Dieter Memorial Scholarship opens

The Trumbull County Tennis Association is taking applicants for the Gary Dieter Memorial Scholarship.

To be eligible, applicants must be graduating seniors who are T.C.T.A members and played varsity tennis. Consideration is also given to non-Trumbull County students who are members of the T.C.T.A and have participated in the organization’s tournaments.

Applications can be obtained through area high school guidance counselors and athletic directors, or by visiting www.trumbullcountytennis.com.

Entries must be postmarked by March 27 to T.C.T.A Scholarship Committee, C/O Marilyn Spahr, 2804 Crestwood Dr. NW, Warren, Ohio, 44485.

No applications will be accepted after March 27.

Scholarships will be paid directly to the college or university upon receipt of billing.

YSU men’s runners sweep awards

Youngstown State men’s track and field standouts Brayden Green and Joseph Owusu-Ansah claimed Under Armour #HLTF Indoor Athlete and Runner of the Week honors following their outstanding performances at YSU Collegiate Invitational on Friday.

Owusu-Ansah won the 60m dash at the 200m dash at the YSU Collegiate Invitational at the WATTS. Owusu-Ansah won the 60m with a time of 6.76 seconds and won the 200m with a time of 21.26 seconds. He won the 200m in impressive fashion by 0.18 seconds. That time ranks 34th currently in the NCAA. He leads the Horizon League in both events.

Green won the triple jump at the YSU Collegiate Invitational on Friday at the WATTS. Green won the triple jump with an impressive leap of 14.65m in the event. The leap moves him into fourth place all-time in program history. He jumped 14.41m prior to the semester break in YSU’s lone meet. The 14.65m mark leads the HL.

YSU makes the short trip to Kent, Ohio, on Friday to compete at the Kent State Jud Logan Memorial Invitational at the Kent State Field House.

Rangers sign Junis to 1-year deal

ARLINGTON, Texas — Right-hander Jakob Junis finalized a $4 million, one-year contract with the Rangers on Tuesday that includes a mutual option for 2027, and Texas signed 2023 World Series reliever Josh Sborz to a minor league contract.

Junis was 4-1 with a 2.97 ERA in a career-high 57 appearances with Cleveland last season, when he allowed only five home runs over 66 2/3 innings. He will make $2.75 million this year, and the 2027 option is at $5 million with a $1.25 million buyout.

In his nine-year big league career, the 33-year-old Junis is 46-46 with two saves and a 4.36 ERA with 768 strikeouts in 249 games, including 116 starts, with Kansas City (2017-21), San Francisco (2022-23), Milwaukee (2024), Cincinnati (2024), and Cleveland (2025). He is among four active pitchers with at least 100 starts and 100 relief appearances since 2017.

Right-hander Dom Hamel designated for assignment to open a roster spot.

Sborz spent all of last season on the injured list after right shoulder surgery in November 2024.

He got the final seven outs in the Rangers’ World Series-clinching victory at Arizona in Game 5 in 2023, then was limited to 16 1/3 innings over 17 appearances in 2024, when the right-hander was on the injured list four times for right shoulder issues.

He never pitched for the Rangers last year, making 12 appearances during a minor league rehab assignment, the last on Aug. 30.

Falcons hire O-line coach Callahan

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons hired veteran offensive line coach Bill Callahan on Tuesday, making one of the NFL’s most-experienced coaches the first offensive assistant added to new coach Kevin Stefanski’s staff.

The addition of Callahan comes one day after the team announced defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich will return.

Callahan was the Tennessee Titans’ offensive line coach the past two years, including time working for his son, Brian Callahan, who was fired as coach on Oct. 14.

Bill Callahan has coached 48 years in college and the NFL. He has had 14 offensive linemen earn 35 Pro Bowl selections in his 27 years in the NFL. Callahan coached the Cleveland Browns’ offensive line for four years (2020-23) before his time with Tennessee.

Callahan was Nebraska’s head coach from 2004-07 and the Oakland Raiders’ head coach from 2002-03 as well as time as interim head coach with Washington in 2019.

Callahan also coached the offensive lines for the Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets.

Stefanski was hired on Saturday night as the replacement for Raheem Morris, who was fired following an 8-9 finish in his second season. New Falcons president of football Matt Ryan, who also holds most of the Falcons’ major passing records, is continuing his search to replace fired general manager Terry Fontenot.

Rays make deal with Hillsborough

TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays’ quest for a new ballpark took a step forward when the Hillsborough College board of trustees voted Tuesday to unanimously approve a non-binding memorandum of understanding with the team for a redevelopment of the school’s Dale Mabry campus that would include a baseball stadium.

The proposed project would create a mixed-use district in an area of Tampa near Steinbrenner Field, the Yankees’ spring training home that the Rays used last season, and Raymond James Stadium, where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers play.

The Rays withdrew last March from a $1.3 billion project to construct a new ballpark adjacent to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, citing a hurricane and delays that likely drove up the proposal’s cost. The team was sold in late September from a group headed by Stuart Sternberg, who had been in control since November 2005, to a group headed by Florida-based real estate developer Patrick Zalupski.

Under Sternberg, the Rays had also announced plans for and then failed to move ahead with proposed ballparks at the Al Lang Stadium site in St. Petersburg (2007), Ybor City in Tampa (2018) and the site adjacent to the Trop in downtown St. Petersburg (2023).

Following repairs to Tropicana Field, the Rays plan to move back to their ballpark this season. Under the team’s lease with the city of St. Petersburg, the Rays are obligated to play at the Trop for three more seasons.