Captain Kangaroo

I think the UA women's soccer program is only a couple years old. That's a tough position to put a coach in. You honestly can't expect to win much for at least 5-6 years. Akron's name/reputation as a solid soccer school, and the promise of immediate playing time should have helped to recruit and build a competitive program by that time.

If things don't work out, maybe he returns to Akron one day a la Marcus Sanders (but with better results) ***************************************************************** Ohio running back not concerned with his celebrity status By Abe Rakov May 24, 2005 If you walk down the streets of Akron, Ohio, with Tyrell Sutton, you might get a glimpse of life in the spotlight. Sutton, an incoming freshman running back who has achieved near-celebrity status after playing for Archbishop Hoban High School for four years, comes to Northwestern next year as one of the most decorated running backs in the country. "I guess to be able to represent our school in a positive way is good," Sutton said. "And it's nice to be able to walk around somewhere and have someone recognize me and know who I am." Sutton is Ohio's all-time leading rusher, and he became the 17th Ohio's Mr. Football in history, following players like Robert Smith, Charles Woodson and Maurice Clarett. Tyrell Sutton's father, Anthony Sutton Sr., said Tyrell Sutton hasn't let the fame go to his head. "The big thing was that he wasn't trying to get these awards and recognitions," Anthony Sutton Sr. said. "Some of the awards he didn't even know about." Tyrell Sutton also has used his fame to benefit others. He became the face of the school's Anthony M. Grimaldi Scholarship Fund when he allowed the school to use his name and face on a Tyrell Sutton T-shirt with proceeds going to the scholarship. Tyrell Sutton said Grimaldi, who died last year in a car accident, was one of his good friends and teammates, and this was a way Sutton could give back. "(Tyrell Sutton) is not a person who's overly impressed to see his name somewhere," said Ralph Orsini, Sutton's high school coach. "But because the money from the shirts was raised for one of his better friends, I think he's OK with it." In his high school career, Sutton amassed a state record 9,438 yards, including 38 consecutive 100-yard games -- another Ohio record. He rushed for a career-best 3,241 yards in his senior season, averaging 270 yards per game. For his break-out senior year, he was named Ohio's Mr. Football. "It's something that you really never think can happen to you," Sutton said. "You see it happen to other people, but you can never see it happening to you." His mother, Connie Sutton, said although she is proud of her son, she tries not to get too swept up in the hype. "He has a record that hopefully will stand for many years to come," Connie Sutton said. "He worked so hard for it, and we couldn't be more proud of him. "But it doesn't overwhelm me or anything. We really try not to get involved in all of that. I just think of him as my son." The Wildcats have two of the last five Ohio Mr. Football players on their roster, as Tyrell Sutton follows senior cornerback Jeff Backes, who won the award in 2000, to NU. Backes came to NU as a running back as well. Orsini also said it took a visit to NU to seal Sutton's committment to the school. "His dream was to always play in the Big Ten," Orsini said. "Probably coming from Ohio, Ohio State would have to be a choice. But once he met with the NU coaches and visited the campus, there was no doubt it was the place for him." Tyrell Sutton said he chose NU over Illinois, Akron, Ball State and Miami (Ohio). Throughout the spring, coach Randy Walker said Tyrell Sutton will get the chance to earn playing time this upcoming season. But he will have to beat out senior Terrell Jordan, NU's backup running back last season, and sophomore Brandon Roberson, who became the favorite to start at running back after the spring. "(The NU coaches) told me I have as good a chance as anyone to play," Sutton said. "They said I'll start from the bottom like everyone has and work myself up."

I sincerely hope you are right. You're one of the more knowledgeable guys on the board...if you see that much hope for some sort of 2005 championship run, I'm heartened.

Heard on the radio this morning that another OSU player was arrested last night. A lineman? Shocking. But hey, "Kids will be kids."

Backup QB looking to transfer By Rob Biertempfel TRIBUNE-REVIEW Tuesday, May 17, 2005 Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt is making an all-out effort to keep backup quarterback Joe Flacco on the roster. Flacco, who will be a redshirt sophomore this fall, asked to be released from his scholarship a few days after spring practice ended. Monday, Wannstedt spoke with Flacco twice on the phone to attempt to persuade him to stay. "Nothing is definite yet," offensive coordinaor Matt Cavanaugh said. "We're still talking with Joe to try to get him to change his mind." Wannstedt was out of town and not available for comment. However, a Pitt spokesman said Wannstedt is confident Flacco will remain in the fold. Cavanaugh said Pitt has not set a deadline for Flacco's final decision. Rather than stay in town to train after Pitt's spring semester ended, Flacco returned to his home in Audubon, N.J. He did not return phone calls yesterday from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. His mother, Karen, declined to comment. If Flacco leaves, this would be the second year in a row that a backup quarterback has bolted from Pitt. In August, Luke Getsy transferred to Akron after losing the battle for the starting job to Tyler Palko. Cavanaugh admitted he was caught off guard when Flacco asked for permission to transfer. "Joe had a good spring," Cavanaugh said. "He played well and made a lot of improvements." Last season, Flacco played in three games, but did not attempt a pass in two of them. Against South Florida, he completed 1-of-4 passes for 11 yards. Cavanaugh said Flacco did not give a specific reason for wanting to leave. "Sometimes, a young guy sees who's playing in front of him and figures he's not going to get any playing time, so he has second thoughts" Cavanaugh said. Unless he is injured or leaves a year early for the pros, Palko will be the Panthers' quarterback through 2006. As a sophomore last season, Palko threw for 3,067 yards and 24 touchdowns. If Flacco goes, Wannstedt might be forced to move Darrell Strong back to quarterback. Strong moved to wideout in 2004 and practiced as a tight end this spring. The only other options as Palko's backup would be incoming freshmen Bill Stull (Seton-La Salle) and Shane Murray (Central Catholic) or walk-on Matt Flauss (Thomas Jefferson). "I heard some rumors this spring about Joe, but I didn't believe it until I heard it from the coaches," Stull said yesterday. "Coach Cavanaugh and I talked. He told me I have to really knuckle down and make sure I learn everything and I'm ready just in case something happens (to Palko). "There definitely will be some pressure on me in camp, but I'm real anxious to get started. I can't wait to get out there." Stull has said he wants to enroll at Pitt this June. Murray plans to take the summer off before checking into Pitt in August. "I know Tyler is the man," Murray said. "The way he trains, with his intensity, it's not likely that he'll get hurt."

Domenik Hixon - Awesome. Love him. Chevin Pace - Seems like a real "find". Reggie Corner - Potential. Not much on the field yet. Dion Elie - A senior with few eye-popping stats thusfar. Kiki Gonzales - Glimpses of brilliance...but only glimpses. Jabari Arthur - Lost the QB job. No real "numbers" at WR thusfar. Great athlete...I like him a lot. But, he's done little on the field to-date. Jay Rohr - Tough as nails. Has been a #3 or #4 lb to-date, however. Jason Montgomery - I'll be forever grateful for the catch in the Marshall game, but he ain't no Cherry, Schifino, Bailey, etc. Brian Howe - Has he done anything on the field? Kris Kasparek - Loads of potential. Expect a breakout year. Brian White - Good player, but not dominant by any stretch. Jermaine Reid - Has he done anything on the field? John Mackey- Has he done anything on the field? Of all those listed, only Hixson as any All-MAC accolades. I like all of the "Owens guys." But I see what it takes to win MAC championships and I don't think I can expect one with what we have coming back. I hope I'm proven wrong, but there's a reason Owens was fired, and it wasn't because he was recruiting too many blue chippers. Keep in mind many of the complaints regarding Owens' latter recruiting classes aren't regarding the players that stayed, they're regarding the players that are no longer with the program. I posted some of his player retention rates in the past. A couple were absolutely crippling.

I think it is wrong to look at this game as a "payday game." Does Miami look at games like this as a "payday game"? Northern Illinois? Marshall? Bowling Green? Toledo? The day Zips fans cease to look at games against BCS schools as strictly "payday games" and come in expecting to compete and win, that's when we officially have "made it." I sincerely hope that, if JD is the coach we all think he is, that we go into Knoxville with a legit expectation to compete. Miami, Toledo, Marshall, NIU and BG fans would. Hell, throw in Boise State, Fresno State or UNLV for that matter. Yeah, Tennessee is going to toss the program $500,000 to show up, but the game is much more than that if we want to legitimize our program. Our days of showing up for just a payday better be over by 2007, or I'll be very disappointed.

Puerto Rico trip to give Tigers three extra games By JON SOLOMON Staff Writer CLEMSON — The Clemson men’s basketball team will play at the San Juan Shootout in Puerto Rico in December, the tournament’s organizer said Friday. Sport Tours International, Inc. president Lee Frederick said Clemson, Akron, Tennessee-Chattanooga, Mount St. Mary’s, Liberty and Puerto Rico-Mayaguez are confirmed for the eight-team field. Mississippi State, Denver, Tennessee Tech and Fresno State are reportedly candidates for the other two spots. Each team is guaranteed three games at the Dec. 19-21 tournament, and the games do not count toward the 27-game limit for regular-season schedules. Winners’ and losers’ brackets will be set up after the first round. First-round matchups have not been determined. Southern Conference champion Tennessee-Chattanooga went 20-11 and lost to Wake Forest in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last season. Akron (19-10), Liberty (13-15) and Mount St. Mary’s (7-20) did not reach the postseason, and Puerto Rico-Mayaguez is a Division II independent. Clemson made the NIT with a 16-16 record. “We don’t have a major, major field,” Frederick said. “(Clemson coach Oliver Purnell) is liable to win three games there if he’s got it going like he did last season. We’ve worked with Oliver before and always try to get him when we can.” Purnell coached in the San Juan tournament while at Dayton. Under former coach Larry Shyatt, Clemson was 1-2 at the San Juan Shootout in 2000. The tournament returns to eight teams after using four in 2004 due to NCAA restrictions on how often teams are allowed to play exempt games. Toledo won last year’s round-robin tournament by a tiebreaker based on average margin of victory. The “two-in-four” rule limits a school to playing in an exempt tournament two years out of any four-year period. Because Clemson played last season at the Rainbow Classic in Hawaii, the San Juan trip will mark the Tigers’ last exempt games until 2008-09, unless the rule changes. This month the NCAA turned down a proposal that would allow teams to play in exempt tournaments every year — a measure some coaches expected would pass. The National Invitation Tournament goes to trial July 5 in an antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA over postseason participation. The NCAA informed schools there likely would be an appeal regardless of who wins the case, meaning the “two-in-four” rule will remain in place during that time. The NCAA won an antitrust decision last year, allowing it to limit the number of times teams can play in exempt tournaments. Frederick was one of three promoters who filed the lawsuit, which won in district court before being overturned. “The Supreme Court is considering whether they’ll hear it,” Frederick said.

'Zone, I pretty much agreed with everything you said up until the last sentence. I just don't see this Zips' squad competing for a MAC championship. Frye's gone. Owens' two recruiting classes that constitute our Junior and Senior classes were soooo bad I can't see any level of coaching or contributions from the new guys overcoming it. We need solid Junior and Senior classes to win championships. The MAC is simply too good to win without that. And, Swiger will be solid this season. He worked very hard in the spring. He's a tough kid. I think the UCONN game is far behind him. BTW: I hear that Dennis Basch is one step away from being cleared to play this fall? Beyond the fact that he's a solid TE...probably a backup to Kasparek, but solid...it would likely allow us to redshirt someone like Cruz, who has All-MAC written all over him.

How many arrests does it take before that excuse gets old? 5? 10? 15? Hey, they're 19 year old kids...kids do stupid things..." "Hey, it was only a little pot. Big deal. Who didn't smoke a little weed in college?" "Hey, you can't watch all 85 players 24-7." "Hey, he accepted money from a booster. He's a college student and needed the money." "Hey, it happens at all the other big schools. It's just that the NCAA has it in for OSU." "Hey, so he got drunk and fell asleep at an intersection. It isn't like he killed anyone." Blah blah blah. What goes on with the OSU football players on a weekly basis is unreal. And the teams fans just make excuses. And Teflon Tressel just rolls on...

What a shocker...here's another one. Ohio State tailback cited with marijuana possession The Associated Press COLUMBUS — Ohio State running back Erik Haw was cited by police with possessing marijuana, the second time in about a week that a player on the team has been accused of a drug offense. Haw, who is competing to be Ohio State’s starting tailback this fall, was spotted Wednesday by a university police officer holding a marijuana cigarette while standing outside a dormitory, Assistant Police Chief Rick Amweg said. He dropped the cigarette from his left hand as the officer approached, Amweg said Thursday. Two others standing with Haw walked away before the officer could question them, he said. Kicker Jonathan Skeete was arrested May 11 on a warrant for trafficking marijuana and was suspended from the team indefinitely. He was later released from jail on $10,000 bond. Coach Jim Tressel, who is attending a Big Ten conference meeting in Chicago, issued a statement saying he is disappointed by Haw’s citation. “As soon as I get back to town and learn all the details, we will deal with it in an appropriate manner,” Tressel said. Ohio State will require him to enter a drug education program and undergo frequent testing. He is scheduled to appear May 27 in Franklin County Municipal Court. Calls to the campus phone number under Haw’s name went unanswered Thursday. Haw, a redshirt freshman from Columbus, is a former Division II high school offensive player of the year. He and sophomore tailback Antonio Pittman are battling for the starting job. In last month’s Scarlet-Gray scrimmage, Pittman ran for 57 yards on 14 carries for the Gray team, while Haw scored the Scarlet’s only touchdown on a 10-yard run in the fourth quarter. Haw also rushed 16 times for a game-high 86 yards.

Call me clairvoyant, but I think it might have some resemblance to The University of Virginia's stadium?

Peden and Yager are NOT what you want to model a new stadium after. In the 30k area: UCONN's is SWEET. Cincinnati's is very nice as is Middle Tennesse's. I haven't seen SMU's.

The analogy was more like: "There are about as many people who believe OSU's only football infraction was a $500 'gift' to Smith as there are people who believe OJ is innocent." To quote a popular line of Jim Rome's..."Keep drinking the Kool-Aid, OSU fans." Other than a $500 gift to your QB, everything is hunky dory in C-bus.

All the stuff about me was found to be untrue too.

I don't think we have what it takes to get a guy like Freddy Lenix. This was his mailbox the day after signing with the Buckeyes. Our Zips pockets simply aren't deep enough...

Haha, that would be nice, but the rumors have us in Knoxville at Neyland Stadium playing Tennessee. It's not a done deal yet though. I went to Knowville when we played Tennessee in 1989. Great road trip! Great environment and great football fans. Note: We were up 6-0 and 9-6 in that game...and we ended up losing something like 52-9. Chuck Webb ran wild and Carl Pickins had TD's on both offense and defense.

Just after Browns rookie quarterback Charlie Frye received his bachelor of arts degree in education from the University of Akron during graduation ceremonies Saturday, he talked about how important it was for him to finish school. ``Right before I was drafted, I was going out to Arizona to work out and (University of Akron) coach (J.D.) Brookhart told me to make sure I got my degree,'' Frye said. ``He's a great man. It was a privilege to work with coach Brookhart for a year.'' After Frye's junior season, he considered entering the NFL Draft, but Brookhart, who just completed his first season as coach of the Zips, convinced Frye to stay for his senior season. Frye also had two other people who wanted nothing more than for him to earn his degree -- his parents, David and Sally. Now, with a college degree in his pocket, Frye can concentrate on playing quarterback for the Browns. ``It's one less thing (school) I have to worry about,'' he said. ``Every career is going to end, and in the NFL, you need a Plan B, and I have one.'' Frye leaves Akron as the school's all-time leading passer and holds 54 school records. ``Time flew by,'' he said. ``I still remember moving into the dorms, waving bye to my parents and being ready to start my college life. But I can truly say that when I left here, everything has been completed. ``As far as my football career goes, I don't think I could have done anything else. I left everything out on the field out at the Rubber Bowl. I'm leaving here as a member of the Browns, but I'll always be a Zip.''

I don't think that's entirely true. The same could've been said for Army, and yet they went ahead and joined Conference USA. Why? Because there's a lot more money being in a conference, whether you're going to bowl games or not. Remember, any revenues a team within a conference makes from a Bowl game after they've taken care of their travel expenses doesn't go directly to them, it goes to the conference, who splits the money up amongst all the members. CUSA was attractive to Army because they had 5 bowl bids and a lot of money flowing through the conference. The MAC wouldn't have been that attractive up until now, whereas the MAC has 3 bowl bids and will probably have 4 or 5 by the end of next year. Army dropped out of CUSA two years ago. They're Independent. I'd love Navy and Army in the MAC, but it ain't gonna happen. The service academies and Notre Dame are the only institututions where Independent makes sense. Army wouldn't have dropped CUSA if being in a conference was their best choice. They get 6 wins, the Bowls will take them. Solid national following. And, the get to keep any and all bowl money.

Is it too early for 2006 season chalkboard material? *********************************************************************** Penn State chooses easy route instead of rivaled one By Ron Bracken rbracken@centredaily.com It was as predictable as the fate of a slow groundhog on the Benner Pike and just about as ugly. You knew, you just had to know, that when the NCAA voted to allow its Division I-A football playing schools to add a 12th game to their seasons, Penn State would go looking for its long lost friend and doormat to fill that opening. Instead of breathing life into the dormant rivalry with Pitt, or going after an attractive inter-sectional opponent, Penn State looked eastward where it found a willing partner in Temple. The two schools, according to an article in Friday's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, have a verbal agreement in place to play three games over a four-year span with two of those in Beaver Stadium and the other in Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field. And doesn't that just make you want to whip out your checkbook and double your contribution to the Nittany Lion Club so you can get choice seats for those showdowns? Assuming the 2006 Temple game is slated for Beaver Stadium on Nov. 11, which is currently an open date, that would give the Nittany Lions a home schedule of Akron, Louisiana Tech, Northwestern, Michigan, Illinois, Temple and Michigan State. If this was the verbal part of the SAT test, the question would be which one of those schools does not belong with the others? Hint: Think helmets. Or better yet, think frequency of Rose Bowl appearances. Can anyone, being in good health and sound state of mind, actually say that Penn State football is better served by playing Temple instead of Pitt? OK, there is the risk of losing to Pitt to consider. But isn't that what makes a game entertaining instead of one where the Nittany Lions pull the wings off another MAC fly? It's time to put away the tired old complaints about how Pitt used to demand that Penn State play every game in the series in Pittsburgh, about how Pitt's fans treated visiting Penn State fans shabbily when they ventured to old Pitt Stadium. Those bleatings are deader than good intentions. In the period from the 1930s through the 1950s, Pitt was the stronger program, had the bigger stadium and more national championships than Penn State. So it had the leverage to demand an unequal number of home games in the series. And for every Penn State fan who complained about how he or she was treated at Pitt there is a Panther fan who was treated equally shabbily at Beaver Stadium. Remember the "S--tt on Pitt" T-shirts or the "Under the arm, Pitt" chants? And while it's those types of things that make a rivalry what it is -- you have to have some good old fashioned animosity toward the other guy -- there also has to be someone who can see the issue clearly and understand that raw emotions and petty jealousies should never be allowed to cause the demise of something as special as the Pitt-Penn State rivalry once was. New Pitt head coach Dave Wannstedt, who declined an interview request to discuss the issue, called Joe Paterno to see if the rivalry could be renewed. Nothing came of the discussion. Wannstedt played in the game when he was at Pitt and he understands its importance, not only to Pitt but to college football fans in general. Myopic Penn State fans take the stance that Pitt is in trouble with the demise of the Big East and can see no reason why the Nittany Lions should help the Panthers by playing them. Let's turn that around. Why shouldn't Penn State play Pitt and help itself by playing a better opponent than Temple, which almost lost its Division I-A status for failing to draw an average of 15,000 fans per game? Temple's last winning season was in 1990. Pitt went to a bowl game last year. You would think that Penn State would have learned its lesson during the 1970s when too many Temples, Rutgers, Ohio Universities and Can't States on its schedule cost it national respect and at least one, if not more, national championships. It's not coincidental that it wasn't until the early 1980s, when the Alabamas, Notre Dames and Nebraskas showed up on the schedule that Penn State was accepted into elite corps of programs. In 1982, it was the strength of schedule that gave the once-beaten Nittany Lions the edge over unbeaten SMU in the final poll to determine the national champion. The Nittany Lions played Temple and Rutgers that season but also played Nebraska, Alabama, N.C. State and Notre Dame in addition to their traditional eastern opponents. And while it's true that Penn State was an independent in those days and could freely choose its opponents, it took advantage of the opportunity and mixed quality opponents along with the easily-beatable teams. Once again, opportunity presented itself. But this time Penn State declined, citing a headache.

I think they're an outside shot only because all the news "leaks" thusfar involve Temple and WKy. I'd rather have MTSU because their football is already D1. However, Chryst wants to strengthen the league basketball-wise. WKy hoops is much better than MTSU, as is Temple. I have to believe Temple will be "all sports," not just football.

Are there any OSU players with a rap sheet less than 2 pages long? Is there any coach with such rampant crime/player issues who has as secure a job as Tressel. Win a national championship and everone looks the other way. Ohio State kicker arrested on drug charge Associated Press COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio State kicker Jonathan Skeete was arrested Wednesday on a warrant for trafficking marijuana and was suspended from the team indefinitely, the school said. Skeete was arrested early Wednesday morning by university police. He remains in a Franklin County jail and is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday morning, said sheriff's Deputy Stephen Mayer. The school provided no other details about the arrest. Skeete's status on the team will be evaluated once the legal process is over, Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel said. Skeete, a sophomore from suburban Gahanna, was redshirted in 2004. He was not expected to be the Buckeye's No. 1 kicker this year - Josh Huston, a sixth-year senior, likely will fill that role. But Tressel said Skeete had made great strides in spring practice. Skeete converted two field goals in Ohio State's annual spring scrimmage last month but missed an extra point. Tressel said he was surprised and disappointed by news of Skeete's arrest.

Navy will never join the MAC. They are guaranteed a bowl game with 6 wins and can schedule whomever they want every year. They have no need for the MAC. The only possible new MAC members are Temple, Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee (outside shot).

I agree...but I think we can get even better memories.. The Marshall win #1 will always be special as it was our first win over a Top 25 team. Being there to watch the Leftwitch saga unfold was also pretty cool. The Marshall win #2 was great because Frye needed a "signature comeback win." The drama was intense. It kept our champoinship hopes alive, and did so on national TV. That said, I think there are a LOT more bigger wins in store for the Zips in the near future. Those two Marshall wins were awesome in their own ways, but are likely mid-level stepping stones along the way to beating "BCS" teams, winning MAC Championships and winning bowl games. The Marshall wins were great...hell, the Navy win was great...but they were regular season wins. I think they'll soon be overshadowed by "bigger," more meaningful wins.

Team also has a former Zips pitcher on the roster **************************************************************** Wild Things open camp By Dave Mackall TRIBUNE-REVIEW Thursday, May 12, 2005 Rambling down Interstate 70 on the outskirts of Washington, Falconi Field glistened in the morning sun as workers groomed the infield and hosed down the grandstand. At close range, the Washington Wild Things could be seen setting up shop Wednesday for the opening of training camp with 30 players reporting, including righthander B.J. Borsa, the team's reigning MVP who led the Frontier League in saves last season with 19. "I love baseball, and the atmosphere here is better than most," said righthander Brian Burks, a former Georgia Tech pitcher who played last season for the Eugene (Ore.) Emeralds of the Northwest League. The Wild Things must trim their roster to the league maximum of 24 players by May 25, when they open the regular season against the Ohio Valley Red Coats, and manager John Massarelli, who earned Frontier League manager of the year in 2004, will get a final chance to assess his team during three home exhibition games, including a May 20 doubleheader and a single game on May 21. "I don't think it matters what level you are. Everyone's excited to get going. Everyone's excited to play," Massarelli said. "If you're passionate about something, you want to be the best you can be." The Wild Things were very good last season, advancing to the playoffs for the third year in a row by posting a league-record 62 victories, which eclipsed the old mark of 56 they set in 2002. Only eight players from last year's team, including Borsa, are back this season. Among the other newcomers is lefthander Aaron Gangi, whom Massarelli predicted has a chance to go far. Gangi, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound former Tampa Bay Devil Rays farmhand who played collegiately at Akron, made the all-star team while with Hudson Valley of the Class A New York-Penn League in 2003. But he faltered last season, partially because of a digestive disorder, at Class A Charleston (S.C.) of the South Atlantic League and was released by Tampa Bay during spring training this year. "He has all the potential and tools to pitch in the big leagues," Massarelli said. Gangi, his arms folded and his glove securely attached to his right hand, smiled at the notion. "I hope he means that. I think I've got some potential, but we'll see," he said. "I'm just happy for the chance to get back out here." Gangi said he got a call from Massarelli shortly after he was released and jumped at the opportunity to join the Wild Things, who are not affiliated with any major league club. "It's definitely a confidence-booster. I don't take anything for granted," Gangi said. A total of 15 pitchers -- half of the preseason roster -- are in the Wild Things' camp. In addition to Borsa, who, posted a 7-1 record a year ago, other hurlers back are righthanders Kyle Augsburger, Brendon Davis, Eric Holt and Jim Popp. The remaining holdovers are catcher Randy McGarvey, infielder Joel Buchenauer and outfielder Mike Arbinger, who led the team with 106 hits.