Ohio
‘He’s the leader of the entire team.’ Ohio State football’s Styles eager for senior year
A year ago, Sonny Styles was the newcomer in Ohio State’s front six on defense.
Now he’s the only returning starter.
Styles could have followed the entire defensive line and linebacker Cody Simon to the NFL. But like those players did in 2024, Styles chose to return for his senior year.
“I just didn’t feel like I was ready to go yet,” he said Thursday after Ohio State’s sixth spring practice. “I feel like I didn’t reach my ceiling to where I wanted to be in terms of college. Obviously, when you leave here, you want to keep getting better, but I feel like I had more to do here.”
Styles will be a senior, but he’s still only 20 years old. He was supposed to be in OSU’s 2023 recruiting class until he decided to reclassify to the ’22 class. Because of his physical and mental maturity, it proved to be the right move.
Styles started at safety as a sophomore before moving to linebacker last year. He was instrumental in OSU’s run to the national championship. Styles was second on the team behind Cody Simon with 100 tackles, including 10 ½ for losses and six sacks, in OSU’s two-linebacker scheme.
With only safety Caleb Downs and cornerback Davison Igbinosun returning as starters, Styles is ready to lead.
“I think he’s the leader of the entire team,” linebackers coach James Laurinaitis said. “He handled himself really well through the entire winter workout period and all that.”
Told of Laurinaitis’ comment, Styles said, “I appreciate him saying that. I think we’ve got a lot of leaders on this team. I just try to carry myself the right way (by) the way I was raised and I’m just trying to instill some of those values in the younger guys. It’s easy to be a leader on this team. We’ve got so many great people.”
Styles, along with offensive lineman Austin Siereveld and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, earned Iron Buckeye status for their offseason conditioning work.
“The longer you’re here, the more you understand the importance of those kind of things,” Styles said. “What Iron Buckeye means is being able to bring your ‘A’ game each and every day despite how you may be feeling outside of this building, and being able to be the guy that someone can look at like, ‘Hey, he’s doing it the right way.’
“It’s not only just you can lift heavy or I can run fast. It’s your character. I’m showing up on time every day. I’m bringing energy every day. I have enthusiasm, I’m excited to be here. I’m pouring into others. I really appreciate that honor.”
Styles seems a lock to be named a captain this summer and it wouldn’t shock anyone if he’s named the “Block O” recipient.
“He’s a vocal guy, and it shows up on the field, too,” said linebacker Arvell Reese, who’s expected to start alongside Styles. “It’s hard to follow after a guy who says something and he’s not on their stuff. Sonny is one of those guys who’s on his stuff, so when he leads, everybody’s listening.”
Styles has filled out to 235 pounds on his 6-foot-4 frame. As to be expected, he’s also more comfortable as a linebacker.
“I feel like I’ve been playing the position for longer than a year, so that’s a good thing,” Styles said.
Buy Ohio State posters, books, gear from CFP title win
Styles cherishes being part of last year’s national championship team, but he, like the other Buckeyes, is ready to turn the page.
“You have to rebuild from step one,” he said. “We won the national championship last year and we can hold onto that forever, but we’ve got to create our own story and start from ground zero.
“I think we have something to prove. We’ve got a little chip on our shoulder.”
Get more Ohio State football news by listening to our podcasts.
Ohio State football beat writer Bill Rabinowitz can be reached at brabinowitz@dispatch.com or on Bluesky at @billrabinowitz.bsky.social.
UC Bearcats coach Jordan Bischel, Nathan Taylor, Derrick Pitts/NCAA
UC Bearcats coach Jordan Bischel, Nathan Taylor, Derrick Pitts/NCAA baseball tournament in Starkville
Another non-conference weekend has been announced for the University of Cincinnati baseball team, as it will participate in the 2027 Nashville College Baseball Series at First Horizon Park March 5-7, 2027.
The rest of the field includes Ohio State, Vanderbilt and Virginia Tech.
The UC Bearcats and Ohio State Buckeyes have met 99 times previously, with the last meeting coming in head coach Jordan Bischel’s first season in 2024. The Bearcats and Commodores have met 13 times, with the last meeting taking place in 2004. Next year’s game will also mark the 53rd all-time meeting between Cincinnati and Virginia Tech. The two teams met annually from 1979 to 1991 as Metro Conference foes.
Earlier in the week, it was announced that UC would face Georgia Tech, Illinois, and Tennessee at the 2027 Live Like Lou Jax College Baseball Classic in Jacksonville, Florida.
More on College Baseball Series, First Horizon Park
.The College Baseball Series is a premier collection of early-season Division I college baseball tournaments.
First Horizon Park opened in 2015 and is the home to the Nashville Sounds, the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. The stadium is located in the Germantown neighborhood just north of downtown Nashville. Elements that make First Horizon Park one of the best venues in Minor League Baseball include a spacious 360-degree walkable concourse for an enhanced viewing experience; unique group outing spaces; an expansive suite level; LED ribbon boards; a nine-hole miniature golf course; and of course, the iconic guitar scoreboard.
UC Bearcats outfielder Derrick Pitts Invited to USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Training Camp
UC outfielder Derrick Pitts has been invited to the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Training Camp. Pitts is one of just four Big 12 players to receive an invite and one of 53 players total invited to camp.
Should Pitts make the team, he would be the first Cincinnati player ever to represent the program on the squad.
The St. Louis native appeared in 58 games in 2026 and hit .329 with six home runs, 42 RBI, 12 doubles, and 49 runs scored while swiping 17 bases.
Pitts appeared on ESPN’s SportsCenter Top 10 Plays twice this season and his infectious energy captured the attention of ESPN’s broadcast crew during UC’s NCAA Tournament games in Starkville.
Shortly after the end of the season, Pitts announced his intentions to return to UC for his junior season in 2027, along with All-Americans Quinton Coats and Enzo Infelise.
USA Baseball Collegiate National Team schedule
The summer schedule will kick off with three days of exhibition doubleheaders for a combined six games between June 27-29 in Burlington and Cary, North Carolina, and Danville, Virginia. Following the three days of exhibition games, the annual Stars vs. Stripes series will begin June 30 at Segra Stadium in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The next three games will be held at the National Training Complex in Cary from July 1-3, and the series will return to Segra Stadium July 4 for the finale.
The Collegiate National Team, which will be named on July 5 following the conclusion of Training Camp, will then compete in the inaugural World Collegiate Baseball Championship at Taichung City Intercontinental Baseball Stadium in Taichung City, Taiwan, from July 11-15.
Rack up more honors for UC Bearcats Quinton Coats, Enzo Infelise
The postseason accolades keep coming for UC as Quinton Coats and Enzo Infelise both earned more All-America accolades on Thursday, June 25.
Coats was named a Third Team All-American by D1Baseball and Infelise was placed on Baseball America’s Freshman All-America squad.
It’s yet another All-America honor for Coats, who has now received the accolade from six outlets: ABCA/Rawlings, Baseball America, College Baseball Foundation, D1Baseball, NCBWA, and Perfect Game.
In addition, Coats was also named the NCBWA District 5 Player of the Year and earned All-Region honors from ABCA/Rawlings as well. The Olathe, Kansas native turned in one of the best offensive seasons ever by a Bearcat, setting single-season school records in home runs (28) and total bases (183) while tying the single-season RBI record (79). Coats hit .339 and slugged .738 and ended his season ranking among the Top 10 nationally in home runs, total bases, and RBI.
For Infelise, it’s his third Freshman All-America honor after also earning recognition from the NCBWA and Perfect Game. He led the Bearcats with a .374 batting average, hitting 10 home runs while adding 48 RBI, 10 doubles, and 38 runs scored. Infelise collected 85 hits in his first college season, the most among all freshmen in the country as of the end of UC’s season. That figure also ranks tied for seventh in a season in school history and is the most hits by a Bearcat since Lance Durham’s record-setting 99-hit season in 2009.
Infelise was named the Big 12 Conference Freshman of the Year and earned first-team all-conference honors last month.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — It’s almost America’s 250th birthday, and many Ohioans may already be planning their celebrations.
Many of those celebrations may include the use of fireworks. Prevent Blindness Ohio is warning about the potential dangers associated with the colorful explosives in light of its sixth annual Fireworks Safety Week, which runs from June 28 through July 4.
In a press release, the organization cites the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in noting that there were 15 fireworks-related deaths and 13,000 injuries reported in 2025.
Most of the injuries were to hands and fingers, followed by the head, face and ears, with burns being the most common of all the injuries.
“The American Academy of Ophthalmology states that in the most severe eye injury cases, firework accidents can rupture the globe of the eye, cause chemical and thermal burns, corneal abrasions and retinal detachment — all of which can cause permanent eye damage and vision loss,” the release reads. “Fireworks-related eye injuries can combine blunt force trauma, heat burns and chemical exposure.”
The organization said it supports a ban on fireworks for all except licensed operators during public displays.
“We are thrilled to celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary. We urge all Americans to celebrate safely by avoiding consumer fireworks,” said Amy Pulles, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness Ohio. “Accidents happen even during firework displays conducted by licensed professionals, so please use caution when attending those as well.”
For those who decide to use fireworks during their celebrations this year, the National Safety Council has the following safety tips:
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“Never allow young children to handle fireworks
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Older children should use them only under close adult supervision
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Never use fireworks while impaired by drugs or alcohol
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Anyone using fireworks or standing nearby should wear protective eyewear
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Never hold lighted fireworks in your hands
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Never light them indoors
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Only use them away from people, houses and flammable material
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Never point or throw fireworks at another person
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Only light one device at a time and maintain a safe distance after lighting
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Never ignite devices in a container
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Do not try to re-light or handle malfunctioning fireworks
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Soak both spent and unused fireworks in water for a few hours before discarding
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Keep a bucket of water nearby to fully extinguish fireworks that don’t go off or in case of fire
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Never use illegal fireworks”
Unless prohibited by local laws, Ohioans can discharge legal fireworks from 4 to 11 p.m. on July 3, 4 and 5, as well as the weekends before and after.
For more information on firework rules in Ohio, click here.
Interested in finding a Fourth of July fireworks show near you? Check out our list here.
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These real estate transactions were recorded in Marion County between June 12 and June 17.
City of Marion
336 Silver St., Marion; Jeffery A. Hallie to Cassidy Manley and Jamal Tyre Manley; $100,000.
597 E. George St., Marion; Robert E. Edens Jr. and Kristin Edens to Clifford D. Hall and Judith K. Hall; $100,000.
395 Park St., Marion; Robin Hirsch to Christian Jaimes Mejia; $165,500.
1007 Fariwood Avenue, Marion; Sherry D. Smith, Jerry L. Winget and Vickie L. Pinyerd to Tami S. McCarty; $149,900.
302 Silver St., Marion; Heaven M. Daniel to US Bank National Association; $44,100.
358 Nye St., Marion; Trever Rinehart to Daniel Murfield and Athena Murfield; $199,000.
538 Cherry St., Marion; Marry On LLC to Tylere Shuster; $150,000.
618 Irey Avenue, Marion; Keith A. Radebaugh to Brittany Marie Crampton; $125,000.
1138 Independence Avenue, Marion; Marion County General Surgery LLC to Independence Avenue Medical LLC; $215,000.
1950 Linda St., Marion; Ralph W. Smith Jr. and Betty J. Smith to Dawn Comer; $116,000.
555 Avondale Avenue, Marion; Angela R. Rivers to Prospect Endeavors LLC; $75,000.
523 Mary St., Marion; Frank Hoffman and Robin Hoffman to Crystal A. Bonsel and John H. Thacker; $175,000.
436 Thompson St., Marion; Shovel City Investment LLC to Duel Patrick Davidson; $47,500.
661 Adams St., Marion; Hideaway Properties 4 LLC to Crystal Lynn Hall; $85,200.
288 Chicago Avenue, Marion; Jeffrey L. Young and Kimberly M. Young to OpenDoor Property Trust; $179,900.
691 Bennett St., Marion; Steven Higgins, Larry Higgins Jr. and Shawn Patrick Higgins to Kyle R. White; $200,000.
Richland Township
5544 Tittlebaugh Road, Marion; John E. Morgan, Rebecca Sue Morgan, Bridget Corcoran and Patrick Corcoran to John E. Morgan and Rebecca Sue Morgan; $87,340.
Pleasant Township
2.345 acres on Gooding Road, Marion; 533 Farm Holdings LLC to Thomas Savage and Lissa Savage; $250,000.
4714 Larue Prospect Road S., Prospect; Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance to Allyson Fitch and Brandon Fitch; $260,000.
1552 Marion County Club Drive, Marion; WY Corp II to ABI Development LLC; $40,000.
Prospect Township
8323 Hughes Road, Prospect; Cole A. Hess and Cheyenne Hess to Kamryn Miah Jean Sutherland and John Daniel Yersavich; $415,000.
608 Water St., Prospect; EyE Homes Inc. to Mary Elizabeth Machingo and Jeffrey Paul Machingo; $305,000.
Tully Township
2946 Martel Road, Caledonia; Vincent L. Cleveland and Jo D. Cleveland to Carly Rene Bailey-Stultz and Dennis Stultz; $375,000.
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