Read on for more on all those topics from the world of sports in the Miami Valley (and beyond) this week:
What does the second half have in store for the Reds?
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
After 97 games, the 2025 Cincinnati Reds are 50-47.
They took a somewhat circuitous route to three games over .500 at the All-Star break, but for the most part they sort of are what we thought they would be.
They were as many as four games under .500 in the first half. That was also the maximum total they managed to get above .500.
After a losing May, they had a winning June and are even so far in July.
On one hand, Terry Francona’s team has not leapt up into the tier of true contenders in the National League, but then again they are on pace to beat Baseball Prospectus’ preseason projection by a significant margin.
While that was probably overly pessimistic about the 2025 Reds, hovering around .500 feels like the general expectations most had for the club.
Could they still take off? For sure, they could, but they also can’t afford any long cold stretches from here on out.
Here is the Hall of Famer Hal McCoy’s summation of the situation with the second half set to begin tonight in New York at Citi Field against the Mets.
Former Wright State standout explains why he’s a Buckeye now
Credit: Marcus Hartman
Credit: Marcus Hartman
Brandon Noel didn’t act like there was much mystery to his decision to transfer to Ohio State in the spring.
He saw an opportunity, and he took it.
“When I went in the (transfer) portal, I had no idea what to expect,” said Noel, who spent five seasons with the Raiders including a traditional redshirt year and an injury redshirt season. “I wasn’t sure who might reach out, what that would look like. And then, you know, Ohio State was one of the first people to reach out. Checked all the boxes I had. A lot of things made sense, so I just made that decision.”
He also talked about his time as a Raider, his expectations for this season and more this week during an interview in Columbus.
This weekend you can look for another update on an Ohio State transfer familiar to the Miami Valley: Centerville grad Gabe Cupps.
Flyers continuing to work on future rosters
Credit: David Jablonski
Credit: David Jablonski
The Dayton Flyers offered scholarships to two top-100 2026 recruits this week.
Joseph Hartman, a 6-foot-5 guard, announced Sunday he received a scholarship offer from Dayton. Lucas Morillo, a 6-6 guard, announced a Dayton offer on Monday.
In all, Dayton has made 16 offers to 2026 recruits. Ten of the players are top-100 recruits, according to ESPN.
Hartman and Morillo are the seventh and eighth members of the 2026 recruiting class to receive a UD offer in recent months, following: Julian Washington, a 6-5 guard from Margaretta High School in Castalia, Ohio; Aidan Chronister, 6-foot-8 guard from Bel Aire, Kansas; Jason Singleton, a 6-foot-4 guard from Columbus; Collin Ross, a 6-foot-10 forward from SPIRE Academy in Geneva, Ohio; Herly Brutus, a 6-foot-7 guard/forward from Florida; and Aiden Derkack, a 6-foot-5 guard from New Jersey.
Bengals announced next Ring of Honor inductees
While the offseason has had its ups and downs, the Bengals gave fans and former players reason to celebrate this week with the announcement Lemar Parrish and Dave Lapham will be the next players inducted into the team’s ring of honor.
It’s a great honor for both, of course, giving younger fans a reason to learn about the exploits of Parrish and everyone an opportunity to applaud the longtime and ongoing contributions Lapham has made for the franchise.
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