Briefs
Wild Things
sign pitcher
The Washington Wild Things have signed right-handed pitcher Jared Crescentini, who was part of Southeastern University’s NAIA Championship team in 2018 before a brief stint in the Miami Marlins’ farm system.
The Wesley Chapel, Fla, native finished his college career with a very successful season at Southeastern University this year. Crescentini was 6-1 with a 3.18 ERA and six saves in 56.2 innings for the Fire. His role changed midseason from a spot in the starting rotation to a back end of the bullpen role later in the season. The Fire captured the 2018 Avista-NAIA World Series Championship, marking the first NAIA National Title in school history.
Crescentini signed as an undrafted free agent with the Miami Marlins’ organization, and was 1-0 in two appearances prior to his release.
“Jared had a brief showing with the Marlins but I know he is very excited for a bigger opportunity here professionally,” said assistant general manager of team operations Tony Buccilli. “He was part of a historic season at Southeastern University, being part of a NAIA World Series Championship. Jared filled many roles for the Fire, both starting and relieving, and we plan to explore his versatility as a Wild Thing. We always seek out players with winning background and winning mentalities, so hopefully Jared experiences pay dividends here in Washington.”
No corresponding move will be made, as Crescentini takes the 24th and final active roster spot for the Wild Things.
Zola Budd
to speak at Cal
Zola Budd Pieterse, a two-time Olympian best known for competing barefoot during her track & field career and for an infamous collision during the 1984 Olympics, will speak on Aug. 1 in Blaney Theatre, located inside Steele Hall, at 7 p.m.
Her talk is part of the Cal U cross country program’s annual summer camp. Admission is free and the public is welcome to attend.
A native of South Africa, Pieterse competed for Great Britain in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and for South Africa in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.
Her well-documented collision with American Mary Decker in the 3,000-meter race at the 1984 Olympics thrust her onto the national stage.
During her international track career, Pieterse twice broke the world record in a period of less than three years in the women’s 5,000 meters and twice was the women’s winner at the World Cross Country Championships.
Pieterse still holds junior world records in the mile and the 3,000 meters.
She is the head men’s and women’s cross country coach and assistant track & field coach at Coastal Carolina in Conway, S.C. She plans to compete in several races in the United States and she won the Run Hard Columbia (S.C.) Marathon in 2015.
At The Meadows
Parked past the quarter in 27.2, Barn Girl still was so dominant that she drew off late and notched her fourth win in the last five starts in Wednesday’s $18,000 Filly & Mare Preferred Handicap Trot at The Meadows.
Ready Any Time, who vanquished Barn Girl last week, zipped to the front from post 5, intent on stretching Barn Girl out. But when Aaron Merriman asked the 6-year-old daughter of Cash Hall-Turquoise Sweetie for more, she found it and defeated the rallying Delcrest Magicstar by 1-3/4 lengths in 1:54, giving trainer Bill Bercury and owner Renee Bercury the exacta sweep. Chapter Too finished third.
With the victory, Barn Girl vaulted over $700,000 in career earnings.
Dave Palone collected five wins on the 14-race card, including a pair for trainer Ron Burke, while Tony Burke enjoyed a triple.