Sports briefs
Yellow Jackets win season opener
Antone Baker had a game-high 19 points and eight rebounds, and Waynesburg University pulled away in the second half for a 64-52 victory in a season-opening men’s basketball game Wednesday at Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse.
Waynesburg led by only 25-23 at halftime, before holding McDaniel scoreless for more than 5 ½ minutes in the pivotal part of the second half. Waynesburg turned a 45-38 lead into a 54-38 edge when McDaniel went cold.
The Green Terror shot only 37 percent from the field and made just nine of 22 free throws. Waynesburg shot 53 percent and converted 13 of 17 free throws.
Jordan McLoyd scored 16 points for Waynesburg. McLoyd made all three of the Yellow Jackets’ three-point field goals.
Baker’s 19 points came on 9-for-10 shooting. P.J. Suggs scored 10 for Waynesburg.
Jonas Sujeta’s 13 points led McDaniel. David Kearney had 11 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.
In baseball
The Los Angeles Angels hired Ron Washington to be their new manager Wednesday, turning to a veteran baseball mind in an attempt to end nearly a decade of losing.
The 71-year-old Washington became the majors’ oldest current manager and only the second active Black manager, joining the Dodgers’ Dave Roberts.
Washington led the Texas Rangers from 2007-14, winning two AL pennants and going 664-611. He spent the past seven seasons as Atlanta’s third base coach, helping the Braves to their 2021 World Series title.
Washington replaced Phil Nevin, who wasn’t re-signed last month after 1 ½ losing seasons in charge of the long-struggling Angels. Los Angeles is mired in stretches of eight consecutive losing seasons and nine straight non-playoff seasons, both the longest streaks in the majors.
The Angels clearly hope the experienced Washington can get the most out of a long-underachieving franchise with a big payroll and three-time AL MVP Mike Trout.
Michigan pushes back on Big Ten
The University of Michigan warned Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti about overstepping his authority and rushing to judgment, insisting Wednesday that he cannot discipline coach Jim Harbaugh under the conference’s sportsmanship policy for an alleged sign-stealing scheme that has rocked college football.
Parts of the blistering 10-page letter sent to Petitti was shared with the Associated Press by a person who has seen it and spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized by the school to disclose its contents.
The letter is Michigan’s response to the Big Ten’s notification of potential discipline of Harbaugh’s undefeated second-ranked team.
Michigan’s letter said the Big Ten cannot take action if a formal decision has not been made about whether rules were violated. The school also says it would not be fair to discipline the program in part because it provided the Big Ten with evidence suggesting other conference schools were stealing signs and sharing them with one another.