Jeff Hart

President of baseball operations John Hart is staying on the rebuilding course he set for the Atlanta Braves last winter.

The Syracuse Chiefs (36-57) took advantage of three miscues by the Gwinnett Braves (45-46) and won the first game of the four-game series by a 2-0 score on Thursday night at NBT Bank Stadium.

Playing in the rough-and-tumble and fast-paced Region 8-A, Lakeview Academy switched to a spread offense midway through last season. With a full off-season to work out the kinks, Lions’ 10th-year coach Matthew Gruhn is hoping the upgrade in tempo will also translate into renewed interest and wins for the program.

It not all about the numbers for Johnson coach Jason Rocquemore. But, with 72 projected players to dress for the Knights -- the most in nearly a decade -- improving on a pair of back-to-back 2-8 seasons may be a foregone conclusion as they prepare for the 2015 season.

The University of Georgia will introduce its newest mascot, Uga X, at a yet-to-be announced date during the upcoming football season.

The sluggish play. The porous back line. The inability to finish off good chances. None of the defects that slowed the United States during group play in the CONCACAF Gold Cup has swayed the opinion of Panama coach Hernan Gomez, who still believes the defending champions are the favorites in the knockout rounds.

Todd Frazier waited until the very last swing - three times, no less - to win the All-Star Home Run Derby in his home ballpark.

New Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey used his first state-of-the-league address to praise the league for leading the way in athletics as well as on social issues, invoking the lyrics of a Bob Dylan song to make his point.

There was no escaping Jordan Spieth even before he arrived Monday at St. Andrews to resume his pursuit of the Grand Slam.

On July 18, the Atlanta Falcons and Under Armour will host a Youth Football Coaching Clinic at Westlake High School in Atlanta.