Mr. Maxwell (R), Contributors Lily Smith (C) and Sam Morris (L) pose for a picture.
By: Lily Smith and Sam Morris
Lily Smith is a second-year undergraduate at BGSU from Oregon, Ohio. She is majoring in Sport Management with a Marketing minor. She is passionate about all things women’s sports, and all things women in sports.
Sam Morris is from Madison Heights, Michigan, and is an undergraduate student at BGSU majoring in Sport Management. He has a passion for sports writing and journalism. In his free time, he also performs, writes, and produces his own raps for the music industry club at BGSU.
October 11, 2024
Kicking off Bowling Green State University’s 2024 Homecoming was the Academy of Distinguished Alumni event. This event highlighted past BGSU alumni and their accomplishments.
The event was held on September 26th at 6pm in the Bowen-Thompson Student Union Ballroom, and it recognized Larry Benz, Seshadri Tangutur, and Jeff Witjas as the most recent alumni to be inducted into the Academy of Distinguished Alumni.
Although the three distinguished alumni inductees were the main stars of the event, others, like their families, their friends, deans, professors, other BG alums, students, and a few former Distinguished Alumni recipients also attended the induction.
One of the former Distinguished Alumni who was at the ceremony was the founder of the Maxwell Media Watch, 2018 inductee, Dick Maxwell (above). Maxwell graciously invited both of us to go to the event which turned out to be a night full of networking, great food, great speeches, and an overall great night.
Sam’s Perspective
Before guests took their seats, Mr. Maxwell introduced us to many people, which was a fantastic way to network with BG alums who are now professionals in the sports field. One professional to whom I spoke was ESPN and ABC Sports former producer, Peter Englehart (below) who explained how making connections with people throughout your academic professional journey will get you to where you want to go. This was the case with him, as he became a producer for 2 of the largest sports production stations. Englehart is not only a great professional figure but also, like Maxwell, in 2015, he was inducted into the BGSU Academy of Distinguished Alumni.
After taking our seats, we began to network with people at our table. I talked a lot with Dawn Shinew, the dean of the EDHD college, who helped me contact with Curtis Danburg, the Cleveland Guardians VP of Communications and Community Impact. This connection was great for me to have as I now have a future Zoom call with him scheduled after the MLB playoffs end.
I also talked with Erik Hildebrand, BGSU’s Associate AD for compliance. He was another interesting BG professional because he had extensive knowledge on how NIL works in college athletics which I thought was really cool to be able to get input on.
Lily’s Perspective
Before the event even began, Sam and I sat down and spoke with Mr. Maxwell about updates in our lives and our journeys in sport. Mr. Maxwell was very interested to hear about our current internships and future opportunities. I found this very endearing and welcoming when it came to my first in-person interaction with Mr. Maxwell. He was super engaged and interested to hear about our different experiences.
Once the event began, I sat next to Jordan Cravens (below). She is a BGSU alumnae herself (’09, ’13), but is now HHS Senior Director of Development. We chatted about her experiences in the masters of Sport Administration program, as well as her time working with the BGSU Volleyball Team. It was very encouraging to hear insights about the sport industry from another woman in this space. We talked about the transition from the sports world into the fundraiser world, where a lot of the same skills can be applied. This was appealing to me because I am interested in the marketing/public relations side of sports, which is similar to her current position.
Overall Thoughts
Overall, we thought the event was a great networking opportunity for alums, and luckily enough, for us, to participate in. We personally got a lot of value out of it because we made multiple professional connections and got to see so many different sports careers and perspectives.
As for the actual Distinguished Alumni themselves, we thought all 3 did a fantastic job with their speeches and they all seemed to have wonderful careers in their respective fields.
Fitzpatrick Metzger is from Lakewood, Ohio, and is a graduate student at BGSU completing a masters in Sport Administration. He has a passion for soccer, rugby and sport analytics. In his free time, he is on the BG Rugby team as a player, club secretary, and SID.
October 9, 2024
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Bowling Green (4-1, 2-0 MAC) had their second non-conference win this season. The Falcons put on their best performance of the season in a 79-3 victory over the NCR D-1AA Top 20 Coaches Poll No. 16th Maryland. The Falcons closed out their non-conference play with a promising record of 2-1.
“A much better performance. Obviously the scoreline was probably a little lopsided, a little more than we kind of expected for sure,” said Head Coach Tony Mazzarella. “I think we played some really clinical rugby, certainly in the middle 40 minutes. Just a good win to get us back on track.”
The Falcons went into Homecoming weekend as the No. 5 ranked D-1AA team in the NCR Top 20 Coaches Poll with a match against the No. 16 team Maryland. After the weekend and a 79-3 home blowout, the Falcons have advanced to the No. 3 rank in this week’s NCR Top 20 Coaches Poll and dropped Maryland out of the top 20. These two teams have not played since 2013, which resulted in a BGSU victory. The match started with a Maryland penalty kick to take the lead 0-3. From there on, the Falcons would play their best match of the season.
“Overall, I think as a team we played closer to our potential than we have in the past, which can attest to 2 things, attitude and effort,” said Captain Joey Apel. All 15 players on the field at any time played unselfishly and motivated, and they did it all at full pace for 80 minutes.”
After going down 0-3, the Falcons would score 79 unanswered points, more than double the 35 unanswered points scored against Michigan (Big Ten) in the week 1, 47-12 win. In what was a much needed complete 80-minute performance, the win will provide a massive boost going into the second half of the season.
The 2nd XV was also able to secure a win for Homecoming weekend. This gave the club their fourth weekend sweep this season. In what was a hard fought 29-15 win for the 2nd XV, 8-man Nathan Medved led the way by scoring his first hat-trick of the season (3 tries for 15 points). Additionally, Paolo Sferrella and Robbie Bricker contributed one try each and Isaac Radke provided 4 points (2 for 5 on conversions, 40%).
NOTABLES
The Falcons scored 79 unanswered points to defeat the No. 16 Terps.
Three Falcons scored 10+ points: Joey Apel 14 pts (1 try and 7 from 13 on conversions, 53.85%, Griffin Wilson and Phil Tracey 10 points (2 tries each).
In his First XV debut, Evan Holderer scored his first try for the First XV.
The Falcons had their highest points total, 79, and largest points differential, +76, of any game this season.
Nathan Medved scored his first hat trick (3 tries, 15 points) for the Second XV.
Robbie Bricker scored his first try of the season for the Second XV.
Bowling Green (4-1, 2-0 MAC) will be off the weekend of October 5th due to Fall Break. The Falcons will start up again with their next MAC Conference game against Ohio University (1-3 MAC) at 1 pm on Saturday, October 12th at the Roger Mazzarella Rugby Field.
HOW IT HAPPENED 1st XV Bowling Green 79, Maryland 3
No. 5 Bowling Green to Face No. 16 Maryland in Second Matchup Since 2013 over 2024 Homecoming Weekend.
Falcons (3-1, 2-0 MAC) make it 10 MAC Conference wins in a row after a 39-21 win away against Pittsburgh.
By Fitzpatrick Metzger
Fitzpatrick Metzger is from Lakewood, Ohio, and is a graduate student at BGSU completing a masters in Sport Administration. He has a passion for soccer, rugby and sport analytics. In his free time, he is on the BG Rugby team as a player, club secretary, and SID.
September 27th, 2024
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Bowling Green (3-1, 2-0 MAC) have now won 10 MAC Conference games in a row following an away win in Pittsburgh on Graham Field. Although the Falcons were not at their best this weekend, they were still able to emerge victorious. Additionally, the Falcons are ranked No. 5 after this week’s NCR Top 20 Coaches Poll.
Homecoming Weekend:
This year, September 26th-29th is Bowling Green’s Homecoming Weekend. This weekend Saturday, September 28th the Falcon’s will take on Maryland (2-2, 0-1 MARC), No. 16 in the NCR Top 20 Coaches Poll, at the Roger Mazzarella Rugby Field at 1 pm. The Tarps were previously ranked 9th in the NCR Preseason Power 10. This will be the teams’ second ever match. The Falcons won their only match against Maryland when they played in 2013. In order for this match to be possible, the current BG Rugby players will be hosting the Maryland players.
Alumni can meet at Brewing Green at 6 p.m. on Saturday following the match with Maryland.
History:
The BGSU Rugby team played their first season in Fall 1968. In the club’s first season, there was only one match, a 5-3 victory over Ohio State University. The first ever Bowling Green Club Rugby try was scored by AL Bohl (3 pts), and the first ever conversion was scored by Jim Gerding (2pts). Since 1968, Bowling Green has emerged as a highly successful program. Since the MAC Championship started in 1973, there have been 50 MAC Championships. Bowling Green has won 41 of 50 MAC Championships, a 82% win rate. The Falcons had an unmatched win streak from 1981-2021, which saw the Falcons win 40 consecutive MAC Championships. Their most recent MAC Championship win was a 48-15 win over Western Michigan. Since 2021, the Falcons have finished second at the MAC Championship in 2022 and 2023.
About Maryland:
Last season Maryland finished 3rd in the Mid-Atlantic Rugby Conference (MARC) following a 35-17 victory over Princeton.
This season, Maryland started 2-1 following their preseason. The Terps won 30-0 against Christendom and 22-19 against UVA, while only losing to the Naval Academy’s B side 14-62. Over their preseason, the Terps scored 66 points, conceded 81, and had a -15 points differential. The Terps also began their MARC season with a 36-38 loss to West Chester University on Saturday, September 21st to start the year 0-1. The Terps are now ranked No. 16 following this week’s NCR Top 20 Coaches Poll.
Season Recap:
This season, the Falcons have started the season 3-1, 2-0 MAC. They have victories over Michigan (Big 10, 47-12), Cincinnati (MAC, 38-5) and Pittsburgh (MAC, 39-21) and have only lost to Notre Dame (Big 10, 15-33).
This year in the MAC, the Falcons have extended their conference win streak to 10 in a row. The season’s first MAC win was the 38-5 home opener victory over Cincinnati at the Roger Mazzarella Rugby Field. Next, the Falcons had a 39-21 away win over Pitt at Graham Field. This away win extended the win streak to 10. The streak started following a 91-0 win over Pitt in Fall 2022. This streak includes the Falcon’s undefeated 2023 season when they went 7-0 in conference play. Currently, the Falcons sit joint 1st in the MAC with 10 pts, only behind Louisville (+145) and Western Michigan (+84) on Points Differential. The Falcons have scored 72 points from 12 tries and 6 (of 12, 50%) conversions. They have conceded 26 points and have a points differential of +46. The Falcon’s have nine different try scorers, only behind Louisville with 10. Freshman Logan Van Hoose currently has 15 points (three tries) and tied 4th for total points. Junior, and Captain, Joey Apel is 6 from 12, 50%, for conversions and is tied 8th with 12 points and Senior Owen Slimmer is tied 12 with 10 points (from two tries) in the MAC.
Overall, the now NCR D-1AA Ranked No. 9 Falcons are 3-1 this season. They have only played two non-conference games going into this weekend’s match with Maryland. The Falcons are 1-1 against Big 10 teams this season. They managed a 47-12 victory at home over Michigan on the opening weekend of the season and a 15-33 loss to Notre Dame. Throughout the entirety of the season, the Falcons have scored 138 points, have 71 points against, and a +67 point differential.
Bowling Green vs. Maryland
Bowling Green, Ohio | Roger Mazarella Rugby Field
Saturday, October 12th | @ 1 p.m.
Up Next
Bowling Green will play their next MAC game against Dayton Saturday, October 12th on the Roger Mazzarella Rugby Field at 1 pm. The Falcons will look to make massive improvements from their match against Pitt and to extend their conference win streak to 11 games.
Follow the Falcons
Be sure to follow the Falcons Rugby team on social media for schedule updates and any information:
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 also performs, writes, and produces his own raps for the music industry club at BGSU.
April 24th, 2024
Overview
The 2024 NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Michigan this year from April 25th through April 27th at the Hart Plaza. The event will feature Detroit-style concession stands, Motown music, youth activities, and a Play 60 Zone. Like recent drafts before it, the 2024 NFL Draft should be watched nationwide with considerably high ratings as NFL fans everywhere aren’t only excited to see who their team will pick but also what the rest of the league will do to improve their rosters.
As I did last year, in this mock draft I will predict who each first-round pick will be. I will also provide analysis and statistics as to why each player was selected at the spot they were taken and why it made sense for that specific team to draft that player into their organization. This mock draft won’t include any draft day trades and will be using rosters updated as of April 23rd.
Without further ado, the Chicago Bears are on the clock!
1. Chicago Bears
top team needs: QB, OT, DE
QB Caleb Williams USC
Chicago finished last year with a 7-10 record but ended up getting the top pick in this year’s draft from Carolina due to the DJ Moore trade last year. Along with Moore, the Bears also picked up WR Keenan Allen in a trade with the LA Chargers this offseason, further bolstering their weapons for a future QB. After trading QB Justin Fields to the Steelers, the Bears will certainly be picking a QB with this 1st overall pick, and USC QB Caleb Williams is a clear frontrunner. Williams had a 3,633 yard, 42 total TD stat line in 2023 and an even better 4,537 yard 52 total TD stat line in his 2022 Heisman season. Williams’s arm strength and accuracy should make an immediate impact in Chicago’s rapid rebuild next season, but will he be enough to silence the Justin Fields loyalists?
2. Washington Commanders
top team needs: QB, OT, DE
QB Jayden Daniels LSU
One of the quickest risers up draft boards, LSU’s Jayden Daniels is easily the most versatile and athletic QB in this year’s draft class. Daniels was an Arizona State transfer before going to LSU and he ended up playing 5 years of collegiate football, giving him valuable experience. Last year was by far his best season, throwing for over 3,800 yards and rushing for over 1,000. He also had a spectacular TD/INT ratio, getting 50 total TD’s while only throwing 4 interceptions. Daniels should immediately improve Washington’s offense that has no #1 option at QB after sending Sam Howell to the Seahawks.
3. New England Patriots
top team needs: QB, OT, WR
QB Drake Maye North Carolina
It is highly likely that there will be three QB’s drafted with the top three picks in this year’s draft. This would be only the 4th draft in NFL history that this would occur, only after the 1971, 1999, and 2021 drafts. Like the Bears and Commanders, the Patriots traded away their previous young QB (Mac Jones). Jones will land as a backup QB to fellow 2021 draft class pick Trevor Lawrence while the Patriots are left with no true option at QB. After a failure to make a move for either Kirk Cousins or Russell Wilson in the offseason, it is evident the Patriots will take a QB at 3. The question is whether they will take JJ McCarthy or Drake Maye at this spot if the top 2 picks are as I predicted. Despite New England being known to pick Michigan QB’s, I’m giving Maye the slight edge over McCarthy in that he is bigger, stronger, slightly more agile, and has been able to showcase his arm talent more at the college level. While not his fault, McCarthy played in a run-heavy offense. Maye’s UNC offense on the other hand ran through him and he rose to the occasion; amassing over 3,600 yards and 33 TD’s.
4. Arizona Cardinals
top team needs: WR, DE, CB
WR Marvin Harrison Jr. Ohio State
The Cardinals badly need a wide receiver in their struggling offense. Their current depth chart has no true #1 wide-out as they have Michael Wilson, Greg Dortch, and Chris Moore listed as their current presumptive starters. Marvin Harrison Jr. out of Ohio State is heads and shoulders above the rest of the 2024 wide receivers as a draft prospect and the Cardinals shouldn’t even hesitate on picking him here. Harrison Jr. was a 2023 Heisman finalist and put up back-to-back 1,200+ yard seasons while also getting 14 TD’s in each season! That type of production is unheard of through a 12 game schedule and the Cardinals would be getting a potential future superstar if they were to select him.
5. Los Angeles Chargers
top team needs: WR, DE, OT
WR Rome Odunze Washington
Although the Cardinals got the first and best WR off the board in Harrison Jr, the Chargers are by far the team that needed a WR the most out of this draft. LA is losing both Keenan Allen and Mike Williams in the offseason and will go into this draft with arguably the worst WR room in the league. I believe it will be between Rome Odunze and Malik Nabers with this pick but I went with Odunze, the Washington prospect, because he’s a taller, slightly faster option for Herbert to throw to over the top. While maybe not as good a route runner as Nabers, Odunze still put up a 1,640-yard, 13-TD season at Washington last year and will make a much-needed immediate impact in LA for Justin Herbert’s offense.
6. New York Giants
top team needs: OT, QB, WR
OT Joe Alt Notre Dame
The Giants have the first “big decision” in this year’s draft. While the pick selections are up for debate in the top 5 picks the position should be pretty set in stone. However, when it comes to the Giants at 6, the rest of the draft could be determined by which route they decide to go. The two main options are to take a QB as Daniel Jones’ contract will run out or take an O-Lineman to help rebuild one of the league’s worst protecting units to help Jones. Although I could see them going either way with this, I think they will more likely pick the first offensive lineman off the board here. They paid Jones so much money and still have faith in him as an organization that he can win in the future. Alt will be an enormous (literally) help for the Giants to protect Jones. He is 6 ft 8, 315 pounds, and is extremely agile and quick on his feet. Although Alt is the big name O-Lineman in this draft, there are about 5-7 at the position that are of his caliber; this draft class is loaded with talented offensive lineman.
7. TennesseeTitans
top team needs: OT, CB, WR
OT JC Latham Alabama
Speaking of offensive lineman, JC Latham becomes the first Crimson Tide player to come off the board in Nick Saban’s final year. Latham will immediately improve the worst-graded offensive line in the league with his 6 ft 6, 360-pound frame. He could easily slide in as the week 1 left tackle to protect Will Levis. The other direction Tennessee could go with this pick would be at CB, but at this high, I don’t think a CB in this draft is that talented to be justifying drafting them in the top 10. While Latham isn’t the flashiest brand-name player in the draft, I think 5-10 years down the road Tennessee fans could look back at the draft and be extremely happy with this pick.
8. Atlanta Falcons
top team needs: DE, LB, OT
DE Dallas Turner Alabama
After signing Kirk Cousins, Darnell Mooney, and Ray-Ray McCloud in the offseason, Atlanta is quietly becoming a top offense in the NFC South. Their biggest struggles will be on the defensive side of the football, particularly in the fact that they have one of the weakest front 7 in the NFL. To combat this, Dallas Turner could make a mini-Alabama run in the draft here and help Atlanta out with his versatility to play both the defensive end and linebacker position. Turner is a fierce competitor who had a whopping 53 tackles, 2 forced fumbles and 10 sacks last season as a junior. Turner is neck and neck with Verse and Latu as the top front- 7 player in the draft but Turner’s high ability to sack the QB will be enough to sway Atlanta to select him over the others.
9. Chicago Bears
top team needs: OT, DE, G/C
OT Olumuyiwa Fashanu Penn State
At 6 ft 6, 320 lbs, Fashanu is slightly smaller than Alt and Latham, but strong in his own right. The Bears drafted RT Darnell Wright out of Tennessee with the 10th overall pick last year and he has solidified the right side of the line. However, in order to help the future QB on both sides, the Bears will need a LT of the future as Braxton Jones is seen as more of a temporary placeholder until his contract expires to free agency. Fashanu could be a great value pick at #9 for this future LT spot and he has all the intangible skills to succeed for Chicago.
10. New York Jets
top team needs: OT, TE, QB
TE Brock Bowers Georgia
The Jets need another offensive weapon for Aaron Rodgers next season. They just got Mike Williams from the Chargers and have a plethora of running backs who can catch well, but the receiving core is still mediocre with just Garrett Wilson and Williams on the outside. Multi-talented, two-time national champion TE, Brock Bowers, would fit perfectly with this offensive makeup. Bowers would be able to help on inside, crossing, outside, and deep routes, and would be able to help protect Rodgers as a blocker as well, something that current TE Tyler Conklin has struggled with as part of his game. Bowers brings to the table three straight 700 + yard seasons as a TE and 31 total career TD’s in college.
11. Minnesota Vikings
top team needs: QB, CB, DT
QB J.J McCarthy Michigan
The first of two picks in this year’s draft for Minnesota, the Vikings will be picking McCarthy as the 4th QB taken off the board. Minnesota had a very disappointing 2023 season finishing tied with the Bears in the division after winning the NFC North the previous year. As disappointing as the regular season was, the offseason may be looking even worse for Vikings fans right now as Kirk Cousins is now an Atlanta Falcon. On the bright side, Minnesota signed Aaron Jones to be the next starting RB and the WR duo of Jefferson and Addison is one of the best in the league. McCarthy will be able to help with this offense as he could either start over the newly acquired QB Sam Darnold or start on the bench and become the starter of the future. While the defense needs help in all three levels, a top 4 QB is urgent for Minnesota with a poor current QB room. McCarthy brings agility, underrated arm strength, and arguably the best accuracy in this 2024 draft class as he only threw 11 interceptions COMBINED in his three-year career at Michigan. This lack of turnovers will pay dividends in the NFL and will likely be the reason McCarthy goes in the top 5 QB’s drafted.
12. Denver Broncos
top team needs: QB, DE, DT
DE Jared Verse Florida State
There may not be a team (besides the Panthers) in a worse draft position than the Denver Broncos. Denver was essentially forced to let go of QB Russell Wilson so they will no longer be able to say “Broncos country, let’s ride.” Wilson’s absence means the QB room currently includes Jarrett Stidham as the QB1 and Zach Wilson as QB2. The dilemma for Denver is that by picking #12 they will most certainly have the #5 QB in the draft class if they were to select one. Denver also needs help pretty much everywhere in the front 7 on defense as well. Weighing these options, I believe that come draft night Denver will trade down in the draft and gain additional assets as opposed to staying and reaching for a QB at 12, such as Michael Penix Jr or Bo Nix. However, since I’m not doing trades in this mock draft, I believe Denver could also pick a talented Defensive end to help out with their atrocious run defense, and that player would be Jared Verse. Verse’s determination and work ethic are unmatched in this draft class as he skyrocketed from the University of Albany to Florida State in just 2 years. Verse put up monster numbers once he was in the ACC, getting 9 sacks each of the last two seasons, with 88 tackles combined between the two years. Verse will have a big impact on Denver’s run defense scheme.
13. Las Vegas Raiders
top team needs: CB, DT, QB
CB Quinyon Mitchell Toledo
Another team potentially vying for a QB, Las Vegas has officially moved on from Jimmy G and straight into Aidan O’Connell. Poor DaVante Adams isn’t even playing with his Fresno State teammate Derek Carr anymore and instead has locked himself into a situation with a rocky QB battle. While many Raiders’ fans want the organization to look for a new franchise QB, O’Connell didn’t do too badly last year in the short sample size, and it is believed that he will continue to be tested this upcoming year, especially because they pick down at #13. With this being said, the Raiders need major help in their secondary (as they often do) and will do so by picking the speedy CB out of Toledo, Quinyon Mitchell. In a class loaded with CB talent, Mitchell stands out in that he ran a 4.33 40-yd dash while having exceptional route coverage skills to back up the speed. The concern with Mitchell is the lesser MAC competition, but the on-field skill should speak for itself and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he was the first CB off the board.
14. New Orleans Saints
top team needs: WR, DE, OT
WR Malik Nabers LSU
The Saints need another weapon for Derek Carr to throw to as their offense became stagnant down the stretch of the season, causing them to have a mediocre 9-8 record and to miss the playoffs. Nabers would be a steal in the middle picks and he would compliment Chris Olave perfectly in this spread-out New Orleans offense. Nabers had back-to-back 1,000 + yard seasons in 2022-2023 and had 14 TD’s in 2023 as well. His collegiate production will hopefully translate to the NFL as a lanky red zone target for Carr to throw the ball up to in contested tight window situations.
15. Indianapolis Colts
top team needs: DE, CB, WR
CB Nate Wiggins Clemson
The Colts were one of the most surprising teams last season because they finished with a winning record without their top draft pick QB Anthony Richardson. Eager to build upon this success, Colts fans may want them to double down on offense here and build more of a receiving core. If Nabers doesn’t go a pick earlier I think Indianapolis would pick him here, but there is an enormous drop off from the top 3 WR’s in this class and the Colts still need another CB badly. Wiggins is the only CB to run a faster 40 yd dash time than the aforementioned Quinyon Mithcell at 4.28. This pick would help solidify two quality starters in the Colts secondary and allow them to build a back end of the defense based on speed and aggressiveness to match the powerful front 7 they already have in place.
16. Seattle Seahawks
top team needs: DE, DL, G/C
DT Byron Murphy II Texas
Byron Murphy II is one of the most fun-to-watch defensive players in this draft and his attitude perfectly encapsulates what the Seahawks have branded their defensive style as. At 300 pounds, he is big enough to take on NFL offensive linemen, but he is only 6 ft so he will definitely be playing on the interior in the NFL. That means this pick makes even more sense for the Seahawks since they have only 1 nose tackle on their entire active roster as it is currently constructed. If he is still available when Seattle picks, I would be shocked to see them pass him by (although this is what I said about Jalen Carter last year and they let him slip to Philadelphia, so what do I know?).
17. Jacksonville Jaguars
top team needs: WR, OT, DE
OT Taliese Fuaga Oregon State
Jacksonville will be picking the 4th offensive tackle of the draft with this pick in Taliese Fuaga. Fuaga is 6 ft 6, 325 lbs, and has just over a 5-second 40-yard dash. One of the quickest o-lineman prospects, he will be able to efficiently protect Lawrence’s right side while Cam Robinson continues to protect his blind side. Last year’s first-round pick, RT Anton Harrison, struggled at times last season and could get moved into his natural position of interior guard. Adding Fuaga as an extra offensive line piece to a decent line already would give Lawrence and the Jags a huge advantage against other teams in the AFC South.
18. Cincinnati Bengals
top team needs: OT, DT, CB
DT Jer’Zhan Newton Illinois
Newton will be filling a much-needed hole in the Bengals defense at nose tackle. A Sheldon Rankins – BJ Hill duo is probably not sending fear into many opposing QB’s eyes as their speed and agility just are not there. Newton would be able to improve this core defensive tackle group with his ability to sack the QB at a high clip. Newton collected 18 total sacks over 4 years at Illinois and he also had 112 total tackles. I foresee Newton in a rotation with Rankins as the starting nose tackle opposite BJ Hill.
19. Los Angeles Rams
top team needs: CB, G/C, OT
CB Cooper DeJean Iowa
Coming off a surprising wild card playoff appearance in a supposed rebuild year, Sean McVay and the Rams are right back in the NFC hunt. The biggest issue last year in the regular season and in their playoff loss to Detroit was their secondary’s route coverage ability. Highly talented CB Cooper DeJean out of Iowa would help the Rams with this problem as a week 1 slot cover nickle-back type of starting CB.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers
top team needs: CB, OT, G/C
OT Troy Fautanu Washington
The o-lineman trend continues with the Steelers as Fautanu will become the 5th offensive tackle already picked up off the board. The Steelers have a need at CB opposite last year’s draft pick Joey Porter Jr. This is especially true after trading Cam Sutton to the Lions last year (who I will be talking about later). Despite these secondary struggles, I think the left tackle position is the most urgent. Dan Moore Jr. just hasn’t been cutting it when protecting Kenny Pickett, and now that Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are in Pittsburgh, the Steelers will need a better option to protect for long scramble packages and designed runs. Fautanu presents a better option as he did just the thing for Michael Penix Jr’s designed runs and QB scrambles on deep fade routes.
21. Miami Dolphins
top team needs: OT, DE, G/C
DE Laiatu Latu UCLA
The Dolphins were one of the NFL’s hottest teams in the first three quarters of the season. However, once the calendar hit December, the usual winter curse plagued Miami. The Dolphins ended the season horrifically, especially with their run defense, and ended up not winning the division and losing 26-7 to the Chiefs, while their run defense struggled once more. Latu will be a quality addition to the defensive line and will hopefully for Miami fans get to Josh Allen and Aaron Rodgers. Latu’s a big, strong, 6 ft 5, 265-pound man whose strength and speed allowed him to get double-digit sacks in each of the last two seasons, including 13 last year.
22. Philadelphia Eagles
top team needs: DE, CB, S,
DE Chop Robinson Penn State
Fletcher Cox’s absence in the front 7 of the Eagles’ defense will be sorely missed for Philadelphia. This, along with the fact that Brandon Graham will probably be next to go means that it’s time to find the next generation of defensive lineman for Philadelphia. The first d-lineman for the Eagles should be picked in the first round because they got CJ Gardner – Johnson and Darius Slay back for the secondary. Chop Robinson is an intriguing Penn State prospect that has experience and a versatile run/pass defensive coverage skillset to match perfectly with Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter’s lack of experience. I think Robinson will be a big steal for Philadelphia this low in the draft.
23. Minnesota Vikings
top team needs: QB, CB, DT
CB Terrion Arnold Alabama
Since I have Minnesota taking a QB with their first pick, I believe that they will go on the opposite end of the spectrum with their second pick to address their many needs in the secondary, particularly at CB. With Mitchell, Wiggins, and DeJean off the board, Terrion Arnold becomes one of the next logical players to choose. While Arnold isn’t quite as fast as the previous three defensive backs already off the board, he was just as productive in the college game with a 5-interception, 63-tackle 2023 campaign.
24. Dallas Cowboys
top team needs: RB, G/C, DT
RB Jonathon Brooks Texas
Dallas came up short in the playoffs again and they have one glaring positional weakness heading into this year’s offseason: running back. Their current #1 RB on the depth chart is Rico Dowdle, with 5 ft 6 Deuce Vaughn as his backup. I know it’s the first round and teams don’t usually pick RB’s that high, but Dallas NEEDS the best RB they can find from this draft. That RB is fittingly enough a Texas player, Jonathon Brooks, who had a massive 2023 season. Brooks had over 1,100 rushing yards, 286 receiving yards, and 11 total touchdowns. His ability to be a power runner while also being able to catch the ball out of the backfield will be invaluable to the Cowboys now that Pollard is with the Titans.
25. Green Bay Packers
top team needs: CB, S, G/C
S Tyler Nubin Minnesota
It was another disappointing end to the season for the Packers in 2023 that came at the face of a familiar foe, the 49’ers. However, last year felt different for Green Bay fans. They were surprised at the success QB Jordan Love had and the young team as a whole improved as the season went on. Fans went into the offseason hopeful and ownership delivered more hope with a Josh Jacobs signing. The biggest holes left in this quick rebuild are at safety and left tackle. I think Green Bay will end up going the safety route however as they would now be picking the 6th left tackle off the board, whereas they could get the best safety now and a decent offensive lineman later. Additionally, current left tackle Rasheed Walker is only 24 years old and could get another year or two to see if he improves. Minnesota prospect Tyler Nubin is the safety I think Green Bay lands. Nubin is worlds ahead of any other safety in this draft class with 13 interceptions over 5 years in college, 204 total tackles, 11 pass deflections, and 3 forced fumbles. The turnovers are especially what I think will stand out to the Packers as their secondary has been towards the bottom of the league in this category in recent years.
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
top team needs: DE, QB, CB
DE Chris Braswell Alabama
I think Tampa Bay will aim to get either Penix Jr or Nix in round 2 as a future QB to backup Baker Mayfield, but for now Mayfield has been doing fine, and he led them to a playoff win last season. Where Tampa Bay needs the most help is in their defensive line depth. Chris Braswell, yet another Alabama player, will definitely be able to make an impact with the Bucs out of the gate as he played every year in college at a high level. Braswell totaled 76 tackles in his 3 years, 4 forced fumbles, and 11 sacks (including 8 of them in the last year). Braswell is a threat to opposing offenses because he can be set up for Tampa Bay on the edge of the d-line or as an outside linebacker as well.
27. Arizona Cardinals
top team needs: WR, DE, CB
DE Austin Booker Kansas
Like Minnesota earlier, I think Arizona will elect to go with the offense’s biggest need first and then turn to the defenses. For the Cardinals, the defensive line pass rush is by far their biggest need. I picked them to get Will Anderson Jr. last year before there was the draft trade that gave the Texans the 3rd pick and Arizona this one because they needed defensive line help last year as well. Since it went un-addressed, it is important they get someone they can count on right away. I believe Booker can be that person for Arizona. Booker is 6 ft 6, 245 pounds. He is extremely agile laterally and he had a massive 56 tackle, 8 sack, 2 forced fumble stat line last year.
28. Buffalo Bills
top team needs: WR, CB, S
WR Brian Thomas Jr. LSU
Although all levels of the secondary, the interior defensive line and the interior offensive line are points of weakness with the Bills, it is their usual strong suit – wide receiver – that needs the most immediate attention. Stefon Diggs is now in Houston and Gabe Davis is in Jacksonville. With the top 3 WR’s gone so far, Buffalo needs to get someone at the end of the first round that other people may be sleeping on that they see #1 WR potential out of. For me, Malik Nabers’ LSU counterpart Brian Thomas Jr. is this “sleeper pick” that I would take if I was Buffalo’s GM. Despite playing second fiddle to Nabers, Thomas Jr still had a 68 reception, 1,177 receiving yard season with 17 touchdowns, the most by a WR in this mock draft. At 6 ft 4, Thomas Jr. will be a huge red zone presence for Buffalo for the upcoming future.
29. Detroit Lions
top team needs:CB,DT,G/C
CB Kool-Aid McKinstry Alabama
The second Alabama CB on this list, Kool-Aid McKinstry, will provide much-needed help at the CB spot for the Lions next year. I would be shocked if Detroit doesn’t pick a CB with their first-round pick considering Sutton and CJ Gardner-Johnson are gone now. McKinstry is a little slower laterally than some other CB’s higher up in this draft board, but he is still a terrific coverage guy, and he rarely gets stuck in one spot on a route. The Lions need a young and talented CB like McKinstry because their secondary has been slow in recent years and is just now reviving back up.
30. Baltimore Ravens
top team needs: LB, DT, OT
LB Junior Colson Michigan
Wow, talk about an offseason! It was a crushing loss to Kansas City in last year’s AFC Championship game for the Ravens, but to everyone’s surprise, they went out and got Derrick Henry from Tennessee for the next year. While Henry was a major addition to the team, Patrick Queen was a major subtraction to the linebacker core. Junior Colson is my pick for Baltimore because he is the top-rated true linebacker in the draft and because of the Harbaugh connection between brothers Jim and John that has brought many Michigan players to Baltimore in the past.
31. San Francisco 49’ers
top team needs: OT, DT, WR
DT Braden Fiske Florida State
San Francisco still has one of the deepest rosters in the league, but they do have a few glaring weaknesses that they need to address through the draft. If Aiyuk leaves, they will definitely need another WR, they need an offensive tackle to eventually replace future hall-of-famer Trent Williams, and they need to replace Arik Armstead in the interior of the defensive line. I think the interior defensive line is the most important to address first for the 49’ers because they run their heavy number of blitz packages through the nose tackles. Braden Fiske is someone whose energy level and attention to detail match what the 49’ers culture of accountability tries to teach its players. Fiske will be able to bring more pressure to the QB than the current Arik Armstead replacements would. He has 191 collegiate career tackles and 19.5 career sacks.
32. Kansas City Chiefs
top team needs: WR, OT, S
WR Ladd McConkey Georgia
Chiefs fans and the media are going crazy on the rumor that Kansas City wants to end round 1 by picking Xavier Worthy of Texas as a “Tyreek Hill part 2” with his world record 40-time. However, I don’t see Worthy helping the Chiefs’ real problem. Their problem is that the wide receivers that they do have can’t catch the ball and/or run routes correctly. Ladd McConkey fits this mold more. McConkey went to Georgia where his coach was always making sure he ran routes and caught properly, so he’d be perfect for Patrick Mahomes to throw to in the open field.
Keely Dinn is a second-year undergraduate at BGSU from Trenton, Ohio. She is majoring in Sport Management with a Journalism minor. Professional football and college football are her primary interests, but she is willing to look at many more.
The 2024 NFL Draft is approaching and who will be going number one?
Marvin Harrison Jr.
Caption: Marvin Harrison, Jr.
“MHJ” is an American football wide receiver who had an amazing collegiate career in just three seasons with The Ohio State Buckeyes. But the latest season will probably go down in history with the Bucks. He is arguably the greatest receiver in Ohio State history. In the 2023 season, he had 67 receptions, 1,211 total yards and 14 touchdowns. Many people thought of him as unstoppable.
Michael Penix Jr.
Caption: Michael Penix Jr.
Michael Penix Jr. is one of the most mysterious prospects for this draft due to the fact that he was a transfer student to the Washington Huskies. In two seasons with the Huskies, he had a total of 9,544 yards. In the 2023 season, he had 36 touchdowns and led the Huskies to the National Championship against the Michigan Wolverines. After the loss, Penix, Jr declared for the NFL Draft. Recently, there have been speculations that several teams could move up in the draft to try to draft Penix.
J.J. McCarthy
Caption: J.J. McCarthy
J.J. McCarthy played college football at the University of Michigan and led the Wolverines to three consecutive Big Ten Conference titles. In his senior year, he led the Wolverines to the National Championship title. There have been speculations that teams might move up to attain him as their pick. As a quarterback prospect, he has the ability to throw the ball smoothly to potential receivers. In the 2023 season McCarthy, he had 2,991 yards and 22 touchdowns. He might double that when he gets drafted, depending on the team (and coach).
Mulkey points to the crowd, acknowledging their support.
By: Lily Smith
Lily Smith is a first-year undergraduate at BGSU from Oregon, Ohio. She is majoring in Sport Management with a Marketing minor.
March 30, 2024
Kimberly Duane Mulkey was born May 17, 1962 in the days of John F. Kennedy’s presidency. Kim was born in Santa Ana, California, but raised in Tickfaw, Louisiana. Growing up as one of the first girls to play organized boys’ basketball, she was predicted to be a star. This was proven by Hammond High School winning four state championships, led by Kim herself. This success foreshadowed her future playing and coaching careers.
Many people have a lot of opinions about Mulkey, her coaching style, her political stances, and even her fashion choices. There is a lot to be said about all of these things, and I want to dive deeper into these choices and the reasons behind them, while also providing a history of this influential women’s basketball icon.
History
Mulkey during her time at Louisiana Tech.
Kim’s persona didn’t start out being characterized by sparkles, ruffles, and hot pink. Her collegiate career was spent at Louisiana Tech University. Standing at just 5 ft 4 in, often with her hair in braids as pictured above, Mulkey made a name for herself as a point guard. During her college career, she earned the title of All-American. Mulkey and the Lady Techsters earned two national championships. In 1981, they claimed the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) championship. They also impressively gained the title of national champions of the inaugural National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament in 1982. Her accomplishments as a player led her to win the first women’s Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award (top college senior under 5 ft 6 in) in 1984.
Mulkey poses in her Team USA uniform.
In 1983, Kim was selected to play for Team USA at the Pan American Games in Venezuela. She also played for the Jones Cup in Taipei during 1984, as well at the Olympics in Los Angeles that year as well. During her Olympic run, she averaged 5.3 points per game, and claimed the gold medal.
After her international playing stint, Kim returned to her alma mater, Louisiana Tech as an assistant coach to the women’s team. Later, in 1996, she was promoted to associate head coach under Leon Barmore. During her coaching tenure, the Lady Techsters reached seven Final Fours, had a 430-68 record, and clinched the 1988 NCAA Championship. Mulkey stayed with Louisiana Tech until 2000 when she took over as head coach at Baylor. The previous year, the Lady Bears had gone 7-20 and finished last in the Big 12.
Mulkey coaching at Baylor.
Kim’s takeover at Baylor was truly noteworthy. In her first season, Baylor had their first ever NCAA tournament bid. In 2005, Baylor took down Michigan State for the NCAA title. This feat crowned Mulkey as the first woman to have won an NCAA Division I title as a player and head coach. Years later, in 2012, the Lady Bears achieved a perfect season, going 40-0, the highest number of wins in a single season in college basketball history, women or men. That same season, Baylor took home the NCAA championship yet again.
Controversy
Mulkey with Baylor and WNBA star, Brittney Griner.
During Kim’s glorious reign at Baylor, there were some things going on behind the scenes. Mulkey was very critical of her star player, Brittney Griner. Since then, Griner has seen her own controversies, but she still stands as a women’s basketball icon. She is an openly gay black woman. However, during her time at Baylor under Mulkey things were a bit different.
Griner was reportedly forced to hide her sexuality, and even other things like her tattoos. She was not allowed to speak freely, and had to wear sleeves underneath her jersey. Griner did not feel comfortable coming out to her coach or her peers because there was kind of a “Baylor standard,” and this kind of thing would not be allowed. Later on, Kim was asked if she had ever had a gay player on her team and Kim responded, “Don’t ask me that. I don’t ask that. I don’t think it’s anybody’s business. Whoever you are. I don’t care to know that.”
Understandably, everyone involved in this situation was getting criticism. In a sense, Mulkey was trying to suppress her athlete’s lives. Which in some cases is alright to do, because those athletes are there to play their sport, but they are people, too. Everyone deserves to be known and allowed to express themselves, inherently, as a human.
Being smack dab in the middle of the Bible Belt comes with some challenges for people of color and queer people. Women also hold a different position in society as well, taking place in a more traditional way. Forbes has an article diving into the standards of southern women. You could be an astronaut, but you had to keep dinner on the table for your family. The whole goal is “serve” God properly, and to not be too “out-there,” wear “too-little” or clothing that is “too distracting,” you can be “pretty” but you can’t be overly confident, and of course you “can’t” be a tom-boy.
Tom-boy or hyper-feminine?
Historically, taking the position of a basketball coach, or any coach in the sport industry is easier if you are a male. Therefore, it is inherently a male-centered career. Any female head coach is a pioneer of the industry, and it comes with some tough battles. “Feminine” women are viewed as not tough, ruthless, or victorious. I believe as in the following source that there is quite an interesting boundary between being a female and being an athlete.
Throughout history, women did not typically become athletes especially in sports that required speed, strength, and agility. Think back to the first modern Olympic games in 1896, there were only male competitors. Right now, close your eyes and think about the perfect example of an athlete. Probably not a woman, right? It is probably a well-toned, muscly, oiled-up, big, strong man. Not a woman wearing pink, having long styled hair, wearing makeup, having her nails painted, AND having muscles and other athletic features. This is just not the way society has constructed the ideal athlete.
Now, think about a successful basketball coach. You are probably thinking about an older man, with grey hair, khakis and a sweater vest. This is where Kim Mulkey comes in. A lot of her colleagues, mentors, and former coaches, probably all fit this standard. Still to this day, this is the standard of coaches across all sports, leagues, and ages.
Maybe to combat this kind of male-focused standard, Mulkey feels like she has to hyper-feminize herself to make it known she is a woman. Maybe it is not about female empowerment, but stems from an inner-feeling cultivated in the Bible Belt. She is the perfect example of a Southern woman on paper; she just happens to also be a championship winning basketball coach.
Mulkey is a conventionally attractive woman. Her hair is always perfectly hair-sprayed into place, her makeup is always perfectly done, and her outfits never seem to be too revealing. She is showing off her femininity, and making it known she is a woman. You will never see her wearing sweatpants, a t-shirt, or any sort of comfortable looking clothing or anything that combats her femininity, which would make her more manly looking.
One of Mulkey’s most popular looks.
I personally, like her over-the-top pink, sparkle, feather, ruffle style. I think it’s a statement and if I was in her position I would probably dress a little dramatic. I would get a pink pantsuit and walk into a room full of men. However, I don’t have the idea of a “Southern woman” hanging over my head. I don’t feel as if I have to live up to a certain standard of femininity like she might. I don’t know if my take is right, and it could be that she just likes this style.
There is a lot to be discussed about Kim Mulkey, but I think however you view her, she is an all-round successful woman in the sport industry. She has so many accomplishments and that is nothing to belittle because of the way she dresses. Kim has had her issues, and still continues to have some questionable takes on coaching tactics and politics, and maybe even more that is not in the media. However, all of the female athletes, coaches, and advocates are making way for so many young girls who look up to them, especially during March Madness.
Caption: New San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman swinging
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 also performs, writes, and produces his own raps for the music industry club at BGSU.
March 15, 2024
10. Detroit Tigers (B+)
Major Additions
SP Kenta Maeda
OF Mark Cahna
SP Jack Flaherty
RP Shelby Miller
RP Andrew Chafin
Starting off the top 10 is the Detroit Tigers, who did something that they haven’t done in a while, they had by far the best offseason of any AL Central team. The Royals and White Sox overhauled much of their rosters to build for the future, the Guardians made minimal changes to a mediocre roster, and the 2023 divisional champion Twins lost major pieces from their playoff team. Detroit added 4 quality veteran pitchers to an extremely young but talented staff. They took Maeda from Minnesota who will likely slide in behind Tarik Skubal as the number 2 guy in the rotation. They also signed Jack Flaherty from Baltimore. Flaherty will likely be the 3rd or 4th starting pitcher in the rotation; he has major upside as he was an all-star and consistent Cy Young candidate just a few years ago with St Louis before his rough 2023 campaign with the Orioles. If Flaherty can return to his previous form he will be a steal to a much improved Detroit rotation from 2023. Both Chafin and Miller will provide veteran leadership in a young bullpen that includes breakout stars from last season, set-up man Jason Foley, and closer Alex Lange. This will help them contend with the Twins’ and Guardians’ bullpens that have been some of the best in the league the last couple of years. Cahna is also a decent signing from Milwaukee who will likely play left field as a need fit opposite young outfield stars Riley Greene and Parker Meadows. Detroit will also likely bring up Colt Keith and Jace Jung, two top 100 MLB prospects, to bolster their weaker infield offense. The downside to the Tigers’ offseason is that they lost their ace Eduardo Rodriguez to Arizona, but it was unlikely he would resign after he declined his player option last season.
9. San Diego Padres (B+)
Major Additions
SP Dylan Cease
SP Michael King
C Kyle Higashioka
CP Woo-Suk Go
SP Randy Vasquez
RP Johny Brito
After paying massive contracts to a ton of players last season, San Diego has decided to use the Golden State Warriors’ strategy of moving on from a few stars in hopes of contending now while simultaneously building for the future. San Diego was involved in the biggest off-season trade as they sent OF Juan Soto and OF Trent Grisham to the Yankees in return for three quality young pitchers and catcher Kyle Higashioka. Although they lost two stars in the trade, Michael King and Randy Vasquez should make for a good 4 and 5 combo in the back end of their rotation, and Johnny Brito is one of the most promising young relief pitching prospects in the game. Higashioka is also a calculated signing as he becomes a bridge and mentor for 17-year-old catching phenom Ethan Salas who is quickly making his way through San Diego’s farm system. San Diego also lost Hader to the Astros and Lugo to the Royals but signed Korean pitcher Woo-Suk Go which will significantly help their bullpen. Ace pitcher Blake Snell is also gone to free agency but the Padres signed ex-White Sox ace Dylan Cease at the end of the offseason which will be a top-tier replacement in what will be a monster three-star rotation of Darvish, Musgrove, and Cease. If San Diego did not lose so many stars they would easily be in the top 3 off-seasons on this list.
8. Chicago Cubs (B+)
Major Additions
SP Shota Imanaga
RP Hector Neris
The Cubs’ main priority this offseason was to resign Marcus Stroman and Cody Bellinger. They did half of this goal by signing Bellinger last week. Bellinger pulled an inverse of Tim Anderson and had a career renaissance last year by having the 7th best average in MLB (.307), hitting 26 homers, and having 97 RBI’s. He hadn’t hit over .300 since his 47 home run 2019 MVP campaign. In fact, in the three seasons since his MVP season, he didn’t even hit over .240. This shocking resurgence with the Cubs should make Chicago fans excited for a potential repeat performance this year. On the other hand, ace pitcher Marcus Stroman has left for the Big Apple, but the Cubs pivoted in a big way by adding the 3rd best Japanese free-agent pitcher, Shota Imanaga who played for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars. For the last 8 seasons he had over 1,000 strikeouts with a 3.18 ERA in that span. He should easily slot in as the opening day ace and will be a pivotal player in how this offseason is viewed by the end of the year.
7. Washington Nationals (A-)
Major Additions
OF Jesse Winker
1B/OF Joey Gallo
OF Eddie Rosario
3B Nick Senzel
CP Dylan Floro
The most underrated off-season has to be the Washington Nationals, who lost nobody and added a ton of talent. Washington won’t be able to contend this year, but don’t be surprised if in the next few seasons they become a sleeper team in the NL East. After winning the World Series in 2019, Washington shipped most of their expensive stars to other teams and they have been at the bottom of the National League for the past few seasons. However, they have done a great job drafting and will now likely bring up to the majors 2 top 15 prospects, outfielders Dylan Crews and James Wood. Along with these rookies, they added high-quality offensive talent this offseason with power hitters like Joey Gallo and Eddie Rosario as well as consistent contact hitter Jesse Winker. Nick Senzel will also slide in nicely at third base which has been their weakest position the past few seasons. Adding Dylan Floro from Miami also gives the Nationals another option for closer, which has been a very inconsistent role the past few years as well.
6. Seattle Mariners (A-)
Major Additions
2B Jorge Polanco
OF Mitch Haniger
C/DH Mitch Garver
1B/OF Luke Raley
3B Luis Urias
Seattle went all-in on offense and it could pay dividends for them in a division that had generally weak offseason transactions. Seattle was just 2 games behind the Astros and World Series Champion Rangers for first in the AL West but didn’t even make the playoffs, falling one game short of the Blue Jays for the final Wild Card spot. To get over this small hurdle they added talent throughout their lineup to combat their many free agent losses. Seattle lost two of their biggest power hitters in Eugenio Suarez and Teoscar Hernandez, so they resigned former Mariner Mitch Haniger from the Giants to be a power-hitting outfielder and signed rising star Luke Raley from Tampa to help the infield offense. Jorge Polanco is also a huge signing for Seattle because it will give them more consistent contact in a lineup that had the most strikeouts in the league last season and will also give them a good defensive middle infield opposite J.P Crawford. I could see Seattle in the top 3 or 4 of this list if they would have signed a pitcher as they lost Robbie Ray in the Mitch Haniger trade.
5. San Francisco Giants (A-)
Major Additions
3B Matt Chapman
CP Jordan Hicks
SP Robbie Ray
OF Jung-Hoo Lee
OF/DH Jorge Soler
After years of barely missing out on stars like Aaron Judge and Carlos Correa, San Francisco finally hit on big-name free agents. 3B Matt Chapman was one of the biggest offensive signings of the offseason and paired with Miami pickup Jorge Soler in the middle of this order is going to be a scary sight for opposing pitchers and could leave a lot of balls in the bay. The Giants also signed Japanese star Jung-Hoo Lee who they are hoping will become their everyday Center Fielder for years to come. Lee is one of the youngest Japanese free agents this season at 25 and he has the 5-tool ability to become their franchise player. Robbie Ray and triple-digit hitting Jordan Hicks are also massive signings for San Francisco as they try to compete with the Dodgers, Padres, and Diamondbacks, who all have phenomenal rotations. Despite these big moves, the Giants also lost quite a lot compared to the Dodgers and Diamondbacks as they lost 5 of their 6 starting pitchers in the offseason to free agency and trades. Simply adding Robbie Ray won’t fix their pitching depth issue.
4. Arizona Diamondbacks (A)
Major Additions
SP Eduardo Rodriguez
3B Eugenio Suarez
OF Joc Pederson
Fresh off an insanely surprising National League Championship, the Diamondbacks went into the offseason with a few goals. First of all, they wanted to re-sign many of their players from their World Series roster, which they did. Second, they wanted to improve upon their offense in free agency, which they did by adding Suarez and Pederson. And lastly, they wanted to add another starting pitcher to compete with the top-tier NL West pitching staffs, which they did by getting ex-Detroit ace Eduardo Rodriguez. Completing all three of these lofty goals earns Arizona the first straight A on this list. So why aren’t the Diamondbacks in the top 3? Because the teams in the top 3 had one move each that defined the 2024 offseason.
3. Baltimore Orioles (A)
Major Additions
SP Corbin Burnes
CP Craig Kimbrel
Baltimore made an enormous splash this offseason on February 1st when they traded for former Cy Young Award-winning ace Corbin Burnes. After years of building up their farm system but having subpar MLB seasons, all the player development paid off last year when a young homegrown core lineup of Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, and Ryan Mountcastle led Baltimore to an AL East title and an overall 1 seed. Baltimore has even more top prospects coming through the system in the near future like Jordan Westburg, Jackson Holliday, Heston Kjerstad, and Colton Cowser, but these are position players. Burnes should be a solidified number 1 for Baltimore to help balance their team out and adding Craig Kimbrel as a closer will give Baltimore a complete team with very few holes for the upcoming season.
2. New York Yankees (A)
Major Additions
OF Juan Soto
SP Marcus Stroman
OF Trent Grisham
OF Alex Verdugo
It’s no surprise that New York used their outrageously high payroll and marketability to attract free agents and trade pieces this offseason, but it’s who they got and for what cost that ranks them this high on the list. First, they landed the top offensive player on the trade market in Juan Soto while only giving up a few young pitchers that haven’t performed remarkably well for the Yankees. In the same trade, they got Trent Grisham and then later got Alex Verdugo from the arch-rival Red Sox. All of these signings will pair well with Aaron Judge and should create the top outfield/DH quartet in baseball. Because New York gave up 3 pitchers in the Soto/Grisham trade as well as Luis Severino, they needed a bona fide number 2 pitcher to go behind Gerrit Cole who will be out one to two months with a right elbow injury. They found their guy in Marcus Stroman who had a career year in Chicago last season. All in all, the Yankees had the best off-season in the American League, in my opinion, and should compete with Baltimore for an AL East crown this season, but it still was not enough to nab the top spot on this list.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers (A+)
Advanced
Major Additions
SP/DH Shohei Ohtani
SP Yoshinobu Yamamoto
SP Tyler Glasnow
OF/DH Teoscar Hernandez
SP James Paxton
OF Manuel Margot
This wasn’t really a question. The top offseason belongs to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and it’s not even remotely close. The Dodgers won the Ohtani sweepstakes and didn’t have to give up anything to get him through free agency. While this alone might have put them at #1 on this list, they also signed Japanese all-star pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a long-term deal. Yamamoto would be an ace on half the teams in MLB, and coupling him with Ohtani is just unfair. If this wasn’t enough, the Dodgers then got more pitching by acquiring James Paxton from Boston. After that, they executed a massive trade to get another top-tier pitcher from Tampa Bay: Tyler Glasnow, while also adding Manuel Margot from Tampa to gain outfield depth. Even with Ohtani not being able to pitch this season as he recovers from an elbow injury, the starting pitching staff will include a plethora of options including Yamamoto, Glasnow, Paxton, Bobby Miller, Walker Buehler, and Clayton Kershaw. Additionally, after losing J.D Martinez and Kiki Hernandez to free agency, they shored up the outfield by adding power-hitting Teoscar Hernandez from Seattle. This offseason is a classic example of the rich getting richer, much richer in the Dodgers case. However, baseball is a 162-game season and anything can happen in the playoffs. Dodgers fans have become way too familiar with this in the recent seasons since their 2020 World Series Championship. We’ll see if these blockbuster moves finally push the Dodgers over the championship hump.
Which team do you think had the best off-season, and which moves will help teams contend for the 2024 World Series title?
Caption: New Houston Astros closer Josh Hader pitching
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 also performs, writes, and produces his own raps for the music industry club at BGSU.
March 15, 2024
20. Milwaukee Brewers (C)
Major Additions
1B Rhys Hoskins
RP DL Hall
C Gary Sanchez
SP Jakob Junis
INF Joey Ortiz
On one hand, the Brewers acquired a few good players on the free agent market this offseason to help their offensive struggles. On the other hand, they lost their top three rotation pieces and 4 of their best offensive weapons, which I think results in an overall net loss. Ace pitcher Corbin Burnes is now an Oriole, Brandon Woodruff is a free agent, and Adrian Houser signed with the Mets. These are obviously huge losses but Milwaukee couldn’t avoid them leaving and they ended up getting a decent haul back with Jakob Junis from San Francisco and reliever DL Hall from Baltimore. Offensively, they lost Carlos Santana and Rowdy Tellez but picked up Rhys Hoskins from Philadelphia which will be a significant defensive and more consistent offensive upgrade at first base. Mark Cahna is now a Detroit Tiger and Jesse Winker is now with the Washington Nationals so the Brewers’ outfield is also depleted. To combat this, the top prospect in their organization, Jackson Chourio, will likely slide into the outfield at some point during the season. Overall, the Brewers will likely take a huge step back this year after winning the division last season but can easily get back on top in a year or two with the additions and prospects that they’ve acquired.
19. Texas Rangers (C)
Major Additions
RP Kirby Yates
RP David Robertson
Fresh off their first-ever World Series title, Texas loses some significant players from their roster including catcher Mitch Garver, starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery, and relievers Will Smith and Aroldis Chapman. The Rangers did a great job at replacing their relief pitching losses by getting Kirby Yates from the Braves and David Robertson from the Marlins. They have top pitching prospects Jack Leiter, Kumar Rocker, and Brock Porter in their farm system but they are far away from being ready for MLB, and adding another starting pitcher to their veteran pitching staff this offseason would have been helpful with Montgomery gone.
18. Oakland A’s (C)
Major Additions
SP Ross Stripling
SP Alex Wood
INF Abraham Toro
OF Miguel Andujar
The A’s were definitely the worst team last year but they made minor improvements with their pickups in the offseason. They are still very much in a rebuild and can’t afford big free agents so the Toro and Andujar signings were about the best they could do for offense. Both players are relatively consistent hitters who could also give a little pop to the top of the A’s lineup. While Wood and Stripling aren’t household names, they will be much more reliable 3rd and 4th starters than Trevor May and James Kaprielian were. The A’s also didn’t lose many players and slide towards the middle of the rankings with a solid C because the players they got won’t help them get significantly better right away.
17. Cincinnati Reds (C+)
Major Additions
3B Jeimer Candelario
SP/RP Nick Martinez
RP Emilio Pagan
RP Frankie Montas
Similar to Pittsburgh, Cincinnati is notorious for spending very little money on free agents in the offseason. This season was a little different as they paid for 4 major additions to the team. The young Reds pitching staff and talented prospects in the Reds infield will be bolstered by veteran corner infielder Jeimer Candelario and the relief pitching staff will get huge boosts from Martinez, Pagan, and Montas. In my opinion, the biggest fault for this Reds’ offseason was that they overpaid for the quality of the players they were getting instead of making one huge free-agent splash that could have helped them more in the future seasons.
16. Kansas City Royals (C+)
Major Additions
CP Will Smith
RP Seth Lugo
2B Adam Frazier
SP Michael Wacha
OF Hunter Renfroe
MI Garrett Hampson
SP Chris Stratton
The Royals have had one of the sneakiest good off-seasons. They lost franchise legend Zack Greinke to free agency but he is the only starter who has been removed. Meanwhile, on the additions side they have significantly improved their poor pitching staff with veteran starters Michael Wacha and Chris Stratton and top tier relievers Seth Lugo and Will Smith. Adam Frazier will also pair well defensively with Bobby Witt Jr. in the middle infield and Garrett Hampson is another defensive presence that could add infield depth. Lastly, Hunter Renfroe will help provide some pop in the middle of the lineup. Going forward, the Royals will have to figure out a way to blend these off-season veteran additions with the young prospects that they’ve acquired over the past few seasons.
15. St. Louis Cardinals (B-)
Major Additions
SP Sonny Gray
SP Lance Lynn
SP Kyle Gibson
SS Brandon Crawford
RP Andrew Kittredge
St Louis had one of the worst pitching staffs in the league last season and they made it a top priority in the offseason to improve it. Adding Gray from Minnesota, Gibson from Baltimore, and Lynn from Los Angeles (Dodgers) gives them a much improved starting rotation along with Miles Mikolas and Drew Rom. They have also gained a quality relief pitcher from the Rays in Andrew Kittredge and a veteran presence for the young offense to turn to in 3-time World Series champion shortstop Brandon Crawford. The Cardinals only lost Adam Wainwright to retirement and Tyler O’Neill to Boston this offseason. Wainwright was 40-years-old and would likely not have been as productive anymore; and as good as O’Neill can be, he was slumping last year and had a horrible relationship with the St Louis front office. While the pitching staff is way better now, another problem is that they are all over 34 years old, making another pitching rebuild inevitable in the near future for St. Louis.
14. Atlanta Braves (B-)
Major Additions
SP Chris Sale
OF Jarred Kelenic
RP Reynaldo Lopez
The Braves have one of the best rosters in MLB so there’s not much else they needed to get this off-season, but they are betting on players who had unique situations last year. First, they got Boston’s starting pitcher Chris Sale who was one of the best pitchers in the league throughout the mid-2010s but has been battling numerous arm injuries over the past 3 seasons with Chicago and Boston. He is reported to be fully healthy for the first time since 2020 and will be needed as a 5th starter with Michael Soroka now on the White Sox. Second, they are taking a flyer on former top Mariners’ prospect, outfielder Jarred Kelenic, who will replace Eddie Rosario in the outfield depth chart. Atlanta hopes he begins to fulfill his original hype as a prospect. The flame-throwing Reynaldo Lopez will also be sufficient in replacing Kirby Yates at the back end of the bullpen. The Braves had a solid offseason but can’t move into the top 10 on this list without a major star signing like some of the other National League playoff teams did.
13. Boston Red Sox (B-)
Major Additions
SP Lucas Giolito
OF Tyler O’Neill
2B Vaughn Grissom
CP Liam Hendricks
The Red Sox made some major moves this offseason to help better their position in the gauntlet of the AL East. First, they signed former White Sox/Angels starting pitcher Lucas Giolito who would likely have been their number 1 or 2 pitcher until having Tommy John this past week. They lost Sale and James Paxton but Giolito would be much better at this stage of his career than both of them. Boston also gained the second-best relief pitcher on the free agent market in Liam Hendricks which means they will likely cut Kenley Jansen which could potentially open them up to signing Jordan Montgomery or Blake Snell as another free agent bonus to their pitching staff. Boston also lost DH Justin Turner and outfielders, Alex Verdugo and Adam Duvall. To combat this loss they signed Tyler O’Neill from the aforementioned Cardinals. O’Neill has struggled hitting for average the last couple of seasons but this could be a product of the poor relationship with the St Louis management and the clear lack of effort that O’Neill gave as a result, similar to the James Harden situation. If Boston can get him to play like he did in 2021 when he hit .286 with 35 home runs and 80 RBI’s, then they will have yet another power bat in a lineup with an already powerful top half. The weakest spot for Boston last season was 2nd base where Emmanuel Valdez played a mediocre defense and a sub-par offense. With Trevor Story moving to shortstop after the Xander Bogaerts’ trade to San Diego, former Brave Vaughn Grissom will likely slide into the second base spot. Grissom is only 23 and has a lot of upside to be an everyday player for the Red Sox in the future. Overall, Boston had an above-average offseason but didn’t hit on a huge free agent like the top two AL East teams did.
12. Houston Astros (B)
Major Additions
CP Josh Hader
Houston didn’t make many moves this offseason, but the one they did was giant as they signed the most dominant closer in MLB, Josh Hader, to a 5-year deal. Hader actually started his career with the Houston minor league system but never reached the majors with them before being traded to the Brewers for a package deal that included former all-star outfielder Carlos Gomez. The Brewers clearly won the trade as Gomez declined while Hader quickly became one of the most intimidating pitchers in all of baseball to face over the next 7 seasons in Milwaukee. Even after losing Hector Neris to Chicago, Houston should now have one of the best relief staffs by adding Hader to a bullpen with another all-star, Ryan Pressly. Houston is still outside of the top 10 in terms of their offseason however because they lost Michael Brantley to retirement and will now have a major hole that they did not address in the outfield.
11. New York Mets (B)
Major Additions
SP Sean Manaea
SP Luis Severino
INF Joey Wendle
OF Harrison Bader
SP Adrian Houser
The Mets had the weaker of the two off-seasons in New York, but it may be a good thing that they for once did not spend a ton of money on free agents. That strategy did not work out at all last season as they massively underachieved, finishing in 4th in the NL East. Trading much of their pitching staff at the trade deadline last year, the Mets did not lose anyone of significance in this year’s off-season. To round out the starting rotation they got Manaea from San Francisco, Severino from the Yankees, and Houser from Milwaukee. These are all solid signings who only raise real concerns regarding their frequent injuries. The Mets also mildly improved their offense by adding infield and outfield depth in Joey Wendle and Harrison Bader.
Caption: New Miami Marlins Shortstop Tim Anderson fielding a ground ball
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 also performs, writes, and produces his own raps for the music industry club at BGSU.
March 15, 2024
It has been an extremely eventful offseason in Major League Baseball (MLB). A multitude of superstar free agents have been on the move, previously mediocre teams have made trades that have suddenly turned them into contenders, and an abnormally high number of prospects will reach the big leagues as rookies after Spring Training. To break down the 2024 MLB offseason, I have graded each team’s moves and ranked the team’s off-seasons based on how much I think their decisions will positively or negatively impact them.
Spring training games started a few weeks ago on February 22nd and will go on for a week and a half until March 26th. Some of the biggest free agents remaining include starting pitchers Blake Snell and Joe Musgrove who could help many of the teams that are currently lower on this list in their off-season moves. Once opening day hits on March 28th, we will begin to see just how each team’s off-season moves will truly help them.
30.Los Angeles Angels (F)
Major Additions
OF Aaron Hicks
1B Evan White
RP Jose Cisnero
This was one of the easiest teams to rank on this list as the Angels had a franchise-altering off-season after losing two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani to the cross-town Dodgers. While remaining in the Ohtani sweepstakes for a brief moment in the offseason, it soon became clear that the Angels weren’t going to be able to compete with the Dodgers. Losing Ohtani means that the Angels have lost arguably the most globally recognizable player in baseball. Potentially even worse, it also means that they have wasted an enormous opportunity by not making the playoffs a single time while having two of the greatest baseball players of all time on their roster (Ohtani and Trout).
29. Miami Marlins (D-)
Major Additions
SS Tim Anderson
UTIL Vidal Brujan
After being a surprising team and sneaking into the playoffs last year, the Marlins’ off-season was surprisingly lackluster to say the least. While the rest of the National League East made a plethora of trades and free agent signings, Miami only added Shortstop Tim Anderson from the White Sox, and Vidal Brujan, a utilityman and base stealing threat from Tampa Bay, who will likely be used off the bench. Anderson is the more interesting of the two additions as he will slide in as the everyday starter immediately and will be looking to bounce back from his horrendous 2023 campaign in which he batted a mediocre .245, had just 1 home run, and had a minuscule 25 rbi’s from the leadoff spot in Chicago’s batting order. What’s unique about Anderson is that he batted over .300 in 4 consecutive seasons for Chicago from 2019-2022 before last year, so if Miami can get that type of production from him then their offseason could prove this ranking wrong. However, Anderson’s unpredictable performance coupled with the fact that Miami also lost pivotal pieces from last year’s playoff team, including Jorge Soler, Joey Wendle, and Yuli Gurriel, makes me question why they didn’t try to get another piece or two to help bolster their roster and build more upon last year’s surprising success.
28. Colorado Rockies (D-)
Major Additions
SP Cal Quantrill
C Jacob Stallings
If it weren’t for the Oakland Athletics playing so poorly that fans thought a historic loss record could potentially be broken, then the Rockies would have surely been the worst team in baseball last year. In the 2000’s, Colorado had stars like Ubaldo Jimenez, Troy Tulowitzki, and Todd Helton. Then, in the 2010’s, Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story took them back to the playoffs. But the present-day Rockies are severely lacking any real star power, with 32-year-old Kris Bryant being their most recognizable player. Although they are in a rebuild, their farm system isn’t helping the problem either, as they have been consistently ranked in the bottom 5 in the league for the past few seasons. With that being said, while Colorado didn’t lose anybody big from their roster like a few other teams this low on the list, they also barely did anything to improve it either. Their only moves came in first signing Cal Quantrill from Cleveland, who could potentially become their ace. They also signed 2021 Gold Glove Winner Jacob Stallings from Miami, who had a good year last year with the Marlins. However, adding a catcher was confusing in my opinion as out of anybody in Colorado’s lineup, 2023 all-star game MVP, catcher Elias Diaz was by far the most productive. Unfortunately for Colorado, the other 4 NL West teams’ off-seasons rank in the top 10 on this list.
27. Minnesota Twins (D)
Major Additions
SP Anthony DeSclafini
DH Carlos Santana
Last season’s American League Central champions lost a lot of players this offseason and didn’t add much in return. Two of their top pitchers, Sonny Gray and Kenta Maeda are now gone, one of them (Maeda) within their own division. To compensate, the Twins nabbed DeSclafini from the Giants. Desclafini’s career has fallen off significantly since leaving Cincinnati and he isn’t nearly a quality replacement for both Maeda and Gray at the top end of their rotation. To make matters worse, Jorge Polanco is on Seattle now leaving a gaping hole across from Correa at second base. The Polanco loss is extremely important because Correa, Royce Lewis, and Byron Buxton are now Minnesota’s most productive bats, and all three of them are severely injury prone. The only notable offensive player the Twins signed this offseason was about as far away from a young second baseman as humanly possible: 37-year-old DH Carlos Santana.
26. Tampa Bay Rays (D)
Major Additions
SP Ryan Pepiot
RP Tyler Alexander
INF Jose Caballero
The Rays’ ability to win with the lowest payroll in the league will be put to the test this season as they are yet another case of losing a lot and gaining little in return. Tampa Bay got hit hard by big-city market teams, losing their ace, Tyler Glasnow and outfielder Manuel Margot to the L.A. Dodgers, and closer Andrew Kittredge to St Louis. Like the Twins, the Rays also lost someone important to last year’s playoff run to Seattle, power hitting first baseman Luke Raley. Tampa’s offense and pitching will be taking a hit with these losses. The Pepiot signing as part of the Glasnow trade should help build a deeper pitching staff but not necessarily a top-15 staff in the league. Caballero is also an interesting prospect from Seattle’s system and he will most likely be used in a platoon at shortstop with veteran Amed Rosario now that Wander Franco is gone. Caballero will have to improve hitting wise though if he expects to make up for the massive Margot and Raley losses to the Tampa lineup.
25. Toronto Blue Jays (D)
Major Additions
1B Joey Votto
OF Kevin Kiermaier
UTIL Isiah Kiner-Falefa
DH Daniel Vogelbach
3B/DH Justin Turner
In my opinion, while not the worst offseason on this list, Toronto made the most perplexing moves. Besides adding Kevin Kiermaier, the Blue Jays went all-in on offense and power this offseason. They got Canadian-born Joey Votto as a free agent from the Reds, Vogelbach from the Mets, and Justin Turner from the Red Sox. Although they will definitely hit some home runs, all of these free agents are very similar players playing similar positions. The Blue Jays also lost some of their best players, including star 3B Matt Chapman, pitchers Hyun Jin Ryu and Jordan Hicks, and 2B Whit Merrifield. Toronto didn’t address any of the holes left by the offensive players they lost and instead picked players at the same positions as Vladimir Guerrero. They also didn’t improve their starting or relief pitching staffs.
24. Cleveland Guardians (D+)
Major Additions
RP Scott Barlow
C Austin Hedges
Cleveland addressed a major need in the back half of their bullpen by adding former Royals closer Scott Barlow to presumably be their set up man, which will give them one of the best 8th-9th inning combos in baseball with Barlow-Clase. Hedges is also a nice piece as a veteran catcher for this Guardians lineup. Despite these nice moves, Cleveland didn’t make any significant trades or free agent signings that will make their offense or starting pitching better, which were by far their two biggest needs last season. If Cleveland would have gotten at least one big name free agent then they could easily be considered a favorite to win the Central with the Twins having such a poor offseason and the division being the definitively worst in MLB. However, their offense will most likely stay stagnant with the current lineup which will not help them against the Tigers’ young up-and-coming pitching staff.
23. Pittsburgh Pirates (D+)
Major Additions
CP Aroldis Chapman
C Yasmani Grandal
1B/DH Rowdy Tellez
SP Martin Perez
SP Marco Gonzales
The Pirates have one of the best farm systems in MLB but hate to spend money. So what did they do? They signed 5 veterans to relatively short and cheap deals to help the upcoming youth. These deals strengthen their immediate future, but similar to Cleveland, I wish they would have done more this offseason to help them realistically compete in a wide-open NL Central race. I legitimately think anyone could win that division and the Pirates didn’t do nearly enough to help them compete in the long term. Gonzales and Perez will be top-end rotation guys which will make for a mediocre rotation at best. Tellez and Grandal will hit home runs but won’t do much in terms of hitting consistently for average.
22. Chicago White Sox (C-)
Major Additions
SP Chris Flexen
SP Eric Fedde
C Max Stassi
SP Michael Soroka
INF Nicky Lopez
SS Paul DeJong
OF Kevin Pillar
The White Sox went into almost a complete roster overhaul this offseason. They lost inconsistent shortstop Tim Anderson to Miami and replaced him with ex-Cardinal Paul DeJong. They also lost two of their best relievers, Liam Hendriks and Bryan Shaw but didn’t gain any better relievers back. They added Soroka from the Braves, Flexen from the Rockies and Fedde from the Nationals to their starting pitching staff, but lost better starters in Aaron Bummer, Mike Clevinger, and perennial all-star ace Dylan Cease. Overall, the White Sox management clearly sees a new vision and a complete rebuild in the future, but it’ll just take a while for them to get their team back into contention in the AL Central.
21. Philadelphia Phillies (C-)
Major Additions
2B Whit Merrifield
Philadelphia has had major playoff success in 2022 and 2023 and after probably the most boring offseason on this list, they have essentially kept the same team this year. They first locked down their ace pitcher Aaron Nola by resigning him for a 7-year deal. Then, they got professional contact hitter Whit Merrifield to help at a variety of positions. The main reason the Phillies rank so low is because they failed to sign Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto who they were heavily linked to in free agent discussions. They also lost both first baseman Rhys Hoskins and closer Craig Kimbrel. Because of this, Bryce Harper will most likely have to play first base again since they didn’t sign a new player at that position. This will severely weaken their outfield depth and defense with Schwarber and Castellanos on the corners. The Kimbrel loss is also big as the rest of their bullpen is relatively weak and was not addressed this offseason.
Lily Smith is a first-year undergraduate at BGSU from Oregon, Ohio. She is majoring in Sport Management with a Marketing minor.
March 11, 2024
OVERVIEW
The NCAA only started calling the women’s tournament “March Madness” in 2022. However, this year has further proved that March is really full of Madness when it comes to women’s basketball. There has been such growth in the sport, and coverage of it, rightfully so. Here is an overview of four of the top teams on the AP Top 25 list.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Caption: Kamilla Cardoso prepares for free throw.
South Carolina’s record increases to 32-0 after this past weekend’s SEC Tournament win over LSU. This win places them in the coveted spot of top overall seed. The Gamecocks are led by senior center Kamilla Cardoso who averages 14 points per game, and 9.5 rebounds. There isn’t much to hear about one single player, but more of a team effort play-style works best for the Gamecocks. Head coach Dawn Staley leads a tough team that’s looking for a third National Championship win under her coaching.
STANFORD
Caption: Cameron Brink with Stanford in 2022
Stanford takes the #1 spot in the Pac-12 placing them at 4th in the AP Top 25. Junior forward Kiki Iriafen leads the team in scoring averaging 18.6 points per game. Senior forward, Cameron Brink leads in rebounds, with about 12 per game. With these two powerhouses, the Cardinal are looking for a long tournament run. Long time head coach Tara VanDerveer is in her 35th season with the Cardinal, and is looking for her 4th National Championship with the team.
IOWA
Caption: Caitlin Clark will move on to WNBA
Iowa has had a ton of attention this season due to the success of Hawkeye superstar, Caitlin Clark. She leads the team in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. Clark recently declared for the WNBA draft after this season. The Hawkeyes are 29-4 overall, and ranked 2nd in the AP Top 25. Iowa just won the Big Ten championship taking down Nebraska. Many people are looking forward to seeing Clark and her Hawkeyes shine during March Madness.
USC
Juju Watkins averages 27 points per game
The Trojans are reaching new heights, achieving the best ranking in 38 years. USC is 3rd in the Top 25, and took down Stanford for the Pac-12 title. With a record of 26-5, the Trojans are led in scoring by freshman guard, Juju Watkins averaging 27 points per game. Rayah Marshall is leading the Trojans in rebounds with 10.5 per game. Watkins and Marshall make for a hard-to- beat team especially in later tournament play. Fresh off of a Pac-12 title win “So-Cal” is hungry for a Final Four Spot.
EVEN MORE TO WATCH
These top four are projected to do well, obviously, but there are always upsets and shockers within March Madness. I believe that makes it all the more fun to follow. With Selection Sunday coming up this weekend on March 17th, the true stories of the road to the 2024 Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament are soon to come out.
Some more teams to look out for Mississippi State, projected to be the last team into the tournament. The last byes of the tournament are most likely to go to Michigan, Miami, Auburn and Marquette. These last couple teams are always teams to look out for. There is almost always a team that comes from what seems like out of nowhere and continues to stun everyone.
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