SPORTS DIGEST || West Branch football player joins Malone

West Branch football player joins Malone

West Branch tight end Jeremy Gorby has committed to Malone University.

The school announced on Tuesday that Gorby is part of a second wave of recruits joining the team in 2016.

Gorby was also the starting center on the West Branch basketball team this year.

Three freshmen leave OSU basketball team

COLUMBUS

Three more players from the Ohio State basketball team have left the program.

The school says Tuesday that freshman guards Daniel Giddens and A.J. Harris and freshman forward Mickey Mitchell were granted their release by coach Thad Matta. Freshman guard Austin Grandstaff left the team in December.

All were part of the 2015 recruiting class and role players on last season’s team. None have disclosed why they were leaving or their future plans. Giddens, Harris and Mitchell accounted for about 11 percent of Ohio State’s scoring last season.

Even with the loss of those players, the Buckeyes will return the top six scorers from a team that went 21-14 and advanced to the NIT.

Locals win bocce championship

The Wedgewood Pizza bocce team won the Pacentrano bocce championship on March 18 by beating Clemente Funeral Home two out of three games.

Members of the team are Butch George, Tony Iamurri, Gianni Colaizzi, Aldo D’Amato, Robbey Lewis, Gary Searamucci, Gennaro Russo and Cecil Lucci.

High jump officials clinic offered at YSU

The Greater Youngstown Track Officials Association is hosting a free high jump clinic from 2 p.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday at the WATTS on the campus of Youngstown State.

The clinic is open to all OHSAA officials as well as coaches and will count as a local rules interpretation credit. Parking will be available in the M5 Parking Lot, directly behind the WATTS.

Deb Satterfield and Liz Tomory will lead the event. Contact BJ Duckworth at GYTOA@yahoo.com for more information.

Correction

Brookfield pitcher player Brandon Fraley was misidentified in a high school baseball roundup in Wednesday’s edition of The Vindicator.

Michigan State accepts Robertson’s letter of intent

EAST LANSING, Mich.

Michigan State has accepted a letter of intent from defensive end Auston Robertson of Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Court records from Indiana show Robertson was a defendant in a battery case filed in January. Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio says Robertson has been accepted into a pretrial diversionary program and must continue to satisfy those requirements.

Dantonio says Michigan State opted not to sign Robertson in early February and has been evaluating his situation over the past three months.

Dantonio says given all the information available to the Spartans, they believe Robertson should have an opportunity to begin his education and playing career at Michigan State.

Bears, Ramirez agree to one-year contract

LAKE FOREST, Ill.

The Chicago Bears have agreed to a one-year contract with former Detroit Lions and Denver Broncos offensive lineman Manny Ramirez.

The 6-foot-3, 325-pound Ramirez played for Bears coach John Fox in Denver. He has appeared in 83 games with 65 starts over eight seasons with the Lions (2007-09 and ’15) and Broncos (2011-14).

He played in all 16 games for Detroit last season, starting three games at right guard, two at left guard and two at center. In his career, he has started 26 games at center, 24 at right guard and 15 at left guard.

The Bears announced the agreement Wednesday night.

Staff and wire reports