On the eve of pitchers and catchers reporting for the Boston Red Sox, the team has officially announced the non-roster invitees to spring training.

Here's the release:

FORT MYERS, FL-The Boston Red Sox today announced that 17 players will attend the team's Major League Spring Training camp as non-roster invitees.

Executive Vice President/General Manager Ben Cherington made the announcement.

Matt Barnes, RHP – Barnes, 23, spent most of 2013 with Double-A Portland before a late-August promotion to Triple-A Pawtucket, combining to go 6-10 with a 4.13 ERA in 25 starts, including a 2.55 ERA in his final 13 outings. His average of 11.3 strikeouts per 9.0 innings was the best rate among pitchers with at least 100.0 innings at Double-A or above. Boston's first overall selection in the 2011 June Draft (19th overall), the right-hander has a 3.48 ERA with 275 strikeouts in 233.0 innings over two seasons in the Red Sox system.

Corey Brown, OF – Brown, 28, has played in 36 career major league games, all with the Nationals over the last three seasons, appearing at all three outfield positions. A supplemental first round selection of the Athletics in 2007, he has combined for 123 home runs and 82 stolen bases over seven minor league seasons between the Oakland (2007-10) and Washington (2011-13) systems. The left-handed batter has spent most of the last three seasons at Triple-A Syracuse, where he hit .254 with 26 doubles, a triple, 19 home runs, and 56 RBI in 107 games in 2013.

Miguel Celestino, RHP – Celestino, 24, spent the 2013 season, his first exclusively as a reliever, with Double-A Portland where he went 1-9 with a 6.13 ERA in a staff-leading 39 appearances. Originally acquired from the Seattle Mariners via trade in March 2010, the Dominican native has a career minor league record of 36-32 with a 4.07 ERA in 147 games (90 starts). Celestino was signed by the Mariners as an international free agent in 2006.

John Ely, RHP – Ely, 27, missed the majority of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in April. His only appearance of the 2013 season came for Triple-A Oklahoma City in the Houston Astros organization. The Dodgers and Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Year in 2012, Ely has appeared in 25 games (19 starts) for his major league career, all with Los Angeles, going 4-13 with a 5.70 ERA. He was a third-round selection of the White Sox in the 2007 June Draft.

Rich Hill, LHP – Hill, 33, is in his second stint with the Red Sox in 2014 after having played for the club from 2010-12. Last season, the Milton, MA native pitched for the Cleveland Indians, going 1-2 with a 6.28 ERA in a career-high 63 relief appearances. A fourth-round selection of the Chicago Cubs in the 2002 June Draft, Hill is 24-22 with a 4.74 ERA in 181 major league games (70 starts) for the Cubs (2005-08), Baltimore Orioles (2009), Red Sox (2010-12), and Indians (2013).

Dalier Hinojosa, RHP – Signed by the Red Sox as a free agent in October, the 28-year-old is entering his first professional season in the United States after nine campaigns in Cuba's Major League Serie Nacional for the Guantanamo Indios. He began his pro career in Cuba during the 2004-05 season as an 18-year-old, and in his final year went 9-7 with a 3.40 ERA, 115 strikeouts, and 35 walks in 19 games, including 18 starts. The right-hander also participated in many international tournaments for the Cuban National Baseball Team.

Tommy Layne, LHP – Layne, 29, split 2013 between Triple-A Tucson and San Diego, posting a 2.08 ERA in 14 appearances for the Padres. He has a career record of 2-2 with a 2.84 ERA in 40 games in the majors, all for San Diego (2012-13). Layne was originally selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks as a 26^th-round pick in the 2007 June Draft.

Deven Marrero, SS – In his first full professional season last year, the 23-year-old Marrero was named Red Sox Minor League Base Runner of the Year after stealing 27 bases in 29 attempts (93.1%) between High-A Salem and Double-A Portland, the best rate among all minor leaguers with at least 25 thefts. The right-handed batter combined to hit .252 with 20 doubles, two homers, and 26 RBI in 104 games, all at shortstop, and made just six errors for a .988 fielding percentage. He was Boston's first selection in the 2012 June Draft (24^th overall).

Mike McCoy, INF/OF – McCoy, 33, enters his first season in the Red Sox system. He has played in 170 career major league games with Colorado (2009) and Toronto (2010-12) and is one of four active major leaguers with experience at every defensive position other than first base and catcher. He spent the entire 2013 season with the Blue Jays' Triple-A club in Buffalo, playing at second base (34 games), shortstop (31), third base (16), and the outfield (29). A right-handed batter, he hit .245 with 15 doubles, a triple, four homers, and 22 RBI while leading Bisons batters with 59 walks and 29 stolen bases.

Heiker Meneses, INF – Meneses is entering his seventh season in the Red Sox farm system and his first in major league camp. The 22-year-old spent the majority of 2013 with Double-A Portland before making his Triple-A debut with Pawtucket in August, and combined for a .253 average in a career-high 110 games while splitting time between shortstop (55 games) and second base (54). Signed as an international free agent out of Venezuela in 2007, he has hit above .300 against lefties in all three full minor league seasons, including a .312 clip against southpaws last year.

Jose Mijares, LHP – Mijares, 29, made 60 relief appearances for the San Francisco Giants last season, going 0-3 with a 4.22 ERA. For his major league career, the Venezuelan native is 6-11 with a 3.23 ERA in 324 games between the Minnesota Twins (2008-11), Kansas City Royals (2012), and Giants (2012-13). Signed by the Twins as an international free agent in 2002, Mijares pitched out of the bullpen for San Francisco on their run to the 2012 World Series title.

Henry Owens, LHP – Owens split last season between High-A Salem and Double-A Portland and led all full-season minor league qualifiers with a .177 opponent average while finishing second in the minor leagues with 169 strikeouts. The left-hander paced Boston's full-season farmhands with a 2.67 ERA and tied for the most wins in the system (11) en route to Red Sox Minor League Pitcher of the Year honors. A Carolina League Mid-Season All-Star, the 21-year-old threw 19.1 hitless innings from July 11-28. He was a supplemental round selection by Boston with the 36th pick in the 2011 June Draft.

Noe Ramirez, RHP – In two seasons in the Red Sox system, the 24-year-old Ramirez has fanned 157 batters in 160.1 innings, including 75 strikeouts in 75.2 frames between High-A Salem (21 games) and Double-A Portland (15 games) in 2013, his first action out of the bullpen. The fourth-round selection in the 2011 June Draft combined for a 2.38 ERA and held opponents to a .236 average, including a .217 AVG/.271 OBP/.283 SLG line against right-handed hitters. He also helped the Surprise Seguaros to the Arizona Fall League Championship, ranking among AFL leaders in ERA (8^th, 1.93) and WHIP (4^th, 0.86).

Travis Shaw, 1B – Last season, Shaw tied for third in the Red Sox farm system with 16 home runs while hitting .221 with 21 doubles, four triples, 50 RBI, and a team-leading 78 walks at Double-A Portland. The 23-year-old then helped the Surprise Saguaros to the Arizona Fall League championship and was named to the AFL's Top Prospect Team after ranking among league leaders in home run rate (1^st, 12.2 AB/HR), average (6^th, .361), on-base percentage (5^th, .452), slugging (2^nd, .705), and OPS (2^nd, 1.157). Signed as a ninth-round selection in the 2011 June Draft, Shaw's 35 home runs over the last two seasons are one shy of the lead among Red Sox farmhands.

Brandon Snyder, INF – Snyder, 27, returns for a second season in the Red Sox organization after splitting time in 2013 between Triple-A Pawtucket (68 games) and Boston (27). With the Sox last year, he played at third base (17 games, 10 starts), first base (six games, one start), and left field (one game), and went 9-for-50 (.180) at the plate. He also hit .261 with 16 doubles, a triple, 10 homers, and 37 RBI at Triple-A last season. A first round selection by the Orioles in the 2005 June Draft, Snyder has played in the majors in each of the last four seasons with Baltimore (2010-11), Texas (2012), and Boston (2013).

Blake Swihart, C – Swihart, 21, spent all of 2013 with High-A Salem, where he hit .298 with 29 doubles, seven triples, two homers, and 42 RBI in 103 games and was named a Carolina League Mid-Season All-Star. The switch-hitter hit safely in 25 of his last 28 regular season games, leading the league with a .377 average in that stretch. He also earned Red Sox Minor League Defensive Player of the Year honors after pacing CL backstops in caught stealing percentage (41.5, 44 of 106). The 26th overall selection in the first round of the 2011 June Draft, Swihart has played three seasons in the Red Sox farm system. 

Brayan Villarreal, RHP – Acquired from the Detroit Tigers last July as a part of the trade that brought Jake Peavy to Boston, Villarreal, 26, posted a 1.25 ERA in nine appearances for Triple-A Pawtucket between the regular and postseason. For his major league career, between the Tigers (2011-13) and Red Sox (2013), he has gone 4-8 with a 4.56 ERA and 86 strikeouts in 75.0 innings over 74 appearances. Villarreal, a native of Venezuala, was signed by the Tigers as an international free agent in 2005.

Eight of the 17 invitees have major league experience, including Brown, Ely, Hill, Layne, McCoy, Mijares, Snyder, and Villarreal. Snyder and Villarreal saw action for the Red Sox in 2013.

Pitchers and catchers will participate in their first on-field workout at the Fenway South Player Development Complex in Lee County on Monday, February 17. The first full squad workout of the Red Sox spring training camp is on Thursday, February 20.

2014 NON-ROSTER INVITEES

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USF’s Jose Fernandez Says “100 Percent” He’ll Coach Sunday Against UConn [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Diane Poletti-Metzel And The Simple Thank You [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Doug Bruno And The Quiet Moment After Winning Gold [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Decision Made To Alter Days Of Prelim Rounds Of NCAA Tournament [rich elliott – ct post]

UConn Men's Basketball links

UConn's Shabazz Napier Named to Naismith Trophy Midseason 30 Watch List [sox & dawgs]

Josh Pastner on Kuran Iverson, UConn [dom amore – hartford courant]

Huskies showcase depth [eric weeks – snyuconn.com]

Amida Brimah Continues To Pace The Husky Defense [uconnhuskies.com]

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A Hartford Homecoming For Memphis Big Man Kuran Iverson [uconnhuskies.com]

UConn Football links

Meet The Coaches: Josh Reardon [uconnhuskies.com]

Other UConn related links

M. Ice Hockey. Huskies and Holy Cross [uconnhuskies.com]

M. Ice Hockey. Junior Jacob Poe Featured on Latest Edition of Center Ice [uconnhuskies.com]

W. Ice Hockey. Campero, Farrel helping turn UConn women's hockey around [new haven register]

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Baseball. Now A Veteran, Tom Verdi Leads UConn Baseball Team [hartford courant]

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Paw Prints is our daily look at the happenings for the UConn Huskies football, men's basketball and women's basketball teams as well as the other sports the student-athletes engage in. We will do our best to bring you the links from all of the media that covers the Huskies on a daily basis. As always, links can be found by clicking on the read more button below if you're on the home page.

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Napier, Dolson Finalists For Senior CLASS Awards [sox & dawgs]

Four Huskies Named to Naismith Trophy Midseason 30 Watch List [sox & dawgs]

Kerry Bascom And The Promise Of Greatness [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Wishing Jose Fernandez A Speedy Recovery [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Still Time to Donate to the Kay Yow Fund! [uconnhuskies.com]

UConn Men's Basketball links

Napier, Dolson Finalists For Senior CLASS Awards [sox & dawgs]

Video: UConn Men Tame The Bulls, 83-40 [sox & dawgs]

Wrapping Things Up From XL [dom amore – hartford courant]

Everybody in on the Fun in UConn's Rout of USF [david borges – new haven register]

Post-game breakdown: South Florida [gavin keefe – the day]

Celebration time [neill ostrout – journal inquirer]

UConn notebook: Omar, Olander sit; young players get a shot [william paxton – ct post]

Report card: Huskies continue to own Florida [william paxton – ct post]

Locking down on D [john silver – snyuconn.com]

Blown Away [uconn huskies basketball]

Game report: UConn men rout USF [ct post]

UConn protects its 'yard' in rout of USF [ct post]

UConn Storms Out To Big Lead, Buries South Florida, 83-40 [hartford courant]

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Huskies again feast on AAC's weak links [new haven register]

Bulls hit a brick wall in UConn men [the day]

Pat Lenehan: "A Star is Born"
http://youtube.com/watch?v=

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UConn Football links

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AAC, Rutgers agree on split [john silver – snyuconn.com]

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American Athletic Conference Baseball Season Preview [the american]

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STORRS, Conn. – Stefanie Dolson, Bria Hartley, Kaleena Mosquda-Lewis, and Breanna Stewart represented UConn on the Naismith Midseason Top-30 List, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced on Wednesday afternoon. All four Husky names have also appeared on the Wooden Award Top-20 list announced in January.

The Naismith Trophy presented by AT&T is awarded annually to the men’s and women’s college basketball players of the year. The voting academy bases its criteria on player performance throughout the season. The Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Board of Selectors will narrow the 50 pre-season watch list down to a midseason team comprised of 30 candidates, which will be announced in February. From there, four finalists will be selected to the final ballot in March. The Naismith Award winner will be announced on April 7, 2014.

The ACC leads all conferences with 10 players hailing from seven different teams. Louisville’s Shoni Schimmel joins the four Huskies as representatives of the American Athletic Conference, which boasts the second-most players.

Stefanie Dolson (Port Jervis, N.Y.) has started all 25 games in her senior campaign, averaging 12.6 point per game and hauls in a team-leading 9.3 rebounds per contest. Dolson has been dominant on the defensive end this season, rejecting a single-season career-best 61 shots this year. She joins Breanna Stewart and Kiah Stokes as the first trio of UConn teammates to surpass 60 blocked shots in the same season. Her efforts have played a large part in helping the Huskies to some of the top statistics in the nation. UConn leads the nation in scoring defense (48.1ppg), blocked shots (216 total, 8.6 per game), and assistant to turnover ratio (1.96). Earlier today Stefanie Dolson was named among the top-20 finalists for the Senior CLASS Award honoring student-athlete achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition.  Fan voting contributes to 1/3 of the final decision, so be sure to log onto the Senior CLASS Award website and cast your vote.

Senior Bria Hartley (North Babylon, N.Y.) has produced some of the best numbers of her career for the Huskies this season. She averages 15.7 points per game on the season and boasts the second-highest assists total on the team (113). In her last nine games Hartley has been nothing short of stellar. The senior has averaged 19.7 points per game and shot 52 percent from the field in that span. Hartley posted three consecutive 20-pluis point games for the first time in her career, recording a career-high 30 against then-No. 23 Rutgers  and setting a personal-best with 11 assists at Temple on Jan. 11. In January the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame recognized Hartley as one of the top point guards in the country by placing her on the 2014 Nancy Lieberman Award Watch List. On Jan. 21 Hartley’s efforts in a 2-0 week against then-No. 7 Baylor and Rutgers earned her Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Week honors.

Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (Anaheim Hills, Calif.) returned from injury with a bang against then-No. 2 Duke in December, rattling off a career-high seven 3-pointers in the win. Working back into a rhythm, the reigning NCAA 3-point shooting champion has averaged 15.5 points in her last six games, going 43.5 percent from behind the arc in that time. The forward notched her first double-double of the season last Tuesday against SMU, also matching her career-high with seven assists.

Breanna Stewart (Syracuse, N.Y) has been busy since the Top-50 list was announced. The sophomore has earned three American Athletic Conference Player of the week nods and a USBWA National Player of the Week selection the day before Christmas. In January USA Basketball announced that Stewart was the recipient of the organization’s 2013 Female Athlete of the Year Award, which marks the second time in three years the Syracuse, N.Y. native has earned the distinction. Breanna Stewart leads the Huskies and ranks second in the conference in scoring, averaging 19.4 points per game. Stewart set a career-high with 37 points against Temple on Jan. 28, which represents the eighth-best individual performance in program history. The sophomore has six double-double so far this season and 12 20-plus point games. Opponents have only kept her to single digits in two of the Huskies’ 25 contests this season.

In the history of the Naismith Trophy, five Huskies have earned the award in seven different seasons. Rebecca Lobo first took home the honors for Connecticut in the 1995 season after winning the program’s first National Championship. In 2002, the Naismith Award was bestowed on Sue Bird after UConn’s first of three consecutive National Titles. Diana Taurasi followed on Bird’s heels as a back-to-back recipient in 2003 and 2004. Most recently, Tina Charles earned the honors in 2010, in between Maya Moore’s two seasons as the Naismith Award winner in 2009 and 2011.

Naismith Award Midseason Top 30 List

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OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (Feb. 12, 2014) — UConn senior basketball players Shabazz Napier (Roxbury, Mass.) and Stefanie Dolson (Port Jervis, N.Y.) have been selected as two of the 20 finalists for the 2013-14 Senior CLASS Awards, which recognize excellence in men's and women's college basketball on and off the court.

To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition.  The finalists were chosen by national media from the list of 30 men's candidates and 30 women's candidates announced in October.

Napier, also on the final lists of the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award, the John R. Wooden Award, the Oscar Robertson Trophy, and the James Naismith Award, currently leads the 18-5 Huskies in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, and minutes played. He has been named the American Athletic Conference Player of the Week three times and to the league's weekly Honor Roll seven times.

Off the court, he has been recognized with the Athletic Director High Five Award for academics  and participated in numerous charitable events, including visits to the St. Elizabeth House Shelter in Hartford and the Connecticut Children's Medical Center.

Dolson, a 2012-13 WBCA/State Farm All-America selection, is averaging 12.6 points and 9.3 rebounds for the Huskies this season.  She is second in the American Athletic Conference_­­ in rebounds per game and third in field goal percentage at 56.4. The Port Jervis, N.Y. native has tallied 11 double-doubles and notched UConn first triple-double (26 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists) since Laura Lishness in 1989.  Dolson, a 2013-14 Preseason American Athletic Conference First Team selection, enters the weekend only 37 rebounds shy of becoming only the fifth Husky al-time to accumulate 1,000 career rebounds.

Off the court, Dolson and the Huskies have participated in several community service efforts, including the Walk for Autism, visiting the Connecticut Children's Medical Center and helping to raise close to $50,000 to benefit the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. 

Two former Huskies have won the Senior Class Award; Sue Bird in 2002 and Maya Moore in 2011.

­Nationwide fan voting begins immediately to help select the winner. Fans are encouraged to vote on the Senior CLASS Award website through March 24. Fan votes will be combined with media and Division I head coaches' votes to determine the winners. The Senior CLASS Award winners will be announced during the 2014 NCAA Men's Final Four^® and NCAA Women's Final Four^®.

Men's Basketball Finalists

Women's Basketball Finalists

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Paw Prints is our daily look at the happenings for the UConn Huskies football, men's basketball and women's basketball teams as well as the other sports the student-athletes engage in. We will do our best to bring you the links from all of the media that covers the Huskies on a daily basis. As always, links can be found by clicking on the read more button below if you're on the home page.

Thank you for stopping by and making SOX & Dawgs your home for UConn Huskies news.

It's game day for the UConn Huskies men's basketball team as they'll host the South Florida Bulls at the XL Center in Hartford, CT. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the game will be televised nationally on ESPN2. You can also catch the game online at ESPN2. And if you can't watch the game in the Connecticut area, you can always listen to Joe D. and Wayne Norman on the UConn IMG Sports Radio Network.

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UConn Men's Basketball links

Omar Calhoun Sidelined; Ryan Boatright Struggling; On USF’s Big Men … Notes, Quotes From Practice [dom amore – hartford courant]

UConn Proving it's a Well-Balanced Team [david borges – new haven register]

UConn notebook: Calhoun’s rough season continues [william paxton – ct post]

Kromah’s rise [john silver – snyuconn.com]

No. 24 UConn Returns To The XL Center On Wednesday Against USF [uconnhuskies.com]

With Memphis coming up, UConn can't look past USF [ct post]

Ollie Says UConn Won't Take South Florida Lightly [hartford courant]

AAC's success a surprise to some [new haven register]

Kromah provides a spark [the day]

UConn Women's Basketball links

UConn’s starting five prepared to go 40 [carl adamec – snyuconn.com]

Huskies Worked Inside And Out Against Louisville [rich elliott – ct post]

Auriemma Says Huskies Have Reached Danger Zone [rich elliott – ct post]

Geno Overtime: On dominating opponents [snyuconn.com]

UConn Football links

UConn Football To Play Illinois In 2019, 2020 [sox & dawgs]

Bedard signed by Alouettes [jim fuller – new haven register]

Meet The Coaches: Ernest T. Jones [uconnhuskies.com]

Newsome officially signs on with Huskies [ct post]

Arkeel Newsome ready for new start at UConn [new haven register]

NFL Draft: Q&A with UConn Linebacker Yawin Smallwood [lombardi ave]

Other UConn related links

M. Ice Hockey. UConn Huskies Take Down #9 Providence, 3-2 [uconnhuskies.com]

W. Track. Emerson Honored as American Athletic Conference Track Athlete of the Week [uconnhuskies.com]

M. Track. Alvaro Chavez Nets American Athletic Conference Track Athlete of the Week Honors [uconnhuskies.com]

W. Soccer. Women's Soccer Partners with Friends of Jaclyn Foundation, Welcomes Quinn to the Team [uconnhuskies.com]

Baseball. UConn's David Mahoney Named To NCBWA 'Stopper Of The Year' Preseason Watch List [uconnhuskies.com]

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