SPORTS DIGEST March 3, 2018

Mount Union’s Taylor receives OAC honors

AUSTINTOWN

Mount Union pitcher Beau Taylor was named the Ohio Athletic Conference pitcher of the week on Monday.

In three games last week, the West Branch graduate threw a combined eight innings giving up no runs on just three hits with 10 strikeouts and one walk.

In the 4-2 win against Thiel, Taylor came on to throw three innings of one-hit baseball to get the save. In two games against Baldwin Wallace, Taylor picked up a save and a win. He pitched five innings and allowed two hits and struck out six in the two outings.

MLB: Castellanos was out in Pirates opener

DETROIT

Major League Baseball is standing behind the replay reversal that took the winning run away from the Detroit Tigers in a game last week against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Detroit’s Nicholas Castellanos was initially called safe in the bottom of the 10th inning Friday, and the Tigers spilled onto the field to celebrate what they thought was a win on opening day. After a review, Castellanos was ruled out, and the game continued. Pittsburgh ended up winning 13-10 in 13 innings.

Major League Baseball, however, is standing behind the decision.

“The nature of the exchange with the Tigers was that the replay officials made the correct call based on conclusive evidence,” MLB said in a statement Monday. “The video clearly shows the catcher applying the tag on the upper right arm of the runner.”

LeBron issues letter to Crimson Tide show

CLEVELAND

LeBron James is taking on Alabama’s powerful football program.

James is contending that Alabama has lifted concepts from a program on “Uninterrupted,” the digital media platform he co-founded with business partner Maverick Carter. Last year, “Uninterrupted” aired “The Shop” a forum where James, Golden State forward Draymond Green, retired NBA player Charles Oakley and others have conversations while getting their hair cut in a barber shop.

Alabama recently released a trailer on Twitter for “Shop Talk,” and the clip shows coach Nick Saban and former Crimson Tide star Julio Jones in a barber shop setting. The video says the first episode is “coming soon.”

On Monday, “Uninterrupted” sent a letter to Alabama, citing “exploitation” and concerns over copyright infringement and intellectual property. Alabama officials did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

East Tennessee State football coach on leave

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn.

East Tennessee State has placed recently hired football coach Randy Sanders on paid administrative leave.

The school said Monday it is investigating a “potential violation of university policy.” No other details were provided in the one-sentence in a statement.

Sanders was hired Dec. 17 to replace Carl Torbush, who announced his retirement at the end of the 2017 season. Sanders was co-offensive coordinator at Florida State on Jimbo Fisher’s staff last season and was quarterbacks coach on the Seminoles’ 2013 national championship team.

He also has worked as an offensive coordinator at Tennessee and Kentucky.

Average age of MLB players decreases

NEW YORK

The average age of a major league player on opening day dropped to 28.91 years from 29.13 at the start of last season.

The Philadelphia Phillies are the youngest team at 26.92, according to the commissioner’s office. Other teams with young averages are Cincinnati (27.49), Miami (27.85), Pittsburgh (27.97), St. Louis (28.02) and the New York Yankees (28.04).

Toronto is the oldest team, averaging 31.01. Cleveland isn’t too far behind at 30.08.

The MLB average was 29.17 in 2015 and 29.04 in 2016.

Staff/wire report