Major League Baseball reached the end of the regular season and is ready for the World Series to begin. However, before the conclusion of the 2015 season, a player from the American and National league will be chosen to be the Most Valuable Player (MVP). The award is given to the player who statistically had the best, or above average stats, and proved to be an asset to their team. Last season’s MVPs were Mike Trout of the Angels, and Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers.

Mike Trout’s numbers were phenomenal last season. He batted .287, with 36 home runs and 111 RBI’s. He helped the Angels claim first place with a record of 98-64. Clayton Kershaw had an outstanding season. Kershaw won the MVP and Cy Young award, making him the 10th pitcher in MLB history to accomplish such a historic achievement. He went 21-3, with an ERA of 1.77 and 239 strikeouts. The two individuals who are bound to claim the MVP title this season will be third basemen Josh Donaldson of the Toronto Blue Jays and right fielder Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals.

The Toronto Blue Jays were in second place for the majority of the 2015 season, but with the accusations of players like David Price, the Jays managed to claim first place. Josh Donaldson played a major role for the Jays the majority of the season. Donaldson has been a leader for the Jays and stepped up in crucial situations, whether it was defensively or offensively. Donaldson leads the Jays with 41 home runs (tied for fifth in the league) and leads the league with a 123 RBIs. Donaldson nearly has a .300 batting average. On the other hand, those stats are referred to as “the glamour stats.” There are other stats that are taken into consideration when picking a MVP. Donaldson leads his team and the league with 122 runs and has an impressive on base percentage plus slugging (OPS) of .939. The power hitters in baseball are known for striking out, yet Donaldson managed to only strikeout 133 times out of 579 at-bats. Designated hitter Chris Davis of the Orioles currently leads the league with 208 strikeouts. Donaldson surpassed his 174 career high in hits this season as he finished off with 184 hits. If Donaldson played this intensely last season, I am positive he would have beaten Trout in the MVP voting.

Washington Nationals’ superstar Bryce Harper has put up fantastic numbers this season. Harper started off the season extremely hot and has not slowed down since. The Nationals finished with a respectable record of 83-79. In defense of the Nationals record, the National League is playing at a higher level than the American League. The Nationals’ record should not play a role in Harper’s journey to claiming MVP. Harper finished with the third best batting average in baseball.  He batted .330; eight points lower than first place M  iguel Cabrera.

Harper also has 42 home runs and 99 RBIs to complement his stats. Harper’s runs batted in this season are low considering he has 41 home runs, but he managed to get on base this season. He also leads the league with an on base percentage (OBP) of .460. Harper is a player the Nationals counted on this season to get on base and provide runs. Harper had a Triple Crown kind of season, as he had a superb batting average, and a muckle of home runs. The Nationals had trouble getting men on base when Harper came to bat, and in result his runs batted in are lower compared to other power hitters in the league. Bryce Harper has a good chance of being MVP this season, but Zack Greinke is not one that should be slept on, as he has put up outstanding numbers. Zack Greinke finished the season with 19-3, with an unbelievable ERA of 1.66.

Overall, Donaldson and Harper are the frontrunners of the MVP race. With the playoffs over these two player just have to wait until the World Series are over and see if they are crowned MVPs.

There are many baseball players who are well-distinguished and have made a name for themselves.  However, there are few who make an impact to the game.  Lawrence Peter “Yogi” Berra was one of those players.  Yogi was selected in 1972 as a first round Hall of Famer.  He won 13 World Series Championships and caught for many legendary pitchers.  Yogi was the definition of an American catcher, and no one could play his position as he did.  After he retired from baseball he moved on to be the Yankees, Mets, and Astros head coach.  You will not find any baseball resume that could compare to what Yogi had accomplished.  Yogi has moved on as of Sept. 22, 2015.  Yogi Berra, you will be missed.

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Volleyball

Eastern Eagles’ legendary Volleyball head coach, Mark Birtwistle, looks to have another fantastic season.  The Eagles opened up the 2015 season with a five game winning streak. The Eagles’ winning streak started off against Muhlenberg College.  Losing the first set, 25-19, the Eagles came back out on the floor and won the next three sets.  Senior Erin Hillman help guided the team to victory with 16 kills, while Michelle Paulsen and Morgan Shemonski played a huge role at the net, producing 6 blocks each.  The Eagles’ winning streak continued through into the Moravian College Tournament.  They opened up the tournament against Ursinus College, winning in three sets, before taking on Carroll University, who posed as a tougher challenger. The Eagles won in four sets.

Next was Dickinson College.  The Eagles breezed past the Red Devils in three sets, behind Stephanie Elechko’s ten kills.  Finally, they capped off the tournament with a win over Stevens.  The Eagles won the first set 25-20, then 25-12, and finally the last set 25-13. The Eagles won the Greyhound Premiere Title, and Rylie Haas was named MVP.  However, the Eagles winning streak came to an end in the UMass Boston Tournament.  Tufts University came out on top of the Eastern Eagles. The Jumbos won in four sets.  Out of the four sets, three of the sets were close.  The first set was 25-22; the second set was 26-24 and the fourth set ended 25-22.  The Eagles finished the tournament with two wins and two losses.

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Field Hockey

Eastern University’s Field Hockey team is starting off the season hot.  Coach Azzarano has her team off to a better start this season.  Last season they started with a four game losing streak; however, this season they opened up with a loss, but turned it around with a current 5 game-winning streak.  The Eagles’ first win was against Stockton University as they won 2-0.  Lauren Gay and Hayley Williams played phenomenally, as they both scored a goal to seal up a victory for the Eagles.  The Eagles’ defense was superb, making Nicole Berger’s job in goal easy.  Berger, on the other hand, made eight saves, which was key in this win for the Eagles.  That win ignited the Eagle. The Eagles sent their neighbors, Haverford College, back down the road with a loss, and then dominated Albright College winning 4-1.  The Eagles’ Lauren Gay scored two goals against Albright playing an impressive game.  The Eagles will be taking on Desales University, a Freedom Conference opponent, on Saturday on the 26th of September.

The Bulldogs are off to slow start this season.  They lost the first five games of the season, and one of the teams the Bulldogs lost to was Albright College.  The Eagles look to have the upper hand against the Bulldogs, as they are certainly the hotter team.  The key for the Eagles this season is their defense.  Look for seniors Megan Bolt and Alyssa Rowe to take charge of the defense, as that has been the key to the Eagles’ victories.

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Students on Eastern’s campus are without a gym and have to find an alternate source to fill that void. Many students are frustrated, as their only source of working out is being renovated. Senior Lacrosse player, Nabig Sakr, was forced to get a gym membership elsewhere; disappoint she inquired,  “Why was this not done over the summer?” After hearing Sakr’s response, I was sure the lack of a gym was having a bigger impact on Eastern’s fall teams. The response I got was actually surprising.

I spoke to Jonathan Nazon who is currently playing soccer for Eastern. According to Nazon, the soccer team rarely uses the gym during the season. The gym being out-of-service does not affect the team’s practice regimen because they strictly focus on cardio. However, during the spring off-season, he mentions that the team will occasionally use the gym. On the brighter side, EU community, we should have a new gym facility in a couple of months, hopefully by January.

Image courtesy of Josh Velez / The Waltonian

Welcome Eastern Eagles’ Track and Field team!  For those asking, “What is Track and Field?” Track and Field is compiled with different athletic events. They are commonly seen while watching the Olympics.  For example, shotput, hurdles, pole vault, sprints, and many more. The Track and Field team is in fact active this 2015-16 season; however, the team will center on the running competitions until the recruitment of field athletes.

Cross Country coach Mike Wilson will manage the team. According to new Athletic Director Nathan Stewart, “Adding Track and Field has been something that has been discussed for some time. Adding a sport is not a decision to be taken lightly as there are many different factors that go into making this decision.” Mr. Stewart and Coach Wilson have diligently worked on the addition of a Track and Field team and the program will certainly prove successful. One major benefit that may derive from a Track and field team is an increase in student admission. Coach Wilson is already on the hunt for future prospects to join the Eagles next season; in result, he has drawn the attention of many athletes who were not interested because of the lack of a Track and Field team.

Mr. Stewart is currently searching for a track they can call “home” and hopes to have a place ready for the team within the next few months. The Eagles have a lot of potential and will have no problem assimilating to Eastern’s dynamic athletic program.

The Eagles’ lacrosse team looks to stay hot as the season comes to an end. The Eagles will face DeSales University and FDU-Florham in their last two games of the season.

DeSales will host the Eagles on Saturday, April 18. The Bulldogs are currently on a two-game losing streak with a record of 3-6. They have struggled with shooting this season, as their number one shooter is shooting 50% on 28 shots attempted. Meanwhile, other players have attempted 40 plus shots and only have ten goals to show for it. The Bulldogs will have to focus on getting the ball to their highest percentage scorer, or the Eagles’ will have an easy time shutting down their offense. The Eagles’ have the upper hand coming into this game, as they have been playing excellent defense this season.

The Eagles will then head to Robert T. Field to take on FDU Devils April 21st. The Devils are 6-4 this season with a record of 2-0 in conference play. The Eagles’ defense will be faced with the challenge of defending Devils’ leading scorer Daniel Minnich. The six-foot junior is not only a streaky shooter, but also helps provide helps as a distributor and has a large number of assists to show for it. The Eagles’ offense will be facing a strong Devil’s defense. The Eagles will certainly put the Devils’ defense to work, as they have to slow down hot Eagle shooters Grant Ferguson and Dave Darling.

The Eagles will look to keep dominating their conference oppenents all the way to the conference championships. After conference play, look for the Eagles to make a run during the NCAA tournament. So far this season looks like another successful one for the Eagles.

Spring is finally here, the weather is getting warmer, but most importantly Major League Baseball begins. Thirty teams come into the season with one goal in mind: winning the World Series. But who will be the 2015 champs? Can the Giants pull it off again? Or will the Royals return and redeem themselves? With the off-season transactions, teams are ready to make a statement. So what teams and players are we to look out for?

The American League is going to be a competitive division this season. With rising teams like the Mariners, Orioles and Royals, the standings will be close. Let’s start with the team to beat in the East. The Boston Red Sox’s transactions this off-season were efficient to their needs. With the addition of Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez, Boston’s offensive production will see a positive change. While playing for the Giants Sandoval’s numbers were nothing to write home about. He batted .279 with 16 home runs and 73 RBI’s. However, Fenway Park is a hitter’s field, with the “Green Monster” in left and the short porch in right and, therefore, may prove productive for Sandoval who played in a pitchers park, AT&T Park, his whole career. One trouble that Boston may encounter is their bullpen. Their bullpen lacks depth and a reliable closer, but their offense will carry them the rest of the season.

The AL Central is full of intimidating teams. The Central consist of the Tigers, Royals, Indians, White Sox, and Twins. In the end, the Tigers will be taking the Central once again. They lost important players like Max Scherzer and Austin Jackson, but in return gained Cuban slugger Yoenis Cespedes. With Miguel Cabrera leading their offense, the Tigers’ lineup will certainly intimidate any pitcher. They have the perfect combination of speed, power and contact in their lineup. David Price is leading the pitching rotation, for now, until Justin Verlander returns. With his numbers, Price proved why he deserves to be the number one pitcher in the rotation. Once Verlander returns from the DL, the Tigers will have the best one-two punch in the American League.

Every team in the AL West has an opportunity to be in first place…well, not every team, sorry Houston maybe next year. The Seattle Mariners will be the team to win the division. The last time the Mariners finished in first place was in 2001 with a record of 116-46. This year the Mariners are stacked with Robinson Cano at second base, Austin Jackson manning center field and, of course, Felix Hernandez controlling the mound. These Mariners represent some Mariner greats such as Bret Boone, Ken Griffey Jr., and Randy Johnson, some of the greatest to play the game. Hernandez is key to the Mariners’ rotation. If he can stay healthy I believe he will set the pace for the rest of the rotation this season.

The National League is a different type of competition. The NL proved their dominance last year through the Giants’ World Series win. Can the NL do it again?

The NL East is a division that was quiet last season; however, this year they will be making the most noise. The question is, “Who will come out on top?” Some may say the Nationals, or the Braves, or even the Phillies…scratch that, I meant the Marlins. However, it is the underdog that will take it all, The Mets, with Matt Harvey and ageless right-hander Bartolo Colon leading the rotation. Colon provides plenty of playoff experience that the Mets need. They also have healthy veteran David Wright playing third base and ready to have a productive season. Wright batted .269 with eight home runs and 63 RBI’s last season. Look for those numbers to nearly double this season. The Mets have a strong team that will take them far this season and into the playoffs.

The NL Central is a division where the teams are always exchanging places. At the end of the season the Cardinals will finish in first place. Ace Adam Wainwright looks to have a great season as he returns to the Cardinals healthy. Gold Glover Yadier Molina returns to catch after missing a few games last season due to injury as well. The Cardinals have a stellar outfield, starting with Matt Holliday in left, John Jay in center and Jason Heyward in right. Offensively and defensively these guys can produce, whether with the bat or glove. The Cardinals are a young team energized by a young manager in Mike Matheny. This is a team that wins by playing fundamental baseball.

Last but not least is the NL West. The reigning World Series Champs, the Giants, are most likely not going to return to the World Series and are not going to finish the season in first. Let’s cut to the chase, we all know the Dodgers are the best team in the West and National League. With a dominant pitching rotation, led by back-to-back Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw and 2009 winner Zack Greinke, the Dodgers will be fanning batters all night. As for offense, the lineup is full of veteran hitters. Look for Adrian Gonzalez to have a great season. He is likely to produce 20 or more home runs and lead the Dodgers to the playoffs.

Eastern’s lacrosse team is off to a phenomenal start. Despite the unbalanced weather, the Eagles are staying hot, rolling over the competition this season. In the season opener against Swarthmore College, the Eagles dominated winning 18-8. Eric Waibel, Grant Ferguson and David Darling accounted for 10 of the 18 goals. Senior goalie Nick DiPiano had 14 saves to help ensure the Eagles’ victory over Swarthmore. The Eagles were on a five-game winning streak when they played Gettysburg College (ranked no. 8). The Bullets won 15-9, putting a stop to the Eagles’ winning streak and improving their own record to 6-0. However, the Eagles rebounded, winning their next game against CNU 16-7. The Eagles will be 7-2 entering April and look to stay above the competition.

The key to the Eagles’ success has been their defense. In seven out of nine games the Eagles’ defense held the opposition in single digits. Senior Jordan Norris is a playmaker on defense, leading the team with 20 caused turnovers. Mark Cyron follows with 13 caused turnovers. Cyron also has 24 ground balls to add to his stats this season. Eagles’ goalie Nick DiPiano was acknowledged by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association as the Division III South Defensive Player of the Week after his superb game against Swarthmore.

As the season progresses, look for Darling and Ferguson to keep pushing the offense. Darling has 22 goals, and leads the team with 18 assists; he also leads the team with 40 points. All-time Eagles’ leading scorer Ferguson continues his scoring rampage in his final season. He leads the team with 24 goals. Desmond Decker has been playing well as he scored 5 goals in the past two games. Decker has 11 goals and 5 assists this season. Each of these players were noticed as Freedom Conference Player of the Week this season.

Coming into April hot, the Eagles will face King’s College (4/1), Ursinus College (4/4), Misericordia University (4/8), Manhattanville College (4/11), Delaware Valley College (4/15), Desales University (4/18), and FDU-Florham (4/21). Defender Nabig “Junior” Sakr states, “We are half way through the season now and stand at 7-2 and with the second half of the season starting with [Kings], we hope to go undefeated the rest of the season.” The Eagles will need to keep playing hard if they want to stay undefeated the rest of the season. The next seven games will not be easy victories. King’s comes to Eastern with a three-game winning streak after losing their first four games. A victory for King’s will put them at .500; however, the Eagles hope to deny them that opportunity.