Miami, FL
Miami beats FSU for in-state OL talent JJ Sparks
Miami’s 2026 class continues to build, and the Hurricanes received a commitment from coveted interior offensive lineman JJ Sparks on Tuesday evening. The three-star rated prospect chose the Hurricanes over Florida State, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, and UCF.
“I like the culture here,” Sparks said after visiting Miami last week. “I love the coaching staff here. Coach [Mario] Cristobal, Coach [Alex] Mirabal, both are great coaches. When you watch how Coach Mirabal coaches, it’s really a different way he coaches. He’s really a teacher. You can kind of see that in the meeting room and on the field.”
Sparks mentioned that FSU and Miami were comparable after he visited Coral Gables,, but the relationship with the coaches ultimately put Miami over the top.
“Just the relationship with the coaches.” Sparks said.
Miami now has eight commitments to its 2026 class: four-star QB Dereon Coleman, four-star running back Javian Mallory, four-star DB Jaelen Waters, four-star LB Jordan Campbell, three-star OL Ben Congdon, three-star OL Joel Ervin, and three-star DB Camdin Portis.
Scouting Report
Big body interior lineman who plays with an edge, looking to finish every play. Shows good feet and quickness, with the ability to mirror and slide in pass protection. Shows off athleticism when pulling and making plays in the open field.
As a starter at Bolles since his freshman year, JJ cemented himself early on as a top interior lineman in Florida. He became an essential player for Coach Mirabal and Coach Cristobal, and they have increased their recruitment of him even more since seeing him on the road in January.
He visited FSU earlier this month and then came down to Miami again with his family in late March. He enjoyed his time on campus with coaches and players! He plays nasty, and Mirabal valued his IQ as a true center.
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Miami, FL
American Airlines Eyes April 30 Return to Venezuela With Miami–Caracas Flights
DALLAS — American Airlines (AA) announced today plans to resume daily nonstop service between Miami (MIA) and Caracas (CCS) as early as April 30. The restart depends on final government approval, security checks, and operational readiness. Envoy Air, American’s regional subsidiary, will operate the route with Embraer 175 aircraft.
The Fort Worth-based carrier continues to coordinate with authorities in both the United States and Venezuela to restore the route. In January, AA announced its intention to be the first airline to reconnect Venezuela with the United States, emphasizing that service would begin only after regulatory approval and security assessments.
American began serving Venezuela in 1987 and was the largest U.S. airline in the country before suspending operations in 2019. Chief Commercial Officer Nat Pieper described the return to Caracas as both a restoration of a long-standing market and a strategic extension of Miami’s role as AA’s primary Latin America gateway.
This announcement follows the U.S. Department of State’s March 19, 2026 update, which lowered Venezuela’s travel advisory to Level 3, “Reconsider Travel,” but continues to warn of risks such as crime, kidnapping, terrorism, and inadequate health infrastructure. Routine consular services in Venezuela remain suspended, with most services provided through the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá as the United States begins a phased resumption of embassy operations.
Miami, FL
Miami city officials are urging residents to prepare for planned implosion of Mandarin Oriental hotel
Residents of Brickell Key are being urged to prepare for the planned implosion of the former Mandarin Oriental hotel as if they were getting ready for a storm, according to the company overseeing the demolition.
City officials with Miami Fire Rescue and Miami police said they have been planning the implosion for about a year.
The demolition is scheduled for Sunday morning. The former luxury resort will be brought down to make way for a new residential and hospitality development. The structure now sits gutted with explosives attached to its concrete columns, which officials say will ensure a smoother implosion.
Ivy Fradin, managing member of BG Group, which is overseeing the demolition, explained the process. “The tower will come down first, the parking garage will come down second, but to the public eye, it will look like one carefully choreographed event,” Fradin said.
Fradin described the collapse as a “cascading fashion,” where the floor above collapses as the column below it gives way.
For safety reasons, Brickell Key will be closed to residents and visitors from 7 a.m. to about 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, with no access in or out of the island during that time. An 800-foot exclusion zone around the property will also be enforced.
For those inside the exclusion zone, Fradin advised, “If you’re located within the exclusion zone, we ask that you stay indoors with doors closed. If you’re not in the exclusion zone, keep your doors and windows closed. It’s obvious — if you have things outside, bring them inside”.
Some residents living within the exclusion zone expressed safety concerns. Brickell Key resident Ydais Laya said, “I have not seen anything to provide details regarding the city’s plans, if anything should go wrong during the implosion on Sunday, because in reality, no one knows”.
Other residents were less worried. Alejandro Barahona, another resident, said the required precautions were “reasonable,” adding, “Either you get out, or you stay in, but it’s too much of a liability risk for the explosion and all that stuff”.
The company conducting the implosion has previously handled several high-profile demolitions, including the historic Deauville Hotel, South Shore Hospital, and the remaining structure of the Surfside condominium building.
Miami, FL
How to Watch Miami Baseball Series Against Wake Forest
The Miami Hurricanes are coming off a nail bitting nineth inning save from closer Ryan Bilka and remain undefeated in midweek compeition after defeating FIU 9-7.
Now the Hurricanes turn their attention to Wake Forest, a program that is known for baseball, and a programthat is rated higher than them on the RPI.
The Hurricanes have sat balanced between the 25-30 since lossing to Duke on the road, while the Demon Deacons currently sit rated No. 24. They nearly beat the No. 11 team in the country, Costal Carolina, as well during their midweek, 2-1.
This is the perfect chance to the Hurricanes to show what they have learned since those losses, now boasting one of the best offenses in the country.
Derek Williams continues to lead the team in hitting and home runs, followed by Daniel Cuvet, and Alex Sosa.
It also helps that the Canes have started to see Jake Ogden take off and get back into a rhythm. Moreover, this is the perfect time for the Canes to show that their starting rotation can battle against the better teams in the ACC.
The Miami Hurricanes need to win this series if they want any chance of potentially hosting a regional this postseason.
The Demon Decons are coming to take the series on the road, while the Canes are fighting to show that these past few weekends haven’t
How to Watch:
Who: Miami and Wake Forest
When:
Friday, April 10 at 7:00 p.m. ET
Saturday, April 11, at 6:00 p.m. ET
Sunday, April 12, at 1:00 p.m. ET
Where: Mark Light Stadium, Coral Gables, Fla.
TV: ACCNX
Last Time Out, Wake Forest: Wake Forest baseball team (23-11, 8-7 ACC) dropped a tightly contested game to No. 11 Coastal Carolina (24-8, 11-1 Sun Belt) by a final score of 2-1 on Tuesday night.
Last Time Out, Miami: The Miami Hurricanes (25-8, 6-6 ACC) survived a late comeback by the FIU Panthers Tuesday night at Mark Light Field, 9-7. Miami reliever TJ Coats (5-1) earned the win, delivering a strong outing with 6.0 innings pitched, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits with two walks while recording a career-high seven strikeouts.
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