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By Lily Belcher TAMPA-USF outfielder Daniel Cantu steps into the box, quickly. There is less time to tighten his batting gloves, adjust his grip on the bat or take a deep breath before facing an opposing pitch. This season, he steps up to the plate and has to be ready to swing. If not, it’s an automatic strike. The NCAA announced several rule changes in D1 baseball for the 2023 season that would match similar changes implemented in the Major Leagues this year. At the Major League Baseball level, pitch clocks and pick off limitations were established to speed up the game and promote more offensive production to attract non-baseball fans. At the college level, changes, such as an action clock and fake step-off limitations, have been established to keep up with the professionals. “I’d say challenge isn’t the right word. I would say it has been an adjustment for a little bit and then you get the hang of it. Adjusting your routines that you have played with for years has to change because of the speed of the game rules changes,” said Cantu. The action clock is similar to the MLB pitch clock, but not as strict. In D1 baseball, a pitcher will have 20 seconds to deliver a pitch from the time he gets the ball, regardless of if there are runners on base, according to the NCAA. MLB has a shorter clock, allowing 15 seconds with the bases cleared or 18 seconds with runners on between pitches. The 20 second clock impacts both the batter and pitcher. While the hurler has to pitch within the clock restraint, the batter has to have both feet in the batter’s box and be facing the pitcher with ten seconds left on the clock. “They say that, if it’s a strike or a ball, basically, you have to stay in the batter’s box. So, they days of guys stepping out and going through all kinds of adjustments and doing their breathing…those days are gone,” explained Associate Head Coach Bo Durkac. This is what has impacted Cantu’s pre-pitch routine. “Before this year I had plenty of time to step in and have a little routine before even looking up and getting set on the pitcher. Now I have to step in and be ready to go as soon as I get in,” explained Cantu. “It definitely speeds your routine and focus. The pitcher is also working faster, so as soon as you step in the box, the pitcher is going to be working faster to deliver the ball.” Cantu explained pre-pitch routines were a way for both batters and pitchers to clear their minds and get comfortable before the play. With the action clock, baseball players no longer have time to run through their routine if they need it. However, USF pitcher Hunter Mink does not think the 20 second restraint has impacted the USF pitching staff. For Mink, the step-off limitations have been a bigger obstacle to adjust to. “[I]t’s a simple rule, so if you miss the sign [from the coach] and need to step off you know that is your one step off the next time you have to throw the ball in attempt to pick the runner off,” explained the right-hander. The step-off limitation rule dictates a pitcher is only allowed one fake throw or step-off the mound per batter. Doing so resets the 20-second action clock. However, if the pitcher steps-off more than once, the batter is awarded a ball. Unlike MLB, collegiate athletes can make an unlimited number of pick-off attempts, as long as they actually throw the ball. To combat the quicker pace of at-bats, NCAA teams, like USF, have switched to a digital play calling device, rather than manual signs given from the dugout. The devices directly communicate a play from the coaches and eliminate the need for complex signs. The common assumption was that the pitch clock would benefit the pitcher, who is responsible for controlling the pace of the game, according to Durkac. However, he said he had noticed more offensive production in shorter games. Through the first 34 games of the 2023 season, USF has posted a team batting average of .279. Compared to 2021 and 2022, this season’s batting average is only around .008 higher, a relatively small decrease. Total runs and homeruns have stayed about the same, but these numbers may not completely display the effects of the new rules. On the pitching side, USF’s pitchers have given up more walks and earned runs on average per game. “Maybe [pitchers are] more sped up mentally and they’re losing their feel for where the ball goes. But the offensive numbers this year across college baseball seem to be very high compared to years past,” said Durkac. “So, who knows? That may be due to bad pitching, or the sped-up nature of the game is making pitchers work uncomfortably fast and is taking away from whatever abilities they have.” Still, Mink and Cantu have been able to adjust to the new rules with the help of USF’s coaching staff. “Our coaches have done a great job helping our team adjust to the rules. In fall inter squads and spring practice they would always keep a pitch clock on us and regarding the pick off limitations they would always make us aware when we were close to violations and or violating the rule to engrave it into our habits on the mound,” explained Mink. Cantu explained the coaches have been able to offer explanations on the new rules and advice on how to alter their routines and mental outlook on a quicker at bat. “I think these changes will help prepare me for the minor leagues/ major leagues,” said Cantu. “It won’t be new to me when I get there, I will already have a year or two of experience with the new rule changes before going to the next level, which helps adjusting.”

By Lily Belcher No one knows what the Rays were drinking this off season, but we do know this, they can’t stop winning. A 9-3 victory over the Red Sox Thursday afternoon gave the Rays their 13th straight wins and third sweep to start the season off undefeated, tying the modern-day record for the best start. The record breaking 2023 Rays have clicked on all fronts, with strong pitching, elite defense and hot bats that have shocked Rays fans. “When you do something like that, you’re playing really well. There’s not one part of our game right now that we don’t feel good about,” said Kevin Cash. The four-game series against Boston proved to be a challenge for the dominating Rays as they lost a nine-game streak of winning by at least four runs. Still, Tampa Bay managed to pull together close victories against the BoSox, relying on key, late-game hits by Brandon Lowe, Harold Ramirez and Randy Arozarena. This season, the Rays have hit 32 homeruns, leading the league. Their 32 dingers is just one shy of the record held by the 2000 St. Louis Cardinals and 2019 Seattle Mariners. Thursday’s matinee game set a franchise record for the longest win streak at any point in the season, previously held by the 2004 Devil Rays. However, it wasn’t looking good for the Rays, who were trailing 3-1 and had just lost their pitcher, until they posted a seven run fifth inning. A pair of RBI base hits by Francisco Mejia and Lowe tied the game at three with two outs. Arozarena singled and Franco took an 86-mph cutter to the forearm to load the bases for pinch hitter Manuel Margot. On the first pitch, Margot laid a two-out bunt down the third base line, something not even Kevin Cash expected. “We got momentum, and it seemed like it was just going to continue to roll. I mean [Margot’s] at bat, a bases-loaded bunt, it certainly shocked me,” said Cash. A bases-clearing, three RBI double capped the Rays scoring of the inning to give Tampa Bay a comfortable lead against their American League foes. Starting pitcher Jeffrey Springs became the second Rays starter to undergo an injury, leaving the game with left arm ulnar neuritis in the third inning. Before his second start of the season, he hadn’t allowed a long ball from opponents bats and had a 13-inning scoreless streak, tied with Drew Rasmussen for the third longest by a starting pitcher in Rays history. He will join Zach Eflin (lower back tightness) on the bench, potentially making room for rookie Taj Bradley. Bradley made his MLB debut Wednesday night on his mother’s birthday. The 22-year-old righty tossed five innings with eight K’s, looking cool and composed on the mound. Although he was promptly sent back down to AAA (as expected), he may earn a more permanent spot in the rotation if Eflin or Springs’ injuries persist past the expected week. “I was pretty calm in the locker room,” said Bradley. “…But, going out onto the field, all the fans know your name, saying ‘go get ‘em’ and all that, my heart started going a little bit. After the first batter, I kind of settled in, but I was still in a rush running out there.” With three series down and 48 to go, the Rays will travel to Toronto to take on the Blue Jays, who are currently tied for second in the AL East with the New York Yankees. Rasmussen will take the bump Friday night at 7:07 against the 8-5 Blue Jays, with hopes to continue his own 13 consecutive scoreless innings.

By Lily Belcher The Rays started off their 25th anniversary season with a three-game sweep against the Tigers on Opening Weekend. A young, sharp offense collected 21 runs and a balanced rotation held Detroit to just three runs. Donning their Devil Rays jerseys, something Rays fans will see often this season, Tampa Bay shut out their Opening Day opponents for the first time in franchise history. Shane McClanahan made his second consecutive Opening Day start and acquired his first win of the season with six innings pitched and an equal number of strikeouts. “It was a pretty good game…a very Rays’ like win. We’ll sign up for those types of wins a lot,” said skipper Kevin Cash A sold-out Tropicana Field was treated to a promising 4-0 win with the support of a *knock on wood* healthy offense. Centerfielder Jose Siri, who is likely stepping into the position permanently, knocked a solo shot over the leftfield wall for the first homer of the season. Wander Franco scored his own home run in the eighth for the final run of the shut-out. Luke Raley and World Baseball Classic star Randy Arozarena picked up a pair of RBI in the sixth. Arozarena took the opportunity to strike his new, signature arms-crossed pose he adopted in the offseason. “It feels good that [fans are] able to strike a pose with me as well, be able to take a picture, and it really makes me feel good that they like it,” said Arozarena after the game, backed by an enthusiastic crowd with early MVP chants for the leftfielder. Cash credited Arozarena for his personality on the field and engaging with the left field fans between batters. “Just the personality, the character, the way he embraces his role on the team, maybe his role in the community a little bit with how the fanbase has grown to love him, for good reasons because he’s a really good player. He’s just a good guy to have in the clubhouse and certainly, when he’s doing special things, he enjoys doing it and can express himself in the right way,” said Cash. With an odd day off to break up the series, Zach Eflin made his debut in a Rays uniform in game 2 on April 1. The 29-year-old righty gave up one run with five strikeouts in his five frames. He also committed Tampa Bay’s first pitch clock violation. *Take a second to roll your eyes* The Rays stacked on 12 runs, including a breakout seven-run third inning, to outscore the Tigers 12-2. The team scored seven doubles off Detroit pitching, two of which belonged to Franco. Franco and Yandy Diaz picked up three RBI each, including multiple hits with two-outs. “It was nice to get some runs on the board [and] watch those guys go to work. [They] played great defense today and obviously hit the ball all over the place, put some really good at bats together and got some important runs in important situations. So, it kind of freed me up and allowed me to go straight after guys,” said Eflin. With the series secured, the Rays put southpaw Jeffrey Springs on the mound, who stepped into a starter position since joining the Rays in 2021. Springs tossed a career-high of 12 strikeouts with five looking (another career-high) in his six hitless innings. “I felt pretty good. I felt like I was able to mix and move pretty well. I felt the fastball was pretty good early and trying to use secondary pitches off of that,” said Springs. Arozarena put the Rays on the board with a fourth inning home run. Siri hit a two-RBI single in the sixth with bases loaded and two-outs, continuing the Rays’ recent success with runners in scoring position. “You can’t ask for much more. We’ve pitched well, we’ve played good defense behind, and we’ve had an offense break out yesterday, but some big timely hits in game 1 and game 3,” said Cash about the sweep. With a sweep on opening weekend, the Rays look like the promising and exciting young team that has made the playoffs four years in a row. The Rays will travel to Washington to face the Nationals (1-2) on Monday. Drew Rasmussen and Josh Fleming are set to take the mound in the final two days of the Rays’ rotation.

By Lily Belcher In case you’ve been living under a rock this offseason, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred gave the okay for a number of rule changes with the intention of shortening game times and increasing the exciting offensive production even non-baseball fans can appreciate. Fine. I won’t object. I’ll admit to liking bases-loaded innings and stolen bases. But, it’s frustrating to think that a tight game can be lost on a called third strike because the batter stepped into the batter’s box at seven seconds rather than eight. Or that a pitcher can be called on a balk if they miss their third pick off attempt. Or that position players will not get to pitch as often (which was one of my favorite parts of the game). Even so, I’m willing to accept the pitch clock or bigger bases (I guess if it's supposed to reduce injuries, I won't object). The one rule I can’t get behind yet is the ban on shifts. Yes, MLB is banning defensive shifts. Even if that takes away all the strategy out of the game. Per the new “Defensive Shift Limits” rule, there must be at least four infielders (defensemen with at least one foot in the clay) and two players must be on either side of second base ahead of the pitch. Gone are the days of putting seven guys between first and second because a righty can’t pull the ball. It also prevents the popular “fourth outfielder” spot adopted by an infielder against strong hitters. The rule is basically eliminating all defensive strategy and forcing each infielder to make crazy, diving catches (if they can) that could have been defended by a teammate. The shift ban, like bigger bases and limited pick off attempts/disengagements, gives the advantage to the batter. It calls for more offense in the form of extra base hits and stolen bases. …This seems to go against MLB’s goal to decrease game times because more offensive production will obviously lead to longer innings…but, okay… Managers, like Kevin Cash, are having to find a loophole to defend against lop-sided hitters. Cash inquired about putting a player “in motion,” letting a shortstop move to the right side of second when the pitcher releases the ball. Managers can also pull in an outfielder, who aren’t limited by the shift-ban. Essentially, infielders are confined to their quarter of the base path, but outfielders can run wild. It could be interesting the first few weeks, but I imagine it will be annoying for both fans and players who can no longer implement strategy in their jobs.

By: Cristina Hauerstein T-minus 3 weeks before the wild card and it's Christmas week. Here are this week's games. For more information check the official NFL website. Jets v Jaguars Thurs 22 Ravens v Falcons Sat 24 Panthers v Lions Sat 24 Chiefs v Seahawks Sat 24 Browns v Saints Sat 24 Titans v Texans Sat 24 Patriots v Bengals Sat 25 Vikings v Giants Sat 24 Bears v Bills Sat 24 49ers v Commanders Sat 24 Cowboy v Eagles Sat 24 Steelers v Raiders Sat 24 Dolphins v Packers Sun 25 Rams v Broncos Sun 25 Cardinals v Buccaneers Sun 25 Colts v Chargers Mon 24 Merry Christmas and let us know your predictions!

By: Cristina Hauerstein We are reaching the final weeks of football and standings playoff spots are closing in. Here's some of the past wins that are showing us who will and who won't be in the playoffs. Make sure to check out the official NFL website to read more. The 49ers win against the Seahawks 21-13. The Colts lose by 3 points 39-36 to the Vikings. The Browns take a 10 point lead and win against the ravens of 13-3. The Bills win again 32-29 against the Dolphins on a snowy night in Buffalo. The Bears lose 25-20 to the Eagles. The Jets lose to the Lions, the final being The Steelers win 24-16 to the Panthers. The Texans fall against the Cheifs, 30-24. The Saints beat the Falcons 21-28. The Jaguars take a huge win 40-34 against the Cowboys. The Cardinals lose by 9 points to the Broncos, 24-15 being the final. The Patriots take another loss of 20-24 against the Raiders. The Chargers beat the Titans 17-14. The Buccaneers lose 34-23 against the Bengals. The Giants beat the Commanders 20-12. The Rams lose to the Packers 24-12. Let us know your thoughts on this week's results!

By: Cristina Hauerstein PHOTO: Daily Faceoff on Google The reverse retros this year have been a hot topic for a while now and I needed to take some time and rank all of these fairly, especially after seeing them on the ice. Unfortunately, I believe my list is extremely bias, so please don't take offense if your team just sucks. This ranking will be by most favorite to least favorite. Here it is. Buffalo Sabres. I can't really explain it. The logo is clean and the simplicity of it is extremely satisfying to me. Boston Bruins. Same as the Sabres, I just prefer the Buffalo colors more. New Jersey. Probably controversial but the bright colors and the concept is really cool. grows on me everyday. Edmenton Oilers. The logo is awesome aswell, the dark and bright orange go together. Nashville Predators. The yellow is iconic, the logo they have should be their usual logo. Philadelphia Flyers. Though I'm not the biggest fan of the sleeves, it has the simplicity I like. Lame to use your usual logo. Washington Capitals. The eagle and colors are great, but the design on the sleeves and bottom of the jersey kill it. Winnipeg Jets. This jersey is definitely retro and that is a good thing. The rest of it is a bit lame. San Jose Sharks. Very 80/90s concept. Could either be really good or really bad at times. Also that font size seems a tad small. Arizona Coyotes. I've always been a big fan of arizona's concepts for alternative/RR jerseys. Same with this one, just doesn't stick out to me. Minnesota Wild. Nothing wrong with it. Reminds me a lot of their home jersey besides the white. Someone told me it gave them "Subway" vibes and now i can't unsee it. Anahiem Ducks. Huge mighty ducks vibes, not sure what the inspiration was behind it but if it isn't to honor that trilogy, it should be this low or even lower. St. Louis Blues. The random music note in the middle makes me think a kid drew this up. New York Rangers. I honestly hate to have this team this high. The logo is absolutely awesome, other than that it's their usual colors. New York Islanders. Same as with the Rangers, the lines just bumped them down. Dallas Stars. This us definitely retro, just boring. Toronto Maple Leafs. There is absolutely nothing that sticks out to me about this jersey. If I didn't know any better I would think it's their home jersey. Vegas Golden Knights. They had the room to make more of a creative concept than "Vegas" across the jersey considering the kind of city it is. That's it. Seattle Kraken. Feels like they didn't try. Just added more random lines that give me a headache. Ottowa Senators. Exactly same thoughts as Toronto. Feels like a last minute design. Los Angeles. Not bad but it's just not personally my favorite at all. Columbus Blue Jackets. Don't understand teams making their RR looking like the home jersey's but here we are! Carolina Hurricanes. The straps at the ends of the jersey are the ugliest things I've ever seen in my life. Calgary Flames. So much potential with the color palette yet such a random and ugly design. Florida Panthers. The blue is just not supposed to be there and that's why it's that low. Logo deserves some recognition though. Vancouver Canucks. This is definitely controversial. I don't like the little man in the center and the strap placing is just lame. Tampa Bay Lightning. Quite honestly, surprised this isn't last, but there is worse. There is just so much going on it hurts my head. Tampa knows to do better. Pittsburgh Penguins. It's fine. The penguin is ugly though. Colorado Avalanche. No. Just awful. Montreal Canadiens. Again with the blues. Absolutely awful. Don't do it again. Detroit Red Wings. Looks like a sweater made the day before. Ugly and boring. Chicago Blackhawks. Same idea as Detroit. It's just way worse. Hopefully this list DOES cause chaos. I stand by my standings. Let us know what your standings are! Favorite and least favorite?

By: Cristina Hauerstein Get ready to spend the weekend before christmas sitting on your couch watching football - or even better: going to a game. Here's this week's matchups. Remember to check the official NFL website to learn more. Seahawks v 49ers Thurs 15 Vikings v Colts Sat 17 Browns v Ravens Sat 17 Bills v Dolphins Sat 17 Bears v Eagles Sat 17 Jets v Lions Sun 18 Panthers v Steelers Sun 18 Texans v Chiefs Sun 18 Saints v Falcons Sun 18 Jaguars v Cowboys Sun 18 Broncos v Cardinals Sun 18 Raiders v Patriots Sun 18 Chargers v Titans Sun 18 Buccaneers v Bengals Sun 18 Commanders v Giants Sun 18 Packers v Rams Mon 19 Let us know your predictions!!

By: Cristina Hauerstein There's one thing we can be sure of this time of year and it's that every thursday through Monday we will be getting good old NFL games. Here's this past week's results before we present to you this week's game. For more information check the official NFL webite. The Rams take a close win of 17-16 against the Raiders. The Vikings lose to the Lions 34-23. Ravens win against the Steelers 16-14. Browns unfortunately lose by 13 points to the Bengals 23-10. The Bills win yet again 20-12 against the Jets. The Texans lose 27-23 against their rivals, the Cowboys. The Eagles also win again 48-22 against the Giants. The Titans can't pull through against the Jaguars and lose 36-22. The Cheifs do pull through and win 34-28 against the Broncos. The Seahawks fail to beat the Panthers, the final being 30-24. The 49ers take a huge win of 35-7 against the Buccaneers. The Dolphins lose by 6 points against the Chargers. Final being 23-17. The final game was won by the Patriots 27-13 against the Cardinals. Let us know your thoughts on week 14!

By: Cristina Hauerstein November was a crazy month for all 32 teams, even if it was just a little. Here's an inside look of what this second month of hockey has brought us, including this month's standings. EASTERN CONFERENCE ATLANTIC DIVISON Boston Bruins 23-4-1 Toronto Maple Leafs 19-5-6 Tampa Bay Lightning 18-9-1 Detroit Red Wings 13-9-6 Florida Panthers 14-12-4 Montreal Canadiens 14-12-2 Buffalo Sabres 13-14-2 Ottowa Senators 12-14-2 METROPOLITAN DIVISON New Jersey Devils 21-6-2 Carolina Hurricanes 16-6-6 Pittsburgh Penguins 17-8-4 New York Islanders 17-12-1 New York Rangers 15-10-5 Washington Capitals 15-12-4 Philadelphia Flyers 9-14-7 Columbus Blue Jackets 10-16-2 WESTERN CONFERENCE CENTRAL DIVISON Dallas Stars 17-8-5 Winnipeg Jets 18-9-1 Colorado Avalanche 15-10-2 Minnesota Wild 15-11-2 Nashville Predators 12-12-3 St. Louis Blues 13-15-1 Arizona Coyotes 9-14-4 Chicago Blackhawks 7-16-4 PACIFIC DIVISON Las Vegas Golden Knights 21-9-1 Seattle Kraken 16-9-3 Los Angeles Kings 15-12-5 Edmenton Oilers 17-13 Calgary Flames 13-11-5 Vancouver Canucks 12-13-3 San Jose Sharks 10-16-5 Anahiem Ducks 7-20-3 Monthly Highlights The New Jersey Devils have an insane month of November, going on a 13 game winning streak, almost beating their franchise record. Mitchell Marner has a 23-game point streak for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Teams like the Seattle Kraken and New York Islanders surprise the entire league considering last season's preformances. Both aquired good goalies. The Tampa Bay Lightning get some of they groove back, especially on 13/12/22, against the Kraken after a 4-1 win. The defending cup champions struggle to get to 20 wins, though being in one of the weakest divisions this year. Ovechkin reaches 800 goals. Honorable players: Jack Hughes also win a point streak going this season, Connor Mcdavid with 59 points already in 30 games, Ilya Samsov with both the best Goals Against Average (1.70) and Save Percentage (.939) For more information, check out the official NHL website for more information!

By Lily Belcher In a Sunday afternoon loss, the Buccaneers fell to 6-7 and dropped below .500, once again showcasing the lack of offensive chemistry and the unreliable defense that Tampa Bay has begun to accept as the new norm for the Buccaneers. Quarterback Tom Brady lost to 49ers' rookie Brock Purdy, who made his debut as a starting quarterback. Brady entered the game 6-0 against rookie quarterbacks, but Purdy broke the veteran’s record, leading the 49ers to their ninth win of the season. Brady's offense has struggled all season, but the veteran quarterback is going through an obvious slump since the November 13 win over Seattle. His Passer Rating has fallen for the fourth straight week, he threw a single-game, season-high of two interceptions and suffered this season's biggest deficit in the 35-7 loss to the 49ers. The 45-year-old did make his second highest pass attempts this season, but was largely unsuccessful as rumors of Brady playing with an injured hand continue to circulate. "We played bad in all phases. We coached bad. We got out-coached," admitted head coach Todd Bowles. "We got our ass kicked on offense and we got our ass kicked on defense." The Buccaneer’s coaching failures were apparent in the first quarter as kicker Ryan Succop attempted a 55-yard field goal while the Bucs were already trailing by a touchdown on the road. Succop had made a 51-yarder in practice, leading fans to question why Bowles’ attempted his kicker’s career high field goal in the game. Bowles admitted to a failure on the field and the sidelines, placing equal blame on the coaching staff and the players. Still, he called for his team to focus on next Sunday's game and pleaded for his players to step up when their number is called. "We coached bad, we played bad. We got out-coached, we got out played. [It's] as simple as that," reiterated Bowles. The 49ers sit comfortably in first in the NFC West and are on a six-game winning streak, despite losing starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to a season-ending foot injury. Looking ahead, Bowles indicated they would be tweaking their game plan, but said it was too late in the season to make major changes. The Buccaneers have maintained their first place spot, but still have to face NFC South rivals Panthers at home and Falcons on the road before the end of the season. Tampa Bay will host the Cincinnati Bengals on December 18 at 4:25 p.m. with hopes to even out their record before Christmas.

By: Cristina Hauerstein After this week, there's only going to be one month left of football to enjoy this season. Here's the first week of these final weeks of football games. Make sure to check the official NFL website for more information. Rams v Raiders Thurs 8 Lions v Vikings Sun 11 Steelers v Ravens Sun 11 Bengals v Browns Sun 11 Bills v Jets Sun 11 Cowboys v Texans Sun 11 Giants v Eagles Sun 11 Titans v Jaguars Sun 11 Broncos v Cheifs Sun 11 Seahawks v Panthers Sun 11 49ers v Buccaneers Sun 11 Chargers v Dolphins Sun 11 Cardinals v Patriots Mon 12 Any predictions? Let us know!