Tyler Thornton

The 2013 MLB Draft saw three Furman players selected: outfielder Taylor Johnson and pitchers Nate Smith and Ben Carlson were chosen by the Los Angeles Angels in the 2013 MLB Entry Draft.

March Madness is finally finishing up (despite being a week into April) and giving way to a baseball season that is already off to an exciting start. Only a week into the season there are stories aplenty around the sport.

Professional baseball will soon be present again in the Greenville community when the Red Sox’s Low-A affiliate Greenville Drive starts their season. Despite a disappointing 2013 season in which the team finished in last place with an abysmal 51-87 record, there is reason for optimism this year.

All is not well in the baseball world, at least not for everyone. The recent qualifying offer system, put in place in the 2012 season, has left some players without a team even at this late hour. With workouts already beginning for the Major League teams, no player wants to still be without a contract.

After a fall season highlighted by SoCon tournament championships in football, women’s soccer, and men’s and women’s cross country, Furman’s sports teams will look to maintain their success going into the spring.

1. Which MLB team has the most games won since their inception? How many? 2. Which NFL team holds the record for most points in a single game? How many? 3. Which NHL player holds the record for most goals in a game? How many? 4. Which NFL player holds the record for most rushing touchdowns in a season? How many? 5. Which NFL team scored the most points in a season? How many?

With a 1-0 victory over Wofford on Sunday Elon’s Men Soccer team took home the SoCon Championship trophy for the 2013 season. The tournament was an exciting event for those soccer fans willing to brave the cold, wet weather as it rained through every game.

The World Series came to an end Wednesday with the Boston Red Sox taking home the trophy after a resounding 6-1 victory over the Cardinals to take the series in six games. After a dismal 2012 season which saw the team play to a 69-93 record, they made a complete turn around this year to win it all.

The World Series has just begun between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Boston Red Sox, the final saga in what has already been a thrilling postseason. It is fitting that these two teams would meet to compete in the championship — both teams finished with the best records in their respective leagues with identical 97-65 marks.

Perhaps the best story in baseball this year has been that of the Pirates. After 20 straight years of wallowing in the bottom of the NL Central standings, never once managing so much as a winning record, let alone a playoff appearance, they have managed to field a winning team once more. They finished the regular season with a 94-68 record and beat the Reds in a wild card playoff to make the NLDS, where at the time of this writing they hold a 2-1 lead, just one win away from moving on to the NLCS.