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Oviedo leaves Pirates with more questions

Notes and observations from Major League Baseball as the MLB winter meetings open next week in Nashville, Tenn: n After the Pittsburgh Pirates made some significant strides toward reaching the .500 mark in 2023 and possibly becoming a National League playoff contender in 2024, they were dealt a severe setback recently when it was announced that right-handed pitcher Johan Oviedo will require Tommy John elbow surgery that will sideline him for all of next season. Entering this offseason, the Pirates’ starting pitching rotation was the team’s biggest question mark, with the ...

PSU’s defense sets its own tone

DETROIT — Give these Michigan State fans credit. They’ve endured a 4-8 season to forget, starting with the September suspension and subsequent firing of their coach, Mel Tucker, after an alleged sexcapade. And yet, here they were at Ford Field, singing karaoke songs Friday night, well into a 42-0 loss to Penn State. Indoor stadiums can get loud so other than the music, it was important not to let the home team create early momentum. The Nittany Lions’ defense took that challenge, quickly setting a tone by rebuffing two of the Spartans’ first-half drives deep into PSU ...

Pribula opens up Lions’ run game

Some nitpicking as the Nittany Lions draw the curtain on the regular season tonight: - Even if Drew Allar is recovered enough to play against Michigan State (7:30, NBC), expect a healthy dose of Beau Pribula, who stepped in last week vs. Rutgers and rushed for 71 yards on eight carries. Actually, it was Pribula’s presence after Allar’s injury in the second half that opened the Lions’ run game in general and for Nick Singleton in particular. - Pribula has gained 311 yards on the ground this season, an average of 6.0 yards on his 52 carries, including five touchdowns. He’s only ...

What’s the best thing going for Penn State right now? Big Ten expansion will give Lions some renewed hope

By Neil Rudel nrudel@altoonamirror.com It’s a good news-bad news commentary on James Franklin. The good news is he’s clearly established the Nittany Lions’ program as the third-best in the Big Ten behind Ohio State and Michigan. The bad news is he’s clearly established the Nittany Lions as the third-best program in the Big Ten behind Ohio State and Michigan. Many — make that most — would be eager to pencil themselves into 10-2 almost annually and take their chances that they’ll find a way to get over the big-game hump. Certainly Penn State has the resources and ...

What’s the best thing going for Penn State right now? Expanded playoff field will do wonders for Nittany Lions

By Cory Giger sports@altoonamirror.com When the College Football Playoff expands to 12 teams beginning next year, there’s no program or coach in the country that stand to benefit more than Penn State and James Franklin. That’s not me being a homer. Because, you know, everybody knows I’m just a Penn State homer. Wink, wink! When the Nittany Lions beat Michigan State on Friday, they’ll finish the regular season 10-2 and will be ranked in the top 12 by the College Football Playoff committee. They’re currently sitting at No. 11. This year, then, will mark the sixth time ...

Blair County teams enjoy big success

This scholastic soccer season saw a number of firsts for area teams in the district and state playoffs. For the first time, four Blair County soccer teams garnered district championships — the Hollidaysburg boys and the Central, Bishop Guilfoyle and Altoona girls. n The Hollidaysburg boys, starting a majority of sophomores and freshmen, shut out Bellefonte, 3-0, to grab the District 6 3A title. n The Central girls defeated a familiar foe in Bedford and went through 30 minutes of overtime to stay strong to grab the District 6 2A title, 5-4, in the second round of shootouts. n ...