Red Sox Spring Training News & Notes – 2/12

David Ortiz made his way to the field Tuesday morning before getting a few sluggers in from the batter's box.

Despite the fact there is at least two feet of snow, three in my case, around New England, the smell of fresh cut grass and manicured ball fields is coming. Well at least in Florida and Arizona for the time being.

That's right folks, spring training kicks off today as pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report. For the Boston Red Sox, a good portion of them have already been at Fenway South working out.

The team will welcome some new faces pitching wise as Ryan Dempster, Koji Uehara and Joel Hanrahan have joined the club. On the catching side, David Ross looks to be to thet backup to Jarrod Saltalamacchia with Ryan Lavarnway being the odd man out, at least for now.

And when the rest of the team reports, other new faces include Mike Napoli, Stephen Drew, Jonny Gomes and Shane Victorino.

And we cannot forget that John Farrell has returned to the club as the new manager replacing that douchebag Bobby Valentine. Farrell knows a good portion of these players as spent time as the Red Sox pitching coach from 2007-2010.

We're going to do our best here to keep with all of the news that comes out of spring training. The normal plan is to do the post in the afternoon when the workouts are done and interviews are done. Today we'll be doing a post that will provide the links from yesterday and early this morning.

Later in the day we'll return with another post and going forward any updates unless they are major will come in the afternoon.

To continue reading, please click on the continue reading button below if you're on the home page.

To open the links up in a new tab or window, use Control+click

Red Sox owner John Henry gives his thoughts on ex-managers [boston globe]

Bobby Valentine writing a book [boston globe]

John Henry refutes bad image with his Sox [boston herald]

Ailing Felix Doubront unconcerned [boston herald]

John Henry reflects on baseball memories [boston herald]

David Ortiz says he's at '90 percent' [rob bradford – weei.com]

Dustin Pedroia: 'Goal is to win the World Series every year' [clubhouse insider]

Ryan Dempster: 'Fun, exciting challenge' to be pitching in AL with Red Sox [clubhouse insider]

Felix Doubront, Craig Breslow to be "held back" early in Red Sox camp [clubhouse insider]

Middlebrooks eager to play after last season's injury [csn new england]

World Baseball Classic to cut short Victorino's Sox camp [csn new england]

Red Sox take 'precautionary' approach with Doubront, Breslow [csn new england]

Unlike Red Sox, Phillies don't prescribe Toradol [csn philly]

Quick hits from Farrell [espn boston]

Lester likes what he sees from Lackey [espn boston]

Buchholz pulls up lame with hamstring [espn boston]

Jon Lester says Boston Red Sox reviewing Toradol policy [espn boston]

The catcher and the chef [extra bases]

Big Papi among the early arrivals [extra bases]

Pedroia is sexy and he knows it [extra bases]

Overbay says swing corrected [extra bases]

How a few talks with John Henry may have cemented Dustin Pedroia’s future with Red Sox [full count]

John Lackey Convinced He’ll ‘Be Fine’ in Boston With Good Health Backing Him (Video) [nesn.com]

Mike Napoli Says He Was Surprised to Learn of Hip Injury, Hasn’t Ever Felt Any Symptoms From Condition (Video) [nesn.com]

Henry fine with free-agent targets [projo sox blog]

Fortnotes*: Henry's complex ownership, Dempster's adjustments, Farrell's aggressiveness [projo sox blog]

Henry: Red Sox strayed from core beliefs [redsox.com]

Doubront, Breslow to take it slow early in camp [redsox.com]

Farrell looks forward to running Red Sox [redsox.com]

Victorino to work extensively with Ellsbury [redsox.com]

Dempster looking forward to facing AL lineups [redsox.com]

Sporting new-look roster, Red Sox open camp [redsox.com]

The blueprint: Defining the path to the 'next great Red Sox team' [alex speier – weei.com]

For more slices of Red Sox goodness, head over to the BostonGlobe, Boston Herald, CSN New EnglandESPN Boston, NESN, Providence Journal, RedSox.com and WEEI websites.

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photo credit: boston.com

Paw Prints – The Daily UConn Roundup – 2/12

UConn Huskies Daily Roundup

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 women's basketball team as they'll make the ride through the snow covered roads of Connecticut and Rhode Island to take on the Providence Friars. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the game will be broadcast locally in Connecticut on SNY. The game is also available online for a small fee at UConnHuskies.tv. You can also listen on the IMG/UConn Radio Network.

To open the links up in a new tab or window, use Control+click

UConn Women's Basketball links

For starters, Faris to hit milestone at Providence [carl adamec – snyuconn.com]

Kelly Faris in the rankings [carl adamec – snyuconn.com]

Auriemma recalls Providence basketball legend [carl adamec – snyuconn.com]

Victory In Snowball Fight Further Exemplifies Huskies’ Unity [rich elliott – ct post]

Stokes Has Put Together Productive Three-Game Stretch For Huskies [rich elliott – ct post]

Huskies have shown signs of growth since St. John's game [jim fuller – new haven register]

Saniya Chong continues to climb NY career charts [jim fuller – new haven register]

Of fans, snow, eggs and Doty [lee lewis – republican-american]

UConn women work on smoothing offense [ct post]

Geno's Familiar Game Plan: Eliminate Opponent's Strength [hartford courant]

Freshman Morgan Tuck feeling better, hoping for extended playing time [new haven register]

Dolson had a pretty good week for Huskies [the day]

UConn Men's Basketball links

Dom answered a question in his mailbag [dom amore – hartford courant]

Another Weekly Award for UConn's Shabazz Napier [david borges – new haven register]

Who will win Big East Player of the Year? [kevin duffy – ct post]

A Closer Look at Wolf… [kevin duffy – ct post]

Napier a worthy heir [john silver – journal inquirer]

For the second year in a row, Syracuse is pulling some shifty academic shenanigans [the uconn blog]

UConn suspends junior center Wolf [ct post]

Shabazz Napier Has Evolved Into UConn's Team Leader [hartford courant]

UConn's Enosch Wolf Suspended From Team After Arrest In On-Campus Incident [hartford courant]

Three points from Sunday's win over Seton Hall [new haven register]

Enosch Wolf suspended following arrest [new haven register]

UConn's Enosch Wolf suspended from team after arrest [the day]

UConn Football links

Big East 2012 Top 25 countdown: No. 11 Yawin Smallwood [andrea adelson – espn.com]

DC answered a question in his mailbag [desmond conner – hartford courant]

Other UConn related links

W. Ice Hockey. UConn Shutout by New Hampshire [uconnhuskies.com]

M. Ice Hockey. Nine Different Skaters Score For Men's Hockey In 9-0 Rout Over Bentley [uconnhuskies.com]

W. Track. Women's Track & Field Ranked No. 24 in Latest Poll [uconnhuskies.com]

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2013 NCAA Men’s Basketball Rankings – Week 15 (Feb. 11)

AP & USA Today Coaches Polls

The NCAA men's basketball rankings are out and after being among the others receiving votes last week, the UConn Huskies have fallen out.

Once again, we have a split No. 1.

The Indiana Hoosiers remained as the No. 1 team in the AP Poll and are followed by the Puke Blue Devils, Miami (FL) Hurricanes, Michigan Wolverines and Gonzaga Bulldogs. In the USA Today Coaches Poll, Puke is No. 1 and is followed by Indiana, Gonzaga, Miami (FL) and Michigan.

The Big East teams in the top 25 are the Syracuse Orange (6/7), Louisville Cardinals (12/12), Georgetown Hoyas (15/15), Pittsburgh Panthers (16/17), Marquette Golden Eagles (18/20) and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (21/21).

The Cincinnati Bearcats are the only Big East teams among the others receiving votes in both polls.

For a full look at the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Rankings – Week 15 (Feb. 11), please click on the continue reading button below if you're on the home page.

AP Top 25 USA Today Coaches Poll
RK TEAM REC PTS PVS RK TEAM REC PTS PVS
1 Indiana (26) 21-3 1,559 1 1 Duke (18) 21-2 744 4
2 Duke (20) 21-2 1,515 4 2 Indiana (6) 21-3 717 1
3 Miami (FL) (17) 19-3 1,499 8 3 Gonzaga (1) 23-2 681 6
4 Michigan 21-3 1,428 3 4 Miami (FL) (5) 19-3 674 11
5 Gonzaga (2) 23-2 1,371 6 5 Michigan (1) 21-3 663 3
6 Syracuse 20-3 1,293 9 6 Florida 19-3 628 2
7 Florida 19-3 1,286 2 7 Syracuse 20-3 608 9
8 Michigan State 20-4 1,178 12 8 Michigan State 20-4 582 8
9 Arizona 20-3 1,062 7 9 Arizona 20-3 491 7
10 Kansas State 19-4 1,012 13 10 Butler 20-4 460 14
11 Butler 20-4 943 14 11 Kansas State 19-4 455 15
12 Louisville 19-5 842 11 12 Louisville 19-5 393 12
13 Ohio State 17-6 828 10 13 Kansas 19-4 364 5
14 Kansas 19-4 823 5 14 Ohio State 17-6 353 10
15 Georgetown 17-4 679 20 15 Georgetown 17-4 329 21
16 Pittsburgh 20-5 591 23 16 Oklahoma State 17-5 259 24
17 Oklahoma State 17-5 587 22 17 Pittsburgh 20-5 246 25
18 Marquette 17-5 493 24 18 New Mexico 20-4 203 16
19 New Mexico 20-4 433 15 19 Wisconsin 17-7 150 NR
20 Wisconsin 17-7 305 NR 20 Marquette 17-5 144 NR
21 Notre Dame 19-5 264 25 21 Notre Dame 19-5 140 NR
22 Memphis 20-3 193 NR 22 San Diego State 18-5 120 25
23 Oregon 19-5 137 19 23 Creighton 20-5 102 13
24 Colorado State 19-4 125 NR 24 Colorado State 19-4 79 NR
25 Kentucky 17-6 87 NR 25 Memphis 20-3 76 NR
Dropped from rankings: Dropped from rankings:
Creighton 16, Cincinnati 17, Minnesota 18, Missouri 21 Cincinnati 17, Minnesota 18, Oregon 19, Missouri 20, Wichita State 22, Ole Miss 23
Others receiving votes: Others receiving votes:
Minnesota 80, Missouri 69, Cincinnati 68, Saint Mary's 62, Creighton 56, San Diego State 53, Louisiana Tech 43, Virginia Commonwealth 35, Saint Louis 34, Illinois 26, North Carolina State 24, Akron 12, UCLA 8, UNLV 6, Indiana State 5, Virginia 4, Wichita State 3, Belmont 2, Oklahoma 1, Ole Miss 1 Missouri 72, Oregon 63, Virginia Commonwealth 63, Cincinnati 38, Minnesota 28, Saint Mary's 27, Kentucky 27, Louisiana Tech 18, Saint Louis 13, Ole Miss 11, Middle Tennessee 11, Illinois 10, Akron 9, UNLV 8, Wichita State 8, UCLA 3, Stephen F. Austin 2, Virginia 1, Belmont 1, Oklahoma 1

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Enosch Wolf Arrested; Suspended From UConn Men’s Basketball Team

Just when he was becoming an integral part of the UConn Huskies men's basketball team, Enosch Wolf now finds himself suspended indefinitely after being arrested early Monday morning.

 Enosch Wolf. He's proven to be a viable part of the UConn rotation. According to the police report, Wolf was arrested after being involved in domestic altercation with a female. He refused to leave the apartment, pushed the victim, grabbed her hair and also knocked the victim's glasses off.

Wolf was charged with burglary, criminal trespass and disorderly contact. He is being held on a $500 non-surety bond and is due in Rockville Superior Court on February 13th.

In 22 games (three starts), Wolf was averaging 3.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. He also had 19 blocks and eight steals.

Here is the statement released by UConn about the situation:

STORRS – Junior center Enosch Wolf (Goettingen, Germany) has been suspended from the University of Connecticut men's basketball team following an on-campus incident early Monday morning that resulted in his arrest by university police. The suspension is indefinite, pending the completion of the legal process and a university review process.

"We are aware of the situation concerning Enosch and we are taking the matter very seriously," UConn head basketball coach Kevin Ollie said. "He has been suspended from the team indefinitely, until the legal and university process is finalized.

"I have spoken to the players on the team previously, and will continue to speak with them, about their conduct both on and off the basketball court. We have high expectations of our student-athletes at UConn, and I expect my players to live up to those standards."

The university will have no further comment on the matter at this time.

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photo credit: richard messina – hartford courant

Stefanie Dolson Named Big East Player of the Week

Here's the release from UConn about UConn Huskies women's basketball player Stefanie Dolson being named Big East Player of the Week.

STORRS, Conn.  – Junior center Stefanie Dolson was tabbed as this week’s BIG EAST Player of the Week after leading the No. 3 Huskies to a 2-0 week where she averaged 19.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in a combined 47 minutes of action.

The Connecticut Huskies' Stefanie Dolson scores two of her 22 first-half points at Gampel Pavilion Sunday against DePaul.Dolson was outstanding in wins over Marquette and DePaul where she shot 75 percent from the floor over the two games and added eight assists, four blocks and two steals. In the Huskies’ win over Marquette, she had 15 points, four blocks and two steals. Against DePaul, Dolson set a career-high with 10 free throws made en route to 23 points, while she added six assists and five rebounds. In both games, she went 6-of-8 from the floor.

The Huskies (22-1, 9-1 BIG EAST) are back on the road on Tuesday when they head to Providence to take on the Friars (7-16, 2-8 BIG EAST) at 7 p.m. Heading into Tuesday’s game, sophomore forward Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis is leading the squad in scoring with 16.8 points per game and Breanna Stewart is the leader in rebounds with 6.9 boards per game, while Dolson is second on the team in both scoring (14.2 ppg) and rebounding (6.5 rpg).

Tuesday’s game will be televised on SNY and broadcasted live on the UConn Radio Network.

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photo credit: cloe poisson – hartford courant (no. 15 in gallery)

Paw Prints – The Daily UConn Roundup – 2/11

UConn Huskies Daily Roundup

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.

To open the links up in a new tab or window, use Control+click

UConn Women's Basketball links

UConn, Dolson make quick work of DePaul [carl adamec – snyuconn.com]

Notebook: Hustle plays please Auriemma [carl adamec – snyuconn.com]

Snowball showdown for Huskies [carl adamec – snyuconn.com]

Great Friends, Great Partners [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Quite The Performance For UConn [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Doug Bruno Says The Weather Wasn’t The Problem [john altavilla – hartford courant]

UConn’s Goal The Same For Decades [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Auriemma Thrilled With The Attendance At Gampel Sunday [rich elliott – ct post]

Bruno Not Using Same-Day Travel As An Excuse For Loss [rich elliott – ct post]

Academics To Play A Role In Deciding Date For Banks’ Surgery [rich elliott – ct post]

No rush for Brianna Banks' ACL surgery [jim fuller – new haven register]

Geno impressed with fan turnout [jim fuller – new haven register]

DePaul coach not using travel issues as a crutch [jim fuller – new haven register]

Huskies win the game before the game [jim fuller – new haven register]

Dolson, Hartley pace UConn rout [ct post]

Game at a glance: UConn 78, Seton Hall 67 [ct post]

Huskies handle downtime with ease [ct post]

Dolson Leads UConn Women To Rout Of DePaul [hartford courant]

Barely Time For Old Friends Auriemma And Bruno To Get Together [hartford courant]

Huskies storm past DePaul [new haven register]

UConn Men's Basketball links

Kevin Ollie’s Take [dom amore – hartford courant]

Wrapping Things Up From The Rock [dom amore – hartford courant]

Snowball Fights, Wrestling Matches, Alley-Oop Dunks: Fun Times for UConn [david borges – new haven register]

Notes/Quotes from Seton Hall: “Without him, I don’t know where we’d be at” [kevin duffy – ct post]

Post-game breakdown, video: Seton Hall [gavin keefe – the day]

Napier, Boatright and Scott the bus driver [neill ostrout – journal inquirer]

Digging Out [uconn huskies basketball]

Napier-led UConn trims Seton Hall [ct post]

Napier in mix for Big East player of year [ct post]

UConn Shakes Off Lull, Puts Away Seton Hall [hartford courant]

UConn Men's Notebook: Ride To New Jersey Was An Adventure [hartford courant]

Unstoppable Team, But Conference Realignment Is Worse Than Any Storm [hartford courant]

Huskies make long trip to Seton Hall a winning one [new haven register]

Defense sparks Huskies past Seton Hall [the day]

Other UConn related links

Baseball. Catching Up With UConn Baseball [uconnhuskies.com]

M. Ice Hockey. Harris Notches Two Goals To Lead Men's Hockey Over Bentley, 4-1 [uconnhuskies.com]

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Video: UConn Women Crush DePaul, 91-44

The DePaul Blue Demons had a tough time getting to Storrs, CT on Sunday for their matchup with the UConn Huskies. They didn't get to Gampel Pavilion until just over an hour before tipoff.

And even though they're really good friends, DePaul coach Doug Bruno probably wishes his team just stayed back in Chicago.

The Connecticut Huskies' Stefanie Dolson scores two of her 22 first-half points at Gampel Pavilion Sunday against DePaul.The Huskies got out to a quick start and never looked back as they cruised to a 91-44 win over the Blue Demons in front of 8,861 fans and a nationally televised audience on ESPNU.

UConn improves to 22-1 (9-1 Big East) while DePaul falls to 17-7 (6-4).

Stefanie Dolson led the way for the Huskies with 23 points and six assists while pulling down five rebounds. Bria Hartley was the only other Husky in double-digits with 18 points and seven rebounds.

Breanna Stewart added nine points and a team-high nine rebounds while Kiah Stokes had eight points and eight rebounds. Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis chipped in with eight points and seven rebounds.

Megan Rogowski led the Blue Demons with 12 points. Jasmine Penny added eight points and a team-high six rebounds, a total she shared with Brittany Hrynko.

The Huskies started out fast with a 15-3 run to start the game. Behind Dolson, they continued to build their lead as they took a 52-27 at the break.

They opened up the half with a 17-4 run to start the second half putting the game way out of reach.

Look folks, DePaul isn't a bad team. They are battling injuries and played without their best player Anna Martin who was sidelined with a knee injury.

The good thing about the blowout for UConn is that it gives the bench an opportunity to get more minutes. This is especially good for players like Moriah Jefferson, Stokes and Morgan Tuck who will be counted on as the season winds down.

The Huskies won't have much downtime as they head across state lines on Tuesday night for a matchup with the Providence Friars. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m.

To continue reading, please click on the continue reading button below if you're on the home page.

DePaul Blue Demons @ UConn Huskies 2.10.13

Here are the postgame quotes from UConn head coach Geno Auriemma.

Here are UConn's postgame notes.

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photo credit: cloe poisson – hartford courant (no. 15 in gallery)

Connecticut Whale 7, St. John’s IceCaps 3

St. John’s, Nfld., February 10, 2013 – Micheal Haley scored two goals to key a four-goal first period for the Connecticut Whale Sunday at Mile One Centre, and the Whale defeated the St. John’s IceCaps 7-3, to sweep a two-game series between the two teams.

CT WhaleKris Newbury added a goal and two assists for the Whale, and Andrew Yogan, Kyle Jean and Jyri Niemi had a goal and an assist each.  Cam Talbot made 25 saves.

“We came out well, had a good start and got a lead, and that’s huge,” Whale head coach Ken Gernander said.  “[Haley] is a hard-nosed, heart and soul guy, and to see him get rewarded there with some points is great.”

The Whale got the offense going early in their first-period burst, as Haley scored his first goal of the game only 68 seconds in.  St. John’s starting goaltender Mark Dekanich couldn’t settle down Mike Vernace’s shot from the left point, and Haley backhanded in the rebound.

Haley struck again at 4:03 with the teams skating four-on-four, again on the rebound.  Dekanich kicked a shot from off of right wing by Brandon Segal right out into the slot, and it came right to the stick of Haley, who buried it for a 2-0 Whale lead.

The assist on that goal for Segal gave the veteran winger a seven-game point-scoring streak, which ties a Whale season high.

The Connecticut power play then put up a couple of quick strikes, starting with a five-on-three goal by Newbury at 12:01.  A centering pass by Newbury hit a St. John’s defender and slid past Eddie Pasquale, who had replaced Dekanich after the second Whale goal.

Only 1:18 thereafter, at 13:19, Nick Palmieri scored another man-advantage goal for the Whale, getting his first point in three games in a Whale uniform.  Newbury found Palmieri between the hash marks with a pass, and Palmieri’s quick shot got between Pasquale’s legs.

Jason Jaffray got St. John’s on the board with 1:33 left in the period, with his first of two goals in the game.  The IceCap captain was able to deflect a pass from the right-wing boards by Will O’Neill past Talbot.

Up 4-1 going into the second period, the Whale made it a 5-1 advantage at 10:54 of the second, on Jean’s ninth goal of the season.  Andrew Carroll got his first Whale point with the primary assist, as he threw the puck at the net from the left-wing side, and it got away from Pasquale and landed right in the goal crease for Jean to bang in.

Kevin Clark cut it to 5-2 at 14:34, converting a centering pass from Aaron Gagnon, but the Whale responded only 33 seconds later with Yogan’s third goal of the year.

After Jean won a faceoff to Pasquale’s left and pushed the puck to Yogan, Pasquale stopped an initial Yogan try, but the Whale rookie dove across the goalmouth and pushed the rebound inside the far post.

Jaffray netted his second of the game on an IceCap power play at 19:13, taking a Ben Maxwell pass along the goal line and beating Talbot with a sharp-angle shot, but the Whale got the only goal of the third period, despite being outshot 12-5 in the frame.

It was Niemi, in just his second game back up with the Whale from Greenville of the ECHL, completing the scoring at 5:04 of the third, with his first AHL goal of the year.  Niemi’s shot from the left point hit a defender to Pasquale’s right and deflected into the goal.

The win raised the Whale back above the .500 mark, to 22-21-4-2 for 50 points, and moved them into a tie with the Worcester Sharks for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.  Prior to Saturday night’s 4-1 win over the IceCaps, the Whale had been 0-4-1-0 in five meetings with St. John’s.

The Whale now return to the XL Center for a four-game homestand, starting this Friday night, February 15 with a 7:00 PM game vs. the Portland Pirates.  As at all Friday-night Whale home games, fans that night can enjoy $1 hot dogs and $2 beers at the XL Center until the end of the first intermission.

For all Whale home games, tickets start as low as $10 each ($12 each when tickets are purchased on the day of the game), at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, through TicketMaster Charge-by-Phone at 1-800-745-3000 and on-line at www.ticketmaster.com.

To continue reading, please click on the continue reading button below if you're on the home page.

Connecticut Whale 7 at St. John's IceCaps 3
Sunday, February 10, 2013 – Mile One Centre

Connecticut 4 2 1 – 7
St. John's 1 2 0 – 3

1st Period-1, Connecticut, Haley 7 (Vernace, Thomas), 1:08. 2, Connecticut, Haley 8 (Segal, Parlett), 4:03. 3, Connecticut, Newbury 17 (Pyett, Vernace), 12:01 (PP). 4, Connecticut, Palmieri 11 (Newbury, Niemi), 13:19 (PP). 5, St. John's, Jaffray 9 (O'Neill, Gagnon), 18:27. Penalties-Mashinter Ct (fighting), 0:51; Machacek Stj (fighting), 0:51; Pelech Ct (goaltender interference), 3:00; Melchiori Stj (boarding), 3:00; O'Neill Stj (delay of game), 6:12; Melchiori Stj (tripping), 10:06; Chiarot Stj (slashing, unsportsmanlike conduct), 11:36; Jean Ct (high-sticking), 18:43.

2nd Period-6, Connecticut, Jean 9 (Carroll, Yogan), 10:54. 7, St. John's, Clark 6 (Gagnon, Meech), 14:34. 8, Connecticut, Yogan 3 (Jean), 15:07. 9, St. John's, Jaffray 10 (Maxwell, O'Neill), 19:14 (PP). Penalties-Haley Ct (roughing, fighting), 4:15; Sawada Stj (fighting), 4:15; Klingberg Stj (goaltender interference), 8:42; Macenauer Stj (cross-checking), 15:25; Klassen Ct (tripping), 18:01.

3rd Period-10, Connecticut, Niemi 1 (Newbury), 5:04. Penalties-Tessier Ct (tripping), 1:31; Pelech Ct (holding), 8:06; Mouillierat Stj (roughing), 19:10.

Shots on Goal-Connecticut 13-7-5-25. St. John's 8-8-12-28.
Power Play Opportunities-Connecticut 2 / 7; St. John's 1 / 5.
Goalies-Connecticut, Talbot 17-19-1 (28 shots-25 saves). St. John's, Dekanich 7-8-0 (5 shots-3 saves); Pasquale 14-19-2 (20 shots-15 saves).
A-6,287
Referees-David Banfield (77), Keith Kaval (40).
Linesmen-Todd Horwood (34), Jim Vail (5).

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Video: Napier Pushes UConn Men Past Seton Hall, 78-67

In the past two games, the UConn Huskies men's basketball team has gotten off to slow starts. Despite a slow long trip to Newark, NJ due to the blizzard, the Huskies got off to a better start in this one.

But they almost blew it against the Seton Hall Pirates on Sunday afternoon.

Connecticut Huskies guard Shabazz Napier (13) drives to the basket during the first half against the Seton Hall Pirates at the Prudential Center. After blowing a 13 point lead in the first half, a strong second half surge propelled  UConn to a 78-67 win over the Pirates in front of 7,634 at the Prudential Center.

The Huskies improve to 16-6 (6-4 Big East) while the Pirates fall to 13-11 (2-9).

Shabazz Napier led the Huskies with 22 points, nine assists and six steals. Ryan Boatright added 20 points, a team-high five rebounds (shared with Omar Calhoun) and four steals while Calhoun had 10 points and five rebounds.

Aaron Cosby led all scorers in the game with 25 points for the Hall. Fuquan Edwin chipped in with 19 points, four rebounds, three assists and five steals.

Kevin Johnson led the Pirates with six rebounds to go along with his nine points.

With the Huskies enjoying a 15-10 lead in the first half, they went on a 10-2 run to open up a 13 point lead. But Seton Hall responded with a 16-0 run and just like that UConn found themselves down three points.

The Pirates wouldn't relinquish the lead in the half as they went into the locker room up one at 35-34.

Napier would get the first basket of the half to put UConn back up front but Seton Hall responded with an 8-0 run to retake the lead. Not to be outdone, the Huskies battled back with a 6-0 run to cut it to one.

The Hall pushed lead up to four before UCon began to rally tying the game at 46 on a Niels Giffey old fashioned three point lead that was the start of a 6-0 run. Seton Hall would get no closer three points the rest of the way.

Much better start to the game for the Huskies than what we've seen recently. The problem is they need to maintain that kind of effort for 20 minutes in the first half just like they maintained it for 20 minutes in the second half. I'm sure head coach Kevin Ollie will make sure that happens.

This was a game they should have won considering Seton Hall's record. But going along, UConn can make some noise in the Big East and possibly affect other team's seedings for the Big East Tournament.

UConn is back in action on Wednesday night when they'll host the Syracuse Orange at the XL Center in Hartford, CT. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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UConn Huskies @ Seton Hall Pirates 2.10.13 box score

Here are the postgame quotes from UConn head coach Kevin Ollie. Here is the postgame press conference video of Seton Hall head coach Kevin Willard.

photo credit: jim o'conner – usa today sports (no. 18 in gallery)

Red Sox Announce 2013 Non-Roster Invitees to Spring Training

Here's the release from the Red Sox announcing the non-roster invitees to spring training this year:

The Boston Red Sox today announced that 19 players will attend the team's Major League Spring Training camp as non-roster invitees. The announcement was made by Executive Vice President/General Manager Ben Cherington.

Boston Red SoxPedro Beato, RHP – Beato, 26, made four relief appearances with Boston after being acquired from the New York Mets on August 16, going 1-0 with a 4.70 ERA (4 ER/7.2 IP) in those games.  He also pitched in seven contests for Triple-A Pawtucket, including three during the International League postseason. For his major league career, Beato is 3-1 with a 4.67 ERA in 71 games between the Mets (2011-12) and Red Sox (2012).  He was originally a supplemental-round pick (32nd overall) of the Baltimore Orioles in the 2006 June draft.

Xander Bogaerts, INF – Bogaerts, 20, enters 2013 as Boston's No. 1 prospect according to Baseball America.  He was named Red Sox Minor League Offensive Player of the Year in 2012 after hitting .307 with 37 doubles, three triples, 20 home runs, 81 RBI, and 44 walks in 127 games between High-A Salem and Double-A Portland, including a .326 average in 23 games for the Sea Dogs as the Eastern League's youngest position player all year. A native of Aruba, Bogaerts signed with Boston as an international free agent in August of 2009.

Jackie Bradley, OF – The 22-year-old Bradley hit .315 with 42 doubles, four triples, nine home runs, and 63 RBI in 128 games between High-A Salem and Double-A Portland last season.  He topped the Red Sox system in runs (90), walks (87), and on-base percentage (.430) while finishing second in batting average.  Bradley, the Red Sox Minor League Defensive Player of the Year, was ranked by Baseball America as the second-best prospect in the Red Sox system. He was a supplemental first-round selection (40th overall) by Boston in the 2011 June Draft.

Chris Carpenter, RHP – Carpenter, 27, opened the 2012 season on the disabled list after undergoing surgery to remove a bone spur in his right elbow on March 29.  Before joining the Red Sox as a September call-up, he posted a combined 2.08 ERA in 21 appearances between the Gulf Coast League Red Sox, Greenville, Portland, and Pawtucket. With Pawtucket alone, Carpenter had a 1.15 ERA with four saves in four chances in 16 games. Carpenter was originally selected by the Chicago Cubs in the third round of the 2008 June Draft.

Anthony Carter, RHP – Last season, the 26-year-old Carter posted a 4-6 record with a 4.60 ERA in 39 appearances (one start) for Triple-A Charlotte in the White Sox organization.  In his 38 relief appearances for Charlotte in 2012, he posted a 3.58 ERA. Originally a 26th-round selection of the White Sox in the 2005 June Draft, Carter went 1-1 with a 3.09 ERA and converted all seven of his save chances in 17 games for Indios de Mayaguez in the Puerto Rican Winter League.

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Jose De La Torre, RHP – Acquired by the Red Sox in a July 24 trade with Cleveland, De La Torre, 27, went 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA in 12 appearances for Triple-A Pawtucket last season.  Overall in 2012, he combined to go 9-1 with a 2.80 ERA in 46 appearances (one start) for Double-A Akron, Triple-A Columbus, and Pawtucket. De La Torre, who is on the 2013 provisional roster for Puerto Rico in this year's World Baseball Classic, was originally signed by the Mets as an international free agent in 2006.     

Jonathan Diaz, INF – Last season, Diaz, 27, combined to hit .221 with 13 doubles, two triples, four home runs and 40 RBI in 134 games between Double-A New Hampshire and Triple-A Las Vegas in the Blue Jays minor league system.  Although he primarily appeared at shortstop, he also played second base and third base, and between both clubs and all three positions, he committed only 12 errors in 754 total chances. Diaz was originally a 12th-round selection of the Blue Jays in the 2006 June Draft.

Terry Doyle, RHP – A Boston College graduate and native of Salem, New Hampshire, Doyle, 27, was in both the Twins and White Sox organizations last year. Selected by the Twins in the 2011 Rule 5 Draft, he was returned to the White Sox in late March and pitched for Triple-A Charlotte where in 12 games (11 starts), he went 6-3 with a 2.83 ERA. In mid-June, Doyle was released by the White Sox in order to pursue an opportunity to pitch in Japan with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks where he went 1-1 with a 3.55 ERA in three games.  Doyle was originally a 37th-round selection of the White Sox in the 2007 June Draft.   

Mark Hamilton, INF/OF – Hamilton, 28, spent last year with Triple-A Memphis in the Cardinals organization where he hit .231 with 12 doubles, 15 home runs, 51 RBI, and a career-best 51 walks in 90 games.  Defensively in 2012, he appeared in 51 games (50 starts) in left field and in 14 games (12 starts) at first base.  Originally a supplemental second-round selection by St. Louis in the 2006 June Draft, Hamilton has appeared in 47 career major league games for the Cardinals between the 2010 and 2011 seasons. 

Jeremy Hazelbaker, OF – In 121 games between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket last season, the 25-year-old Hazelbaker combined to hit .273 with 24 doubles, six triples, a career-high 19 home runs and 67 RBI, also a career high.  He scored 79 runs between both clubs and stole 36 bases, which included 33 for Portland, the second-most in the Eastern League. Among all Red Sox minor leaguers in 2012, Hazelbaker, a fourth-round selection by Boston in the 2008 June Draft, ranked second in steals and tied for fourth in homers. 

Justin Henry, INF – In 2012, the 27-year-old Henry played for Triple-A Toledo in the Tigers organization and hit .300 with 14 doubles, five triples, one home run and 38 RBI in 131 games. Among all International League players, he ranked third in hits, sixth in on-base percentage (.372) and seventh in average. Originally a ninth-round selection of the Tigers in the 2007 June Draft, Henry was acquired by Boston via trade during the 2012 Rule 5 Draft.

Chris Hernandez, LHP – Hernandez, 24, pitched for both Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket in 2012 and combined to go 5-12 with a 3.26 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 26 games (25 starts).  For the second straight year, his ERA ranked second lowest among all Red Sox full-season minor leaguers (3.18 ERA in 2011). Selected to the Eastern League's mid-season All-Star team in 2012, Hernandez was the Red Sox' seventh-round selection in the 2010 June Draft.

Juan Carlos Linares, OF – Linares, 28, combined to hit .316 with 28 doubles, two triples, 16 home runs and 62 RBI in 110 games between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket last season. With runners in scoring position, he batted .314 (32-for-102) between both teams. Defensively, Linares appeared in all three outfield positions, spending the majority of his games in right field.  A non-roster invitee to Red Sox major league spring training in 2012, Linares was originally signed by Boston as an international free agent in July of 2010.

Mitch Maier, OF – Maier, 30, split the 2012 season between Triple-A Omaha and the Kansas City Royals. A veteran of six major league seasons, all with Kansas City (2006, 2008-12), Maier appeared in 32 games for the Royals last season and hit .172 with two home runs and seven RBI.  In 38 games for Omaha, he hit .288 with four doubles, one triple and four home runs with 17 RBI. Maier, who has appeared in 360 career major league games, was Kansas City's first-round selection (30th overall) in the 2003 June Draft.

Deven Marrero, INF – The Red Sox' first-round selection (24th overall) in the 2012 June Draft, Marrero, 22, made his professional debut last season for Single-A Lowell. In 64 games, he batted .268 with 14 doubles, three triples, two home runs and 24 RBI while leading his club in steals (24), runs scored (45), walks (34) and extra-base hits (19). Marrero enters the 2013 season, his first full professional season, ranked the No. 10 prospect in the Red Sox minor league system.

Lyle Overbay, INF – Overbay, 36, split the 2012 season between the Diamondbacks and Braves, for whom he combined to hit .259 with 10 doubles, two home runs and 10 RBI in 65 games.  Over his career, the veteran of 12 major league seasons for Arizona (2001-03, 2011-12), Milwaukee (2004-05), Toronto (2006-10), Pittsburgh (2011) and Atlanta (2012), has hit .270 with 318 doubles, 133 home runs and 581 RBI in 1,324 games. Overbay was originally an 18th-round selection of the Diamondbacks in the 1999 June Draft. 

Drew Sutton, INF – The 2013 season marks the second stint for Sutton, 29, in the Red Sox organization as he was also a non-roster invitee to major league camp in 2011. In 2012, he was a part of the Atlanta, Pittsburgh, and Tampa Bay organizations and saw major league action with the Pirates and Rays.  In his 42 games between both of those clubs, he hit .254 with 12 doubles, one triple, one home run and 13 RBI.  For his big league career, Sutton, a 15th-round selection of the Astros in the 2004 June Draft, has hit .256 with 24 doubles, two triples, four home runs, and 37 RBI in 128 games for the Reds (2009-10), Indians (2010), Red Sox (2011), Rays (2012), and Pirates (2012).    

Ryan Sweeney, OF – Three separate trips to the disabled list limited the 27-year-old Sweeney to just 63 games for the Red Sox last season in which he batted .260 with 19 doubles, two triples and 16 RBI. Originally a second-round selection of the White Sox in the 2003 June Draft, Sweeney has hit .280 with 102 doubles, 12 triples and 14 RBI in 535 major league games for the White Sox (2006-07), Athletics (2008-11) and Red Sox (2012). He was acquired by Boston along with right-hander Andrew Bailey via trade from Oakland in December of 2011.

Oscar Villarreal, LHP – Last season, Villarreal, 31, went 3-1 with a 2.88 ERA in 37 games (two starts) for Triple-A Norfolk in the Orioles minor league system. Following the regular season, he pitched in the Mexican Pacific League and also appeared for Mexico in the 2013 Caribbean Series.  A veteran of six major league seasons for Arizona (2003-05), Atlanta (2006-07) and Houston (2008), Villarreal was originally signed by the Diamondbacks as an international free agent in November of 1998.

Eight of the 19 invitees have major league experience, including Beato, Carpenter, Hamilton, Maier, Overbay, Sutton, Sweeney and Villarreal.  Beato, Carpenter and Sweeney all saw action for the Red Sox in 2012.

Pitchers and catchers will participate in their first on-field workout at the Fenway South Player Development Complex in Lee County on Tuesday, February 12.  The first full squad workout of the Red Sox spring training camp is on Friday, February 15.

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