No FasTrak device? No problem, as LA Metro allows all drivers to use freeway toll lanes

• July 7, 2023

A decade of pay lanes on the 10 and 110 freeways in Los Angeles County have pleased millions of riders in a hurry, even as sticklers criticize the loss of “free” ways that are deemed a California legacy, and even as inadvertent ExpressLane users balk over high tolls, fines and fees.

On June 22, the LA Metro board made it easier to use ExpressLanes by eliminating the need for a FasTrak transponder, or the need to sign up your vehicle. Now  any motorist can use the lanes without a transponder or a Metro account and simply be billed for a congestion toll plus an $8 processing fee per trip — avoiding penalties.

Those carpoolers with two or more occupants can still use their transponder to signal overhead beacons, and the occasional CHP patrol, that they are riding free and will not be billed for the trip, or cited. Carpool occupancy restrictions apply on each freeway.

An action led by Fourth District Supervisor and LA Metro board member Janice Hahn that was approved June 22 by an 8-0 vote eliminated the $25 penalty charged by Metro each time someone drives in the ExpressLanes without a transponder, even if they did it unknowingly.

The action also means a CHP officer cannot pull someone over for not having the device or not having an account with Metro, a citation that costs $250, according to Hahn’s office.

Hahn, who said this will make the Metro system “less intimidating,” said the impetus was to open the toll lanes to the occasional user, or those visiting Los Angeles.

“I felt some people thought about it at the last minute,” she said at the Metro meeting in June. “Or say someone was on their way to the hospital. Can we help them out? I think we will see more people taking advantage of the ExpressLanes when they need them.”

Exactly 10 years ago, LA Metro received federal dollars to convert a 14-mile stretch of bus and carpool lanes along the 10 Freeway and an 11-mile stretch of the 110 Freeway into pay lanes called ExpressLanes. The 10 Freeway lanes run in the west San Gabriel Valley from the 605 Freeway to the 101 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles. The 110 Freeway lanes run from Adams Street in South Los Angeles to the 91 Freeway in the South Bay.

Reports in 2018 showed single-occupancy drivers escaping bumper-to-bumper traffic by moving into lanes previously available only for carpoolers and buses — and paying to do so. Of all ExpressLane users, 65 percent were solo drivers with a transponder.

From March 2020 until recently, Metro conducted a pilot program allowing solo drivers access to the ExpressLanes as long as they paid congestion tolls and a $4 processing fee, but no penalties. That $4 fee will be raised to $8 in the next few weeks, Metro officials reported.

From September 2021 to August 2022, Metro reported an additional 899,954 trips on the two ExpressLanes systems. “The data support the conclusion that the (pay-as-you-go pilot) resulted in more ExpressLanes trips by drivers that did not have the FasTrak (transponder),” according to a Metro report released last month. The report estimated the pilot program produced a 2.4% increase in trips.

Riders going to and from LAX may be more apt to move left, out of crowded, regular lanes and pay the congestion tolls on the 110 Freeway ExpressLanes. Others traveling east on the 10 Freeway on a weekday late afternoon may use the 10 ExpressLanes. One of those is transit-watcher Carter Rubin, who lives in Santa Monica and does not have a transponder, but may jump into the pay lanes on the way to the Claremont Colleges.

“When I do occasionally drive out to places like Claremont and my alma mater, Pitzer, I would be more likely (to use ExpressLanes) now that the transponder isn’t required, since I don’t own a transponder,” he wrote in a message.

An overhead camera system takes a picture of the pay-as-you-go user’s license plate. The congestion toll plus $8 processing charge is then sent in a bill by mail to the car’s registered owner. If not paid on time, delinquent fees are added, spiking the bill.

Likewise, the camera detection system assesses the carpoolers by determining the number of people in the vehicle and compares that to the switch setting on the transponder.

On the 10 Freeway, carpoolers with three or more occupants ride toll-free all hours, while cars with two occupants pay a toll during peak hours but ride toll-free during off-peak hours. On the 110 Freeway, vehicles with two or more occupants ride toll-free all hours.

Using an algorithm, congestion tolls vary and are set higher when traffic is greater. Conversely, the toll is less when traffic is lighter. A congestion toll ranges from $0.30 to $8, according to Metro. The average toll between March 2022 and February 2023 was $2.92 per trip, said Patrick Chandler, Metro spokesman.

“We try to control volume by the pricing in the tolls. The busier it is, the more the toll. That is the tool we use,” said Mark Linsenmayer, deputy executive officer overseeing the Metro ExpressLanes. Tolls are also adjusted by distance traveled in the lanes.

There are 60 express toll lanes across the United States, according to the Reason Foundation. Metro’s first entry into congestion pricing 10 years ago could be followed by more ExpressLanes on other freeways, plus other iterations.

Metro is studying a plan to add a toll to certain roads that lead into Downtown Los Angeles or Westside communities. Traffic would be reduced by 24 percent if vehicles were charged a $4 toll during peak hours to travel the freeways and major roadways entering West Los Angeles and Santa Monica, according to a 2019 Southern California Association of Governments study.

Most transit agencies in the state require a transponder, with LA Metro breaking the trend.

Eli Lipmen, executive director of Move LA, a supporter of transit, said he uses a transponder to travel freeways in Orange County and the Bay Area and on the Golden Gate Bridge. All the toll lanes in Orange County require a transponder, often a thin sticker with a bar code.

Motorists on the future 405 Express Lanes in Orange County between the 73 and 605 freeways must have a transponder, as do drivers  using existing 91 Express Lanes, Joel Zlotnik, spokesman for the Orange County Transportation Authority, told the Orange County Register. The 405 lanes are scheduled for completion later this year.

Trains, buses — and charging solo drivers — are tools to reduce driving miles, traffic and air pollution, Lipmen said.

He agrees with getting more use out of Metro’s ExpressLanes and with congestion pricing in general.

“Do I pay $5 or $10 for the faster trip? Or do I take public transit next time? You are making a decision,” he said, adding, “The only way to manage or reduce traffic is to charge for it.”

Related links

When the 405 Express Lanes open up, some motorists will avoid the toll
110, 10 Freeway ExpressLanes are slowing down and officials aren’t sure of the fix
On 10 Freeway, cheaters and solo drivers clogging ExpressLanes may prompt big changes from Metro
LA supervisor wants to ‘decriminalize’ Metro’s Express Lanes on 110 and 10 freeways by letting drivers use them without first registering
If you are forced to pay $4 to drive into West L.A., traffic would be reduced, study says

​ Orange County Register 

Tour de France: Philipsen wins his 3rd stage, Vingegaard stays in yellow

• July 7, 2023

BORDEAUX, France — It was not so long ago that Jasper Philipsen was nicknamed “Jasper Disaster.”

In the space of a week at the Tour de France, he has morphed into “Jasper The Master,” dominating the sprints with ease.

The Belgian rider secured a hat trick of stages on Friday by claiming yet another mass sprint in Bordeaux.

Philipsen was expertly led to the front by his Alpecin–Deceuninck teammate Mathieu van der Poel then comfortably countered a move by veteran sprinter Mark Cavendish.

Biniam Girmay completed the stage podium, and defending champion Jonas Vingegaard kept the yellow jersey.

Philipsen has won five mass sprints in a row on the Tour after claiming two stage wins last year.

“If you told me this one week ago I would think you’re crazy, but so far it’s a dream for us, a dream Tour and we just continue and hopefully we can add another one,” Philipsen said. “I think from now I’m looking to Paris also.”

Philipsen was given the nickname by Alexander Kristoff when they raced together because he caused a lot of crashes.

“Then he was a little clumsy. And he also forgot a lot of things,” Kristoff told Het Laatste Nieuws. “Then he lost his sunglasses, or couldn’t find his toiletry bag, or forgot his shoes. He was often a disaster, a disaster. The nickname was meant as a joke, not an insult.”

Philipsen made no such mistake when Cavendish hit the front in the finale. He calmly returned onto his wheel and overtook Cavendish to deny the rider known as the “Manx Missile” a record 35th Tour stage win.

Cavendish equaled Merckx’s record of 34 wins on the 2021 Tour, 13 years after his first success. Cavendish, who has never won the Tour, unlike five-time champion Merckx, will retire at the end of the season.

“He (Cavendish) was really strong and I would have also loved to have seen him win, and I think everybody,” Philipsen said. “He’s up there, in good condition.”

After two grueling days of brutal climbing across the Pyrenees, the super flat 170-kilometer (105-mile) Stage 7 looked like the perfect occasion for the main contenders to enjoy a day off inside the peloton.And they made the most of it to relax.

Vingegaard waved to TV cameras and blew kisses to fans, while second-placed Tadej Pogacar chatted with Van der Poel on the long sections across the Landes forest. On a very hot day in southwestern France, Van der Poel and Philipsen put ice cubes in their jerseys.

After their epic duel over the past couple of days in the Pyrenees, Vingegaard and Pogacar were happy to rest their legs but remain vigilant in the last 30 kilometers when the race animated ahead of the final sprint.

There was no major changes in the general classification: Vingegaard kept his 25-second lead over the two-time champion. Jai Hindley remained in third place, 1 minute, 34 seconds off the pace.

It was a bit unclear at the start of the stage whether the breakaway ignited by the quartet of Simon Guglielmi, Nelson Oliveira, Mathieu Burgeaudeau and Jonas Abrahamsen would grow bigger, but no other rider looked interested in joining their collective effort.

One by one, following their team’s instructions via radio connected to their earpieces, the fugitives sat on, leaving Guglielmi alone at the front.

Given the profile of the stage, Guglielmi’s breakaway was born dead since it looked certain from the start that he would be caught once the sprinters’ teams launched the chase. But it put the French rider in the spotlight, with the bunch riding at a casual pace until the intermediate sprint, with 82 kilometers left.

Guglielmi was caught further down the road after Pierre Latour and Nans Peters escaped from the bunch in the chase. After Guglielmi got dropped, the pair prolonged their effort for a while but were ultimately swallowed.

Saturday’s hilly Stage 8 from Libourne to Limoges in central France could favor a breakaway before the fight resumes between Pogacar and Vingegaard during Sunday’s ascent of the Puy de Dome.

​ Orange County Register 

Study: Depression after traumatic brain injury may not be the same as depression from other causes

• July 7, 2023

A new study suggests that depression after traumatic brain injury may not be the same as depression related to other causes, according to researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

The study of 273 people found that brain circuits associated with depression were different between people with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and those without TBI.

“Our findings help explain how the physical trauma to specific brain circuits can lead to development of depression,” said study leader Shan Siddiqi, of the Brigham’s Department of Psychiatry and Center for Brain Circuit Therapeutics.

“If we’re right, it means that we should be treating depression after TBI like a distinct disease,” Siddiqi added. “Many clinicians have suspected that this is a clinically distinct disorder with a unique pattern of symptoms and unique treatment response, including poor response to conventional antidepressants — but until now, we didn’t have clear physiological evidence to prove this.”

The study included 273 adults with TBI, usually from sports injuries, military injuries, or car accidents. People in this group were compared to other groups who did not have a TBI or depression, people with depression without TBI, and people with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Study participants went through a resting-state functional connectivity MRI, a brain scan that looks at how oxygen is moving in the brain. These scans gave information about oxygenation in up to 200,000 points in the brain at about 1,000 different points in time — leading to about 200 million data points in each person.

Based on this information, a machine learning algorithm was used to generate an individualized map of each person’s brain.

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The location of the brain circuit involved in depression was the same among people with TBI as people without TBI, but the nature of the abnormalities was different.

Connectivity in this circuit was decreased in depression without TBI and was increased in TBI-associated depression. This implies that TBI-associated depression may be a different disease process, leading the study authors to propose a new name: “TBI affective syndrome.”

“I’ve always suspected it isn’t the same as regular major depressive disorder or other mental health conditions that are not related to traumatic brain injury,” said David Brody, a co-author of the study and a neurologist at Uniformed Services University. “There’s still a lot we don’t understand, but we’re starting to make progress.”

​ Orange County Register 

Malaria in the US: A Mayo Clinic expert offers insight, tips on prevention

• July 7, 2023

Deb Balzer | (TNS) Mayo Clinic News Network

Malaria, a severe and potentially fatal disease most often caused by the bite of an infected mosquito, has been reported in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a health advisory because there have been instances of people getting infected with Plasmodium vivax malaria in Florida and Texas, even though they hadn’t traveled outside the country. Malaria does not spread from person to person.

“Malaria is caused by parasites in the genus Plasmodium, that are usually injected into people through the bite of a mosquito,” says Dr. Bobbi Pritt, director of the Clinical Parasitology Laboratory at Mayo Clinic.

Dr. Pritt says most people become infected with Plasmodium parasites through the bite of an infected Anopheles species mosquito.

“Plasmodium falciparum is the deadliest of the Plasmodium parasites. But occasionally, Plasmodium vivax can also cause human fatalities, and all of the malaria species can cause quite severe disease. Malaria is usually transmitted through the bite of an infected Anopheles female mosquito. The parasite is injected into the bloodstream through the mosquito’s bite when she takes a blood meal. Less commonly, people can get infected with malaria through a transfusion receipt of an infected blood product or organ donation by receipt of an infected organ,” she says.

These parasites invade red blood cells, leading to fever, chills, body aches and fatigue. Additional symptoms may include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Without timely treatment, the infection can worsen, resulting in organ failure, coma or death.

Malaria is found in many parts of the world, mainly in the tropics and subtropics. Although historically, malaria has been found in many other parts of the world. The mosquitoes that transmit malaria are still present in the U.S. today.

It was eliminated in the U.S. in 1951 through public health efforts. Most cases are now imported from endemic countries; however, sometimes, the disease is brought back to the U.S. by mosquitoes or travelers who are already infected.

Testing for malaria

Early treatment for malaria is crucial. Dr. Pritt says laboratory testing is necessary for definitive diagnosis of malaria.

“The gold standard test for detecting malaria is conventional thick and thin blood films prepared on glass slides and then looked at through a microscope,” says Dr. Pritt. “Every laboratory in the U.S. that sees patients that potentially have malaria should be able to provide testing locally. We offer confirmatory testing here at Mayo Clinic, but it should never be used as the initial test. It should only be used for confirmation.”

Mosquito bite and malaria prevention:

Dr. Pritt says those living where the malaria outbreak occurs should take steps to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.

Protect yourself from malaria and other vector-borne diseases by avoiding mosquito bites.

Consider these tips to prevent mosquito bites:

— Remove standing water where mosquitoes could lay eggs.

— Remove items that hold water, such as vases and flowerpot saucers.

— Use an outdoor insect spray made to kill mosquitoes in areas where they rest, including dark, humid areas; under patio furniture; the carport; or in a garage.

— Keep mosquitoes out of your home by ensuring window screens are intact, and keep doors closed.

“It’s also important for physicians seeing patients in those areas to keep malaria in their differential diagnosis, even if the patient hasn’t traveled outside of the U.S., at least while this outbreak is occurring until it’s contained, Dr. Pritt adds.

Some treatments can help prevent mild malaria cases from becoming more severe, but there isn’t an absolute way to guarantee malaria prevention.

“There is not currently a good preventive vaccine that is 100% effective for malaria, although there are a number of people working on vaccines, and there is a vaccine that’s used in some parts of endemic areas that offers some protection against severe disease,” she says.

___

©2023 Mayo Clinic News Network. Visit newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

​ Orange County Register 

Mayo Clinic Minute: What drowning doesn’t look like

• July 7, 2023

Deb Balzer | (TNS) Mayo Clinic News Network

Just like last summer, there are reports this year of a lifeguard shortage around the nation, meaning many public swimming pools and beaches may be closed or their hours limited. Without trained lifeguards on duty, water safety becomes an issue, especially for children.

Dr. Michael Boniface, a Mayo Clinic emergency medicine physician, says drowning happens quickly and quietly so make sure children are always supervised by an attentive adult.

A sunny day at the beach or pool can take a dark turn in seconds.

“Drowning in this country remains one of the leading causes of accidental death in children and affects adults, as well,” says Dr. Boniface.

On average, more than 10 people die from drowning each day, most of them children. But he says drowning doesn’t usually look how people expect it to look.

There isn’t the splashing and screaming you see in movies.

“In most cases, you don’t see a struggle,” he says. “You just see somebody under the water or floating face down.”

But in some cases, there is a window of a few seconds where you might notice some signs.

A drowning person won’t wave their arms because their arms instinctively push down to try to get them above water.

And a drowning person is unable to make any sound, so if a child is noticeably quiet, that’s a red flag.

Dr. Boniface says the most important thing you can do is take steps to prevent a drowning. That means limiting alcohol, fencing off a pool and keeping an eye on kids in the water.

“This involves close, constant adult supervision, somebody watching the water at all times,” he says.

___

©2023 Mayo Clinic News Network. Visit newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

​ Orange County Register 

BuyBuy Baby stores going dark after bankruptcy auction falters

• July 7, 2023

By Jeremy Hill | Bloomberg

BuyBuy Baby’s stores will shut down after the baby brand — once cast as Bed Bath & Beyond’s prized asset — garnered no adequate going-concern bids in a bankruptcy auction, according to court papers.

New Jersey-based baby goods company Dream on Me Industries Inc. won a bankruptcy auction for BuyBuy Baby’s intellectual property last month, but advisers kept searching for a buyer for the whole business. A notice posted to Bed Bath & Beyond’s docket late Thursday indicates none emerged. A hearing to approve the intellectual property sale is scheduled for July 11, court papers show.

SEE MORE: Bed Bath & Beyond is coming back, in name only, after Overstock buys brand

The failed sale caps a tumultuous period for BuyBuy Baby and its parent company, which is also shutting down. BuyBuy Baby was a key part of last-ditch efforts to keep Bed Bath & Beyond out of bankruptcy — it was seen a bright spot in an otherwise troubled business.

Bed Bath & Beyond sold its flagship brand last month to online-only retailer Overstock.com Inc. for $21.5 million. Overstock has since said it will relaunch Bed Bath & Beyond online.

Representatives for Bed Bath & Beyond didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

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​ Orange County Register 

Cheesecake Factory announces its 2023 flavor for National Cheesecake Day, July 30

• July 7, 2023

The Cheesecake Factory will begin serving a new flavor, Cookie Dough Lover’s Cheesecake with Pecans, to celebrate National Cheesecake Day on Sunday, July 30.

The Calabasas-based chain launched a new loyalty program, Cheesecake Rewards, and people who sign up before July 30 can qualify for a slice of any flavor of cheesecake for half price if they dine in on July 31 or Aug. 1, according to a news release. The offer is good for every member in a group up to six people, providing at least one member is enrolled in the program.

New members will also receive a free slice of cheesecake if they join before Labor Day, Sept. 4, and for their birthdays, according to the chain’s website.

As usual for its new flavors, The Cheesecake Factory will donate 25 cents to the relief organization Feeding America for every slice of the Cookie Dough Lover’s Cheesecake sold through July 29, 2024.

Last year’s new flavor was Basque Cheesecake, which has a slightly different texture from New York-style cheesecake. It will remain on the menu, according to the chain.

Information: thecheesecakefactory.com

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​ Orange County Register 

Jason Dietrich reflects on a remarkable, transitional season

• July 7, 2023

The “drink from the firehose,” as Jason Dietrich described his first year at the wheel of the Ferrari of Cal State Fullerton’s athletic department was still fresh in his mouth last fall when he spoke to the survivors and newcomers about what awaited them in Year Two of the Great Baseball Overhaul.

To understand Dietrich’s audience, it’s necessary to parse who some of the 17 survivors and 22 newcomers to the Cal State Fullerton baseball team were and what they represented in the big picture. Because that picture would eventually frame the season and what transpired.

Let’s start with the survivors, which included the likes of starting pitchers Tyler Stultz and Fynn Chester, outfielder Nate Nankil, utilityman Caden Connor, third baseman Zach Lew, catcher Cole Urman and reliever Evan Yates. They were among the ones who survived Dietrich’s postseason purge of the CSUF baseball program last summer.

That purge came in the wake of a 22-33 overall record and a 14-16, seventh-place Big West finish, when Dietrich and his staff whittled the roster from 43 in the fall of 2021 to 20 by the end of the 2022 season. The purge was so all-consuming that Dietrich said at the end of last season some of the 20 players who got to the end of that season wouldn’t be back.

The newcomers, which included transfer arrivals like closer Jojo Ingrassia, infielder Maddox Latta and outfielder/pitcher Moises Guzman, were coming into a program in flux. The Ferrari was on blocks and they were expected to help the survivors get it out of the garage. Sooner, rather than later.

“As a coaching staff, we have to do our best to paint a picture,” Dietrich said. “We worked hard all fall to create the picture of what it meant to be a Cal State Fullerton baseball player. We went over the beliefs and the culture and talked about the direction of the program and where we’re at. It took a lot of trust on both parties, but at the end, they bought into what we were striving for. At the end, they bought into all of it.

“We did a good job of getting the kids to believe in themselves and understand what it means to play baseball at Cal State Fullerton. That’s what we did in the fall: stress the importance of what this program means to the alumni and to build pride.”

To see what that picture looked like come June 2023, we drop in on another talk Dietrich had with the Titans. That came in late May, with the Titans on the cusp of their first Big West title in five years — despite an eight-game losing streak in May that threatened to derail what was a 11-4 March and 13-5 April. Prior to that stumble, the Titans won nine consecutive series, including taking two of three from Cal State Northridge, UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara, their three closest pursuers.

CSUF went up to San Luis Obispo for the season’s final weekend needing one win in three games against a team that swept the Titans at Goodwin Field in 2022 and won all four in SLO in 2021.

Dietrich had the picture framed and ready to go.

“One thing I told them is ‘If I told you guys at our first team meeting that you were going to be tied going into the last week of the season and we had a chance to compete for the Big West title, how many of you would have taken it?’

“They all raised their hands.”

Their games followed their hands. The Titans — behind Stultz’s nine-strikeout outing and Urman’s 3-for-4, three-run, two-RBI effort — won that first game, 9-4 for their 30th win of the season. They’d take two of three, enough to finish 20-10 in the Big West and one game behind conference champion UC San Diego, which — due to its transitional status to Division 1 — was ineligible for postseason play. That gave CSUF the Big West’s automatic berth in the NCAA regionals — its first postseason trip since 2018.

That familiar occurrence brought a familiar trip to the Stanford Regional, where a 12-7 loss to Texas A&M — courtesy of 12 walks — and a 6-5 loss to Stanford bookended a 9-5 beating of San Jose State.

No matter. The picture in Dietrich’s second year rebuilding the Ferrari was overwhelmingly positive. The Titans improved by 10 games overall and by six games in the Big West. When you parse the numbers further, CSUF’s season was nothing short of remarkable.

Offensively, the Titans were seventh in the conference in team hitting (.277). They were sixth in on-base percentage (.374), fourth in runs (345), fourth in hits (540) seventh in home runs (37), and seventh in slugging (.406). They weren’t in the conference’s top three in any significant offensive category, although they did lead the conference in doubles and were second in walks.

The pitching numbers tell the same story. The Titans were seventh in team ERA (5.10), fifth in opponent’s batting average (.282), fourth in walks allowed (232) and fifth in runs allowed (313). They were third in strikeouts (490), with a team-high 90 of those coming from Stultz.

Truly a picture of the whole surpassing the sum of the parts.

“It was a good season for many reasons,” Dietrich said. “The uncertainty of going into the season with 17 returners and 22 newcomers. You’re trying to figure out what you have and to the players’ credit, they did a good job building chemistry. …

“We enjoyed being around them. This was a fun group of guys to be around,” Dietrich said. “The older guys and the new guys meshed, and they worked hard. During practice, it was good to see how they went about their business. They bought into what we were trying to do and they enjoyed each other. They bought into the accountability we set out for them.”

Nankil was the Titans’ lone All-Big West First-Team selection. The junior outfielder hit .307 with 37 runs and 38 RBI to go with a .827 OPS (on-base plus slugging). He led the conference with 21 doubles and his 75 hits were fourth in the Big West. Connor, who hit a team-best .333 with 40 RBI, 36 runs and 20 doubles, joined Ingrassia on the second team. Ingrassia (5-2, 2.63) tied for fourth in the conference with his seven saves.

Chester, Stultz, Lew, Urman and Yates were all honorable mention selections. Chester and Stultz won seven games apiece, tying for second in the conference. Lew led the Titans with seven home runs, 43 runs and 43 RBI.

Which brings us to the next entry on Dietrich’s to-do list: improving the Titans’ relative lack of depth, especially on the mound. Complicating matters is the fact he’ll lose Lew, Stultz, Chester and outfielder Carter White. He could lose Nankil, Connor and Urman to next month’s Major League Baseball draft. Dietrich said that key trio may return for their senior seasons if they don’t get drafted high enough.

That means Dietrich has another firehose to drink from. He must plan for them leaving — while accounting for them staying. That means juggling scholarship money and filling in pieces that may not need filling next year. This, with 17 new players coming in next season, including nine pitchers. They’ll join pitchers like Yates and Christian Rodriguez, who sat out 2023 after Tommy John surgery.

“I thought we were light on the mound. They competed, not to take anything away from them,” Dietrich said. “But if we had a couple of extra arms, it would have made a difference. … That’s where your depth is tested. We weren’t that deep. We were better than we were last year, but we were still light. But the one thing I liked about our guys is we competed our butts off. …

“I’m excited for next year, excited for the program and excited for the alumni.”

Nobody said drinking from a firehose — or driving a Ferrari — was easy. It just looked that way.

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​ Orange County Register