Three-star safety commits to Panthers
Defensive back Javon McIntyre, who visited Pitt this past weekend with several of his Imhotep Institute teammates, verbally committed Monday.
A three-star safety, per Rivals, McIntyre is the third member of Pitt’s 2021 recruiting class, joining four-star West Mifflin defensive end Nahki Johnson and three-star running back Rodney Hammond.
McIntyre’s commitment is significant because not only is he a player with an impressive offer sheet, but he also fills a future need. Damar Hamlin will be out of eligibility after the 2020 season, and Paris Ford could leave for the NFL, too, after forgoing the draft this offseason.
More college football
Former Houston quarterback D’Eriq King, who played in four games for Houston last season, announced that he is transferring to Miami, which landed another graduate transfer in former Temple defensive end Quincy Roche.
Golf
Gaby Lopez ran in a 30-foot putt for birdie to defeat Nasa Hataoka in a seven-hole playoff at the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Lopez and Hataoki matched one another with five pars on the 197-yard 18th hole at Tranquilo Golf Club Sunday before darkness halted play. Monday, they played the hole twice more, tying the record for the LPGA’s fourth-longest playoff. The longest was 10 holes at the 1972 Corpus Christi Civitan Open.
Soccer
Riverhounds SC announced an initial sixgame preseason schedule that kicks off Feb. 9 against Villanova at Highmark Stadium. The Riverhounds also will play Penn State, Pitt, Akron and Loudoun United at home before finishing with a road game at Columbus Crew SC. All preseason matches at Highmark Stadium are free.
Baseball
Longtime Seattle Mariners ace Felix Hernandez reached a minor league deal with the Atlanta Braves. The right-hander would get a $1 million, one-year contract if added to Atlanta’s 40-man roster. Hernandez, who turns 34 in April, is coming off his worst season in the majors with a 1-8 record and a 6.40 ERA in 15 starts before losing his place in the rotation.
• The Pirates announced 11 additional non-roster invitees for spring training, which starts in about a month. That group includes pitchers Montana DuRapau, Luis Escobar, Williams Jerez, Tom Koehler, James Marvel, Nick Mears, Nik Turley and Blake Weiman; catchers Christian Kelley and Jason Delay; and outfielder Jared Oliva. Other Pirates non-roster invitees for spring training include pitchers Miguel Del Pozo and Hector Noesi; catcher John Ryan Murphy; infielders Jake Elmore and Phillip Evans; and outfielder Socrates Brito.