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LGHL Buckeye Heroes: Andrew Magno helped the Bucks get hot

Buckeye Heroes: Andrew Magno helped the Bucks get hot
Connor Lemons
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


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Photo courtesy of OhioStateBuckeyes.com

The spitfire, walk-on turned closer helped fuel an unlikely Big Ten title run in 2019.

From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about Ohio State heroes. Whether they are the biggest names in Buckeye athletic history, or underappreciated icons; perhaps even players who made major impacts off the field. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Buckeye Heroes” articles here.


The Ohio State baseball program has not met expectations for the past several seasons, finishing in the top-six in the Big Ten just two times over the past six seasons and missing the NCAA Tournament each of the past five years.

Year one under new head coach Justin Haire has not gone smoothly, with the Buckeyes guaranteed to finish in last place in the Big Ten with three games remaining. At 12-35 overall and 4-23 in the Big Ten, the Buckeyes are on pace to finish with the program’s worst winning percentage since the 1935-1936 season, when Ohio State went 4-14 overall and 1-10 in the Big Ten.

That’s right, it’s been nearly a century – 89 years to be exact – since Ohio State baseball has hit this level of awful.

The most recent “great” Ohio State team wasn’t even supposed to be great. The 2019 Ohio State baseball team finished the season 31-24 overall and in sixth place in the B1G, with an even 12-12 record. They snuck into the Big Ten Tournament as the 7-seed out of eight teams, and then went on to beat second-seeded Michigan, and six-seed Maryland on back-to-back days, before falling to fourth-seeded Minnesota on Saturday to drop them into the loser’s bracket.

Against a wall, Ohio State beat Minnesota the very next day to eliminate the Gophers, and then beat fifth-seeded Nebraska a few hours later to capture the Big Ten Tournament title. It was Ohio State’s second tournament title in four seasons, but was also just the second in the past 12 years. With the win, the Buckeyes claimed an unexpected spot in the NCAA Tournament.

The entire way, Ohio State was fueled by an undersized, under-recruited lefty out of the bullpen named Andrew Magno. Magno, a local kid who graduated from Dublin Scioto in 2017, walked on to the Ohio State baseball team and made a combined eight appearances his first two seasons, pitching to a 7.07 ERA over 14 innings.

But during his junior season, Magno appeared in 31 of Ohio State’s 63 games, pitching to a 2.08 ERA, 14 saves, and 64 strikeouts in 60.2 innings.

The 5-foot-10, 190-pound lefty with the moving fastball and big bender was a man on a mission for the Buckeyes on their quest to the Big Ten title, completing multi-inning saves in all for of Ohio State’s BTT victories. After closing out a 3-2 win over Maryland in the second round, Magno gave Big Ten Network a quote that has since been burned in the minds of so many Ohio State fans all across the country.

“The Bucks are hot. You don’t like it when the Bucks are hot.”


"I'll tell you about the vibe...The Bucks are hot."

- Andrew Magno said y'all went ahead and let @OhioStateBASE get hot. pic.twitter.com/EoWubUZX7y

— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) May 24, 2019

Magno went on to be named the Big Ten Tournament’s most outstanding player, pitching 9.2 innings out of the bullpen and saving all four Ohio State wins. All four saves were multi-inning appearances, and he pitched in both games on Sunday — wins over Minnesota and Nebraska. He did not allow an earned run in the Big Ten Tournament, struck out nine, and gave up just three hits.

From there, Ohio State went on to the Nashville regional of the NCAA Tournament, where they lost to host team, Vanderbilt, in the opening round.

Now in the loser’s bracket, Ohio State faced off with McNeese with the season on the line. Trailing in the sixth inning, Magno took the mound and put together possibly his most impressive performance of his college career — 7.1 innings of one-run baseball out of the bullpen, striking out 12 and holding the Cowboys at bay long enough for his team to tie the game in the eighth inning.

Even after the Buckeyes scored three runs to tie the game, 8-8 in the eigth inning, Magno pressed on, pitching the ninth, 10th, 11th, 12, and 13th innings to get credited with the win and keep Ohio State’s season going. The Bucks were still hot.


MAGNO

TEN STRIKEOUTS.

6.1 IP RELIEF.

We go to the 13th. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/a1ZWP9Tgcw

— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) June 1, 2019

That turned out to be Magno’s final collegiate appearance, as Ohio State lost to Indiana State the next day in the Nashville regional, ending their season. It was an abrupt end to a fun season that lasted far longer than anyone anticipated, but once the Bucks got hot, they were tough to put down.

Four days later, the former walk-on and Buckeye closer was selected in the 15th round of the 2019 MLB Draft by the Detroit Tigers.


Looks like the @tigers are hot now.

Andrew Magno ⛽️ | #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/B1D8YW8E75

— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) June 5, 2019

Magno is 27 now, but still working his way through the Tigers system. He’s currently pitching for Double-A Erie, and has a 1.80 ERA in 10 appearances so far on the young season.

Maybe Magno will make it to the “Show” some day, but maybe not. Ohio State fans, however, will always remember him as the guy who helped the Bucks get hot.

Continue reading...

Olympics: Flag Football

History of Flag Football​

What is Flag Football?

Flag football is a variant of American football (or gridiron) where the aim is to advance up the pitch via a series of offensive plays into the opposition’s defensive end zone. It is a non-contact sport with 'tackles' made by removing one of two fabric 'flags' attached to the ball-carrier’s waist - one on each side.

By whom, where and when was Flag Football invented?

Flag football started out as a means of recreation for American soldiers during World War II who then brought the game back home with them. Fort Meade in Maryland is said to have hosted the first games of flag football.

Flag football is scheduled to be introduced as an Olympic sport at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

The inclusion of flag football in the Olympics is a significant milestone, particularly for the sport's growth and recognition on a global scale. The International Olympic Committee approved the addition after the Los Angeles 2028 Organizing Committee recommended it. Flag football will be one of five new sports at the LA28 Olympics, along with cricket, squash, baseball / softball and lacrosse, with only two out of 90 members voting "no".

Owners to discuss resolution to allow NFL players to participate in flag football at 2028 Olympics

The NFL has heard the calls to involve its stars in the upcoming Olympics debut of flag football.

NFL owners will discuss a resolution at next week's Spring League Meeting that would allow NFL players to participate in flag football during the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, the league announced on Thursday.

The resolution would permit no more than one player from each team to participate in the 2028 Olympics, plus each team's designated international player, clearing the way for NFL participation on clubs outside of the United States.

"The membership believes that participation by NFL players in flag football during the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California will support such growth and advance several league interests, including increasing fan and public interest in flag football, expanding the global reach of the NFL," the resolution stated.

Since flag football was announced as an official sport for the 2028 Olympics, fans far and wide have pleaded for the NFL to allow its stars to participate in the games.
The league was already a few steps ahead of this process when, in 2023, it evolved the Pro Bowl into the Pro Bowl Games, which included the marquee flag football event on Sunday.

Now, it appears they're moving closer to making this a reality. The NFL can effectively compile a dream team of pro players for Team USA (and beyond), but not without guardrails.

Among the other rules the resolution specified for NFL player participation in the Olympics:
  • "Appropriate injury protection and salary cap credit" would be provided for any player who is injured while participating in "flag football activities related to the 2028 Olympic Games."
  • Olympic teams would agree to "implement certain minimum standards for medical staff and field surfaces."
  • The schedule for flag football games and related events would not "unreasonably conflict" with a player's league and team commitments.
If passed -- which would require a vote of 24 out of 32 owners -- expect a significant increase in flag football interest. Fans will immediately start dreaming of star-studded rosters, and while the United States leads the way in terms of talent cultivation, the NFL's reach will stretch beyond the 50 states, adding more intrigue to the debut of the sport in 2028.

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