The BulleTin • Friday, January 29, 2021 B5
Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2021
TODAY
SATURDAY
TONIGHT
HIGH
44°
LOW
29°
Mostly cloudy
ALMANAC
TUESDAY
TEMPERATURE
Yesterday Normal
Record
46°
42° 66° in 1931
27°
25° -15° in 1980
PRECIPITATION
24 hours through 5 p.m. yesterday
Trace
Record
0.66" in 1954
Month to date (normal)
0.64" (1.41")
Year to date (normal)
0.64" (1.41")
Barometric pressure at 4 p.m.
29.65"
SUN, MOON AND PLANETS
Rise/Set
Today
Sat.
Sun
7:26am/5:11pm 7:25am/5:13pm
Moon
6:22pm/8:25am 7:36pm/8:56am
Mercury 8:02am/6:39pm 7:56am/6:36pm
Venus
6:48am/3:58pm 6:48am/4:00pm
Mars
10:54am/1:13am 10:52am/1:12am
Jupiter
7:28am/5:05pm 7:25am/5:02pm
Saturn
7:14am/4:42pm 7:11am/4:39pm
Uranus 10:53am/12:46am 10:49am/12:43am
Last
New
First
Full
Feb 4
Feb 11
Feb 19
Feb 27
Tonight's sky: The Little Dipper stands in the
north tonight and every night. The star at the
tip of its handle is Polaris, the North Star.
Source: Jim Todd, OMSI
UV INDEX TODAY
10 a.m.
Noon
2 p.m.
4 p.m.
1
1
1
0
The higher the AccuWeather.com UV Index ™ number,
the greater the need for eye and skin protection. 0-2 Low,
3-5 Moderate; 6-7 High; 8-10 Very High; 11+ Extreme.
ROAD CONDITONS
For web cameras of our passes, go to
www.bendbulletin.com/webcams
I-84 at Cabbage Hill: Cloudy and chilly today
into tonight with a fl urry or two.
US 20 at Santiam Pass: Partly to mostly
cloudy Friday with a few snow showers.
US 26 at Gov't Camp: Mostly cloudy and chilly
Friday with a few snow showers.
US 26 at Ochoco Divide: Partly to mostly
cloudy with a light rain or snow shower.
ORE 58 at Willamette Pass: Mostly cloudy
and chilly Friday with a few snow showers.
Snow moving in later Friday night.
ORE 138 at Diamond Lake: Chilly today with
plenty of clouds and a few snow showers.
SKI REPORT
44°
29°
41°
19°
Cloudy with a little rain in
the afternoon
Cloudy with a bit of snow;
ice at night
Morning fl urries; otherwise,
mainly cloudy
EAST: Cloudy to partly
sunny and chilly Friday
with a few fl urries.
Partly cloudy and cold
Friday night.
Astoria
46/40
Hood
River
NATIONAL WEATHER
-0s
0s
10s
20s
30s
40s
50s
60s
Base
0-46
0-57
42-49
73-77
82-126
26-48
0-95
48-80
28-41
80-110
0-96
32-36
66-77
70s
80s
90s
100s
110s
NATIONAL
EXTREMES
YESTERDAY (for the
Yesterday
City
Hi/Lo/Prec.
Abilene
56/29/0.00
Akron
23/20/0.08
Albany
21/17/0.03
Albuquerque
45/23/0.00
Anchorage
22/10/0.06
Atlanta
47/34/0.00
Atlantic City
34/29/0.00
Austin
56/32/0.00
Baltimore
37/32/0.00
Billings
45/19/0.00
Birmingham
48/35/0.00
Bismarck
22/5/0.00
Boise
52/41/Tr
Boston
31/29/0.20
Bridgeport, CT 34/30/0.00
Buffalo
20/16/0.01
Burlington, VT
23/18/0.03
Caribou, ME
28/23/0.05
Charleston, SC 53/44/0.02
Charlotte
48/37/0.51
Chattanooga
44/34/Tr
Cheyenne
49/17/0.00
Chicago
26/8/0.00
Cincinnati
30/19/0.04
Cleveland
23/21/0.06
Colorado Springs 54/11/0.01
Columbia, MO
35/12/0.00
Columbia, SC
53/41/0.04
Columbus, GA
53/37/0.00
Columbus, OH
25/20/Tr
Concord, NH
31/26/0.07
Corpus Christi
61/44/0.00
Dallas
49/28/0.00
Dayton
29/19/Tr
Denver
56/15/0.03
Des Moines
26/0/0.00
Detroit
23/16/Tr
Duluth
13/-15/Tr
El Paso
62/35/0.00
Fairbanks
-1/-26/0.00
Fargo
20/9/0.02
Flagstaff
48/10/0.00
Grand Rapids
24/16/0.07
Green Bay
19/-1/0.00
Greensboro
38/32/0.57
Harrisburg
35/28/Tr
Hartford, CT
31/26/0.00
Helena
49/25/0.00
Honolulu
78/72/0.03
Houston
62/39/0.00
Huntsville
44/32/0.00
Indianapolis
32/18/0.02
Jackson, MS
52/38/0.00
Jacksonville
57/48/0.00
Today
Hi/Lo/W
63/53/pc
25/15/c
13/0/pc
55/31/pc
22/9/sn
52/33/s
29/20/s
67/58/pc
34/21/pc
42/27/pc
54/34/s
28/22/c
43/31/r
19/10/sf
22/12/pc
18/11/sf
11/3/sf
18/4/c
49/30/s
47/25/s
49/30/s
51/29/pc
29/24/pc
33/21/s
25/18/sf
55/28/pc
46/35/pc
50/26/s
56/33/s
30/17/s
17/4/pc
69/62/pc
60/53/pc
31/19/s
57/31/s
34/30/pc
26/13/s
22/19/c
68/44/c
-2/-10/c
25/22/c
34/16/sn
27/14/pc
26/19/pc
42/22/s
31/21/pc
18/6/s
39/25/c
80/71/sh
63/55/pc
51/31/s
34/23/s
59/41/s
57/36/s
Amsterdam
Athens
Auckland
Baghdad
Bangkok
Beijing
Beirut
Berlin
Bogota
Budapest
Buenos Aires
Cabo San Lucas
Cairo
Calgary
Cancun
Dublin
Edinburgh
Geneva
Harare
Hong Kong
Istanbul
Jerusalem
Johannesburg
Lima
Lisbon
London
Madrid
Manila
49/31/r
58/49/pc
69/57/pc
70/46/pc
90/74/pc
32/10/s
58/55/r
33/27/sn
69/42/t
43/38/r
83/74/t
79/57/pc
62/49/pc
23/8/s
75/69/pc
49/36/pc
40/32/r
50/40/r
75/64/t
66/58/s
48/45/pc
47/44/sh
69/63/c
75/67/pc
60/54/pc
52/38/r
61/48/pc
82/73/pc
Saturday
Hi/Lo/W
69/40/s
32/26/pc
15/-4/s
48/25/pc
18/0/c
54/45/pc
34/22/s
77/47/pc
38/23/s
41/24/c
58/52/c
29/13/c
47/31/c
22/9/s
27/13/s
21/12/c
11/-3/pc
14/4/pc
54/44/s
48/37/pc
52/44/pc
40/23/pc
34/30/pc
40/33/pc
32/27/pc
47/19/pc
45/33/r
52/40/pc
60/49/pc
35/29/pc
18/0/s
79/55/pc
72/41/pc
37/29/pc
47/22/pc
35/27/r
29/25/pc
27/24/c
60/33/s
-4/-14/c
28/18/sn
37/15/pc
29/24/pc
32/26/c
43/31/pc
35/22/s
21/3/s
41/23/c
81/71/s
72/54/c
54/47/c
38/32/sn
63/54/c
64/50/s
City
Juneau
Kansas City
Lansing
Las Vegas
Lexington
Lincoln
Little Rock
Los Angeles
Louisville
Madison, WI
Memphis
Miami
Milwaukee
Minneapolis
Nashville
New Orleans
New York City
Newark, NJ
Norfolk, VA
Oklahoma City
Omaha
Orlando
Palm Springs
Peoria
Philadelphia
Phoenix
Pittsburgh
Portland, ME
Providence
Raleigh
Rapid City
Reno
Richmond
Rochester, NY
Sacramento
St. Louis
Salt Lake City
San Antonio
San Diego
San Francisco
San Jose
Santa Fe
Savannah
Seattle
Sioux Falls
Spokane
Springfi eld, MO
Tampa
Tucson
Tulsa
Washington, DC
Wichita
Yakima
Yuma
Yesterday
Hi/Lo/Prec.
22/11/0.00
34/18/0.00
22/15/Tr
54/40/0.00
27/18/0.06
28/9/0.00
42/31/0.00
65/46/0.00
33/22/0.07
20/-7/Tr
44/30/0.00
76/70/Tr
24/9/Tr
21/9/0.00
40/30/0.03
57/43/0.00
34/27/Tr
35/28/0.15
39/33/0.14
47/19/0.00
28/7/0.00
64/56/0.00
65/43/0.00
29/8/0.00
34/28/0.00
73/47/0.00
24/20/0.02
31/27/0.02
33/31/0.02
39/33/0.88
51/12/0.00
38/32/0.45
40/30/0.01
18/15/0.03
50/48/0.62
32/14/0.00
49/26/Tr
57/38/0.00
64/46/0.00
54/50/0.49
51/49/1.30
47/14/0.00
58/43/0.00
47/39/0.33
25/11/Tr
38/28/Tr
40/26/0.00
69/56/0.17
72/50/0.00
45/30/0.00
37/32/Tr
38/19/0.00
42/30/0.05
66/46/0.00
Today
Hi/Lo/W
31/27/sn
47/39/s
24/9/s
52/36/sh
35/21/s
37/32/pc
52/40/pc
56/44/t
38/27/s
25/20/pc
52/40/pc
70/60/pc
29/26/pc
26/23/c
47/30/s
61/50/s
23/16/pc
25/15/pc
37/28/s
56/48/pc
36/32/pc
64/45/s
58/43/sh
34/27/s
29/18/s
63/45/sh
25/16/sf
22/8/sn
19/9/sf
41/20/s
44/22/c
38/20/c
38/20/s
15/11/sf
54/39/pc
41/32/s
44/31/c
64/58/pc
59/47/r
55/44/pc
56/39/pc
51/30/pc
54/33/s
46/40/pc
32/29/c
37/30/c
49/38/s
65/48/s
68/41/c
56/48/pc
36/24/pc
52/43/pc
42/30/pc
63/40/pc
Saturday
Hi/Lo/W
34/22/sf
47/31/r
28/23/pc
53/37/s
44/36/pc
38/27/r
59/43/r
59/47/s
45/39/r
32/27/c
57/48/r
72/66/pc
34/29/c
32/25/sn
52/46/r
72/63/c
29/17/s
30/16/s
38/29/s
63/33/c
39/27/sn
70/54/pc
64/45/s
37/32/sn
33/21/s
61/42/pc
31/25/pc
22/6/s
24/7/s
43/30/pc
37/22/c
39/23/pc
41/26/pc
18/7/c
56/43/c
43/37/r
41/23/c
74/49/pc
62/44/s
56/48/c
58/44/c
43/20/pc
59/47/s
48/43/sh
33/24/sn
41/34/sn
51/34/r
72/57/pc
59/38/s
62/36/r
40/29/s
50/30/r
43/34/sh
64/42/s
91/70/0.00
68/48/0.00
19/14/0.18
37/27/0.40
81/57/0.00
79/68/0.00
65/45/0.00
54/39/0.04
13/5/0.00
10/8/0.11
58/46/0.25
95/78/0.00
54/32/0.02
84/61/0.00
87/66/0.00
27/25/0.19
34/27/0.04
50/37/0.00
85/77/0.07
28/12/0.22
72/64/0.27
58/57/0.06
63/51/0.49
47/42/0.31
18/8/0.00
45/36/0.12
40/27/0.35
34/28/0.16
81/58/s
71/49/pc
11/-3/pc
35/23/sn
82/58/s
70/60/c
65/44/s
41/31/pc
16/-2/pc
8/-5/s
53/44/c
92/79/pc
62/43/sh
76/61/c
89/70/pc
33/22/sn
27/15/s
48/37/s
86/76/c
27/11/sn
74/70/r
63/57/c
61/55/sh
49/34/s
19/8/c
44/39/c
47/42/r
31/23/c
82/60/s
74/50/s
11/-4/s
28/22/c
82/58/c
72/64/c
66/44/pc
47/36/pc
15/6/pc
9/-5/s
54/40/r
91/79/s
61/51/sh
71/59/r
91/73/pc
31/20/sn
45/18/sf
58/47/pc
84/76/t
16/8/sn
82/72/pc
71/57/s
64/57/pc
46/36/s
20/12/pc
45/41/r
50/30/pc
30/21/sn
INTERNATIONAL
48 contiguous states)
National high: 78°
at Hollywood, FL
National low: -37°
at Cotton, MN
Precipitation: 2.84"
at Lompoc, CA
T-storms
Cloudy with a bit of rain in
the afternoon
NATIONAL
Yesterday
Today Saturday
Yesterday
Today Saturday
Yesterday
Today Saturday
City
Hi/Lo/Prec. Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W
City
Hi/Lo/Prec. Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W
City
Hi/Lo/Prec. Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W
Astoria
49/39/0.01 46/40/pc 47/43/r
La Grande
43/36/0.00 44/30/c 44/37/c
Portland
46/39/0.25 47/42/c 50/45/sh
Baker City
42/37/Tr
43/28/c 41/32/c
La Pine
41/30/0.02 39/28/pc 41/32/c
Prineville
45/36/0.00 45/29/pc 41/39/c
Brookings
46/40/0.30 47/42/sh 50/47/r
Medford
44/32/0.16 46/36/c 52/41/c
Redmond
47/28/0.00 44/29/pc 47/37/c
Burns
37/25/0.31 37/24/c 39/24/c
Newport
48/37/0.08 46/41/pc 48/45/r
Roseburg
45/38/0.47 49/41/c 52/45/c
Salem
47/41/0.11 46/41/c 48/45/sh
Eugene
47/38/0.27 48/41/c 51/45/sh
North Bend
49/41/0.02 49/43/pc 52/46/r
Sisters
44/25/0.04 45/26/pc 47/36/c
Klamath Falls
40/29/0.05 38/30/c 41/33/c
Ontario
51/37/0.05 47/31/sn 48/32/c
The Dalles
48/34/0.01 47/35/c 47/37/r
Lakeview
37/26/0.17 34/27/c 37/23/sf
Pendleton
51/38/Tr
43/35/c 55/47/c
Weather(W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice, Tr-trace, Yesterday data as of 5 p.m. yesterday
-10s
Sun and areas of low
clouds
42°
22°
TRAVEL WEATHER
Umatilla
47/35
Rufus
Hermiston
46/35
47/35
48/36
Arlington
Hillsboro Portland
Meacham Lostine
47/34
45/40 47/42
42/29
Wasco
41/26 Enterprise
Pendleton
The Dalles
CENTRAL: Partly to
Tillamook
40/24
45/33
43/35
Sandy
47/35
McMinnville
47/41
mostly cloudy Friday
Joseph
Heppner
La
Grande
44/40
Maupin
Government
45/42
with a few scattered
44/30
40/24
Camp
46/32 Condon 44/36
Union
Lincoln City
fl urries. Mainly dry
41/31
37/31
43/30
Salem
46/42
Spray
and cold at night.
Granite
Warm Springs
46/41
Madras
44/32
Albany
41/27
Newport
Baker City
46/28
48/30
Mitchell
46/41
46/41
43/28
WEST: Mostly cloudy
Camp Sherman
40/31
Redmond
Corvallis
John
Unity
and cool Friday. Peri- Yachats
45/28
44/29
46/39
Day
Prineville
44/25
ods of rain and areas 45/41
Ontario
Sisters
45/29
Paulina
41/29
47/31
of fog Friday night into Florence
Eugene 45/26
Bend Brothers 36/27
Vale
Saturday.
48/43
48/41
44/29
36/26
Sunriver
48/32
Nyssa
42/28
Hampton
Cottage
La Pine
48/33
Juntura
Oakridge
Grove
39/28
36/25
OREGON EXTREMES Coos Bay
Burns
41/27
46/37
49/42
Fort
Rock
49/42
37/24
Riley
YESTERDAY
Crescent
39/26
35/26
High: 51°
39/28
Bandon
Roseburg
Christmas Valley
Jordan Valley
at Ontario
Beaver
Frenchglen
Silver
49/44
49/41
38/26
38/27
Low: 18°
Marsh
Lake
38/27
Port Orford
37/26
39/27
at Crater Lake
Grants
Burns Junction
Paisley
48/45
Pass
43/28
Chiloquin
38/29
46/40
Rome
Medford
39/31
Gold Beach
46/36
45/29
47/44
Klamath
Fields
Ashland
McDermitt
Lakeview
Falls
Brookings
39/24
46/38
38/30
38/24
47/42
34/27
Seaside
46/40
Cannon Beach
45/41
THURSDAY
40°
20°
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
In inches as of 5 p.m. yesterday
Ski resort
New snow
Anthony Lakes Mtn
0
Hoodoo Ski Area
3
Mt. Ashland
11
Mt. Bachelor
3
Mt. Hood Meadows
0
Mt. Hood Ski Bowl
3
Timberline Lodge
2
Willamette Pass
6
Aspen / Snowmass, CO
1
Mammoth Mtn. Ski, CA
45
Squaw Valley, CA
28
Park City Mountain, UT
2
Sun Valley, ID
25
WEDNESDAY
OREGON WEATHER
Bend Municipal Airport through 5 p.m. yest.
High
Low
MONDAY
48°
37°
45°
38°
Considerable clouds with a
bit of snow
Periods of clouds and sun
SUNDAY
Shown are today’s noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.
Rain
Showers
Snow
Flurries
Ice
Warm Front
Stationary Front
Cold Front
Source: OnTheSnow.com
43/39/1.03
48/34/0.00
75/65/0.12
70/59/0.02
93/77/0.00
28/14/0.00
60/52/0.29
39/32/0.01
70/41/0.00
38/16/0.24
80/74/0.22
79/56/0.00
64/55/0.00
10/3/0.12
83/75/0.18
54/46/0.28
39/37/0.76
54/36/0.91
74/61/0.27
73/61/0.00
41/34/0.14
53/45/0.08
68/56/0.61
80/64/0.00
59/53/0.01
55/47/0.78
56/46/0.00
83/75/0.07
37/25/c
65/48/pc
74/56/pc
61/41/pc
91/72/s
44/12/s
63/57/r
34/20/sn
69/43/pc
51/31/pc
76/66/t
79/56/s
67/55/s
32/18/pc
78/73/c
39/35/r
40/28/c
46/41/r
75/63/t
67/60/s
49/45/sh
52/47/pc
72/61/c
74/67/pc
59/52/c
40/33/r
55/43/pc
80/71/s
Mecca
Mexico City
Montreal
Moscow
Nairobi
Nassau
New Delhi
Osaka
Oslo
Ottawa
Paris
Rio de Janeiro
Rome
Santiago
Sao Paulo
Sapporo
Seoul
Shanghai
Singapore
Stockholm
Sydney
Taipei City
Tel Aviv
Tokyo
Toronto
Vancouver
Vienna
Warsaw
COLLEGE FOOTBALL | SENIOR BOWL
Players who opted out look to shake off rust
BY JOHN ZENOR
Associated Press
MOBILE, Ala. — Former
Wake Forest quarterback Ja-
mie Newman hasn’t played in
a game in about 400 days since
first switching schools and
then opting out of the 2020
season.
Newman is hardly alone
among the players trying to
shake off the rust after long
layoffs leading up to Saturday’s
Senior Bowl for senior NFL
prospects.
A number of the Senior
Bowl players had shortened
seasons or none at all because
of the coronavirus pandemic.
Some chose to opt out of the
season and start preparing for
the draft — including New-
man, Michigan wide receiver
Nico Collins and Washing-
ton defensive tackle Levi On-
wuzurike.
Others had their seasons
postponed to spring or their
teams played few games, if any.
The lack of 2020 game film
makes this week, and Satur-
day’s game, more important
than usual.
Beavers
Continued from B3
“That was unacceptable,”
said Canham, the one-time
Beavers All-American catcher
who is entering his second sea-
son as coach. “It really made
us look at the mirror and think
about what we wanted to be. In
the end, I think, it just makes
this team hungry now.”
The good news, Canham
said, is that his team had an in-
spiring week of practice after
the debacle, fueled in part by a
players’ meeting, and seemed
poised to turn things around.
“We now realize that, at
any given moment, things can
change,” Claunch said. “And
we realize there are still a lot
of questions with this sea-
son. We’ve grown a lot closer
through all this, we’ve spent
a lot more time together, and
guys are just really looking to
take advantage of the moment.
“If there ever was a year
when playing in the game was
important, it would be this
year to see how you play with
the bullets flying,” said Caro-
lina Panthers and American
team head coach Matt Rhule.
“What do you do?”
It will be Newman’s first live
game action since the Pinstripe
Bowl against Michigan State
on Dec. 27, 2019. He passed
for 2,868 yards and 26 touch-
downs against 11 interceptions
that season.
Then Newman captured
considerable headlines by
transferring to Southeastern
Conference power Georgia,
where he was expected to start
before choosing to opt out of
the season.
“There was definitely some
rust,” Newman said.
He said his family’s input
was the biggest factor in his de-
cision to opt out despite some
criticism from Georiga fans on
social media.
“No regrets of not playing
this season,” Newman said.
One American team team-
mate praised Newman’s prac-
It’s not about the next game be-
cause the next game might not
happen. We’re just appreciating
the moment.”
At the moment, the Beavers
are scheduled to play their next
game Feb. 19, and they say it’s
the first step toward their an-
nual goal of winning another
College World Series title. At
the very least, Oregon State is
littered with talent and depth.
Abel, the World Series star
and freshman of the year in
2018, is back after a two-year
recovery from Tommy John
surgery. He’s 10-1 with a 3.04
ERA and 133 strikeouts over
97⅔ innings during his college
career.
He will anchor a formidable
rotation that also features vet-
eran right-handers Jake Pfen-
nigs (2-2, 3.57 ERA in 2020)
and Nate Burns (0-1, 4.66).
Left-hander Cooper Hjerpe
and hard-throwing right-
hander Will Frisch, who com-
tice week.
“I think he’s shown that he
can play with some of the best
people in the country,” said
Texas A&M quarterback Kel-
len Mond. “I feel like he’s been
super efficient both in the run
and the pass game.”
There are number of players
at the Senior Bowl returning
after a long absences from the
field.
Sage Surratt, a former Wake
Forest teammate of Newman,
also opted out of the season af-
ter racking up 1,001 receiving
yards in nine games in 2019.
Collins also sat out after hav-
ing 37 catches for 729 yards
and seven touchdowns in 2019.
Collins faced questions about
his rationale from some NFL
teams.
“I came back for my senior
year and they ended up cancel-
ing the season (opener) against
Purdue and nobody could tell
me or knew the next time we
would play, and I felt like I was
in No Man’s Land,” Collins ex-
plained. “So I sat down with
my family and had to make a
business decision.”
Florida State safety Ham-
sah Nasirildeen only played in
two games after attempting to
return from a knee injury sus-
tained in November 2019.
A number of small-school
prospects had their seasons
moved to the spring, not opti-
mal for players preparing for
the draft.
That group at the Senior
Bowl includes offensive line-
men Dillon Radunz (North
Dakota State), David Moore
(Grambling State), Quinn
Meinerz (Wisconsin-White-
water) and Spencer Brown
(Northern Iowa), along with
Northern Iowa defensive line-
man Elerson Smith.
Arizona State wide receiver
Frank Darby was expecting
to finally be the go-to receiver
but only recorded stats (six
catches) in two games, missing
one game with an injury and
the finale because of a fam-
ily issue. The Sun Devils have
had receivers — N’Keal Harry
and Brandon Aiyuk — drafted
in each of the past two first
rounds.
Darby trained in Las Vegas
Nati Harnik/AP file
Oregon State’s Kevin Abel (23) works against Arkansas during Game 3
of the 2018 College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. Abel, one of the
team’s CWS heroes during the 2018 title run, is eager to prove doubters
wrong in 2021.
bined to strike out 28 batters in
22⅓ innings as freshmen last
season, also will be in the mix.
Jake Mulholland, who vac-
illated between the rotation
and bullpen last season, is ex-
pected to return to his roots
as the Beavers’ closer. He went
3-3 with eight saves and a 1.93
ERA in 2019.
Matthew Hinton/AP
American Team quarterback Jamie Newman of Wake Forest (7) throws
during Senior Bowl practice in Mobile, Alabama, on Wednesday. Se-
niors who opted out of the 2020 season due to the pandemic are shak-
ing off the rust to play in the Senior Bowl in preparation for the 2021
NFL draft.
for the Senior Bowl and the
now-canceled combine.
“A lot of things are clicking
back,” said Darby, who aver-
aged 19.9 yards per reception
with eight touchdown catches
in 2019. “It’s kind of like riding
a bicycle. You haven’t ridden in
a long time but once you get on
it, you might fall a little bit to
start off, but after you get going
you get going.”
Rhule believes it was a smart
decision for these players to
participate in the Senior Bowl,
no matter how rusty they
might have been. He still wants
to hear the reasons behind any
decisions to opt out.
“I think opting out is just like
transferring to me,” Rhule said.
“It’s just like any other personal
decision. I just always want to
understand why. COVID has
affected everyone so differently
that I’m not here to judge any-
one on their reaction to it. But
it’s always big decisions.”
But it’s the return of Abel,
who pitched a two-hit shut-
out against Arkansas to close
out the Beavers’ World Se-
ries title three years ago, that
pushes this staff from good
to potentially great. Abel has
been cleared for full pitching
activities since July and said he
“couldn’t be happier with how
my rehab went.”
The offense loses Alex Mc-
Garry, who signed with the
Cincinnati Reds as an unre-
stricted free agent. But it re-
turns everybody else, includ-
ing outfielder Kyler McMahan
— who batted .439 and led the
Beavers in hits (25), runs (11),
doubles (six), and slugging per-
centage (.544) last season — in-
fielders Jake Dukart and Andy
Armstrong, and Claunch, who
was named to the Buster Posey
Award watch list in 2020.
Freshman Justin Boyd,
whom Canham likens to Bea-
vers great Cole Gillespie, and
junior Ryan Ober could be
poised for breakout seasons,
while transfer Kyle Froemke
and freshman Garret Forrester
turned heads in the fall.
“Our talent, from top to bot-
tom, is incredible,” Abel said.
“Our depth is kind of unheard
of at the college level.”
It’s been 10 months since the
Beavers hastily departed that
plane at Portland International
Airport, and they’re eager to
make up for lost time.
“All of Beaver Nation is
ready for us to play,” Canham
said. “They want games. They
want sports. They want nor-
malcy. It’s a nice reminder for
us that we’re not just playing
for ourselves and we’re not just
playing for the guys here on
the field. We’re playing to in-
spire people and bring joy to
others. Everything we do has
a purpose. Everything we do
is with the goal to be elite, and
we’re ready to be elite.”