Cape’s Austin Elliott verbally commits to UNC

Verbal commitment - Cape baseball player Austin Elliott, who just completed his sophomore season, has verbally committed to play baseball at the University of North Carolina. This happened last weekend at the Perfect Game Junior Nationals held at JetBlue Stadium, a Red Sox spring training facility in Fort Myers, Fla. Austin’s teammate, Zack Gelof, was also at the tournament. Zack has previously committed to the University of Virginia. UNC head coach Mike Fox - what did the Fox say? - was at the tournament and said, “It was the best offer ever presented to a player without a driver’s license.” Universities stand behind the verbal commitment, but are prohibited from talking about it or placing information on the school’s website. College coaches in all sports no longer watch high school games, but rather spend weekends in webbed chairs trying to lock up talented players who are two years away from showing up on campus.

Endorse a horse - Most superstar athletes love themselves but are tired of the sound of their own voice. The endless interviews over years of playing are just tiresome – the entire process is a sham show. I’d like to interview LeBron or Steph on camera after a game and ask them, “So do you have a horse you’d like to endorse in this current race for the White House? I mean, you endorse sneakers for millions of dollars because your swag has sway over people’s decision making, so why not endorse a presumptive nominee? Do you guys talk about this stuff in the locker room or on cross-country airplane flights?” The good news is the bad news, which is no one cares what they think about politics and, really, we don’t care what they think about anything, and they instinctively know it, which is why athletes dislike being interviewed.

Dual athletes - Division I field hockey and women’s lacrosse are limited by the NCAA to 12.5 full scholarships, the money divided over the roster, which averages 30 scholarshipped athletes, including fifth-year red-shirted players. Why not 25 full scholarships for two-sport studs who can play both sports at the highest levels? That’s the way it was in the ‘80s when the world of athletics was less sports specific.    

Snippets - Andrew Scrutchfield (Cape) of the Stevens Institute of Technology men’s lacrosse team was recently named a Scholar All-American by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association. Kyle Lux, a resident of Lewes and recent graduate of Sussex Tech, signed a letter of intent to play baseball for the Delaware Tech Roadrunners. Kyle played left field for the Ravens and batted .328 on the season with six extra-base hits, earning Henlopen Conference honors and was selected to the Delaware South team to play in the Carpenter Cup in Philadelphia.  The Carpenter Cup is a select high school baseball tournament with players from the tri-state area.  Kyle earned seven varsity letters while at Tech in soccer, baseball and football.  Kyle will be majoring in criminal justice. Check out this release from the University of Maryland. “Graduate student Welma Luus of the Maryland field hockey team was recently granted a sixth year of eligibility, making her eligible to play her fourth season of field hockey for the Terrapins this fall. Luus started at Maryland prior to the 2011-12 season. She competed on the women’s tennis team for her first two seasons, but her desire to play field hockey as well still lingered. She joined the field hockey squad at the beginning of the 2013-14 season, splitting time between the two teams for two seasons. The Pretoria, South Africa native exhausted her tennis eligibility at the end of the 2014-15 season, and she competed for the field hockey team last fall. She led the Terrapins with 20 goals, including five game-winners on the season. She earned NFHCA Third Team All-America honors, as well as All-Big Ten honors.” Great athlete, I find the NCAA awarding her a sixth year of eligibility just amazing. The Mid-Atlantic Field Hockey Camp held at Cape Henlopen State Park in Lewes has openings for sessions July 17-21 and July 24-28. The camp is entering its 39th season. Local day campers are welcome. Go to midatlanticfieldhockey.com for complete information. Colleen Donohoe, a Cape soccer player, just completed her sophomore soccer season. She was selected first-team all-conference at the sweeper position and third team all-state. She is the younger sister of Quinn, four years of Cape baseball, and Conor, who played soccer during the Gary Montalto years. Great kids and great Cape family.