MLB dog days turn to October chase
Part I of his MLB Playoff Picture Outlook, Staff Writer Jared Frydman broke down the American League. This week in Part II, Jared takes a look at how the National League could shake out.
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Part I of his MLB Playoff Picture Outlook, Staff Writer Jared Frydman broke down the American League. This week in Part II, Jared takes a look at how the National League could shake out.
With three weeks remaining in the Major League Baseball season, we take some time to look at how the playoff picture is shaping up. Certain divisions have been locked up for quite some time, but others are far from determining a division winner. This year’s postseason race has become even more intense with the MLB’s addition of a second wild card team.
The Hopkins men’s and women’s track & field teams competed this past weekend in both the Penn Relays and the Shippensburg Invitational events. On Friday, the team sent runners to Philadelphia, PA for the prestigious Penn Relays, before joining the rest of the team in Shipensburg, PA on Saturday for the Invitationl. Athletes on both the men’s and women’s teams set personal and school records throughout the road trip.
Linsanity. Over the past 11 days a superstar has exploded onto the sports scene. Harvard educated, Asian-American, humble yet flashy, Jeremy Lin is a true Cinderella, or "Linderella", story. In a year where the NBA season was shortened due to a lockout, we are constantly reminded that professional sports is a money driven business, but it only takes one player to show that pure love of the game can lift and inspire the largest market in sports. In this circumstance, the one is followed by a seven, as an orange number 17 sewn into the front of a bright blue New York Knicks jersey hangs on the chest of the six-foot-three, 200-pound Jeremy Lin. Smiling and backpedaling on defense after making a shot with his tongue half out of his mouth, Lin is soaking it all in. He is the center of attention, the beneficiary of playing under the lights of New York and excelling at a time when the Super Bowl has just concluded and NCAA March Madness has not yet begun, a small window of time where a spark such as the one provided by the 23-year old can captivate the sports and media universe. In the past six games, Lin has gone from the last player on the Knicks bench to starting point guard, compiling more points than any player in NBA history in his first five starts. At one point a noname player with a Harvard degree in the NBA Developmental League, also known as the D-League, Lin is now a household name not just in New York but also across the country. Lin's story is one of perseverance, an uncanny combination of hard work, passion and a love for the sport that have enabled Lin to succeed at such a high level, proving that dreams can become a reality. A pass-first point guard who can score and push the ball while making educated decisions in the open court is exactly what is needed for Knicks' head coach Mike D'Antoni's offensive system to work effectively. Lin brings the necessary qualities to the table. He has scored at least 20 points in each of the last six games, adding at least seven assists in each game as well. Lin's exceptional play is a blend of unbelievable basketball IQ and unparalleled effort and energy, a unique combination that has allowed a player who is just athletic enough to compete at the professional level to become a prolific point guard and the center of stardom in just over a week's time. We have all heard the underdog story over and over again, yet Lin's is still compelling. Undrafted out of college, Lin signed with the Golden State Warriors, who took a chance in signing him but never really gave him a shot on the basketball court. Lin averaged 10 minutes a game with the Warriors last year, but he was cut and passed over by all teams except the Houston Rockets, who demoted Lin to the D-League before cutting him as well. Finally, when the Knicks' rookie point guard Iman Shumpert hurt his knee in the first week of the season, they needed to add a point guard to the roster and turned to Lin. Moving to New York and sharing time living on the pull-out couch of his brother's apartment - Lin's brother is a dental student at New York University - and spending nights on the couch of teammate Landry Fields, Lin maintained focus and knew he would be ready if an opportunity came his way.After weeks of garbage minutes at the end of games, Lin's time to shine finally came against the New Jersey Nets, on the night of Feb. 4, 2012. Going off for 25 points, seven assists and five rebounds, Lin led the Knicks to a victory in a must-win game, igniting a streak that would soon be coined as "Linsanity", without even knowing it. Over the ensuing five games, Lin has put up unequivocal scoring numbers and led the Knicks to six straight victories. With the media drooling over Lin's battle against adversity, the starting point guard of the New York Knickerbockers combines an 'I can't believe this is happening to me,' happy-go-lucky attitude with a specific swagger and demeanor on the court, making way for a superstar to be embraced by the sports universe. Tallying scoring numbers that have been compared to all-time greats in their first five starts, we will have to wait and see if Lin will be able to keep up the level of play he has been competing at. There are many questions that have yet to be answered, such as if a player from a school that has produced twice as many United States presidents as NBA players, can emerge as a perennial star. For now, Lin is enjoying the hype and looking forward to each game, not taking anything for granted. He has handled all the pressure thrown his way so far and doesn't seem to be rattled easily by media attention. He has captivated America by showing that dreams can become a reality. Lin's play on the court has been so exceptional it is difficult to compare him to anybody right now, but more than anything, watching Lin constantly reminds us that nothing is Linpossible.
The Hopkins women's basketball team has quickly put together a wonderful season thus far, posting an 19-3 record overall and a 14-3 Centennial Conference record. Looking to take advantage of an opportunity to clinch a playoff berth in the conference playoffs, the Lady Jays traveled to Swarthmore on Saturday. The 23rd-ranked Blue Jays pummeled rival Swarthmore, relentlessly scoring 71 points to win by a margin of 29 points, 71-42. The win extended the Jays' current win streak to seven games. Led by senior guard Chantel Mattiola and junior forward Alex Vassila, Hopkins was able to open up the scoring attack in the first half. With a slow offensive start, Hopkins had to rely on the defense to keep them in the game, and the girls stepped up. The first lead of the game came on a Vassila bucket to put the Lady Jays on top 5-4 with 15 minutes remaining in the first half. At that point, the offensive scoring explosion was ignited. Hopkins pulled out to a 22-8 lead, not allowing Swarthmore to score double digits until six minutes were remaining in the first period. Shooting a remarkable 52 percent as a team in opening half, the Blue Jays went into the locker room at half time leading, 32-16. Vassila once again established her dominance, posting her sixth doubledouble of the year with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Mattiola added 16 points of her own, complemented by 10 points from sophomore guard Fatu Conteh and eight points from junior forward Sarah Higbee. As a team the defensive effort was astounding, Hopkins held Swarthmore to 16 first half points and only allowed five of 32 attempts from the field to reach the bottom of the net, a 15.6 percent shooting percentage. In the second half, Swarthmore ramped it up to 25 percent, but still only totaled 42 points on the game. The second half opened similarly to the first, with a slow offensive performance from the veteran Hopkins team. Swarthmore was able to cut the lead to 12 points early in the half before the Lady Jays stepped on the accelerator, piecing together a 17-6 run and extending their already large lead. Once again Swarthmore attempted to crawl back into the game, but Hopkins went on yet another powerful scoring run to put the game out of reach. The largest lead of the game came with just 44 seconds remaining, as Hopkins led by 31 points, 71-40, before the final buzzer sounded with a 71-42 Blue Jay advantage. The Lady Jays shot 50 percent on the day, spreading the ball around and allowing ten players to compile positive numbers in the points category. Three players added double figure points and the team tallied 11 blocks on the game, six coming from leading scorer Alex Vassila. Overall, the game was a summary of the season as a whole, a dominant performance that expressed just how powerful and successful this women's team can be. On Wednesday night at McDaniel, however, Hopkins was upset by the Green Terror at the buzzer, 76-74. The loss was one of the bigger shocks of the Centennial season, as the game pitted the first-place Jays against eighth-place McDaniel. The team is excited looking forward and has just three games remaining on the season before they attempt to increase the intensity level and make a run deep into the playoffs.
The Hopkins women's basketball team opened play in the annual NCAA Division III playoff tournament on Friday, Mar. 2nd. The Blue Jays travelled to Medford, MA to take on first round opponent, University of New England. In a game that came down to the final seconds, the Lady Jays held off theNor'easters and advanced to the second round of the tournament. Unfortunately, Hopkins ran into a wall the next night, as a heartfelt second round game was lost to Tufts University. In the first round game, Hopkins took an early lead, jumping out to a 21-9 advantage over the University of New England early in the first quarter. Throughout the first half the Nor'easters clawed back into the game, holding off the Blue Jay scoring attack and going on an 8-0 run of their own, making the score 21-17 with seven minutes remaining in the first half. Senior point guard Stephanie Fong led her Lady Jays in a game that would become hard-nosed and physical. Hopkins regained their composure and ended the scoring drought, adding six more points before half and heading into the locker room with a 27-20 advantage. Fong played 37 minutes for the Blue Jays, quarterbacking her team and establishing her role as a game manager, compiling six points, five assists, a block and one steal. Fong's well-rounded game was complemented by her teammate, junior forward Alex Vasilla, as she added a tenth double-double to her season, totaling 15 points and 11 rebounds. Senior guard Chantel Mattiola was one of the most integral pieces to the Hopkins offense, as she played hard for 38 minutes, scoring 10 points, and getting her teammates involved with seven assists. The second half seemed to be dominated by the Blue Jays. Hopkins extended its lead to 11 points three different times in the second half, controlling the tempo and flow of the game. New England slowly began to chip away, scoring eight consecutive points to narrow the lead to three points, 45-42, with just over five minutes to play in the game. The final four minutes would be a defensive battle, as a one-point Hopkins lead was extended to four with a three-point play from Vasilla with only three minutes remaining. The Nor'easters once again cut the lead to one point, and regained possession with just 23 seconds on the clock. A possession was set up for New England to take the last shot of the game, and the ball was taken to the basket for a buzzer-beating attempt. As the ball was released by Nor'easter point guard Kari Pelletier, the hand ofVasilla swatted away the final attempt, and Hopkins regained possession with two seconds. An intense and hard fought battle advanced the Blue Jays to the second round of the NCAA tournament. The very next day the Lady Jays went back to work, this time facing off with the Tufts University Jumbos. Tufts set the tone in the first half, opening up a 29-19 lead at halftime. The intensity was lacking for the Blue Jays, and they could not figure out how to stop Tufts on the defensive side of the court. Once again Fong and Mattiola led the way, scoring 14 and 13 points respectively. The Jumbos shut down Vasilla, a rare sight for the Blue Jay faithful, as she totaled only three points but added nine rebounds. As the second half opened, a spark was seen in the Blue Jays' attack. Realizing the season was on the line, Hopkins began staging a comeback. The half opened with a 12-4 run, as the score was suddenly tied at 33 with 11 minutes on the clock. From that point Tufts' lead began to grow, and the season started slipping away from the Blue Jays' grasp. When the final buzzer sounded Tufts had extended its lead to 9 points, eliminating Hopkins from the tournament and crushing the hopes of a national championship season. The Blue Jays should not feel defeated after an extremely successful season, a 24-5 record and Centennial Conference powerhouse, the Hopkins Blue Jays look to remain a national force in the coming years.
This past week, Hopkins men's basketball attempted to stop a three-game skid, taking on Franklin & Marshall, hosting Muhlenberg and traveling to Gettysburg. Unfortunately, the Blue Jays could not prevent a further slide, losing games to the Diplomats and Mules to make it five consecutive losses. Late Wednesday night, however, the Jays beat Gettysburg, 57-45, ending their losing streak. Hopkins now stands at 11-9 and 7-6 in the Centennial Conference. On Wednesday, Jan. 25, the Jays traveled to Franklin & Marshall to enter the gym of the ninth-ranked Diplomats. From the onset, the game was lopsided, as Hopkins fell into an early 9-2 hole. They then deepened the deficit, falling behind 24-4 slightly before halftime. Salvaging another short run from F&M, the Blue Jays were able to score six unanswered points before the halftime whistle to cut the lead to 31-14 at the break. The Blue Jay offense struggled with the Diplomat defense, shooting just 27.5 percent from the field. They also had zero players score double-digit points on the night. Four Blue Jays scored four points and sophomore guard Kyle Mobbs led all Hopkins scorers with five points. Throughout the second half, the Diplomats' dominance continued. Early on in the second twenty, the Blue Jays cut the lead to 14 points, spreading the ball around and seemingly finding a rhythm. The good fortune did not last, however, as the home team suddenly exploded with another offensive attack, opening up a 26-point lead with eight minutes remaining in the game. The Centennial Conference leaders maintained their lead and closed out the game with a final score of 65-40, dominating on both sides of the ball and improving their overall record to 17-1 and 10-1 within the conference. Hopkins then attempted to rebound from their tough loss on Saturday, facing off with Muhlenberg. The game, named the Wall-O'Mahony Game, remembered the loss of two Hopkins men's basketball alumnae, Glen Wall and Matt O'Mahony. The former players died in the Sept, 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center. In a tough, physical and well-fought game, Muhlenberg managed to edge out the Blue Jays, 58-54. Hopkins sophomore guard Daniel Corbett earned the Wall-O'Mahony MVP honors for the second consecutive year, this year posting a career high 17 points, three rebounds and one steal. In the back and forth affair, Corbett cut the lead to one point with a three pointer with just over 11 minutes remaining in the game. At that point, an offense attack from Muhlenberg ignited, and a 13-2 run from the Mules put a damper on the Jays' hopes of finally slashing their recent losing streak. After attempting to battle back, Hopkins ran out of time. The Mules fought off the Jays, improving to 6-6 in the conference, the same conference record as the Jays at the time. On Wednesday against the Bullets of Gettysburg, the Blue Jays got another solid performance from Corbett, who scored 10, while forwards George Bugarinovic, a freshman, and senior Tim McCarty posted 14 and 15 points, respectively. McCarty missed a double-double by one rebound. Hopkins will look to improve their play and make a statement in the conference over the remaining weeks of the season, ultimately looking to heat up as the regular season concludes and make a run deep into the playoffs.
The Hopkins men's basketball team has launched an emphatic start to the young season. Over the course of the last two weeks, the Blue Jays won two of their three contests, expanding their record on the season to 4-1.
It has been three weeks since the start of the 2011 NFL season, and thus far we have seen our share of surprises, upsets and letdowns.
The Hopkins volleyball team opened Centennial Conference play against Washington College on Saturday afternoon in Chestertown, MD. The Blue Jays returned home with an 8-3 overall record alongside a three-game win-streak.
On Saturday, the Hopkins football team came back to Homewood Field to open conference play in their first home game of the season.
Football season is finally here and after a grueling preseason, the Hopkins football team traveled to New York on Saturday to commence the 2011 regular season. The trip was extremely successful, as the United States Merchant Marine Academy was no match for the Blue Jays. Starting quarterback senior Hewitt Tomlin, The News-Letter's Athlete of the Week, set multiple records in a dominant 45-14 win over the Mariners.
The Hopkins men’s tennis team entered the Centennial Conference Tournament this past weekend on a twelve-match win streak. The 13th ranked Jays did not struggle at all and appeared to be too much for their conference opponents to handle. On Saturday, the Jays cruised past the Haverford Fords, blanking them 5-0 before putting on a wonderful display to shutout Franklin & Marshall 5-0 on Sunday in the title game.
This past Saturday the Hopkins women’s lacrosse team hosted the Penn State Nittany Lions in American Lacrosse Conference play. The meeting marked just the 10th time the teams had faced off with the Nittany Lions holding 6-3 edge all-time although Hopkins had won three of the four before Saturday.
This past Saturday, the Hopkins women’s lacrosse team traveled to Gainesville, Fla. in attempt to overcome a demoralizing loss to Vanderbilt the previous week.
The Hopkins men’s tennis team continued their dominance as of late, beating Ursinus and Carnegie Mellon on back-to-back days this past Saturday and Sunday.
Over the past two weeks, Hopkins women’s lacrosse has battled three top-flight opponents, going 2-1 in that span. On March 20th, the Lady Jays traveled to Harvard, before playing host to the University of Pennsylvania on the 23rd and George Washington the 26th. They then went north to Drexel on Wednesday. The Jays now stand at 7-3 on the season.
Over the past few weeks, Hopkins fencing has continued to prove it can compete with the top teams around the country. On Feb. 27, the Hopkins men’s fencing squad traveled to New York University to compete at the inaugural United States Collegiate Fencing Squad Championship. The men’s team placed sixth in the championship tournament.
A week after the National Basketball Association (NBA) trade deadline, the hype surrounding the big trades has subsided, and we move forward to analyze a few large transactions. Several moves were made prior to last week’s trade deadline; some were planned for weeks while others occurred unexpectedly Thursday morning. What teams walked away from the Feb. 24 deadline a winner and who were the losers? Ahead, I’ll break down the trades with the greatest implications.
In the final game of the regular season the men’s basketball team hosted Washington College Saturday afternoon at Goldfarb Gymnasium. The Blue Jays downed the Shoremen 74-64, closing out the season 7-18 overall and 5-13 in the Centennial Conference.