Blue Jays

The fact that the starting attack leads No. 12 Johns Hopkins in scoring this season is not particularly shocking. What is surprising is that members of the first midfield are not immediately next on that list. Freshman Ryan Brown, who runs on the second line, is tied with senior John Ranagan for fourth in points with 17. Senior Lee Coppersmith, Brown's linemate, ranks sixth with 14 points, and senior John Greeley, who has been a starter since his freshman campaign, is seventh with 13. “Would we like to be more productive from the midfield?

In the aftermath of Johns Hopkins' 13-8 loss to No. 11 Syracuse on March 16, doom and gloom seemed to befall the program. Since the team's 15-8 rout of No. 13 Virginia this past Saturday, a sense of jubilation is following the Blue Jays as they prepare for Saturday's game against No. 4 North Carolina. Navigating the roller coaster of emotions from one end of the spectrum to the other might be a factor for Johns Hopkins (6-2), but coach Dave Pietramala said the players and coaches are not buying into the hype after the victory over the Cavaliers.

Johns Hopkins has dominated this series, winning 53 of 82 contests and the last two. No. 13 Virginia (5-3) has dropped three of its last four games, but the offense ranks sixth in Division I in scoring with a 12.9 average. The Cavaliers have unearthed a quarterback in junior attackman Nick O'Reilly, who leads the team in assists (16) and points (30) after redshirting last season. The No. 12 Blue Jays are 5-2, but they are 0-2 against ranked opponents. Johns Hopkins boasts an offense tied for fourth in scoring and is getting plenty of possessions via senior faceoff specialist Mike Poppleton, who has won 71.1 percent (96-of-135)

The Johns Hopkins men's lacrosse team took all the mystery out of the program's 85th meeting with Virginia. Scoring 11 of the game's first 12 goals, the No. 12 Blue Jays dominated the Cavaliers in a 15-8 victory that wasn't nearly as close as the final score suggested during the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic at M&T Bank Stadium on Saturday. Johns Hopkins' impressive performance came after a 13-8 loss to No. 6 Syracuse on March 16. Both of the Blue Jays' losses this season have been to ranked opponents - against the Orange and to No. 11 Princeton, 11-8, on March 1. For at least one day, the Blue Jays (6-2)

The Orioles have lost right-hander Todd Redmond, who was on the team's 40-man roster, on waivers as he was claimed by the Toronto Blue Jays, according to an industry source. Redmond allowed five earned runs and eight hits with eight strikeouts and four walks in eight Grapefruit League innings before he was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk on Saturday. The 27-year-old Redmond was claimed off waivers by the Orioles on Feb. 8 from the Reds. He made his major league debut with Cincinnati last season - making his first and only big league start - on Aug. 18 in the nightcap of a doubleheader.

Under coach Dave Pietramala, Johns Hopkins has built a reputation for fielding imposing defenses that made life difficult for opposing offenses. That tradition may continue after this season, but the unit's play in the No. 12 Blue Jays' two losses have suddenly given cause for concern. In the team's five wins, opponents have averaged just 7.2 goals, 31.6 shots and 18.4 shots on goal. In the two setbacks, opposing offenses averaged 12 goals, 36 shots and 21 shots on cage. The 24 goals that No. 6 Syracuse and No. 11 Princeton combined to score is a number that doesn't sit well with senior defenseman Tucker Durkin.

It was almost a year ago - 363 days, to be exact - but it seems like eons now. John Ranagan fired home a low, bouncing shot with 5.6 seconds left in overtime to give Johns Hopkins an exhilarating 11-10 win over then-No. 1 Virginia, extend the Blue Jays' start to 8-0 and vault them to the top of The Baltimore Sun poll. Since then, however, the goals and late-game heroics have not been as frequent for Ranagan. As the midfielder embarks on the second half of his senior year with the Blue Jays, Ranagan is acutely aware of the expectations that have dogged him since he was named a first-team All-American in 2011.

Rob Guida's status remains uncertain as No. 12 Johns Hopkins prepares to meet No. 13 Virginia in the second game of the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic doubleheader at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore this Saturday. The junior midfielder had recorded one goal and one assists in two starts before missing the Blue Jays' last four contests. But coach Dave Pietramala said the program is not considering shelving Guida for the remainder of the season and applying for a medical redshirt. “I think you always have to weigh that option, and I think you always have to weight what's in the best interest of the young man health-wise,” Pietramala said Thursday morning.

Zach Britton , who is in the mix for the club's fifth starter spot, really struggled Wednesday, lasting just 1 2/3 innings against the Toronto Blue Jays. The lefty gave up five runs on seven hits and two walks while retiring only four batters. He loaded the bases - on two walks and a single - and then J.P. Arencibia hit a three-run double before Britton could get an out. He allowed a two-run homer to Emilio Bonifacio in the second inning. Britton threw 59 pitches, 36 for strikes in the abbreviated start.

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles staked the Toronto Blue Jays to a five-run lead by the second inning Wednesday, but they stormed back with five solo homers and eventually won, 6-5. Left fielder Nolan Reimold, who was playing in the field for the first time since experiencing shoulder tightness on March 1, had two home runs to lead the offensive barrage. J.J. Hardy started the second inning against Toronto's Jeremy Jeffress, who is fighting for a bullpen spot, with his second homer in two games.