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Bobby Petrino has agreed to become the next offensive coordinator at Arkansas, and the two sides are finalizing the deal, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.

The former Razorbacks head coach is slated to be on campus in Fayetteville on Wednesday.

Petrino spent this season as the Texas A&M offensive coordinator but wasn’t retained by new coach Mike Elko after Jimbo Fisher was fired earlier this month. The Aggies defeated the Razorbacks 34-22 on Sept. 30.

Petrino’s return would mark a spectacular full-circle moment, as he left Arkansas in 2012 after being fired in the wake of a scandal that saw him hire his lover and mislead his bosses about their relationship. That all came to light after a motorcycle accident, and the story rocked the college sports world and ended Petrino’s career at Arkansas after he’d gone 21-5 the previous two seasons.

The hiring of Petrino is expected to require presidential approval, as he was fired for cause during his last stint there. In the school’s termination policy, it states that “an employee who has been dismissed for cause, or who has been designated by their campus or division as not eligible for re-hire shall not be eligible for reemployment within any of the University of Arkansas System’s campuses, units or divisions.”

Petrino was head coach at FCS Missouri State before taking the Texas A&M job, and Missouri State almost beat the Razorbacks during the 2022 season in Fayetteville. Arkansas rallied in the fourth quarter for a 38-27 win.

Petrino, 62, had been seriously considered by school officials leading up to the hire, and sources told ESPN that he had indicated in the recruiting space that he was in the mix for an SEC coordinator job.

Earlier this month, Arkansas elected to bring back head coach Sam Pittman amid a 4-7 season that ended with a loss to Missouri last week.

Over the past two decades, Petrino has developed a dual reputation as one of the sport’s most gifted playcallers and someone who has found controversy at nearly every stop. Since his firing at Arkansas, and in addition to Missouri State, he has worked at Western Kentucky and Louisville.

Petrino’s stay with the Aggies proved benign, as sources said he avoided staff strife and the Texas A&M offense played well, finishing No. 25 nationally in scoring.

Arkansas fired offensive coordinator Dan Enos in October during a puzzling season in which Pittman’s name continued to surface on lists of coaches on the hot seat.

The school would have owed Pittman more than $16 million, and athletic director Hunter Yurachek said in a statement that it wasn’t the “season that any of us anticipated.”

The allure of Petrino the tactician is undeniable. He coached Lamar Jackson in his Heisman Trophy-winning season in 2016 with the Cardinals, and has long been regarded as a high-end playcaller, as his final two seasons at Arkansas ended in trips to the Sugar Bowl and Cotton Bowl.

Petrino’s off-field issues outside of his spiral at the end of his Arkansas tenure included a secret meeting with Auburn officials in 2003 that backfired when it was revealed publicly because coach Tommy Tuberville still had his job. Petrino quit his NFL head-coaching job with the Atlanta Falcons after 13 games to take the Arkansas job and left a note for the players in the locker room.

After his stint at Missouri State, he left for the offensive coordinator job at UNLV, only to leave for Texas A&M a few weeks later.

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Panthers’ Luostarinen ejected after check in 1st

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Panthers' Luostarinen ejected after check in 1st

SUNRISE, Fla. — Florida Panthers forward Eetu Luostarinen was ejected from Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals after a boarding major against forward Jackson Blake of the Carolina Hurricanes.

With 3:01 left in the first period, Blake was chasing the puck back in his own zone with Luostarinen behind him. As Luostarinen reached out with his stick, Blake stopped short of the boards and Luostarinen hit through him. Luostarinen drove Blake’s head into the boards, bloodying the Carolina forward.

The on-ice officials gave Luostarinen a five-minute major and then reviewed the hit. They confirmed the call on the ice. Per NHL Rule 41.5, when a major penalty for boarding is called, a game misconduct is automatic. A major penalty for boarding is determined by “the degree of violence of the impact with the boards.”

Luostarinen was tied for the team lead with 13 points entering Game 3, with 4 goals and 9 assists. He scored 12 of those points on the road. Blake returned to action in the second period.

The Panthers lead the series 2-0 and had a 1-0 lead in Game 3 when the major penalty was called.

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Fantasy baseball: What to expect from Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer

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Fantasy baseball: What to expect from Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer

Boston Red Sox SS prospect Marcelo Mayer is getting the call to the major leagues, as starting 3B Alex Bregman (calf) is headed to the injured list. Fantasy managers should not expect Mayer, 22, to replace Bregman’s excellent numbers (.938 OPS), but he should see opportunity for playing time over the likes of Nick Sogard and Abraham Toro. Mayer is an excellent defensive shortstop, but he has played second base and third base at Triple-A Worcester as well this season.

Ranked No. 6 in Kiley McDaniels’ recently updated top 50 prospect rankings, Mayer hit .265/.342/.465 over 43 games and 193 plate appearances at Triple-A, with 9 home runs, 43 RBI and 2 stolen bases. The No. 4 pick in the 2021 amateur draft, Mayer hits left-handed, makes solid contact and drew a 10.4% walk rate this season. There is power upside, but as with most prospects, fantasy managers should keep initial expectations well in check.

Everyone loves the prospects until they reach the majors and alter their narrative (as most do). Chicago Cubs rookie IF Matt Shaw struggled earlier this season and was sent back to Triple-A, though he has returned to the majors. Arizona Diamondbacks SS Jordan Lawlar remains hitless in the majors this season. New Red Sox teammate Kristian Campbell is hitting .225 with a 27% strikeout rate. Hitting big league pitching can be problematic even for long-time veterans. In ESPN’s shallow standard leagues, with no middle infield spot and only nine active hitting spots, it is tough to make an argument to rush out and add Mayer. At the time of the promotion announcement, he was available in 94% of ESPN standard leagues.

Those needing to replace Bregman at third base should look at the Texas RangersJosh Jung and Jake Burger, and the Philadelphia PhilliesAlec Bohm, proven players with job security. For those looking at adding Mayer as their shortstop, Angels star Zach Neto somehow remains available in 71% of leagues, and he certainly comes recommended over Mayer, as does Colorado Rockies starter Ezequiel Tovar. Mayer will likely hit near the bottom of the Boston lineup. If he hits well, he might move up, and he might keep his roster spot even when Bregman returns to health.

It is exciting when one of the top prospects in the sport earns a promotion, but hitting a baseball against top pitching can be challenging for all. Those in deeper formats can make a better case to add Mayer and hope for the best.

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Sources: Red Sox call up heralded prospect Mayer

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Sources: Red Sox call up heralded prospect Mayer

The Boston Red Sox are calling up infielder Marcelo Mayer, the No. 6 prospect in baseball and a central part of their future who they hope can play a role in their push for a postseason berth this year, sources told ESPN.

Mayer, 22, who has excelled at shortstop as he ascended through the Red Sox’s farm system after they took him with the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft, is likely to get playing time with All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman expected to land on the injured list after leaving Friday’s game with right quadriceps tightness.

At Triple-A Worcester, where Mayer was hitting .271/.347/.471 with nine home runs and 43 RBIs in 43 games, he played four games at third base. Mayer also could see time at shortstop, with Trevor Story in a profound monthlong slump.

The arrival of Mayer marks the second of Boston’s big three prospects, with Kristian Campbell earning the second-base job in spring training. After a hot start, Campbell has slumped likewise and is hitting .225/.321/.369. The third of the group, outfielder Roman Anthony, is the No. 1 prospect in MLB, according to ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel, and is hitting .323/.455/.513 with six home runs and 18 RBIs at Triple-A.

The loss of Bregman, who is hitting .299/.385/.553 in his first year with the Red Sox, takes an MVP-caliber bat out of a lineup that has struggled. The Red Sox lost first baseman Triston Casas for the season to a ruptured tendon in his left knee and have struggled to find a productive fill-in, amplifying calls for the team to reach into its significant minor league depth.

Boston has taken Mayer’s development slowly, with injuries limiting him to 91 games in 2022, 78 games in 2023 and 77 games last year. He is a career .273/.360/.466 hitter in 315 minor league games and projects to be a middle-of-the-order bat and Boston’s long-term solution at shortstop.

Bregman’s contract includes an opt-out after the 2025 season, opening the possibility of a shift to third for Mayer. At 6-foor-3 and 190 pounds, he has both the size and the arm strength typically sought for the position. But his glove at shortstop is regarded as above average, and Boston could opt to move Story off the position for Mayer or Ceddanne Rafaela, who also plays center field for the Red Sox.

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