MINNEAPOLIS — The start Carlos Martinez waited 729 days to make and spent months proving he should earn was over before he could get a dozen outs.

Here’s a link to the story at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

CINCINNATI — Chicago Cubs manager David Ross has expressed faith in the depth of his lineup as well as his rotation since the start of summer camp.

Here’s a link to the story at the Chicago Tribune.

HOUSTON — The Houston Astros are trying to put their sign-stealing scandal behind them.

Here’s a link to the story at the Chicago Tribune.

It was a memorable Monday for David Ross and Rick Renteria as Chicago’s crosstown baseball managers attempt to navigate through this pandemic-altered season.
Here’s a link to the column at the Chicago Tribune.

Major League Baseball must decide whether bringing its sport back and televising it to home-bound fans is a worthwhile risk.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

Tom Murphy has become somewhat of an online sensation during baseball’s shutdown for the array of workouts the Seattle Mariners’ catcher posts on Instagram from his home in upstate New York.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

ST. LOUIS – Four SIU baseball players were named to the Missouri Valley Conference’s Scholar-Athlete teams, the league announced Thursday. Ian Walters was named to the First Team. Brad Harrison, Mason Hiser, and Austin Ulick were named to the Honorable Mention team.

Walters (Paducah, Ky.) was off to an incredible start in 2020, leading the MVC in hits, doubles, stolen bases, assists, and on-base percentage. He also ranked highly in the league in batting average (2nd), total bases (2nd), walks (2nd), runs scored (3rd) and slugging percentage (7th). Walters reached base in all 18 games and recorded a hit in 17 of them, including 15-straight games to close the season. Walters reached base at least twice in 16 of 18 games. Walters holds a 3.881 GPA in sport administration.

Brad Harrison (O’Fallon, Ill.) was named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete team for a third-straight year. He posted a 3.00 ERA over 18 innings. Most notably, he pitched five shutout innings in SIU’s win over USC. He also pitched five shutout innings in a win over Northern Illinois. Harrison’s ERA ranked eighth-best in the league. In addition to being a three-time MVC Scholar-Athlete team selection (HM in 2018, First Team in 2019), Harrison was a three-time MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Week in 2018 and earned a spot on the All-MVC Honorable Mention team in 2018. Harrison holds a 3.64 GPA in civil engineering.

Mason Hiser (Augusta, Kan.) was SIU’s opening day starter in 2020 and was outstanding all season. He went 2-0 with a 2.35 ERA over 23 innings. His ERA ranked fourth in the league, and he also ranked fourth in the league in inning pitched. Hiser had two quality starts and did not allow more than three earned runs in any start this season. He started the year off with six shutout innings on opening day. Hiser holds a 3.387 GPA in sport administration.

Austin Ulick (Washington, Ill.) started 14 of 18 games at catcher for the Salukis and hit .362, which ranked fourth in the league. Behind the plate, he threw out six would-be base stealers, which led the MVC, and has now thrown out 22 runners over his three seasons at SIU. Ulick posted a .444 on-base percentage, which ranked eighth in the league, and drove home the winning run in a walk-off win over Northern Illinois. Ulick holds a 3.823 GPA in sport administration.

SIU placed three or more player’s on the league’s Scholar-Athlete teams for the fourth time in the last five years. SIU has placed at least two players on the league’s Scholar-Athlete team in eight of the last nine seasons.

INA, Ill. — The annual South Central Illinois Heart Walk is going virtual this year and Team RLC is looking for your support.

Due to ongoing health concerns due to COVID-19, the event organizers changed the annual American Heart Association event to a virtual walk. This means walkers can participate from anywhere they want. All you have to do is walk two miles at any location on April 25 while sharing a photo on social media before and after you walk with the hashtag #VirtualSouthCentralHW.

Join the Rend Lake College team in working to cure heart disease and stroke. Supporters are invited to put on their RLC gear and share photos and videos on social media. To contribute to RLC team members, visit https://www2.heart.org/site/TR/?team_id=566410&pg=team&fr_id=4911. So far, Beth Mandrell, Emily DeForest, Jaron Hubbard and Jo Dick are on the roster.

By participating, you are helping raise funds for lifesaving science and research along with Heart Walk events across the nation. The South Central Illinois Heart Walk is about halfway to its fundraising goal of $70,000. Those looking to participate in the walk can start at any time and any place on April 25. For more information contact (217) 331-6779 or visit https://www2.heart.org/site/TR?fr_id=4911&pg=entry.

INA, Ill. — The men’s basketball coach for Rend Lake College is moving on. Tommy Holder, who has been the head coach for the Warriors since 2017, announced he would not be returning to the position for the 2020-2021 season.

“I’d like to thank Rend Lake for giving me my first college coaching opportunity,” Holder said on social media. “I really enjoyed being a mentor there to so many great young men.”

Holder leaves behind a team that finished the regular season with a 14-18 record. After knocking out Illinois Central College in the first round of the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II Central District Tournament, the Warriors fell to John Wood Community College in the tournament semifinal. The team has a lot of young talent though, with freshmen holding nine of 10 roster spots by the end of the season.

Holder got his start at RLC as a player. He was offered a basketball scholarship after playing in the Lion’s Club All-Star Game at RLC in 2005. After redshirting a year due to injury, Holder was a productive player for the Warriors for two seasons. He would go on to play a season at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.

Following his playing career, Holder was hired as an assistant coach in 2011 under coach Randy House. Holder served as an assistant until House’s departure in 2017 and helped the Warriors win the 2013 NJCAA DII National Championship.

Holder finishes with a 32-61 (34.4%) regular-season record and 1-3 postseason record during his three full seasons as head coach.

CARBONDALE — The SIU football team announced its largely regional 2020 schedule on Monday.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.