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Wrestlemania Predictions

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Caption: Wrestlemania 39 Promotional Banner

By Ryan Harless

Ryan Harless is a third-year undergraduate at BGSU from Hillsboro, Ohio. He is majoring in Sport Management with a Journalism Minor. Baseball and golf at all levels are his primary interests but he is also interested in combat sports, hockey, basketball, and football.

April 1, 2023

It is officially my favorite time of the year, Wrestlemania season. It is the time of the year when World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) has their culminative PPV event that wraps up the biggest storylines of the past 12 months and showcases their plans for the next year.

Over the last few years, WWE has split their Wrestlemania card up into two nights to help prevent fans from tiring out by the end of the card. This year is no different with 13 matches (as of now) being spread across the two-night event.

As I did with AEW Revolution, I will be explaining the matches and storylines leading into the event as well as giving my prediction as to who I believe will walk out of “The Showcase of The Immortals” victorious.

Damage CTRL (Bayley, Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky) vs. Becky Lynch, Lita and Trish Stratus

This should be a really fun contest pitting some of the biggest stars in women’s wrestling today against two of the stars of yester-year. Damage CTRL consists of Bayley and two women who were previously released from their WWE contracts amidst one of their many “budget cuts.”

I was really excited for their team when they re-debuted in August of last year but they are yet to do anything of major note on TV. That is my reasoning for predicting the team of Becky Lynch, Lita, and Trish Stratus.

I think this will be a good match that sees the babyface team emerging victorious while getting the crowd tuned in and ready for the night ahead.

United States Championship: John Cena vs. Austin Theory (C)

John Cena hasn’t been a full time wrestler for the last few years, but every time he shows up to wrestle it is always an important occasion.

This story has many layers as many people were quick to compare Austin Theory to Cena as his gimmick was that he was handpicked by Vince McMahon himself to be the next big thing in WWE.

Cena himself was a nondescript good guy when he arrived and was rejected by fans and had to adapt and grow. Theory is undergoing that transformation for himself right now. He already is a great wrestler between the ropes, but I think that a clean victory over Cena here could be what he needs to cement himself as a star.

I believe that Austin Theory will win and retain his United States Championship over Cena in a good sports-entertainment match.

Logan Paul vs. Seth Rollins

Yes, you read that right. YouTube star Logan Paul has a match at Wrestlemania against Seth Rollins. These two have a rivalry that has spanned a few months with Paul interfering in Rollins’ matches over the course of the last few months.

Although Paul has only wrestled a handful of matches, he has consistently been a highlight on every card he has been featured. Paired up with Seth Rollins at ‘Mania, this has a very good chance to be the best match of the night.

I think this is the perfect place to show just how good Paul is in the ring. I expect Logan Paul to win and, much like Austin Theory, cement his place in WWE for many years to come.

‘Fatal 4-Way’ tag team: Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez vs. Shotzi and Natalya vs. Shayna Baszler and Ronda Rousey vs. Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville 

Sadly, not all Wrestlemania matches can be held to the highest standard. This is the first of two seemingly thrown together tag team matches on the Wrestlemania card.

I expect this to be a “cooldown” match to give the crowd a rest between big matches. There is very little story going into the match and basically all of the teams are completely thrown together.

I would expect this to be mainly a showcase for Shayna Bazler and Ronda Rousey as they are both former MMA fighters and have been portrayed as such in the recent weeks.

I predict that Rousey and Bazler will win this match pretty easily and possibly go on to win tag team gold.

‘Fatal 4-Way’ tag team: Braun Stroman and Ricochet vs. The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford) vs. Alpha Academy (Chad Gable and Otis) vs. The Viking Raiders (Erik and Ivar) with Valhalla

Here is the second of the two “cooldown” matches that I noticed when I looked at the card. In my opinion, the biggest saving grace here is that three of the four teams are actual teams with actual team names.

The odd men out are Braun Stroman and Ricochet who have actually been teaming together on WWE TV as of late. All of the competitors are super talented and there is a chance this could be a really fun match to watch.

But the lack of anything being on the line for this match keeps me from being fully invested. Again, like the previous match this might be a way to catapult a team into the tag championship scene (more on that later).

I predict that the Street Profits will win this match and possibly even tease a breakup with the emergence of Montez Ford as a fan favorite.

Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Dominik Mysterio

What a long way we have come since Summerslam 2005 where Rey Mysterio fought Eddie Guerrero in a ladder match for the custody of Dominik.

Dominik is now all grown up and, against his father’s best wishes, has aligned with the dark side while teaming with The Judgement Day. Rey has spent most of the past few weeks doing everything in his power to not resort to violence against his son.

Dominik has terrorized his father in the past months, breaking into his house, attacking him in front of his family and going to jail in the process. Finally, we get to see a match almost two decades in the making.

With Rey Mysterio being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year, he looks to be winding down his career. I think it makes perfect sense for Dominik to get his first Wrestlemania win against his dad.

This should be a great match as the two have amazing chemistry together.

Brock Lesnar vs. Omos with MVP

If you would have told me four months ago that Brock Lesnar would be facing off against Omos at Wrestlemania, I would have laughed and probably ignored you. Oh, how the tables have turned.

This match could go many different ways. In their weigh-in segment on WWE Monday Night Raw, Omos got the better of Lesnar after battering him with the scale.

But, Lesnar still managed to look like a beast as he hurled himself around the ring in a way that we haven’t seen out of Lesnar in a while. I think if “The Beast Incarnate” (Brock Lesnar) shows up to Wrestlemania wanting to work, this will be a blast.

It is hard for me to imagine Lesnar losing a match at Wrestlemania, but if there was ever someone who could beat him, I think Omos could be the one to do it.

Omos is one of the biggest stars (in stature) in WWE history and if they want to make him a scary giant who can terrorize the roster for years to come, this is their chance.

I believe that Omos will beat Lesnar in a statement victory as WWE gains their new giant.

Bobby Lashley vs. Bray Wyatt

This is a weird one to predict as many wrestling fans don’t know where this match stands. It has been mentioned that Wyatt is either sick or injured and more than likely won’t be able to compete at this years event.

However, I can’t imagine that WWE will leave Bobby Lashley off the card. If Wyatt is unable to make the event, I expect Lashley to pick up an easy win against a surprise return or possibly a debut.

Hell in a Cell: Edge vs. “The Demon” Finn Bálor

“The Demon” is the alter-ego of Finn Bálor that we haven’t seen in a long while. It was overused by WWE for a time and lost a lot of its alure. But now, after a long hibernation, it is back and (hopefully) better than ever.

This match has been a long time coming, too, as Edge was the original leader of the group known as “The Judgement Day” but he was kicked out by the group soon after Finn Bálor joined and became their de-facto leader.

Edge cut a promo this week on Raw that looked a lot like a revision of his original vampire gimmick in the group known as “The Brood” in the late 90’s. This could be a really cool showing of supernatural wrestlers using their spooky magic on a huge stage.

This match will be held inside of Hell in a Cell to prevent the interference of The Judgement Day and also to keep the two warring wrestlers inside. I expect this to be a brutal match that sees “The Demon” picking up a huge win and vanquishing Edge from The Judgement Day for good.

Intercontinental Championship triple-threat: Sheamus vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Gunther (C)

I am so excited for this match, it is hard to put it in words. These three have been going at it with each other for most of the past year, but we are yet to see them all in the ring at the same time.

These are three huge men that love to beat up other large men. Put them in the ring together and let the magic happen.

WWE has already made it increasingly clear that Gunther is the superstar of the future with his record breaking showing in the Royal Rumble this year where he lasted over an hour in the match.

The largest storyline in this match, in my opinion, is the fact that Sheamus has won every title in the WWE EXCEPT for the Intercontinental Championship. I think that this has a serious chance to be the match of the event and I predict that Sheamus will walk out with the IC title.

I also expect Gunther to enter the World Heavyweight Title scene following this match.

SmackDown Women’s Championship: Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair (C)

In a rematch from Wrestlemania 36, Rhea Ripley faces off against the champion Charlotte Flair. The main difference being the championship being fought over. Three years ago, the pair fought at Wrestlemania over the NXT Women’s Championship.

Many people (myself included) were baffled at the choice to have Flair beat the up and comer Ripley. But, WWE has given themselves a chance to right their wrongs with Ripley being an entirely different animal from who she was all those years ago.

I think this is the time for Flair to pass the torch to Rhea with a clean victory that stamps Ripley as a dominant, monster heel that can rule over the SmackDown Women’s division.

Raw Women’s Championship: Asuka vs. Bianca Belair (C)

Bianca Belair has been Raw Woman’s Champ for quite a while. This year at the Royal Rumble, we got to see the return of Asuka looking a lot like her gimmick from Japan as Kana.

She is one of the most believable fighters on the WWE roster and has been one of my favorites to watch for many years. This should be an absolutely crazy match showing off the athleticism and brutality of both competitors.

I think Asuka should win this match so that she can finally lead the Raw Woman’s division with a proper title win. Also, like I said, Belair has been the champ for almost a year. If she loses the title here, she can take a few months off to rest and then come back better than ever.

Unified Tag Team Championship: Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens vs. The Usos (Jimmy and Jey) (C) with Solo Sikoa

This match should be the culmination of the best story WWE has told in years. The never-ending saga of best friends/enemies Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn has gone on for two decades.

They seem to be on the same page again and look to dethrone The Usos who have held tag-team gold for the last 600+ days. The Usos have accepted Zayn into their family and, more recently, kicked him out in violent fashion.

After Zayn lost to the World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns at the Royal Rumble, he has been scrambling to avenge his loss and to become the mega star the fans want him to be.

I think this will be the feel-good moment of the night as I predict that Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens beat the Usos to become the Unified Tag Team Champions.

Undisputed Universal Championship: Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns (C)

It is finally time for the main event, The Undisputed Universal Championship match between Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns. Reigns has been champion for over 900 days and Rhodes is looking to do what his father Dusty Rhodes could never do – win the WWE Title.

I didn’t think this match had much substance at first, but after the work that Paul Heyman (Roman’s manager) and Rhodes have been putting in week after week, I’m invested.

This should be a great match with huge implications for the company. I predict that Rhodes will finally dethrone the Tribal Chief and send him packing for quite some time.

World Baseball Classic: Final Thoughts 

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Caption: Shohei Ohtani celebrates striking out Mike Trout and winning the WBC

By Ryan Harless

Ryan Harless is a third-year undergraduate at BGSU from Hillsboro, Ohio. He is majoring in Sport Management with a Journalism Minor. Baseball and golf at all levels are his primary interests but he is also interested in combat sports, hockey, basketball, and football.

March 26, 2023

The World Baseball Classic (WBC) has come to a close with Japan taking the crown after a 3-2 win over Team U.S.A. on March 21. If the final game were to be a movie, people would have a hard time believing it.  

With Japan up 3-2 in the top of the ninth inning, Shohei Ohtani emerged from the bullpen to put the final nail in the coffin for Team U.S.A. After getting the first two batters out, his Angels teammate, Mike Trout, stepped to the plate in one of the coolest baseball moments of all time.  

Mike Trout, who is considered to be one of the greatest baseball players of all time since his 2011 debut in MLB. Shohei Ohtani, who could arguably become THE best baseball player of all time faced off with the WBC championship on the line. It was the most poetic end to a baseball game (or other athletic competition) I have ever seen. 

Ohtani fanned Trout on just four pitches. Now that is impressive enough as is, but when you look into it further, it’s even crazier. 

Through Trout’s 6,174 plate appearances, he has only struck out on three swinging strikes 24 times. Yes, I said 24 times.  

And if that wasn’t enough for Ohtani, he also recorded the hardest hit ball (118.7 MPH), the farthest hit homer (448 ft.), and threw the hardest pitch in the entire tournament (102 MPH). 

We got to see Shohei pumped up, playing his hardest, and at the top of his game in one of the most important games of his career. And it was a thing of beauty.  

Pedro Martinez talked to Ohtani and gave him the praise that every baseball fan has thought, saying, “Shohei, I want to say…on behalf of baseball…we want to thank you for the effort, for the discipline, for everything that you have done for baseball and what you represent for baseball. I just want to personally thank him for all you do. All you do. We are really proud and thankful and grateful for what you do. You are a special human being. So we want to thank you and recognize it.” 

I am so happy that someone like Martinez was able to thank Ohtani for being as fun to watch as he is. Baseball is truly in a ‘golden age’ with fans getting to see stars like Trout and Aaron Judge, but Ohtani is the face of baseball and I think it will stay that way for a while.  

The game is now the most watched WBC game of all time in America with 5.2 million viewers. That was up 69% from the 2017 WBC final which was an all-timer itself.  

Ohtani has gained 3 million Instagram followers since the beginning of March, Lars Nootbarr gained almost a million himself after his performance and bromance with Ohtani. These games were huge for the sport of baseball.  

Mike Trout has already declared that he will play in the games again when they return in 2026 and I expect many others to follow suit. Ohtani will only be 31 at the time of the next WBC and could be performing even better than he did this year.  

I cannot wait until the next WBC as it is consistently the most fun professional baseball tournament in the world. It manages to bring the fun of the Little League World Series to the pros, and we get to see the athletes play the game like kids again.  

We will have to see if the popularity of the WBC translates to MLB regular season games as they begin on the 30th. I really am hopeful that MLB will be able to capitalize on some of the excitement and bring some more eyes to the league and start to turn around the game. 

World Baseball Classic: Better than Major League Baseball?

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Caption: Trea Turner celebrates with Team USA after hitting go-ahead grand slam HR vs. Venezuela.

By Ryan Harless

Ryan Harless is a third-year undergraduate at BGSU from Hillsboro, Ohio. He is majoring in Sport Management with a Journalism Minor. Baseball and golf at all levels are his primary interests but he is also interested in combat sports, hockey, basketball, and football.

March 21, 2023

With the World Baseball Classic (WBC) fully underway we have gotten to see some of the most exciting baseball available today. More people are watching the WBC games than any World Series game ever.

Team USA vs. Great Britain averaged 1.6 million viewers, South Korea vs. Japan averaged 2.7 million, Chinese Taipei’s viewership in the first round was up 151% from the last WBC in 2017.

As a comparison of popularity between the WBC and MLB moments, Shohei Ohtani’s WBC homer off the scoreboard already had 7.5 million views on Twitter (as of March 19). Aaron Judge’s record-breaking 62nd homer only has 4.5 million views and that is months older. Trea Turner’s crucial go ahead grand slam in the WBC amassed 7 million views on Twitter in just 15 hours.

In terms of TV viewership, the South Korea vs. Japan game was watched by nearly 70 million people. The 2022 MLB World Series got 12 million. 62% of homes in Puerto Rico watched their game against the Dominican Republic.

For years, baseball fans like myself have heard that baseball isn’t marketable or that the kids just don’t like baseball anymore. We have dealt with changes made to the game in attempts to make the game “faster and more marketable”.

The WBC has done a great job of proving all of that wrong. The WBC isn’t adhering to MLB rule changes. The teams can use a defensive shift, there is no pitch clock, and the bases are the usual size. Believe it or not, these games have been incredibly exciting to watch.

As I mentioned in a previous article, we are getting to see these players in rare form. They are all having fun with the game. This very well could be as close as we ever get to seeing Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani in playoff baseball and they are getting every bit of excitement out of it.

When watching the games, you might also notice that it isn’t just the players having a blast, but also everyone in the stadium. Fans behind the backstop are imitating the umpire anytime there is a strikeout. Trea Turner said that his grand slam was the biggest home run of his career and that it was the loudest crowd he has ever played before.  

This tournament has only proven that MLB has no clue what they need to do to make baseball a popular mainstream sport again.

Now, of course every regular season game isn’t going to command a million fans. But when the culmination of your entire season is getting blown out of the water regularly by a tournament that only happens every four years, you’re doing something wrong.

Going into this tournament, Shohei Ohtani was by far the most popular MLB player in the world. Since the start of the WBC, he has more than doubled his followers on Instagram, gaining over 1.36 million since the beginning of March.

I believe that MLB is going about improving their game the wrong way. Outside of Ohtani, I really doubt that there is any one player that a majority of the population knows.

The NFL has Partick Mahomes, the NBA has LeBron and Curry, even the NHL has Ovechkin. Who does MLB have that is not only marketable but HAS been marketed in a beneficial way for the league?

I feel that MLB is in a very weird period of time. Attendance for MLB is dropping rapidly and is down by around 15 million just since 2007. If the numbers don’t begin to improve in the next few years, I really have no clue how they can turn things around.

The WBC has proven that baseball is still fun, and also that MLB isn’t the only viable option for good professional baseball. I thoroughly enjoy watching Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) games because the crowds are super into it and the games are just fun. Major League Baseball has a problem with fun and the WBC has made that evident.

THE 8 TEAMS THAT COULD WIN IT ALL: 2023 Women’s March Madness

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By Sam Morris

Sam Morris is from Madison Heights, Michigan, and is an undergraduate student at BGSU majoring in Sports Management. He has a passion for sports writing and journalism. In his free time, he volunteers in the strategic communications department at BGSU at various sporting events and he also performs, writes, and produces his own raps for the music industry club at BGSU.

March 15, 2023

With selection Sunday complete, the field of 68 is set for the Women’s and Men’s March Madness tournaments. I will be specifically focusing on the women’s tournament in this post. I will be explaining why I believe 8 teams in the field could win it all and ultimately predict which one I believe in the most to cut down the nets in Dallas this year. There are many interesting storylines surrounding women’s basketball this season including that the top overall seed South Carolina will attempt to defend their 2022 championship and that Caitlin Clark is on the verge of setting multiple Iowa Hawkeye records. The women’s tournament will play their Sweet 16 and Elite 8 regional games in either Greenville, SC or Seattle, WA depending on what side of the bracket your team is on.  The final four will be played at American Airlines Stadium in Dallas, TX. The tournament will start on Thursday, March 16.

2. IOWA HAWKEYES (26-6) (15-3) (BIG10)   – Seattle 4 Region

Iowa is the 2 seed in the Seattle 4 region and a big part of that high ranking was their success in the most powerful conference this season in women’s basketball, the Big Ten. Iowa won the Big Ten tournament by beating powerhouse Maryland in the semis and then crushing Ohio State in the championship by a whopping 33 points. Caitlin Clark is the biggest reason why Iowa has a great shot to win the tournament. The 6 foot guard has physical prowess on defense while nearly averaging a triple double on offense averaging 27.0 PPG (3rd in D1), 7.5 RPG, and 8.3 APG (which leads all of D1). Meanwhile, as noted in the intro, Clark has also set multiple records this season at Iowa in number of consecutive 3 pointers made, 3-point shots made in a season, and career assists, while still a Junior. The fact that she can score at such a high average while leading the country in assists speaks to how high-powered this team’s total offense is. Clark’s attention that she receives from opposing defenses has also allowed forward McKenna Warnock to score with ease while creating matchup problems for any opponent in the field. Their biggest challenge will be getting past Stanford who is the top seed in their region and then possibly either a rematch with Maryland or undefeated South Carolina in the final 4.

2. MARYLAND TERAPINS (25-6) (15-3) (BIG 10)   – Greenville 1 Region

Although Maryland lost to Iowa in the Big Ten tournament, they did finish 3rd in the Big Ten and beat Iowa once in the regular season. Maryland will have a difficult schedule in the tournament as they could face top seeded South Carolina in the regional final. However, Maryland has the distinction of being the only team in the tournament to face both South Carolina and Iowa, so they will definitely be prepared for either opponent. Similar to Iowa, Maryland’s strength lies in offense as they average 79.0 PPG as a team which ranks 13th in the country.  They are led by Diamond Miller, who at 6 foot 3 is one of the tallest and most physical point guards in the country. Miller has been able to keep Clark relatively in check in all 3 games that they’ve matched up as Clark has scored under her average in 2 of the 3 games. Miller, meanwhile scored 26, 16, and 27 against Clark in their 3 matchups which included a 96-68 Maryland blowout win in the regular season. Overall, Maryland has been a top 5 team all year and great on both sides of the court. They most likely would have took Stanford’s spot as a 1 seed had it not been for their collapse down the stretch. If Maryland can get past South Carolina they have a real shot to win it all.

1. SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS (32-0) (16-0) (SEC) – Greenville 1 Region

The defending champions led by former coach of the year Dawn Staley are quickly building a dynasty. They are undefeated this season overall and in conference play. They look completely unstoppable and its not hard to see why. Led by 3 time first-team All American 6’5 Center Aaliyah Boston, South Carolina does not let teams score easily. As a team the Gamecocks have led opposing offenses to just 51.1 PPG this season which ironically ranks 4th in the country below their first round matchup 16-seeded Norfolk State. While Norfolk State plays in the MEAC, which has barely any competition, South Carolina is putting up these insane defensive numbers in the SEC with opponents like Tennessee and LSU. When playing then-undefeated LSU and First-team All-American Angel Reese, South Carolina won handedly 88-64, while only giving up 16 points to Reese. Their offense is no joke either, scoring the 7th most PPG in the nation at 81.4. South Carolina has flat out dominated this season by winning 26 out of 32 games this season by over 10 points and should clearly be a favorite to win the tournament.

1. STANFORD CARDINAL (28-5) (15-3) (PAC 12) – Seattle 4 Region

The only team to take South Carolina to OT this year is Stanford, barely losing 76-71. Stanford won the PAC-12 regular season but has struggled down the stretch losing to Utah in the regular season finale and then UCLA in the Pac 12 Semifinals. Despite this, Stanford still got the top seed in the Seattle 4 region with Maryland’s struggles late in the season as well. Stanford is led by Senior SG Haley Jones who nearly averages a double-double and has performed very well in league play. Stanford’s greatest weapon however could be their incredible coaching from Tara Van Derveer whose extensive tournament experience will surely help the Cardinal be ready to go for the tournament despite their recent struggles. In their region, 4 seeded Texas and 3 seeded Duke have both had inconsistent seasons in the Big 12 and ACC so Stanford’s biggest threat to reach the Final 4 will likely be Iowa. Although they have a tough road, it is never wise to pick against the experience of Stanford especially when they have come the closest to beating South Carolina out of the entire field.

2. UCONN HUSKIES (29-5) (18-2) (BIG EAST) – Seattle 3

Geno Auriemma’s two-seeded Huskies had a down year by their dynastic standards, losing 5 games including 2 Big East losses against 9 seed Marquette and 11 seed St. John’s. Although these league losses were uncharacteristic for UCONN they still won the Big East and finished in the AP Top 10 without All-American Paige Bueckers who is out for the season with an ACL injury. Stepping up with Bueckers out has been a combination of forward Aaliyah Edwards and wing Dorka Juhasz. Edwards has stepped up to be the star of the team averaging 16.6 PPG and over 9 RPG.  With Edwards drawing opposing defenses at ease, this leaves 6’5 Hungarian forward Dorka Juhasz to be just as dominant with her post game. Juhasz has averaged a double-double with points and rebounds this season and her pick and roll game with guard Lou-Lopez Senechal has been phenomenal this year. With Juhasz and Edwards in the post, UCONN should have no problem getting to the Elite 8 out of the Seattle 3 region and could definitely win the entire tournament. Their biggest challenges in the tournament will likely be top seeded Virginia Tech, and in my opinion, eventually divisional rival Villanova.

2. UTAH UTES (25-4) (15-3) (PAC 12) – Greenville 2

The Utah Utes have been counted out as a fluke many times this season after only being picked to finish 5th in the preseason Pac-12 coaches and media poll.  However, the Utes proved doubters wrong as they finished the year as co-PAC-12 regular season champions with Stanford, going 15-3 in the conference. Their regular season record enabled the Utes to gain a 2 seed in March Madness, their best seed in school history. However, Utah ended the season on a sour note losing in the first round of the conference tournament to eventual champion Washington State, who was the 7 seed in the conference tournament and will earn a 5 seed in Utah’s region. Utah could also have to deal with 3 of the 5 first-team All-Americans in their region with the top-seeded Indiana’s Mackenzie Holmes, 3 seeded LSU and Angel Reese, and 4-seeded Villanova who is led by Maddy Siegrist. Despite these hardships Utah could face, I still think they could win it all because they have had one of the toughest schedules in terms of S.O.S in all of D1, playing 11 ranked opponents and going 7-4 including a win against Stanford and an astounding 44 point win over 5 seed Oklahoma. Their offense is also ranked 4th in the country, scoring 83.5 PPG, led by forward Alissa Pili who is averaging 20.3 PPG. Utah’s gauntlet of a regular season schedule combined with their ability to play a high-powered offense and tenacious defense are top reasons why I think they could once again prove doubters wrong, and this time instead of winning the conference, win March Madness.

4. VILLANOVA WILDCATS (28-6) (17-3) (BIG EAST) – Greenville 2

Villanova is the lowest seed I have on this list of teams that I believe could win the March Madness, as a 4 seed in the Greenville 2 region. Despite their low ranking, Villanova has had a phenomenal season. Half of their total losses (3) were to fellow powerhouse, UCONN, and Villanova had key victories against tournament teams Creighton and South Florida. Their region will include top seeded Indiana who they could eventually play in the Sweet 16. While Villanova will be an underdog if this game were to take place, I think the Wildcats have the advantage because Indiana has not had an elite defense this season, especially when playing ranked teams. Villanova has the leading scorer in the nation in program career points leader, Maddy Siegrist, as she averages 28.9 PPG which should be a major problem for Indiana and any team Villanova comes across. If Villanova and UCONN were to play each other in the Final 4, it would be very hard for UCONN to win as beating a team 4 times in one season has only been done a few times in college basketball history. Villanova could not only be a bracket buster for people who favor Indiana or UCONN, but I think the Wildcats really have a true shot to win it all and give the University their first Women’s basketball championship in school history.

1. VIRGINIA TECH HOKIES (27-4) (14-4) (ACC) – Seattle 3

Virginia Tech went undefeated in their non-conference schedule but 14-4 in the ACC, finishing in third. It seems odd that they were selected as a 1 seed in March Madness with their conference regular season, until you notice how they absolutely dominated teams in the ACC tournament. The Hokies defense swarmed opponents in the conference tournament, giving up just 37 points to 2 seeded Duke, 42 to Miami (FL), and 67 in their championship victory over Louisville. In fact, the Hokies defense hasn’t given up over 70 points since before Valentine’s day, over a month ago. All four of the Hokies losses came before February and they have won 11 straight games including 4 victories over ranked opponents over this streak. There isn’t a team in the field that wants to play against the Hokies defense and particularly against their 6 foot 6 center Elizabeth Kitley who averages a double-double with over 18 PPG and 10 RPG. With Kitley in the frontcourt, the Virginia Tech offense is carried by guard Georgia Amoore who averages over 15 PPG while creating opportunities for Kitley with 5.3 APG, ranking 21st in the country in that stat. Overall, Virginia Tech’s balanced attack on offense and their gritty defense could propel them to an NCAA championship in this tournament.

MY MARCH MADNESS PREDICTION: IOWA

Caitlin Clark, Iowa, Guard

After reviewing all of the teams on this list, I believe Iowa will win the women’s March Madness tournament. In my opinion, Caitlin Clark is an X-factor because of her ability to play make, defend, and score at will. Clark and Iowa’s offense as a whole ranks first in the nation with 87.5 PPG. With such an explosive offense, I don’t see any of the other defenses on this list being able to handle them except for possibly South Carolina. Stanford, the top seed in Iowa’s region, gave up over 80 points to Utah whose offense is worse statistically than Iowa’s. Overall, Stanford hasn’t been as consistent as they would like and for that reason I think Iowa will beat them in the elite 8 to reach the final 4 against South Carolina. If one of the final 4 matchups is Iowa v South Carolina, to me, that will be like the championship because the Hawkeyes and Gamecocks are better on both sides of the ball than Villanova, UCONN, Virginia Tech, and Utah. While South Carolina’s dynasty has a very impressive defense, they have yet to play a team that can score the 3 and dominate in the paint like Iowa can with their Clark-Warnock duo. On the defensive side, while Boston will surely get her fair share of points in the matchup, Warnock’s ability to get blocks and elitely defend in the paint and arc will put pressure on Boston that she hasn’t seen this entire season in the SEC. I think Iowa has enough firepower and hunger to win to knock off the defending champs in the final 4 and will eventually win the tournament against either UCONN or Villanova.

Bauer Back in Baseball?

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Caption: Trevor Bauer

By Ryan Harless

Ryan Harless is a third-year undergraduate at BGSU from Hillsboro, Ohio. He is majoring in Sport Management with a Journalism Minor. Baseball and golf at all levels are his primary interests but he is also interested in combat sports, hockey, basketball, and football.

March 14, 2023

Trevor Bauer made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut in 2012 with the Arizona Diamondbacks before being quietly traded to the Cleveland Guardians (then Indians) in December 2012. He became a full time starter in the big leagues in the 2014 season when he started 26 games.

Bauer worked his way toward his first (and only to date) all-star appearance in 2018 when he went 12-6 with a 2.21 ERA in 175.1 innings. He was also sixth in Cy Young voting and 22nd in AL MVP voting.

At the trade deadline in 2019, Bauer was traded to the Cincinnati Reds, which proved to be a smart trade as he won the Cy Young in the COVID-shortened 2020 season. He started 11 games, going 5-4 with a 1.73 ERA while leading the league in shutouts and complete games with two each.

That offseason, Bauer inked a three-year, $102 million deal from the Los Angeles Dodgers. Through 17 starts in the 2021 season, Bauer was 8-5 with a 2.59 ERA and looked to have another great season.

However, all of that would change on the 29th of June, when sexual assault allegations were brought against Bauer. It was also reported that the accuser had filed for a restraining order against Bauer on the 28th, one day prior.

The story starts around April 18, 2021, when Bauer first had physical contact with the alleged victim. Court documents state that Bauer reached out to the victim over Instagram direct message after she had tagged him in a post about watching his game.

The victim accused Bauer of “assaulting her on two occasions during what began as consensual sex.” Along with her accusations, there are also text messages between the two as well as pictures the accuser took of herself to document the abuse.

Shortly after these accusations were made public, the Dodgers announced that Bauer would be placed on paid administrative leave while the charges were being examined. Then, in April of 2022, MLB announced that they would be suspending Bauer for what was essentially two years.

Bauer would later appeal and have his suspension reduced from two years to one plus what he had already served after it was decided that he would face no criminal charges.

The Dodgers would go on to release Bauer after the opt-out in his contract came up making him available to be signed by any professional team. There were many MLB teams that could have used Bauer’s pitching every fifth day to help them make playoff runs but no team offered a deal.

Most, if not all, MLB front offices declined to even consider signing him due to the PR nightmare that they would have to brave, and rightfully so. Bauer sat idle for a while posting videos to his YouTube channel, sometimes alongside the “King of JUCO” where he would take part in baseball challenges.

I expected Bauer to continue doing YouTube challenges and never to return to the world of professional baseball. But on Monday, March 13, 2023, it was announced that Bauer had signed a deal worth up to $4 million with the Yokohama BayStars.

Bauer is now eligible to pitch on opening day for the BayStars on March 31.

Bauer isn’t the first disgraced baseball player to find a home in Japan. The most recent example being Addison Russell of Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics fame who quietly left MLB after having allegations of domestic assault brought against him. I didn’t anticipate any team picking up Bauer, however, due to the nature of his allegations. Bauer has been out of professional baseball for over a year so we will have to see if he holds up to his former self in Japan or if he even has a place in professional baseball anymore.

AEW: Revolution Review

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Caption: MJF clutches the AEW World Heavyweight Championship after his bout with Bryan Danielson

By Ryan Harless

Ryan Harless is a third-year undergraduate at BGSU from Hillsboro, Ohio. He is majoring in Sport Management with a Journalism Minor. Baseball and golf at all levels are his primary interests but he is also interested in combat sports, hockey, basketball, and football.

March 12, 2023

AEW: Revolution has now come and gone, and it was an absolute blast. Over four hours of amazing storytelling and pro wrestling masterclass yet again from an AEW PPV. Pure action from the first bell to the finale of the 60 minute ironman main event, this show had it all.

Revolution Rush Hour (Pre-Show) – Mark Briscoe & Lucha Brothers (Pentagon Jr. & Ray Fenix) def. Varsity Athletes (Tony Nese & Josh Woods) & Ari Daivari

This match served its purpose as the show opener getting the crowd hot with great ‘lucha style‘ action. The Varsity Athletes & Daivari put up a good showing, but were no match for the quick-paced style of Ray Fenix and Pentagon Jr.

Mark Briscoe helped get the crowd into the match with his redneck kung-fu and insane charisma. I will be very excited to see the direction he takes in AEW in the coming months.

The Varsity Athletes and Daivari were dispatched with relative ease by the baby faces to start the show on a high note for the crowd.

Ricky Starks def. Chris Jericho

Ricky Starks had yet another great showing to open the PPV alongside Jericho. These two had a simple story to tell; Starks needed to get Jericho off his back so that he could finally become the main event star that he is.

Starks fought through a few outside interferences (even though the Jericho Appreciation Society was barred from ringside) and he was still able to get the job done. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Starks has himself a world title match within the coming months.

Jungle Boy Jack Perry def. Christian Cage

There was one main-show match that wasn’t on the card when I wrote my previous article predicting the show.

Jungle Boy and Christian Cage have had a rivalry going back almost an entire calendar year. It has been a little stop and start due to some very unfortunate injuries. These two last stepped in the ring against each other in September, where Christian turned Jungle Boy’s friend (Luchasaurus) against him in a rather bland match.

This time, both wrestlers were at full health and ready to go to war. The stipulation for this match was a burial match, where in order to win, you need to put your opponent in a casket and close the lid. I felt it was a very fitting stipulation for this rivalry as Jungle Boy has been working towards dropping his Tarzan like gimmick and becoming a “more serious” wrestler.

In the days leading up to Revolution, Jack Perry, who is the son of late actor Luke Perry, cut a promo telling Christian that “since he liked to talk about his father so much, he was going to give him a first class ticket to meet him,” which really added heat to the matchup.

Jungle Boy looked to be in a bad spot and had to fight his way out of the casket, just before Christian managed to get the lid shut. Christian ended up bloodied and beaten by the end of the match before he was rolled into the casket.

House of Black def. The Elite – AEW World Trios Championship

These two teams NEVER disappoint when they step into the ring and Sunday was no different. This was absolutely a must-win match for the House of Black as they desperately needed a win on a big stage to stay a legitimate threat. And they got exactly that in this clinic of tag team wrestling.

There was fast-paced action coming from all of The Elite and two of the three House of Black members in this match. The House of Black bring such a great mix of styles with Malakai Black and Buddy Matthews being fast strikers and the 6’5” 285 pound Brody King has the power to decimate anyone in his way.

Nonstop action from bell-to-bell from both teams alongside false-finishes that had the audience on the edge of their seat made this an instant classic. Buddy Matthews perfectly countered The Elite’s “Meltzer Driver” (their signature / match finishing move) with a beautiful knee to the face before the House of Black hit a trio of power moves on The Elite to secure the Trios Titles.

Jamie Hayter def. Ruby Soho and Saraya – AEW Women’s Championship

Jamie Hayter continues to be one of the hottest stars in the company; even as the heel of this match she had the crowd in a 50/50 spilt between her and Ruby Soho.

Hayter was flanked to the ring by Britt Baker who helped her out by distracting the referee on multiple occasions. One such occasion allowed her to have a break after being hit by Ruby Soho’s “Destination Unknown” (Soho’s signature move).

Hayter managed to fight back and retain her title which I believe was the right move. After the match, Soho threw Saraya and her friend Toni Storm over the top rope and stood alongside with Hayter and Baker, only to then double cross and attack them before re-aligning with Saraya and Storm.

“Hangman” Adam Page def. Jon Moxley via submission – Texas Deathmatch

In perhaps the best pro wrestling deathmatch on U.S. soil ever, Page and Moxley absolutely tore the house down. This match was everything it should have been in terms of violence and sheer chaos.

In just two minutes, Moxley was bleeding profusely from his forehead, but quickly turned the tides by finding a metal fork and jabbing and slicing into Hangman’s forehead. That of course busted Page himself open and opened the proverbial floodgates for the rest of the match.

Page found himself being sent face first into a chair wrapped with barbed wire and later had his hands curb-stomped between two bricks. Moxley took his fair share of punishment as well, receiving a powerbomb onto steel chairs wrapped in barbed wire, and getting thrown out of the ring onto a board covered in more barbed wire.

The match came to an end with Page wrapping chains around the neck of Moxley who was on the outside of the ring, and pulling him up off the ground until Moxley tapped out.

It was an absolute perfect bloodbath that we might not get to see for a long time again.

Wardlow def. Samoa Joe – TNT Title

These two were fighting an uphill battle from the start as the crowd was clearly knackered after the great deathmatch before them.

The two put on a good performance but the audience just needed a rest as they were relatively silent for the majority of the match. Towards the end of the match, the crowd finally came around and got excited in time for Wardlow to place a rear-naked choke on Joe and scream “DIE!!” as he beat Joe for the TNT Title.

At the conclusion of the match, the commentators mentioned that Wardlow will be facing Powerhouse Hobbes this Wednesday on AEW Dynamite for the TNT Title.

Hobbes won the “Face of The Revolution” ladder match last Wednesday for the right to face the winner.

The Gunn Club def. The Acclaimed, Triple J (Jeff Jarrett & Jay Lethal), and “Freshly Squeezed” Orange Cassidy & Danhausen

This was a very fun match for everyone involved. The Acclaimed got the crowd excited with Max Caster’s freestyle rap, Triple J were both despicable heels who used the giant Satnam Singh to their advantage, and Orange Cassidy and Danhausen showed that they aren’t just comedy characters and can easily hold their own in the ring.

My personal highlight of the match was the square off between Satnam Singh and the nonchalant Orange Cassidy, for whom the crowd went absolutely crazy. Another tag team masterclass took place here making it evident that these teams all have chemistry with one another.

The Gunns managed to retain their titles and gave a post-match interview in the ring with Renee Paquette. They were interrupted by the return of FTR who rushed the ring to a huge ovation from the crowd.

The return of FTR to AEW’s tag team division is huge as this match, albeit fun, showcased how shallow their tag division can be. I would expect FTR to regain the tag titles at the next AEW PPV, if not sooner.

MJF def. Bryan Danielson – 60 Minute Ironman Match for the AEW World Heavyweight Championship

Going into this match, I was expecting that it would be pretty good. I didn’t think there would be any way that it would hold my attention for the whole hour though. This match made me pay for thinking that way by making it go by in what seemed like a flash.

By far, this was my favorite match the AEW has produced in their almost four years of being around. And I should have expected it given that the best character in pro wrestling today (MJF) and the best pro wrestler of all time (in my opinion, Bryan Danielson) would wrestle for an hour straight.

MJF came to the ring in a devil mask accompanied by an orchestra of strings playing him in like a god and he set out to maintain that impression.

The first fall in the match went to Danielson when he hit a busaiku knee at around 25 minutes and pinned MJF. MJF then hit a low blow on Danielson (putting himself down 2 falls to 0) before quickly scoring two pinfalls of his own to even the score.

Danielson scored his last fall in the 60 minutes submitting MJF with an STF but the score remained 3-3 at the end of the hour after MJF hit a second rope pile driver and pinned Danielson. As the 60 minutes wound down, Danielson had MJF locked in a submission, and it seemed that MJF might tap out before the time expired. However, he held on just long enough for time to expire before profusely tapping out.

Both wrestlers were covered in blood and absolutely exhausted – MJF was even laying on the outside of the ring taking in oxygen through a mask and a tank. AEW would not let their PPV end in a draw at the end of an ironman match so it was determined that the match would continue under sudden death rules.

MJF was still taking in oxygen outside of the ring when Danielson came over to pull him into the ring. MJF drilled Danielson in the head with the tank of oxygen and quickly discarded it before the referee scuttled into the ring and covered Danielson to retain his AEW World Heavyweight Championship.

All in all, I think this was a 5/5 PPV. I was also very excited to see that of all the matches I predicted in my last article, I got all of them correct!

All Elite Wrestling Revolution Predictions

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Caption: Promotional poster for AEW Revolution showing MJF (L) & Danielson (R)

By Ryan Harless

Ryan Harless is a third-year undergraduate at BGSU from Hillsboro, Ohio. He is majoring in Sport Management with a Journalism Minor. Baseball and golf at all levels are his primary interests but he is also interested in combat sports, hockey, basketball, and football.

March 2, 2023

Coming up this Sunday, March 5, All Elite Wrestling (AEW) “Revolution” will air on PPV and will culminate with some of the best feuds in recent AEW memory. There are currently seven matches on the card. In this article, I will break down each match as well as give my predictions on each winner.

Chris Jericho vs. Ricky Starks (Everyone Banned from Ringside)

This match is the culmination of a feud that has gone on for a while (almost too long, depending on who you ask). Jericho wanted the up and coming star to join his faction, the Jericho Appreciation Society (JAS) for weeks. After Starks finally declared that he wanted nothing to do with Jericho, the JAS terrorized Starks, costing him championship matches and other huge opportunities.

The two have had one singles’ match previously which Starks won and I expect the same outcome for this match. Especially with the added stipulation that the JAS are banned from ringside ensuring no interference. Starks should win so that he can put the JAS behind him and begin looking toward the world title picture.

Samoa Joe vs. Wardlow – (TNT Championship)

This feud was kickstarted with the return of Wardlow a few weeks ago on AEW TV. At the last AEW PPV, Samoa Joe beat both Wardlow and Powerhouse Hobbs to regain the TNT title in a great match that kept Wardlow off TV. Joe is a great wrestler albeit not as quick on his feet as he used to be, but this should be an absolute ‘hoss fight‘ and a super fun match to watch.

I think this would be a great way for Wardlow to get a huge win and a title to carry. Joe already is the Ring of Honor (ROH) Television Champion so with him holding two belts, he can stand to drop one without hurting his status.

Jamie Hayter vs. Ruby Soho vs. Saraya – (AEW Women’s World Championship)

I really want to be excited for this match as all of the competitors are super talented. Hayter is one of the hottest acts in AEW right now and is loved by all of the fans, but it’s the other two competitors in the match that scare me.

Soho’s return has been marred with injuries and poorly received matches, and many of us have been really let down with Saraya’s in-ring-return. To me, a lot of her segments have fallen flat and haven’t shown me that she is on the level of others such as Athena or Emi Sakura in the women’s division.

I hope that this match can live up to the expectations of an AEW PPV match, but either way, I expect Hayter to retain her title and possibly start the inklings of a feud with someone else.

The Gunns (Champions) vs. The Acclaimed vs. Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett vs. TBD – (AEW Tag Team Championship

AEW has one of the best tag team divisions in all of professional wrestling and it will be put on full display this Sunday in this four-way for the tag titles. There are a few storylines going on in this match. The Gunns took the titles from The Acclaimed a few weeks ago on TV. The Acclaimed are managed by Billy Gunn who is the father of The Gunns so there is plenty of tension between those two teams.

Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett are a team that will stop at nothing to get their way as they won a Battle Royal to get into this match with the help of the 7’3” giant Satnam Singh. Jarrett began wrestling in 1986 and Lethal started his career in 2001, so they both have experience and plenty of title reigns to their names.

The TBD is one of the most interesting parts of the match. On March 1, there will be another match on AEW TV to determine the final team in this match. I predict that the Best Friends will win this match and make their attempt at the gold as the fan favorites that they are.

However, I predict that the Gunns will retain their titles as I expect them to hold them until they can drop them the FTR whenever they return to AEW programming.

Jon Moxley vs. “Hangman” Adam Page – (Texas Deathmatch)

I am so stoked for this match! These two have put on amazing matches every time they step in the ring with each other. Except that maybe their match on Dynamite where Page was severely concussed. But that aside, this match should be bloody, violent, and beautiful.

This feud has taken place over many months with Moxley targeting Page and trying to break him both physically and mentally. Page has been aligned with a group called The Dark Order for over a year now and they have helped him get out of many jams but Page has requested they stay away and not get involved.

The last time this happened, Moxley left Page a bloody mess in the ring. However, I anticipate Hangman getting the win here and finally sending Moxley on that vacation he was supposed to take last Fall.

The Elite (Champions) vs. House of Black (AEW World Trios Championships)

In my opinion, this will be the match of the night as far as work rate goes. These two teams leave it all in the ring without fail every chance they get. The Elite are continuing to defend their Trios Titles in amazing matches week after week and it looks like House of Black is finally committed to making their presence felt weekly on AEW programming.

This should be a fast-paced barnburner that finally cements House of Black as the most intimidating and fierce team in all of All Elite Wrestling. If there ever was a “must win” for House of Black, this is it, for sure. I predict House of Black takes the titles from The Elite and holds them for most of 2023.

MJF (Champion) vs. “The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson – (60 Minute Ironman Match for AEW World Heavyweight Championship)

Whereas the previous match should be the most intense as far as pace and action, this will be the match of the night as far as storytelling goes. MJF and Danielson are masters of using pacing and visuals to tell stories in the ring. Danielson continues to wrestle after years of being on the sideline with severe head and neck injuries and MJF is the cocky champion that will stoop as low as he needs to stoop, to continue his reign.

This feud has gotten very personal in the past weeks with MJF telling Danielson’s children and wife that he is going to send him home for good and end his wrestling career. Danielson, coming off winning the Wrestling Observer Award for best technical wrestler last year, is looking to carry the title as a respectable champion who will take on all comers.

It should be super fun to watch how MJF handles the longest match of his career by far against a man who can wrestle for an hour at the drop of a hat. I predict that MJF will find a slimy cheap way to retain his titles and continue his reign of terror over the AEW locker room and programming.

MLB Breakout Predictions: AL West

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Caption: AL West teams

by Ryan Harless

Ryan Harless is a third-year undergraduate at BGSU from Hillsboro, Ohio. He is majoring in Sport Management with a Journalism Minor. Baseball and golf at all levels are his primary interests but he is also interested in combat sports, hockey, basketball, and football.

February 26, 2023

We’ve finally made it to the end of the series! Welcome to part six (of six), of my predictions for the breakout star on every Major League Baseball (MLB) team in 2023. We have finally made it all the way to the American League (AL) Western Division.

This division has been dominated recently by the Houston Astros, but last year the Seattle Mariners made a surprising run in the postseason.

Kicking off this list, however, are the Oakland Athletics. The A’s lost 102 games last season and they have nowhere to go but up.

I expect a large part of their rebuilding process is going to be Paul Blackburn. Twenty twenty-two was Blackburn’s first year entirely in the Majors, as he had spent all or parts of the last 10 years on various Minor League teams.

Over his nine seasons in the Minors, Blackburn had a 3.66 ERA in 721 innings. In his experience at the Major League level, he has struggled to keep on pace posting a 5.09 ERA over 249.1 innings.

Last season, Blackburn got his most starts in MLB since 2017 with 21 and he made the most of it, being named to his first All-Star team. He finished the season with a 4.28 ERA alongside his 89 strikeouts over 111.1 innings.

I predict that if Blackburn is able to stay healthy and make 25+ starts, he can go 12-8 with a 3.50 ERA. With Blackburn being a contact pitcher, he does have to rely on his fielders to be there for him when batters make contact so there is always uncertainty.

Finishing eight games ahead of Oakland were the Texas Rangers. This team spent around $350 million in one offseason to bring Corey Seager and Marcus Semien in to be their middle-infielders. They finished with fewer than 70 wins even with those two on the team.

The Rangers are another team looking to turn things around and I think a certain switch-hitting catcher might be a major key to their turnaround.

My choice for the 2023 breakout star of the Texas Rangers is Jonah Heim. Heim is entering his second season as the primary catcher for Texas. He played parts of the 2020 and 2021 seasons and was relatively inconsequential posting a 0 WAR (wins above replacement). But, this last season saw Heim play in 127 games, and post a 2.5 WAR.

Heim, as is the case with most catchers, is most valuable behind the plate and not in the batters box. Heim has posted an above average fielding percentage all of the last three years as well as having eight defensive runs saved above average.

I expect Heim to play in 130 games, have a caught stealing percentage above 30%, and have a 3+ WAR. With these numbers, I could easily see Heim starting behind the dish for the All-Star game this season.

This brings us to one of the oddest teams in all of MLB, the Los Angeles Angels. The Angels have had two of the top five players in all of the league (Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout) every one of the last five seasons and haven’t been .500 or better in any of them. Nor have they finished above third place in any of those years.

I think that another one of their outfielders could be one of the keys to their success this year. Jo Adell has struggled to get on his feet in his three seasons in the big leagues. But I feel that a lot of times, position players need 2-3 years of struggling in MLB to really catch hold and play to the height of their abilities.

I think this will be the case for Adell who has posted a career .289 batting average in six seasons of Minor League play. Adell played 88 games in 2022 which was 50 games more than his previous high and while he didn’t produce amazing numbers, there were flashes of greatness.

Adell has the tools to be a star both in the field and at the plate, and I think he will do just that in the 2023 season.

I expect Adell to slash .250/.300/.350 with 18 homers and somewhere around 50 RBIs and 20 stolen bases.

Finishing 2nd in the AL West last season were the Seattle Mariners. This is a team that is amped up and ready to make another postseason push and they have the talent to do so.

I think this team will make it to the American League Championship Series (ALCS) and maybe even their first World Series ever.

I think the player that is going to have a true breakout season and propel them there is Luis Castillo.

Castillo has already proved himself as one of the better starting pitchers in all of MLB, but I think that this will be the year that he wins a Cy Young award.

Castillo has played six seasons in the Majors but is yet to make the leap from good to great. Part of that has not been his own doing. He started his career with the Cincinnati Reds and only had an ERA above 3.98 in one season. And outside of those two seasons, he never had an ERA over 3.40.

Those Reds teams did little to help Castillo with run support so his win-loss records look a little sketchy. But, finding his home in Seattle, I expect him to put up league-leading numbers, especially if he is able to master his changeup which is already one of the best in all of MLB.

I expect Castillo to go 15-3 with a 2.85 ERA in 180 innings to go alongside 200 strikeouts. As I mentioned above, I also anticipate him winning the AL Cy Young Award.

This brings us to the 2022 World Series champions, the Houston Astros. The Astros won the second most games in MLB last year, trailing only the Dodgers by five wins. I can only imagine that the Houston organization is taking this year as another World Series or bust year.

I think that this year, they are going to have more help from one of their quieter returning players, Chas McCormick.

McCormick has played two seasons for Houston batting around .250, but like I said before, I think a lot of hitters need a few years in the big leagues to get the swing of things. I’m sure he will bounce back just fine.

Over four Minor League seasons, McCormick slashed .278/.362/.402 which shows that he is more than capable at the plate. He is yet to show off his power numbers that he had in college (9 homers his senior year) but that should come with age.

I look for McCormick to slash .275/.360/.390 with 8-10 homers and 120 hits. He should develop into a great everyday outfielder for Houston.

My Trip to Super Bowl LVII

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By Brady Shick

Brady Shick is a third-year Sport Management Major at BGSU from the Akron area. His main goals for the future are to work in baseball on the front office side of operations. 

February 25, 2023

Earlier this month, I was able to travel to Glendale, Arizona, with 19 other students, to work both the Super Bowl and other related events prior to the game. Throughout the week we were able to spend time together as a group and develop new friendships all while participating in a once in a lifetime experience.  

Early Week Activities 

We arrived in Arizona the Monday before the game but did not have an actual shift until Thursday, so we had a few days to experience the area and learn about the other people in our group. Monday, we spent a lot of time at our hotel hanging out in a big group – either hanging around the pool or when we sat down to eat our meals. Tuesday, we started to get more into a groove. First thing in the morning we drove to Phoenix from our hotel, which was about 20 minutes away, to pick up our credentials. After obtaining our credentials, our large group split into two groups with my group going to the Waste Management Phoenix Open golf event and the other going back to the hotel.

At the tournament, the golfers were playing a practice round so we were able to get in free. We saw golfers such as Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Tyrell Hatton, and Viktor Hovland all while walking nearly eight miles that day. Wednesday was our last day off and we split into groups again with one group touring Chase Field, the Diamondbacks’ Stadium, and the other going hiking. I went on the Chase Field tour where we were able to see the clubhouse, dugout, bullpen, and even one of the suites.  

Working Experiences 

On Thursday, we finally had our first shift at the Phoenix Convention Center where the Super Bowl Experience was happening. The Super Bowl Experience was a fan event put on by the NFL the week before the Super Bowl. Most of our group was on the top level of the convention center helping to run the various games for the children. One group was at a kind of obstacle course while another was at a pickle ball station where a bunch of current and former NFL players came by. I was tasked with a job at the lower level of the convention center where I watched the line for the Super Bowl ring displays. Also downstairs were multiple autograph stages and the showcase of the Lombardi trophy.  

On Friday, most of the group volunteered at Hance Park after our training at State Farm Stadium but another member of our group and I just hung around the Glendale area and tried to soak it in a bit more. Saturday came with another shift at the convention center. Again, a large group of us was tasked with running the various games for the little kids. Meanwhile, I was outside making sure everyone got into the convention center in an orderly and safe manner. It wasn’t the most interesting of jobs, but I saw a few different NFL players and got to talk to some of their families which was really rewarding. After we were done working at the convention center, we got to meet up with Dick Maxwell and his wife at their hotel where Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell let us talk about our career aspirations and they gave us some advice on our future endeavors.  

Gameday 

On Gameday we were tasked with employee egress. We were responsible for making sure that all the employees and fans went out of their own respective gates and thus made it to the proper destination. Again, it may not have been the most glorious of jobs but at the end of the day it is something that needs to be done to ensure a great experience for both the fans and the workers. By doing this we were able to actually be on the campus of the Super Bowl which is a once in a lifetime experience and I thank both Bowling Green State University and SMA for allowing me to do so.  

My Super Bowl LVII Experience

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By Carsen Hageman

Carsen Hageman is a first-year undergraduate student at BGSU, where he majors in Sport Management. As an active member of the Sport Management Alliance, he was part of a group of 20 students who attended and worked at Super Bowl LVII.

February 25, 2023

Growing up a huge NFL fan, I never thought about going to the Super Bowl. As I grew older though, I knew I wanted to work in sports so it was always a goal to make it there. So, once I learned that it was a possibility to attend the Super Bowl in my first year at BGSU, I was ecstatic! I was also fortunate enough to plan part of the trip to the Super Bowl through the Sport Management Alliance (SMA). As the Assistant Travel Coordinator, I helped plan the trip with the Travel Coordinator. Everything from flights to the rental cars needed to be planned months in advance.

One of the first things we did once we got to Arizona was to attend Super Bowl Opening Night. This was an event where all the players in the Super Bowl were available to be interviewed by the media. Fans got to sit and watch all of the players from each team being interviewed.

My favorite non-football event that we did in Arizona had to be touring Chase Field, the home of the Diamondbacks. On one of our days off, we found out that Chase Field did tours. It was perfect timing because pitchers and catchers reported in one week so people were in the building getting ready for spring ball. This was such a fascinating tour as we got to learn what it is like to run a facility like that. Lastly, our tour guide was from Springfield, OH, so we got to bond over being from Ohio. Since we fostered such a great relationship during the tour, our tour guide allowed us to take one of the bullpen balls home from the Diamondbacks’ personal batting cages within their locker room.

During the week leading up to the game, we all worked at the NFL Experience at the Phoenix Convention Center. The NFL experience is an event where fans interact with players and have fun at games like the one pictured above. The capacities we all worked in varied from working to make sure games ran smoothly to facilitating autograph lines. Throughout The Experience, there were a variety of autograph booths that included current and former NFL players signing autographs for fans. This was such a rewarding position as we got to interact with fans and make their experience one to remember.

During Super Bowl game day, we worked with Gameday Stadium Services assisting with the egress of teammates and other staff as the Super Bowl campus was very hectic. This was a little bit disappointing as we wanted to be inside the stadium. It did not turn out as badly as anticipated because we were able to go into the game during our break or even just to use the restroom.

The disappointment quickly went away after the game as we were able to get onto the field. Since it was an hour or two after the game, security allowed us onto the field. This was the highlight of my trip as everyone dreams of being on the field for a Super Bowl. Once we were on the field, we were able to walk around and take pictures for almost an hour. This included pictures on the sidelines and the Lombardi presentation stage.

Overall, this was an experience of a lifetime. To be able to spend a week in Arizona and gain real-world experience in sports is something I will never forget. I want to thank the entire Sport Management Faculty and Sport Management Alliance for a truly life-changing trip. Without the support from the staff and great planning from SMA, we would have never been able to have such a successful trip.