College Baseball

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado confirmed on Thursday that he is engaged to be married to girlfriend Yainee Alonso, but he did not say whether a date has been set for the wedding. Alonso is the sister of one of Machado's closest friends, San Diego Padres first baseman Yonder Alonso, who played college baseball at the University of Miami. Machado said he and Yainee were brought together by the baseball connection with her brother, but it's also the result of the close-knit nature of the sports community in Miami.

George Horton ran a college baseball powerhouse at Cal State-Fullerton, the kind of program that had no place for someone like Kurt Suzuki. Horton had never seen or heard of Suzuki before a scout pal mentioned the high schooler in Hawaii. "We didn't know a whole heck of a lot about him," Horton said. "We heard from our network of friends that this little catcher from Maui wanted to come and walk on at Fullerton. " On an island with 160,000 permanent residents, Suzuki played against five or six high schools.

I am writing to address your week of April 12 front page story about Jimmy Brooks and "The Big Game. " It should have been dubbed or named "Glory Dazes" and/or "Glory Haze. " There is a glaring problem with your feel good and/or prima donna story. He earned a full baseball scholarship during his freshman season, but failed to graduate. Too bad he squandered his opportunity. Oh, well. Party on, Sergeant Brooks. Dan Lewis Laurel

Towson men's basketball Benimon a finalist for Lou Henson Award Towson University junior forward Jerrelle Benimon is among 25 finalists for the Lou Henson Award, it was announced Monday. The award is presented annually to the top mid-major player in college basketball. For the second straight year CollegeInsider.com is working with Point3 Basketball to promote the Lou Henson award "fan vote," which will constitute 33 percent of the final vote. Benimon is averaging 16.7 points and 11.2 rebounds per game this season.

UMBC's Ryan Schneider, Towson University's Jason Sandner, and Gettysburg College's John Woods are having outstanding baseball seasons, leading a large contingent of county athletes who are playing college baseball.Schneider (Atholton), Big South Player of the Week for March 9-15, is batting .358 (38-for-106) with nine home runs, seven doubles and 28 RBIs.Schneider, a senior first baseman, went 5-for-5 with six RBIs and two home runs against Mount St. Mary's March 14. He went 3-for-3 with five RBIs against Holy Cross.

Complete games in nine-inning college baseball are exceptional and personally satisfying -- except when you lose.Anne Arundel Community College left-hander Jim Simms knows the feeling because of one inning he would like to have back.Simms was outstanding for all but one inning, the second, as defending National Junior College Athletic Association champion Essex Community College (3-0) edged host Anne Arundel, 4-3, in an errorless game yesterday in Arnold.It was a big win in Essex's quest to return to the National JuCo Tournament in Grand Junction, Colo.

COLLEGE PARK -- Have waiters ever forgotten your drink order? Do the kids acknowledge your existence only when they're demanding more cash? Nearly everyone in life can relate to being overlooked and unappreciated, but it's unlikely any group of athletes experience those kinds of feelings more regularly than college baseball players in Maryland. Despite a legacy that extends from Babe Ruth to Cal Ripken, lacrosse is the official state sport. That seal of approval, courtesy of the Maryland legislature in 2004, reflects lacrosse's standing in certain ZIP codes and the weight it carries on campus, where defensive midfielders get more recognition than guys who could be pitching for pay in the minors this summer.

Fern Rudolph Hitchcock Jr. a longtime athletic coach, trainer and faculty member at what is now McDaniel College who was known for his motivational stories, called "Fernisms," died Thursday of complications from Parkinson's and heart disease at a hospital in Hanover, Pa. He was 82. Mr. Hitchcock was born in York, Pa., and raised in Taneytown. He earned a bachelor's degree in 1947 from what was then Western Maryland College, where he played third base and outfield for several championship baseball teams.

Laurel Park Moon Philly wins Md. Media by 91/4 lengths Moon Philly circled the Laurel Park oval Saturday to the delight of her scores of owners at Country Life Farm. Along with the bettors who had backed her down to odds of 1-5, the Malibu Moon filly was the popular winner of the $125,000 Maryland Racing Media Handicap. Jeremy Rose placed Moon Philly behind the pacesetter Touch the Birds at the start of the 11/8-mile test and stayed outside of that one until the far turn.

Mussina's not the problem I'm sure I'm not the only reader who was astonished and appalled by John Zaruba's unwarranted attack on Orioles pitcher Mike Mussina in The Sun on April 9. Musina is surely one of the top five starting pitchers in the game. He has been effusive in expressing his appreciation of Baltimore fans and has made it clear that he wants to play here. To label him a "greedy prima donna" is grossly unfair and monumentally ignorant. If nothing else, Mussina's presence on the roster ensures that, at least every fifth day, the Orioles will be worth watching and will have a chance to win. Don Brizendine, Baltimore Blast winners on, off field I constantly hear that Baltimore needs a winning team.

Laurel Park Moon Philly wins Md. Media by 91/4 lengths Moon Philly circled the Laurel Park oval Saturday to the delight of her scores of owners at Country Life Farm. Along with the bettors who had backed her down to odds of 1-5, the Malibu Moon filly was the popular winner of the $125,000 Maryland Racing Media Handicap. Jeremy Rose placed Moon Philly behind the pacesetter Touch the Birds at the start of the 11/8-mile test and stayed outside of that one until the far turn.

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado confirmed on Thursday that he is engaged to be married to girlfriend Yainee Alonso, but he did not say whether a date has been set for the wedding. Alonso is the sister of one of Machado's closest friends, San Diego Padres first baseman Yonder Alonso, who played college baseball at the University of Miami. Machado said he and Yainee were brought together by the baseball connection with her brother, but it's also the result of the close-knit nature of the sports community in Miami.

Et cetera Moon Philly favored in Laurel Park's Morse Moon Philly is the morning line favorite to win today's feature at Laurel Park, the $125,000 Nellie Morse Stakes for fillies and mares. The 1 1/16-mile test drew 12 runners. Ten can face the starter. Trained by Mike Trombetta , Moon Philly (9-5) drew the rail. The Malibu Moon filly had a troubled trip in the Cat Cay Stakes at Aqueduct on Jan. 6, her most recent start. After stumbling at the gate under Jeremy Rose , Moon Philly had to jump a fallen horse in the stretch but still managed to take second.

Colleges No. 1 Terps men edge Charleston, 3-2, in soccer London Woodberry scored a career-high two goals to help the No. 1 Maryland men's soccer team remain unbeaten with a 3-2 win at College of Charleston (4-6). The Terps (8-0-1) overcame a 2-1 deficit to pick up their seventh consecutive victory this season. Woodberry and freshman David Kabelik , who scored the second goal of the game, became the 11th and 12th Terrapins to score this season, respectively.

Et cetera U.S. U-19 men lose lead, fall to Iroquois, 15-13 The Iroquois Nationals surprised the U.S. lacrosse team, 15-13, in pool play at the Federation of International Lacrosse U19 World Championships on Tuesday in Turku, Finland. The win was the Iroquois' first against the Americans in outdoor field competition at any level, and it came three days after the U-19 U.S. team lost for the first time since sanctioned international competition began in 1988, 11-9 in overtime to Canada.

After Brian Roberts played his first major league baseball game in nearly 13 months - his long recovery from multiple concussions finally putting him back in a big-league uniform - he took off his jersey in the Orioles clubhouse, autographed the back and handed it to one of the people who helped him get through his arduous journey. With a smile, Roberts handed his jersey to Dr. Michael "Micky" Collins, the director of the Sports Medicine Concussion Program at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Et cetera Moon Philly favored in Laurel Park's Morse Moon Philly is the morning line favorite to win today's feature at Laurel Park, the $125,000 Nellie Morse Stakes for fillies and mares. The 1 1/16-mile test drew 12 runners. Ten can face the starter. Trained by Mike Trombetta , Moon Philly (9-5) drew the rail. The Malibu Moon filly had a troubled trip in the Cat Cay Stakes at Aqueduct on Jan. 6, her most recent start. After stumbling at the gate under Jeremy Rose , Moon Philly had to jump a fallen horse in the stretch but still managed to take second.

Pro football -- Bypassed in the NFL draft, three Morgan State players -- running back Chad Simpson, defensive end Bryan Wilson and tight end Rohnie Sykes -- have signed contracts as free agents. Simpson signed with the Dallas Cowboys, Wilson with the Washington Redskins and Sykes with the Kansas City Chiefs. ... The New England Patriots released former Ravens linebacker T.J. Slaughter and cornerback Tim Mixon. College baseball -- The College World Series will be played in Omaha, Neb., at least through 2030, under a "memorandum of understanding" reached by the city and NCAA.

Et cetera Hopkins' Stromberg, Milne to join MAC Hall Bill Stromberg , a standout member of the Johns Hopkins football team from 1978 to 1981, and fello alumnus Bill Milne , one of the top swimmers in the nation from 1971 to 1974, have been selected to the 36-member charter class of the Middle Atlantic Conference Hall of Fame. Stromberg, the only Johns Hopkins player elected to the College Football Hall of Fame (2004), was a two-time first-team All-American and two-time MAC Most Valuable Player (1980 and 1981)

Et cetera Salisbury's Tavik to vie for 2nd shot put crown Salisbury junior Chelsea Tavik (Seton Keogh) will compete for her second national championship after being selected as one of 22 athletes in the women's shot put at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships this weekend in Claremont, Calif., where Claremont McKenna, Harvey Mudd and Scripps colleges will host the event. Tavik has earned All-America status in the past three championships, finishing third in last year's outdoor shot put. The Glen Burnie native will enter as the second seed, having posted a school-record 48 feet, 11/4 inches earlier this week at the Lions' Last Chance Meet, hosted by the College of New Jersey.