development Brian Graham and minor league infield instructor Dave Anderson are candidates to fill in for third base coach Bobby Dickerson during Tuesday’s game on the road against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Showalter said. Dickerson will miss the game to attend his daughter’s graduation. … Showalter will miss Saturday’s game in Kansas City to attend his daughter’s law school graduation. Graham will fill in as an extra coach for that game. … Right-hander Chris Tillman will start Friday against the Kansas City Royals. Tillman said his groin has felt much better in the past couple days, and he has “no worries” about the injury. … With a single in the first inning Wednesday, center fielder Adam Jones extended his hitting streak to nine games. He recorded his 12th multihit game and American League-leading 11th infield hit of the season. … Frederick Keys catcher Steel Russell, who is the son of Orioles bench coach John Russell, suffered a hand injury that the club fears could be a broken finger. … The Orioles are 5-10 in day games this season. … Double-A Bowie outfielder Dariel Alvarez and right-handed pitcher Tyler Wilson were named the Orioles’ Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Month for April, respectively.
thass@baltsun.com
twitter.com/TrevorHass
Baltimore Sun reporter Eduardo A. Encina contributed to this article.
This year, though, closer Tommy Hunter’s leash seems to be a bit tighter.
After giving up four runs in the ninth inning Tuesday, Hunter didn’t get a chance to redeem himself Wednesday in the Orioles’ 7-5 loss to the Detroit Tigers at Camden Yards. Hunter still appears to be the closer, but there seems to be a small level of uncertainty after he blew his second consecutive save Tuesday night.
“The difference between Tommy and Jimmy is that Jimmy had a track record,” Showalter said. “Tommy does, too, with certain other things, so there’s some unknown about where this will go with Tommy.”
Johnson converted 51 of 54 save opportunities in 2012, tops in the American League.
Showalter continued to stick Johnson in the closer’s role last year, even though he wasn’t as unhittable as the previous season and led the major leagues with nine blown saves. He went on to save 50 games again.
That might not be the case for Hunter, who had flirted with disaster for most of the early season before it finally caught up to him with the back-to-back blown saves.
After allowing just three earned runs in 112/3 innings to start the season, Hunter has given up at least one run in his past four appearances. He has a 21.60 ERA in 31/3 innings in that span, making his season ERA climb to 6.60.
Showalter has never been a fan of a closer-by-committee approach, but he said he’s considering it.
“I consider everything,” Showalter said. “Which time of the night? Midnight, 1, 2, 3 of 4 [a.m.]?”
Showalter objects to call reversal
Showalter said he disagrees with the decision made by baseball’s replay officials to overturn the call when Tigers pinch-runner Rajai Davis slid into second base in the ninth inning Tuesday night.
Davis was initially called out by second base umpire Paul Nauert, but the call was reversed after the officials examined the play more closely at the request of Tigers manager Brad Ausmus.
“I finally saw the replay that they used to overturn it,” Showalter said Wednesday. “I’m glad I didn’t see that last night before we talked. That’s what they overturned it with?”
After Don Kelly and Ian Kinsler lined out and Torii Hunter walked, Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera hit a three-run home run to give Detroit a 3-1 lead. Victor Martinez followed with a solo home run.
Though the call at second base didn’t directly lead to the Orioles’ downfall, Showalter said he thinks the crew made the incorrect decision. He said part of Davis’ guard protruded and helped him reach second base. The longer the extension is, Showalter said, the quicker the runner gets to second base.
“They have a thing now, it can only be X amount of inches,” Showalter said. “Otherwise you could take a lead at first, take one step and carry a 10-foot pole and reach and touch second base.”
Johnson back on minor league DL
Right-hander Steve Johnson had right shoulder discomfort once again Tuesday night, Showalter said.
The Orioles considered promoting Johnson this week, according to Showalter, but they didn’t do so because Johnson hadn’t pitched enough since coming off the disabled list May 3.
Johnson, who was placed on the disabled list again Wednesday, is coming to Baltimore to be examined by team doctors, according to an industry source. He has faced continued discomfort in his shoulder this year.
Johnson gave up three runs, three hits and two walks in two innings for Norfolk on Tuesday in his third start after missing three weeks because of the inflammation in his throwing shoulder.
Guilmet impresses in two games
Showalter praised relief pitcher Preston Guilmet for his performance Monday night and said he has liked what he saw from the right-hander in his brief stint with the Orioles.
Guilmet, 26, replaced Bud Norris after the starter was ejected in the eighth inning Monday for hitting Torii Hunter and retired all four batters he faced. Guilmet then recorded the final out in Tuesday’s loss before he was optioned back to Triple-A Norfolk after the game.
Showalter said he and his staff are still searching for a weakness from Guilmet.
“What am I missing?” Showalter said. “What did Cleveland know that we didn’t know?”
Around the horn
Orioles director of player development Brian Graham and minor league infield instructor Dave Anderson are candidates to fill in for third base coach Bobby Dickerson during Tuesday’s game on the road against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Showalter said. Dickerson will miss the game to attend his daughter’s graduation. … Showalter will miss Saturday’s game in Kansas City to attend his daughter’s law school graduation. Graham will fill in as an extra coach for that game. … Right-hander Chris Tillman will start Friday against the Kansas City Royals. Tillman said his groin has felt much better in the past couple days, and he has “no worries” about the injury. … With a single in the first inning Wednesday, center fielder Adam Jones extended his hitting streak to nine games. He recorded his 12th multihit game and American League-leading 11th infield hit of the season. … Frederick Keys catcher Steel Russell, who is the son of Orioles bench coach John Russell, suffered a hand injury that the club fears could be a broken finger. … The Orioles are 5-10 in day games this season. … Double-A Bowie outfielder Dariel Alvarez and right-handed pitcher Tyler Wilson were named the Orioles’ Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Month for April, respectively.
thass@baltsun.com
twitter.com/TrevorHass
Baltimore Sun reporter Eduardo A. Encina contributed to this article.
C.J. Fair has put in the work to hear his name called at NBA draft
Like many 12 year olds, C.J. Fair dabbled in many different sports. He played some baseball, a little football and anything his friends were into at the time.
Then he started "growing like a weed," as his father Carl put it, and Carl asked him to pick one sport. C.J. chose basketball, and he and his friends — Antonio and Will Barton, Josh Selby and Nick Faust — began dominating anyone who stood in their way. They formed a super team, as the lanky lefty C.J. continued to sharpen his game at the John Eager Howard Community Center and around Baltimore playgrounds."That's when I knew he had it in him," Carl Fair said. "And I knew that's what he wanted to do. That's when he started really focusing solely on basketball."
As his father predicted when C.J. was 12, the NBA is now a real possibility. The NBA draft is Thursday, and Fair is projected as a mid-to-late second round pick. After four years playing for Jim Boeheim at Syracuse and finishing as one of the most distinguished players in school history, Fair has trained with NBA greats George Gervin and John Lucas this offseason to prepare for the draft.
He has worked out for half of the NBA's teams in recent weeks, and he's fully confident he'll hear his name called Thursday night. Those close to Fair think whichever team takes him will be getting a steal.
"I think he's one of the most underrated guys in this whole draft," Orlando Magic forward Tobias Harris said. "Whatever team picks him, I think the sky's the limit for him."
Fair and Harris work out together with Gervin in San Antonio. Harris, who was drafted 19th overall in 2011, has known Fair for years. They teamed up on the Baltimore Stars Amateur Athletic Union team in high school and have been friends since.
Harris' father, Torrel, is now C.J.'s agent. He was Gervin's agent, too, which is how C.J. got the opportunity to work out with Gervin. Fair and Harris often work on their 1-on-1 play, as Fair is striving to show scouts that the playmaking ability he had in college can translate to the next level.
"George Gervin, he's been a great mentor for me, helping me with my technique on the offensive end," Fair said. "We've been working on my jump shot and how to get separation."
While at Syracuse, getting separation was Fair's forte. He'd give a little jab step, then another, up fake and shoot over the defender. Defenders would know what was coming but still often be unable to stop it. Carl Fair calls C.J.'s midrange game his bread and butter.
Longtime Baltimore Stars official Troy Franklin, who watched Fair play throughout his childhood, agrees with Carl's assessment.
"He can shoot the lights out," Franklin said.
Fair is trying to market himself as a mid-range threat who can play solid defense. He knows some critics say playing in Boeheim's 2-3 zone is disadvantageous going to the NBA, but Fair's out to debunk that myth.
When he's not working out with teams or Gervin, Fair makes his way to Houston to train with Lucas, the NBA's No. 1 pick in 1976 out of Maryland.Five hours a day. Shots from all over the court. Dribbling drills. The workouts are grueling, but Fair knows they will be worth it.
Lucas said Fair's ball-handling has consistently improved since he arrived in Houston. At Syracuse, Fair had to dribble the ball more his senior year because of the team's lack of depth at guard. He knows everyone has to be able to dribble extremely well in the NBA, so he's ensuring his handles are up to par.
Lucas' main goals are to improve the 6-foot-8 Fair's conditioning and continue to polish his right hand. While Fair still has a ways to go, Lucas believes he has tremendous upside.
"C.J. is savvy and crafty as a player," Lucas said. "He's working hard to continue to improve his shot. His decision making is very good."
When Fair was trying to decide whether to declare for the draft after his junior season, Carl weighed in on the matter. His degree was within reach, so why not stay? Though this year's draft class is a lot stronger, he's going to have to guard players like LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony at small forward if all goes according to plan, so why not continue to improve another year?
And that's what Fair did, piecing together his most complete season at Syracuse. He averaged 16.6 points per game, forming one of the most lethal duos in the country with freshman Tyler Ennis.
While the natural inclination of many players is to go to the NBA as soon as possible, Fair was the exception. Rather than hurt his stock like North Carolina forward James Michael McAdoo, for example, he continued to build his resume and improve his game.Unlike Joel Embiid, Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, Noah Vonleh, Julius Randle and Aaron Gordon — all potential top-10 picks who left after their freshman season — Fair stuck around. His Twitter bio has read "Transitioning from fitting in to standing out" for months, and that is what Fair has gradually done over the past four years. Tobias Harris believes that experience will help him mightily going forward.
"I think he's more ready than more than half the guys in this whole NBA draft." Harris said. "He played four years in college, so he's more mature."Carl and C.J. Fair say they've received positive feedback from NBA team's about C.J.'s offensive skills and his ability to make the game look easy. C.J. has been pleased with how he's performed in 3-on-3 and 1-on-1 drills, knowing training with Gervin and Harris has been instrumental.
For the string bean from Baltimore, the NBA is now at his fingertips. He doesn't just want to get drafted; he wants to make his mark in the league and stay in it for years.
Looking back, he knows all the hard work he's put in is going to pay off and he's eager to continue surprising people.
"When the draft comes and I hear my name called that'll be amazing," Fair said. "It'll be everything."
thass@baltsun.com
twitter.com/TrevorHass
Then he started "growing like a weed," as his father Carl put it, and Carl asked him to pick one sport. C.J. chose basketball, and he and his friends — Antonio and Will Barton, Josh Selby and Nick Faust — began dominating anyone who stood in their way. They formed a super team, as the lanky lefty C.J. continued to sharpen his game at the John Eager Howard Community Center and around Baltimore playgrounds."That's when I knew he had it in him," Carl Fair said. "And I knew that's what he wanted to do. That's when he started really focusing solely on basketball."
As his father predicted when C.J. was 12, the NBA is now a real possibility. The NBA draft is Thursday, and Fair is projected as a mid-to-late second round pick. After four years playing for Jim Boeheim at Syracuse and finishing as one of the most distinguished players in school history, Fair has trained with NBA greats George Gervin and John Lucas this offseason to prepare for the draft.
He has worked out for half of the NBA's teams in recent weeks, and he's fully confident he'll hear his name called Thursday night. Those close to Fair think whichever team takes him will be getting a steal.
"I think he's one of the most underrated guys in this whole draft," Orlando Magic forward Tobias Harris said. "Whatever team picks him, I think the sky's the limit for him."
Fair and Harris work out together with Gervin in San Antonio. Harris, who was drafted 19th overall in 2011, has known Fair for years. They teamed up on the Baltimore Stars Amateur Athletic Union team in high school and have been friends since.
Harris' father, Torrel, is now C.J.'s agent. He was Gervin's agent, too, which is how C.J. got the opportunity to work out with Gervin. Fair and Harris often work on their 1-on-1 play, as Fair is striving to show scouts that the playmaking ability he had in college can translate to the next level.
"George Gervin, he's been a great mentor for me, helping me with my technique on the offensive end," Fair said. "We've been working on my jump shot and how to get separation."
While at Syracuse, getting separation was Fair's forte. He'd give a little jab step, then another, up fake and shoot over the defender. Defenders would know what was coming but still often be unable to stop it. Carl Fair calls C.J.'s midrange game his bread and butter.
Longtime Baltimore Stars official Troy Franklin, who watched Fair play throughout his childhood, agrees with Carl's assessment.
"He can shoot the lights out," Franklin said.
Fair is trying to market himself as a mid-range threat who can play solid defense. He knows some critics say playing in Boeheim's 2-3 zone is disadvantageous going to the NBA, but Fair's out to debunk that myth.
When he's not working out with teams or Gervin, Fair makes his way to Houston to train with Lucas, the NBA's No. 1 pick in 1976 out of Maryland.Five hours a day. Shots from all over the court. Dribbling drills. The workouts are grueling, but Fair knows they will be worth it.
Lucas said Fair's ball-handling has consistently improved since he arrived in Houston. At Syracuse, Fair had to dribble the ball more his senior year because of the team's lack of depth at guard. He knows everyone has to be able to dribble extremely well in the NBA, so he's ensuring his handles are up to par.
Lucas' main goals are to improve the 6-foot-8 Fair's conditioning and continue to polish his right hand. While Fair still has a ways to go, Lucas believes he has tremendous upside.
"C.J. is savvy and crafty as a player," Lucas said. "He's working hard to continue to improve his shot. His decision making is very good."
When Fair was trying to decide whether to declare for the draft after his junior season, Carl weighed in on the matter. His degree was within reach, so why not stay? Though this year's draft class is a lot stronger, he's going to have to guard players like LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony at small forward if all goes according to plan, so why not continue to improve another year?
And that's what Fair did, piecing together his most complete season at Syracuse. He averaged 16.6 points per game, forming one of the most lethal duos in the country with freshman Tyler Ennis.
While the natural inclination of many players is to go to the NBA as soon as possible, Fair was the exception. Rather than hurt his stock like North Carolina forward James Michael McAdoo, for example, he continued to build his resume and improve his game.Unlike Joel Embiid, Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, Noah Vonleh, Julius Randle and Aaron Gordon — all potential top-10 picks who left after their freshman season — Fair stuck around. His Twitter bio has read "Transitioning from fitting in to standing out" for months, and that is what Fair has gradually done over the past four years. Tobias Harris believes that experience will help him mightily going forward.
"I think he's more ready than more than half the guys in this whole NBA draft." Harris said. "He played four years in college, so he's more mature."Carl and C.J. Fair say they've received positive feedback from NBA team's about C.J.'s offensive skills and his ability to make the game look easy. C.J. has been pleased with how he's performed in 3-on-3 and 1-on-1 drills, knowing training with Gervin and Harris has been instrumental.
For the string bean from Baltimore, the NBA is now at his fingertips. He doesn't just want to get drafted; he wants to make his mark in the league and stay in it for years.
Looking back, he knows all the hard work he's put in is going to pay off and he's eager to continue surprising people.
"When the draft comes and I hear my name called that'll be amazing," Fair said. "It'll be everything."
thass@baltsun.com
twitter.com/TrevorHass
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