A field of their own | Sports Daily Newsletter

The Northeast High softball team plays its home games at Jardel Recreation Center, about a half mile away from the school’s campus.

The Vikings will gather their equipment in athletic director Philip Gormley’s car. He’ll drive their bat bags and helmets to the field, while the team walks together with coach Alexa Bell along busy Cottman Avenue to get to their games.

The Vikings are used to it and don’t mind, because until two years ago, they competed on a makeshift diamond on the school’s junior varsity soccer field, where they still hold their practices.

The program has never had a field to call its own, but that could change.

The Northeast Alumni Association has been raising private funding to build a softball field and revitalize the baseball field, which is in poor condition. Last spring, the School District of Philadelphia approved the allocation of funds for the project.

It would mark the first supersite for softball and baseball in the Public League. However, it’s been a slow moving process, which is why many members aren’t getting their hopes up until they see a shovel hit the ground.

— Isabella DiAmore, @phillysport, [email protected].

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❓ Which position should the Eagles target in the first round of the draft and why? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

On Monday, when Phillies manager Rob Thomson held Brandon Marsh out of the starting lineup to give him a breather, the struggling outfielder had three separate batting practice sessions with hitting coach Kevin Long. Thomson initially expected to give him three games off, but he reevaluated after Marsh’s good day of work with Long. After checking in with both, Thomson felt as if Marsh had returned to a good headspace, and penciled him back in the nine-hole on Tuesday.

Marsh was hitless in his return, but Alec Bohm delivered his first RBI hit since opening day in the Phillies’ 6-4 win over the Giants.

And don’t miss this week’s Phillies Extra. Scott Lauber sat down with Phillies newcomer Jesús Luzardo, who’s gotten off to a strong start on the mound and off the field with his charity work.

Next: The Phillies continue their series with San Francisco at 6:45 tonight (NBCSP). Aaron Nola (0-3, 5.51 ERA) will start against Giants left-hander Robbie Ray (3-0, 2.93).

While the Super Bowl champion Eagles are slated to pick in the last slot of the first round — No. 32 overall — they are going into this year’s draft with a total of eight picks through the first five rounds. Howie Roseman has been in this position before. In 2018, the general manager traded out of No. 32 and ended up having a great draft. Will he follow a similar path this year?

Also, the Eagles Autism Foundation, which officially launched in 2019, set a fundraising record in 2024 with $8.1 million, and is already on pace to surpass it this year.

Jared McCain was one of the 76ers’ few bright spots before his season was ended by a meniscus tear in his left knee that required surgery. And while he spent much of his rookie season on the sidelines, McCain’s sunny disposition never changed. That much was obvious as he shared TikTok posts to his 4.7 million followers. It was also true when he came to the podium for exit interviews. And, fortunately, McCain came with positive news. He’s back on the court for limited drills, and now heads into his first professional offseason with a simple goal: to get fully healthy.

Devin Kaplan, a third-round pick by the Flyers in 2022, and Alex Bump, a fifth-rounder in that same draft, have formed a strong friendship over the past couple of years. The two recently faced off in the Frozen Four, when Bump’s Western Michigan team beat Kaplan and Boston University for the national title, and they’ll share the ice together again soon. On Tuesday, both signed three-year, entry-level contracts with the Flyers.

And speaking of the Frozen Four, after David Carle’s University of Denver hockey team was eliminated in this year’s semifinals, many wonder what’s next for the accomplished coach, who has won two NCAA titles and two World Junior golds in the past three years. Maybe an NHL coaching job with the Flyers could be on the horizon for the 35-year-old?

The Flyers’ last game at the Wells Fargo Center this season resulted in a 3-0 shut out loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Who was the last Phillie to lead the National League in saves?

A. Steve Bedrosian with 40 saves in 1987. Michael W. was first with the correct answer.

We asked: How can the Sixers turn it around next season? Among your responses:

Sell the team. The two most successful local franchises have committed owners who really care. The Sixers have private equity billionaires who spent more time this season on a fantasy building project in Market East than on the product on the floor. And Morey really needs to move on. He keeps building the team in the model of the 2000s NBA, and that just won’t cut it. Embiid isn’t David Robinson, nor is he Tim Duncan. — Joel G.

The only guy I feel bad for is Nurse. Hired to coach a team led by superstars, instead led by secondary players, cause the “superstars “are always hurt. Oh well. For 8.5 million do the best you can. Maybe you can hire some of the people laid off by the VA to help. — Bill M.

The best thing the Sixers can do is to fire the entire front office. Giving big money to two players who are always injured is egregious. It will be years before they have a competitive team. How long will they continue to scam the Sixers fans? The greatest move would be to have new ownership. — David P.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Scott Lauber, Isabella DiAmore, Olivia Reiner, Lochlahn March, Gina Mizell, Jackie Spiegel, Gabriela Carroll, Katie Lewis, and Jonathan Tannenwald.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

Thanks for reading! Have a great week, Philly. Kerith will be in your inbox for tomorrow’s newsletter. — Bella