SPORTS digest

OSHAA announces junior high state meet

COLUMBUS

The Ohio High School Athletic Association will conduct its first 7th and 8th grade track and field state championships on May 13.

Qualifying standards and state qualifiers will be coordinated through an online process at baumspage.com, with the one-day state championships set for Lancaster High School.

YSU softball adds three in early signing period

YOUNGSTOWN

The Youngstown State softball program added three recruits during the early signing period. The Penguins signed Elle Buffenbarger, Yazmine Romero and Nikki Saibene to National Letters of Intent and each will begin their career at YSU in 2017-18.

Buffenbarger, a pitcher from Mason, Ohio, went 22-3 with a 1.37 earned-run average, 196 strikeouts, eight shutouts and two no-hitters as a junior. Romero, an oufielder from Castro Valley, Calif., is a three-year letterwinner and batted .400 as a junior. Saibene, who is an infielder and native of Canton, Ohio, was named to the All-Northeast Ohio District Second-Team as a junior and is a two-time second-team all-conference selection.

Ohio representative backs Rose for HOF

COLUMBUS

An Ohio House panel had its first (and likely only) hearing Wednesday on a resolution urging Hall of Fame eligibility for former Cincinnati Red Pete Rose.

State Rep. Michael Sheehy (D-Toledo) told the chamber’s Government Accountability and Oversight Committee that Rose, banned from baseball for gambling on the sport, deserved the honor.

Sheehy’s House Concurrent Resolution 15 and a companion resolution introduced in the Ohio Senate won’t move this session. But more than a dozen state lawmakers, both Republicans and Democrats, have signed on as sponsors or co-sponsors of the resolutions.

They’re symbolic gestures that don’t change state law or institute any new requirements — rather, they would formalize the legislature’s opinion about Rose and his eligibility for the Hall of Fame.

Oregon hires Taggart to replace Helfrich

Oregon has hired Willie Taggart, who spent the last four seasons as head coach at South Florida, to take over the Ducks following the dismissal of Mark Helfrich.

Oregon formally announced Taggart’s appointment Wednesday.

Taggart has led USF to an 18-7 record over the last two seasons, including a 10-2 mark this year. He also spent three seasons as coach of Western Kentucky, his alma mater, and was an assistant coach at Stanford under Jim Harbaugh.

Oregon fired Helfrich last week after the Ducks went 4-8. A news conference to formally introduce Taggart was set for Thursday.

Taggart, 40, is the first coach Oregon has hired from outside the program since 1976. The Ducks’ previous three coaches, Mike Bellotti, Chip Kelly and Helfrich, were all assistants who were promoted.

Taggart will be the first black head football coach at Oregon. The length and terms of his contract with the Ducks were not immediately released.

W. Reserve’s Larimer makes college decision

BERLIN CENTER

Western Reserve High School baseball player Wyatt Larimer used his Twitter account Wednesday to announce his decision to commit to Slippery Rock University to continue his education and baseball career.

Larimer, a right-hander, compiled a 1.05 ERA and struck out 67 last season as the Blue Devils won their third consecutive Division IV district championship.

Chapman returns to New York Yankees

OXON HILL, Md.

A person familiar with the deal tells The Associated Press that free agent closer Aroldis Chapman and the New York Yankees have reached agreement on an $86 million, five-year deal.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract was still pending a physical.

Staff and wire reports