Looking in at Iowa

From Times Union (New York):

For the many upstate Catholics, the pilgrimage began at dawn Sunday, when buses left the Albany Diocese’s Pastoral Center. Kathy Rosenbaum’s husband, Jeffrey, had a special request before his wife boarded one of the buses: Could she take some of her son’s baseball bats with her to be blessed?

The Rosenbaums’ 24-year-old son, Christopher, is a catcher for the Los Angeles Angels’ Class A minor league baseball team in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

But Kathy, of East Schodack, had to say no. She wasn’t even allowed to take an umbrella because of security concerns.

Still, plenty of other items were aboard, such as medals, rosaries, pillows and small coolers filled with snacks. …

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From Fox Sports:

Drake has hired Arizona State assistant Mark Phelps to replace Keno Davis.

According to sources close to the situation, a news conference is expected on Monday. Phelps has spent the last two seasons at Arizona State after …

News of Drake’s interest in Phelps emerged Saturday.

Early Sunday, ASU officials expected Phelps to take the Drake job, which opened when Keno Davis was hired last week by Providence. …

From East Valley Tribune (Arizona):

After a dozen years with Herb Sendek, Mark Phelps might get his first chance to run a college basketball team.

Phelps, Arizona State’s top assistant, is expected to be named the head coach at Drake early this week, a source familiar with the situation told the Tribune on Sunday.

Phone messages left for Phelps were not immediately returned. …