To meet or not to meet (your heroes)? — and more

My dad turned 64 this weekend, and so far things are looking good. I still need him, and he’s been well-plied with an assortment of Thai food, homemade brioche and apple cobbler. He taught me about rhythm and keeping time one afternoon while we sat on the floor in his office, my clumsy five-year-old hands working hard to hit the one, TWO, three, FOUR of “Love Me Do” before giving up in the chaos of “Yesterday,” so there were lots of these jokes leading up to Saturday. 

Baseball isn’t really his thing. He’s more driven by nitrate-rich hot dogs than discourse around the hot corner, but we turned the radio on yesterday and midway through the seventh inning, as he sliced salami and cheese (are you sending a theme?), he looked up and asked, “Is this Shannon Drayer?” I was flabbergasted. 

“Wow. Um, yeah, it is.” And then, because meat isn’t the only thing this man thrives on, “Great job, Dad! I’m shocked – and so impressed!”

He smiled, pleased to still be surprising me. “Of course I know her. She was so nice to my girl, I’ll always remember that.”

Almost a decade ago, I was granted Mariners media credentials for a freelance piece I’d pitched without considering the consequences of my actions. Namely, that in order to write said piece, I’d have to actually conduct interviews with the players. I was so petrified of appearing as young, foolish and inexperienced as I was, I did something absurd. I asked for help. Specifically, I sent a message to Shannon Drayer on Twitter (rip), asking for any tips about how to navigate the clubhouse. Rather than send me some vague info, or leave me on read, or any of the other things she would have been well within her rights to do, she replied and said I could meet her in the press box and shadow her as needed that day. Sure enough, I arrived hours before first pitch, heart pounding, and there she was. I followed her everywhere, as she introduced me to folks, kindly explained the unwritten rules of the clubhouse, helped me navigate the elevators and did her best to get me in front of the players I needed to talk to. I’d never felt like a more grateful duckling, and it solidified me as a Shannon fan for life.

This is a long-winded series of anecdotes to get to the real question, but it’s an off-day during Spring Training and we are a community, not (just) a soulless pit of letters and numbers. Sometimes it’s nice to channel the beloved old-school blogger vibes. Anyway, what’s one of your favorite baseball celeb memories? Did you almost step on Mike Leake while he was lying on the floor? Did you lose by a country mile to Jonatan Clase in a foot race? Did you have to chase after a perhaps-not-sober Wade Boggs on a golf course? Did you flag a random guy over during BP to ask for an autograph without knowing who he was, only to show the accompanying picture to your family and learn it was mid-Cy Young Award-winning season Blake Snell? Did you have a near-death experience after choking on your coffee when Félix Hernández walked into Chace’s Pancake Corral while you were enjoying your Tuesday morning ritual? Lay it all on me (or try to guess which of these examples is made up)

March has suddenly snuck up on us, which means actual real baseball will begin in earnest later this month. We’ll get to experience the thrill of the World Baseball Classic once it begins in a few days, but the curtain raising on the MLB season is mere weeks away at this point. That means rosters are starting to get formed and while injuries may still have their say in which team gets assembled in what way, the basic skeleton of the Phillies is likely already in place.

Roster projections are nothing new and help us get ready for the games, so making one is something of a warm up for the year. We have done this already once this season, so now, a month later, it seems appropriate to do so one more time. Let’s take another stab at what the final 26-man roster is going to look like.

Catcher – J.T. Realmuto, Rafael Marchan

While Realmuto is entrenched at the starter’s position, it’s the backup spot that is more interesting. There has been no indication that Garrett Stubbs is an immediate threat to taking the job back from Marchan, yet it doesn’t seem implausible that it could happen. Doing so would require the team moving on from Marchan in either a trade or a waiver placement, something they might be loathe to do so as to protect whatever catching depth they might possess.

Yet there might be a tinge of merit to the idea that Stubbs’ familiarity with the incoming ABS system might be somewhat beneficial to the team. Having had a full-ish season in Lehigh Valley with the system might be attractive in a weird sort of way. Couple that with his having worked for most of the season with Andrew Painter, an increasingly important part of the 2026 Phillies, and there could be a benefit to his remaining Realmuto’s caddy. In the end, that meager “upgrade” over Marchan probably isn’t worth a roster change, but it’s at least something to pay attention to as the spring games continue.

Infield – Bryce Harper, Bryson Stott, Trea Turner, Alec Bohm, Edmundo Sosa, Otto Kemp

This group is six remains the same as nothing has changed about what may or may not happen with alignment. Outside of a surprise trade this late in the game, these will be the infielders. There is always the chance that Dylan Moore sneaks in as that 26th man that gets cut almost immediately, but he just hasn’t done much of anything this spring to warrant getting additional serious looks.

What, were you expecting Rhys Hoskins?

Outfield – Brandon Marsh, Justin Crawford, Adolis Garcia, Johan Rojas

No change here either, yet the specter of Bryan de la Cruz hovering in the corner and taking over for Rojas is very real.

Designated hitter – Kyle Schwarber

Easiest choice there is.

Starting rotation – Cristopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo, Aaron Nola, Taijuan Walker, Andrew Painter

Again, no changes. If anything, Rob Thomson might be chiseling this starting five in a stone tablet as opposed to writing in pencil. The reports around Painter and his re-emerging arm slot have invigorated the coaching staff and lent credence to the idea that last season was more of a rumble strip that woke him up on his path to Philadelphia. A full season of pitching after having sat out for two seasons will wear a body down, but now with a full offseason behind him and the major league coaching staff getting their hands on him, optimism is high.

Sunday’s outing helps as well.

Relief pitching – Jhoan Duran, Jose Alvarado, Brad Keller, Tanner Banks, Orion Kerkering, Zach McCambley, Kyle Backhus, Jonathan Bowlan

The reporting surrounding Kyle Backhus, coupled with the views that we have seen from him, are likely landing him the final bullpen spot. A slight uptick in velocity to go with his general funkiness on the mound are going to cause headaches for opposing batters.

McCambley is possibly teetering at this point as he either make the team or goes back to Miami thanks to Rule 5 draft rules. That return to the Marlins possibly happens whenever Wheeler is ready to return to the rotation, but if he, McCambley, can continue to get outs during spring training games, the team might lean into the idea of keeping optionable pitchers in Lehigh Valley to continue to preserve depth for the long season ahead.

Injured list – Zack Wheeler

Wheeler throwing off a mound already is good news for the team, though caution will still the rule of the day. An early May return looks like the best outcome as some minor league rehab starts will probably be needed before the team waves the green flag on his season.

Nebraska baseball (5-5) finished its weekend series with No. 7 Auburn (9-2) on Sunday afternoon. The Huskers suffered another major defeat at the hands of the Tigers, 12-3, to lose the series 2-1.

Auburn jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the second inning, highlighted by a three-run home run. Nebraska cut the deficit to three in the fourth with an infielder’s choice from Cole Kitchens and a sacrifice fly by Devin Nunez. The Tigers, however, added two more runs in the seventh and four in the eighth to put the game away.

Auburn finished with just seven hits, but capitalized on its 12 total walks, seven of which occurred in its final two innings at bat. The Huskers totaled eight hits on the day, but suffered 10 strikeouts and left 11 runners on base.

Kitchens, Nunez and Max Buettenback all drove in an RBI, despite not earning a hit in the loss. Dylan Carey, Joshua Overbeek, and Case Sanderson all finished with two hits on the afternoon. Carey's two hits bring his career total to 201, making him the 28th Husker in program history to reach the 200-hit mark. Mac Moyer and Preston Freeman each chipped in one hit.

Gavin Blachowicz (1-1) took the loss on the mound in his start for Nebraska. He recorded two strikeouts, but coughed up five runs, one earned, on four hits with two walks across 2.0 innings. Kevin Mannell pitched 4.0 innings, earning five strikeouts and surrendering a run on two hits.

Nebraska returns to Lincoln to start a nine-game stretch, beginning with a Tuesday afternoon matchup against Omaha. The first pitch is set for 1:30 p.m. CT on B1G+.

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This article originally appeared on Cornhuskers Wire: Nebraska drops series finale to No. 7 Auburn

The Seattle Seahawks enjoyed a productive week at this year's NFL Scouting Combine. John Schneider and Mike Macdonald return from Indianapolis having gathered information for their approaches in free agency and the 2026 NFL draft. With the combine now officially in our rearview mirror, we've conducted a brand-new three-round Seahawks mock draft.

Round 1 (No. 32 overall): Brandon Cisse, CB, South Carolina

South Carolina cornerback Brandon Cisse has been connected to the Seahawks by analysts throughout the pre-draft process. Cisse had a good performance at the combine, leaping a 41 inch vertical and 10-foot-11 broad jump. The Gamecocks standout would be an excellent fit at cornerback in Mike Macdonald's defense.

Round 2 (No. 64 overall): Derrick Moore, EDGE, Michigan

Schneider loves adding pass rushers. Boye Mafe is a pending free agent and probably isn't returning. The aging DeMarcus Lawrence could be entering his final season in Seattle, and Uchenna Nwosu's future isn't guaranteed, either. Schneider will want to restock the cupboard. Derrick Moore didn't participate at the NFL Combine, but he's an athletic pass rusher who broke out at Michigan in 2025.

Round 3 (No. 96 overall): Kage Casey, IOL, Boise State

Guard Anthony Bradford is entering a contract year. The Seahawks may think ahead and try to grab a replacement since it appears the Christian Haynes pick did not work out. Kage Casey looked smooth during on-field combine drills. Casey is making the position switch to guard despite playing offensive tackle at Boise State.

This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Seahawks 3-round 2026 NFL mock draft: Post NFL Combine edition