Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 182

Top 10 boys golf rankings

Top 10 boys golf rankings

1. Stevenson:

2. Palma:

3. Salinas:

4. Carmel:

5. San Lorenzo Valley:

6. Hollister:

7. York:

8. Monte Vista:

9. Pacific Grove:

10. Aptos:

On the bubble: Santa Cruz, Monterey, Alisal, Alvarez, Rancho San Juan.

Horoscopes March 23, 2025: Keri Russell, let your intuition lead the way

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Michelle Monaghan, 49; Keri Russell, 49; Catherine Keener, 66; Chaka Khan, 72.

Happy Birthday: Take initiative, and accept responsibility for yourself and your chosen lifestyle. Let your intuition lead the way, and let your imagination influence how you look, love and live. Laughter is the path to a positive attitude and results you can work with to enforce your dreams. Start the ball rolling, be fearless and work toward an affordable and rewarding future. Personal gain comes with a positive attitude and desire to achieve. Your numbers are 2, 14, 21, 24, 33, 35, 49.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Leave nothing to chance. Put your energy into completing what you start and promoting your skills and ideas. High energy, desire and making a difference will help motivate you to turn any negative experience into a positive outcome. Physical and mental improvements will help you shine in romantic situations. 2 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Invest more time in yourself, learning, traveling and exploring new possibilities. Awaken the spirit within by embarking on subjects, events and proposals that offer purpose. Changing your lifestyle or direction will give you hope for a brighter future. A favorable exchange with someone will encourage you to implement your plans. 5 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Use your talents, skills and experience to help a cause or someone in need. A kind gesture will start a trend that helps build a stronger community and resources that will connect you with people who share your intentions. Personal gain and interesting opportunities are heading in your direction. 3 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Pay attention to how you look, feel and handle responsibilities. Taking an interest in others and what they do will be insightful and encourage you to adjust how you deal with changes that affect your life and daily routine. Take some “me time,” and stop feeling guilty and being so hard on yourself. 3 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Go on a learning adventure, and you’ll discover what’s possible and excellent for your mental and physical well-being. A healthy attitude and schedule will be energizing and appealing to positive people eager to be part of your circle. To be active is attractive and can shape an exhilarating lifestyle. Romance is favored. 3 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): A change will give you a positive perspective on life, love and becoming more vibrant and active in your community. Reach out, see what’s happening, meet new people and take responsibility for your happiness. Settle in with new beginnings. Social events, attending a reunion and travel are favored. 5 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Reach across the table and introduce yourself. Make your voice heard and your presence known. Show compassion for those in dark places, and be grateful for your life. Refuse to let uncertainty cause you to miss out. Live in the moment and say yes to life. 2 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): If you want something, make it happen. Fuel the fire and embark on what interests you. How you manage your life is what counts; stop looking in the rearview mirror when what’s new and exciting lies ahead. Take your wisdom and skills and contribute what you can; something good will transpire. 4 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Change how you handle your money to ward off someone trying to take advantage of you. Question shared expenses and joint ventures, and consider the best way to handle your relationships with others. Set boundaries and establish a financial safety net to get the most out of any partnership. 3 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Converse and socialize. Get in the game of life and see what transpires. Be aware of what others want or expect, and consider whether a relationship with them offers balance and equality before you get involved. You are best to align yourself with those you share the most with mentally, emotionally and financially. 3 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Push your way forward and participate in what excites you most. Clear a space for a project you want to pursue and shift your routine to suit your needs. Refuse to let the changes others make interfere with your plans. Proceed in the direction that brings you the most comfort and greatest joy. 3 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Pour your energy into something worthwhile. Put a cap on how much you spend and the promises you make. Trust your instincts and adjust as you move forward. Refuse to let anyone dictate what you can and cannot do. Take the road that suits you and the lifestyle you want to pursue. 4 stars

Birthday Baby: You are friendly, accommodating and eager. You are hardworking and persuasive.

1 star: Avoid conflicts; work behind the scenes. 2 stars: You can accomplish, but don’t rely on others. 3 stars: Focus and you’ll reach your goals. 4 stars: Aim high; start new projects. 5 stars: Nothing can stop you; go for gold.

Visit Eugenialast.com, or join Eugenia on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn.

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Pro Soccer: Union earns third straight win

ORANGE COUNTY – What ever Monterey Bay FC is doing in the second half, it needs to bottle it going forward.

For the second time this year, the Union erupted for three goals in the second half Saturday to produce a 3-0 win over Orange County.

For the first time since April 13, the Union have their first two-game winning streak in the United Soccer League Championship.

Counting their 4-0 win last Wednesday over Inter San Francisco in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, Monterey has produced 10 straight goals in their last three matches.

The 10 goals are more than the Union (2-1-0) produced in their last 15 matches on the pitch last year.

With the win, Monterey Bay FC sits in a tie for second in the USL’s Western Conference, just three points behind San Antonio — the only team to beat them in the season opener.

The win also snapped a four-game winless streak to Orange County, who was unbeaten in its first two USL Championships matches.

Monterey Bay FC had not beaten Orange County since its inaugural season in 2022, when it swept the season series.

Ilijah Paul, who produced his first goal as a member of the Union on Wednesday, collected the teams first two goals in the second half to break up a scoreless battle.

Paul is the second player for Monterey Bay FC to produce two goals in a match, joining Xavi Gnaulati, who scored a pair in Wednesday’s win over Inter San Francisco.

Luke Ivanovic recorded his first goal in the 90th minute for the Union, who will host Phoenix Rising FC next Saturday at 7 p.m. at Cardinale Stadium.

Goalie Nick Campuzano recorded his first shutout between the pipes for Monterey Bay FC, who registered the teams second clean slate in as many games.

Warriors defense lapses in Atlanta for loss in first game of road trip

Steph Curry didn’t travel to Atlanta, and neither did the Warriors’ defense.

Golden State yielded 40 points in the first quarter and never slowed down the Hawks, who shot 57% from the field in the game. Atlanta outscored the Warriors 60 to 44 in the paint as center Onyeka Okongwu (22 points, 12 rebounds, six assists) controlled the lane.

The 124-115 loss tips off a six-game, two-week road trip. Golden State (41-30) is tied with the Clippers in the loss column, clinging on to sixth place by percentage points.

The Warriors are now 16-3 with Jimmy Butler in the lineup. They’ve already proven they can win without Curry, but it didn’t look like it in State Farm Arena — where Golden State has dropped six straight games.

“It’s a bad loss,” Draymond Green told reporters postgame. “Terrible loss. We’re in the position where we have the chance to compete with something, 11 games left … you shouldn’t have a loss like that. Too much on the line. Got to win the games you’re supposed to win.”

Curry wasn’t in Atlanta as he recovers from a pelvic contusion. Butler led the Warriors in scoring with 25 points and eight rebounds while Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga provided boosts as well.

Curry is due for a re-evaluation on Monday, before the Warriors’ next game. Being forced to play without Curry isn’t the worst thing for the Warriors, especially if Curry’s injury isn’t a long-term issue.

Just this week, Golden State defeated the Bucks without Curry, who got the night off for mental and emotional recuperation. Having players learn how to play off Butler when he has to be more aggressive can be valuable playoff preparation reps.

But the Hawks aren’t pushovers. Ranking fifth in points per game since the All-Star break, Atlanta pushed the pace — even after made baskets — and put the Warriors in constant binds with high pick-and-rolls.

Trae Young started 3-for-3 with eight points and four assists, picking apart the Warriors in a 40-23 first quarter. The Warriors aggressively double-teamed Young toward the end of the first frame and beyond, hoping to force his teammates to beat them.

They did. Okongwu nailed a pair of 3s, and Terance Mann stuck one, too. And eventually, George Niang knocked down everything.

The Hawks led by 20 before Kuminga found a bit of a rhythm in the second quarter. The fourth-year wing made Atlanta pay in transition with a layup, converted an and-1 inside and also pulled up for a midrange jumper. His boost, plus a corner 3 from Moody, inched the Warriors within 13.

Kuminga bottomed a 3-pointer and then found Buddy Hield for another one in the corner, but the Warriors still couldn’t string together stops. Atlanta frequently put Quinten Post into actions, challenging the rookie center to make reads against Young in the pick-and-roll. Post has gotten targeted more often recently as teams add more details to their scouting reports. At one point, Curry reminded Post to not lose his confidence when teams go at him, relating to the rookie.

The beneficiary of the Hawks’ strategy was often Okongwu, who tallied 18 points, six rebounds and five assists in the first half.

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Post and Brandin Podziemski opened the second half with 3-pointers to claw within six. That pair has been dialed in from deep recently and went 8-for-12 from behind the arc in the game.

Atlanta kept surging, slashing into the lane at-will and either finishing or kicking to open shooters. Too often, the Warriors surrendered drives down the middle. Golden State tried Trayce Jackson-Davis as the Hawks stretched their lead back out to 19. Even after forcing misses, Golden State struggled to close out possessions with rebounds.

Niang poured in six 3-pointers and 23 points off the bench, helping Atlanta decipher the Warriors’ zone defense that fleetingly looked like it could be a comeback tool.

What really inspired a comeback was locked-in defense from Green and Gary Payton II spending more time checking Young. Podziemski and Moody each drew charges as well as the Warriors repeatedly turned Atlanta over in the fourth.

The Warriors went on a 16-3 run and a Moody corner 3 made it an eight-point game with 2:30 left.

But that was as close as they’d get in the arena they can’t seem to win at.

COVID, 5 years later: The challenge of getting kids back to class

EDITOR’S NOTE — Last week marked the five-year anniversary of California going into shelter-in-place during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Herald is taking a look back at how Monterey County residents and organizations navigated that time, as well as the lessons learned. Today, the challenge of getting kids back into the classroom. 

When schools were allowed to return to in-person learning in 2021, educators were looking forward to finally seeing their students’ faces (albeit, faces covered by masks) but were instead met with more empty desks than ever before the pandemic.

Among the endless list of aspects of life that were impacted by COVID-19 was student attendance. Post-pandemic recovery in schools has largely been focused not only on student performance but also on attendance, as chronic absenteeism rates skyrocketed once students returned to classrooms after nearly a year of remote learning. Chronic absenteeism in Monterey County schools jumped from 10.3% in 2020-21 to 28.7% in 2021-22.

“We knew that a lot of our families were experiencing a lot of challenges … trying to kind of make things work,” said Alan Crawford, Monterey Peninsula Unified District’s director of student support, safety and prevention. “But I don’t know that our leaders were ready to see the chronic absenteeism rates as high as they were.”

Since returning from distance learning, chronic absenteeism has been one of the most prevalent issues districts have faced.

The numbers

Absenteeism can be caused by a myriad of factors including transportation challenges, childcare struggles resulting in students caring for younger siblings, general student disengagement, sickness – all of which were amplified by the pandemic.

Monterey County Superintendent of Schools Deneen Guss stands with rapid COVID-19 tests provided by the state. But as schools reopened, one of the biggest challenges they had to overcome was chronic absenteeism. (MCOE)

Chronically absent students are those who miss 10% or more school days in the academic year. Local districts hit their peaks of absenteeism in 2021-22 and have been slowly getting those rates down, but are still struggling to get back to pre-pandemic numbers.

Before the pandemic, Monterey County’s absenteeism rate was just over 11% and just below the state average of 12%. After a high of nearly 29% in 2021-22, the next school year saw a 6.5% reduction. That number continued to drop in the past academic year, with local districts getting down to an average of nearly 17% in 2023-24. Once again, Monterey County did better than the state average of 20.4%, according to data from the Department of Education.

Monterey County’s chronic absenteeism rates have been consistently lower than the state average. (Graph courtesy of MCOE)

“I am proud of the progress we have made in reducing chronic absenteeism across Monterey County,” said Superintendent of Schools Deneen Guss. “Since the pandemic, our schools, educators and families have come together with a shared commitment to ensuring students feel connected, supported and engaged in their learning.”

Salinas City Elementary School District, which serves around 9,000 students across 15 schools, saw its absenteeism rate drop from nearly 38% in 2021-22 to around 22% in 2023-24. The district had the third highest reduction in absenteeism in the county for 2023-24. While the district has had success reducing absenteeism in the years since, the pandemic drastically changed its attendance rate.

In 2018-19, Salinas City Elementary saw only around 4% of its students be chronically absent. In 2019-20, that number was about the same. The next year, during the peak of the pandemic, that number jumped by 34%.

At Monterey Peninsula Unified, the rate dropped from 26.9% in the 2022-23 school year to 16.7% in 2023-24. Due in part to its successes addressing root causes of absenteeism, the district was highlighted in the 2024 Education Recovery Scorecard which tracks post-pandemic recovery across the country.

It wasn’t just California schools struggling to keep students coming to class every day, districts across the country felt the consequences of post-pandemic trends.

Absenteeism post-pandemic nearly doubled nationwide from eight million chronically absent students pre-pandemic to almost 15 million in 2020-21, according to Attendance Works, a state and national non-profit initiative that pushes for policy to improve school attendance.

During the last academic year, Monterey County had the 11th lowest chronic absenteeism rate (16.9%) in California, according to data from the Department of Education.

“The increase in student engagement speaks to the power of strong relationships, clear communication and a deep dedication to student success,” said Guss. “We will continue working together to build on this momentum and keep our students thriving in school.”

Solutions

While the numbers show a steady and successful return to “normal,” the process of intervention and outreach has been long, and at times, expensive.

Monterey Peninsula Unified received a nearly $1.4 million grant from 2024-27 to create support programs aimed at improving student outcomes in part through addressing these root causes of truancy.

Districts have had varying success reducing absenteeism rates from 2021-22 to 2023-24, with those reductions spanning from 3% to 27%. (Graph courtesy of MCOE)

The Promoting Attendance through Collaboration and Compassionate Systems program adopts a non-punitive, evidence-based strategy to tackle the underlying causes of chronic absenteeism.

The district offered telehealth, technical support and enhanced family assistance to families of chronically absent students. A number of video campaigns were also launched to increase family awareness of the challenges students face when chronically absent.

It also launched the EveryDay Labs pilot, enabling school leaders to monitor attendance and provide resources directly to families whose children missed school often. The district reported significant decreases in absenteeism at the five participating schools.

EveryDay Labs also sends out regular messages to parents reminding them of the importance of having their kids in class as much as possible. It’s important to the district that these messages are “compassionate and thoughtful” instead of making families feel like they’re in trouble, said Crawford.

Salinas City Elementary was one of four districts chosen in 2023 to participate in the Research-Practice Partnership, a collaborative effort between MCOE, the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence and Attendance Works. The partnership focused on the underlying factors contributing to absenteeism and developed strategies to combat negative trends.

Among the district’s efforts were home visits, tackling transportation issues, food insecurity and health concerns, enriching school culture through increased activities and celebrations and providing families with regular communication and multilingual resources.

The MCOE focused on fostering a sense of belonging to enhance attendance, promoting understanding of procedures and strengthening communication and trust between educators and families, according to Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services Caryn Lewis.

A classroom at Marina Vista Elementary Arts Academy sits empty as the school transitionsed to distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Monterey Herald file)

Through the Research-Practice Partnership, Salinas City Elementary met with the county office and other districts to determine actionable steps for how to move forward as a county, according to Director of Pupil Services Esteban Hernandez.

The task force met several times a year and inspired the district’s own taskforce consisting of site leaders, counselors and the clerical staff that work directly with families, said Hernandez. Together, the group has been meeting regularly to discuss the best practices for continued communication of the importance of daily attendance.

Looking ahead

Going forward, the only way to make sure chronic absenteeism doesn’t spike again is to keep doing the things that have worked so far, said Crawford.

Monterey Peninsula Unified is planning to hire attendance intervention specialists to work directly with families, according to Crawford. The specialists will conduct home visits and ongoing communication throughout the community.

The PACCS grant will also allow the district to offer telehealth services to students in schools and at home to ensure students are back at their desks as soon as possible.

The Salinas City Elementary task force is currently working on its attendance campaign for the 2025-26 school year.

“It has to be a community effort,” said Hernandez. “It has to be on everyone’s mind.”

The district is also using data to pinpoint at-risk students and work on drawing on the relationships between students, families and site staff to ensure kids feel comfortable and excited to come to school.

One of these strategies is to make sure students who aren’t connected or engaged spend 10 minutes a day, 10 days in a row,  building a connection with staff. The importance of these connections, says Hernandez, can’t be underestimated.

“You build that connection until we see them become more consistent and stable with their attendance and engagement,” said Hernandez. “We have schools that are implementing that and basically it is all hands on deck, whoever can be part of it.”

Saint Mary’s Sweet 16 bid may hinge on Marciulionis vs. Alabama All-American

A few hours before Augustus Marciulionis celebrated his 23rd birthday with a in the NCAA Tournament, his famous father called into a San Francisco radio show Friday from their native Lithuania.

Naturally, Sarunas Marciulionis, a former Warriors star and two-time Olympic medalist, was asked how he compares to his son, the West Coast Conference’s two-time reigning player of the year.

“He’s a better defender, for sure,” the elder Marciulionis told KNBR 680-AM co-hosts Greg Papa and Greg Silver.

Elite defense is necessary Sunday if Saint Mary’s is to reach its second-ever Sweet 16. The No. 7-seed Gaels are plotting to upset No. 2 Alabama, college basketball’s highest-scoring team. Tipoff is 3:10 p.m. PT in Cleveland’s Rocket Arena (TNT).

Augustus Marciulionis figures to draw the marquee matchup, against All-American guard Mark Sears.

“He plays with a lot of pace. He tries to get to the basket. He’s going to shoot deep 3s,” Augustus Marciulionis told reporters Saturday in Cleveland. “He’s going to be a key cover, he’s a good player and I’m excited for that matchup.”

Saint Mary’s coach Randy Bennett’s follow-up response: “Augustus is a good player and he’s played against good ones the last four years. Sears is good. They have others that are good, too. But he’s the head of the snake, for sure, and he’s constantly attacking.”

Stopping Sears, a fifth-year guard averaging 18.8 points per game, will not be a one-man job. Not when Alabama has others to help pump out an NCAA-best 91.1 points per game. And not when Saint Mary’s swarms with the nation’s fourth-best defense (60.5 points per game).

“It won’t be a one-on-one matchup. It’ll get down to team coverage,” Bennett added.

That team-oriented approach kept Saint Mary’s afloat Friday with a 59-56 win over Vanderbilt. The Gaels were down 12 points when, only four minutes into the second half, Marciulionis picked up his fourth foul and headed to the bench for a spell.

His teammates rallied and Marciulionis eventually rejoined them in shaking off early-game shooting woes, with the fourth-year guard making a pair of go-ahead 3-point baskets with 7 and 4 ½ minutes remaining. He also made two free throws with 1:15 remaining for what stood as the winning points.

Fellow point guard Jordan Ross, as well as fifth-year senior Mitchell Saxen, were bigger influences in the Gaels’ comeback, but Marciulionis’ ability to finish strong provides confidence for Sunday’s second-round encore.

Not bad for a kid Bennett first met 22 years ago, when he traveled to Lithuania to help at Sarunas Marciulionis’ basketball academy.

“When he picked me up at the airport, he had this little 1-year-old sitting on the little middle part in the car, and he’s buzzing around. That was Augustas,” Bennett humorously recalled Saturday to reporters. “I was like, this is crazy, he doesn’t even have a seatbelt on and he’s whipping around these streets.”

Augustus popped up by surprise on Bennett’s recruiting radar years ago, and now the coach marvels at how that “innocent kid” has grown into a big-time leader, especially the last two seasons.

Sarunas Marciulionis said on KNBR about his son’s path: “After the second season, he had thoughts to maybe look somewhere else. But we decided ‘No.’ He went such a long way and Coach Bennett is a legend, so, ‘Be patient and your time will come.’ We made the right decision to stay and he’s had a successful third and fourth season.”

All four seasons have featured an NCAA Tournament appearance, including a first-round upset last season and second-round exits in 2022 and ’23.

“We didn’t come here just to win one game. We’ve done it before,” forward Luke Barrett said. “We’re trying to leave a legacy on this program and do something special.”

Added Marciulionis: “The excitement is gone, and we’re just focused on playing a good team in a tough environment, and that’s our job.”

The primary task will be stopping Sears, who totaled 22 points (11-of-13 free throws, 1-of-5 3-point shooting, 10 assists) in Alabama’s 90-81, first-round win over Robert Morris.Related ArticlesGolden State Warriors | Warriors defense lapses in Atlanta for loss in first game of road trip Golden State Warriors | Kurtenbach: The Warriors avoided the worst with Steph Curry’s injury. It was still a harsh reminder Golden State Warriors | Steph Curry to miss game with pelvis injury as Warriors begin road trip Golden State Warriors | Warriors will need to play “perfect basketball” with Curry out Golden State Warriors | Steph Curry injured on hard fall in Warriors’ victory over Raptors

“Mark is a big-time competitor, as you see in the way he plays. He kind of sets the tone like competitive-wise,” Alabama teammate Chris Youngblood said. “If he’s on, he’s a point guard, so naturally we follow.”

Same could be said for Marciulionis and the Gaels.

“Every time I think of Marciulionis, I think of Sarunas,” Alabama coach Nate Oats said Saturday. “… I loved watching his dad play. He could really shoot. He’s crafty. He’s skilled. He’s tough. I loved watching him play.

“If (Augustus) Marciulionis played in our pace, he’d probably score more points, but he’s very good at what they need him to do,” Oats added. ” … He’s smart. He’s tough. He’s crafty. He hits big shots in big games for them, and he knows how to run their team, and it’s hard to get him out of his rhythm. You can tell he probably grew up watching a lot of basketball, watching his dad and all the NBA players play. I don’t know the kid at all. I’ve watched him on film, and I have a bunch of respect for him.”

PHOTO: A calm day at Pebble Beach

SF Giants’ Encarnacion out at least 4-5 weeks with hairline fracture in left ring finger

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Jerar Encarnacion was positioned to make an Opening Day roster for the first time in his career, no small feat given how his career has unfolded.

He played six seasons in the minors before making his major-league debut. He ended up in the Mexican League, where he hit 19 homers in 26 games. He parlayed that heater into a minor-league contract with the Giants, impressed during his little time with the team last season and emerged as a favorite to win a spot on the bench.

But after suffering a hairline fracture in his left ring finger when diving for a ball that will keep him out for at least four-to-five weeks, Encarnacion will need to wait one more year to experience his first Opening Day.

“I don’t feel disappointed at all. I think it’s God’s plan that this happened,” Encarnacion said through team interpreter Erwin Higueros. “So, the only thing I can do is just continue. I know that I can do the job when the time comes.”

As things stand, it’s looking like Encarnacion’s time will be sometime in May or June, though the team has yet to determine a timetable. Per manager Bob Melvin, the Giants will receive an update on Sunday. When asked if surgery is a possibility, Melvin responded that “anything’s on the table.”

“He was putting himself in a position to get quite a few at-bats. And rightly so,” Melvin said. “Based on what we saw last year, based on what we saw this spring, there’s a lot to like: the power dynamic, he can play the infield a little bit at first, play the outfield, DH. Sometimes, it’s tough for guys to DH and he was good at it. So, this stings some. And I feel bad for him because the road he’s taken to get to the big leagues, this is probably going to be as good of an opportunity as he’s ever had.”

There’s never a great time to sustain an injury, but the timing of Encarnacion’s ailment is especially unfortunate given how well he was performing. In the Dominican Winter League, Encarnacion hit four home runs and totaled 27 RBIs with a .297 batting average for Aguilas Cibaenas. That momentum carried into Cactus League play, where he hit .302 with two home runs, a team-high 14 RBIs and a .856 OPS.

“It’s only one finger. I still have my other hand. I still have the rest of my body and my legs,” Encarnacion said. “I can do some things to stay ready.”

With Encarnacion out for the foreseeable future, the Giants have less than a week to determine who fills out the bench alongside catcher Sam Huff, outfielder Luis Matos and infielder Brett Wisely. The list of candidates to Encarnacion’s spot include infielders David Villar, Casey Schmitt and Jake Lamb, as well as outfielders Grant McCray and Marco Luciano. San Francisco will also have to decide whether to put Encarnacion on the 60-day injured list, which would open up a spot on the 40-man roster.

As far as DH, specifically, Matos could see time at DH along with Wilmer Flores, who was likely to get the starting nod on Opening Day from the start due to his veteran status. Matos, a right-handed hitter, will also platoon with right fielder Mike Yastrzemski, a left-handed hitter. And if Matos spends more time at DH than anticipated, McCray would make sense as a bench option to play the outfield.

Matt Chapman, 31, and Willy Adames, 29, could also have an occasional game at DH, though Melvin said they both prefer to play the field. Left fielder Heliot Ramos could get the occasional DH game as well.

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Villar, 28, is out of minor-league options, which means the Giants would have to designate him for assignment if they don’t put him on the 40-man roster. Putting Villar on the Opening Day roster would allow the Giants to keep him in the organization, but the Giants appear to be favoring other options.

“He’s out of options, so there’s the potential that someone picks him up if he doesn’t make the roster and goes somewhere and flourishes,” Melvin said. “That has happened before, and he has the ability to do that.”

Lee resumes baseball activities

Jung Hoo Lee resumed baseball activities after being sidelined for a week with a back injury, a list of tasks that included hitting, throwing to bases and taking fly balls. The expectation is that Lee plays in Sunday’s exhibition against the Sacramento River Cats, per Melvin.

“If everything goes well tomorrow and in the Tigers’ series, I think there’s a good chance he could start in Cincinnati,” Melvin said.

Lee, who has a .967 OPS with two homers this spring, said on Friday that he sees Opening Day as “realistic.” Melvin said he would be most comfortable with Lee playing in three games before Opening Day; the Giants have three exhibition games remaining, exactly, on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

Liza Horvath, Senior Advocate: Can I assume my parents’ homeowner’s insurance?

Question: I will inherit my parents’ home when they go to the great beyond. I am told that I can assume their mortgage – which has a great rate since they are so smart and refinanced when the rates were low. However, with all the problems with getting homeowner’s insurance in California, I am not sure if I can get insurance and, if I can, what the cost will be. Can I also assume their homeowner’s insurance?

Answer: To be completely specific, you may or may not be able to “assume” your parents’ mortgage depending on how the mortgage was written. If the mortgage was written as an assumable mortgage, then you may be able to work with the lender and have the mortgage transferred to you. You, personally, would need to financially qualify for the loan and then you, personally, would be responsible for the payment of the mortgage. However, recent banking laws provide that when real estate is transferred to a relative upon the death of a borrower, lenders can no longer enforce the due-on-sale (or due-on-transfer) clause of a mortgage. So, if it is an assumable loan and you want to go that route, that is one option. If it is not assumable or you cannot qualify to assume the loan, then you can continue to make the mortgage payments and the lender cannot force a full payoff or take other actions against you unless you default on the payments.

As for homeowner’s insurance, no, it is not assumable. When the real estate is transferred to you, you will need to obtain new homeowner’s insurance. I recommend you check with the current insurer now to see if the insurance will be rewritten when the property passes to you. If, like so many companies, the insurer is not writing new policies in California, check with other insurance companies and keep in mind that you can obtain coverage through California Fair Plan Property Insurance (www.cfpnet.com). Keep in mind that if you use the California Fair Plan, you will need additional insurance policies to cover liability and other losses that are not covered in the Fair Plan. These other losses are usually covered in homeowner’s insurance policies but not so with the Fair Plan.

Question: Why are banks so unbearably difficult? I helped my mom take care of her bills and finances before she died. After her death, I handled the distribution of the assets in her trust and took care of all my trustee duties. Two years have passed, and I just found out that she has three more bank accounts and a safe deposit box! These accounts are with the same bank where mom and I had her other accounts while she was living and which I closed when I distributed everything out. The bank never told me about the “other accounts” or the box. Now I am told that I need to do a probate to gain access to these assets. Why didn’t the bank tell me about these other accounts? This is outrageous!

Answer: It is unbelievable, right? I was recently told after a client died that unless his accounts already have my name on them or they were titled to his trust (I was stepping into as his trustee), that I would need a “court order” for the bank to give me any information or access to my client’s other accounts. This is so contrary to the reasons we go through the time and expense to establish a trust in the first place and, as your situation shows, it can result in significant costs and delays.

Banks are highly regulated and scrutinized around privacy laws and we, the consumers, are made to bear the brunt of the problems these regulations can create. The best way to avoid this kind of problem is to make sure that most, if not every, account you have is retitled to your trust or, at the very least, that your trustee is fully aware of all your accounts and any safe deposit boxes you may own.

SF Giants option Harrison, leaving Birdsong, Roupp as finalists for fifth rotation spot

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — In the end, the competition for the fifth spot in the Giants’ rotation was always going to come down to Hayden Birdsong and Landen Roupp. And Kyle Harrison, due to circumstances he couldn’t control, was always on the outside looking in.

The Giants announced on Saturday morning that they optioned Harrison to the minor leagues, leaving Birdsong and Roupp as the two finalists to round out San Francisco’s rotation.

Danville’s Harrison, the Giants’ top pitching prospect since he was drafted out De La Salle in 2020, was the favorite to win the spot entering camp after making 24 starts and tossing 124 1/3 innings last season, both second on the Giants only to ace Logan Webb. But the 23-year-old left-hander was already behind after losing 10 to 15 pounds due to an illness right before the start of camp.

“When you talk about the competition for the five spot, he was never really in it based on his starting point and where he is right now,” manager Bob Melvin said Saturday. “We just need to get him up to speed and get him more innings and get him stretched out longer in games. It was always more between Roupp and Birdsong. I think Kyle was kind of lumped into that, but kind of unfairly because he was behind in his progression.”

Roupp and Birdsong made their Cactus League debuts on Feb. 22 and Feb. 23, respectively, but Harrison didn’t pitch in his first spring training game until Feb. 28. Birdsong and Roupp have each thrown 12 innings this spring, their longest outings each being five innings. Harrison has only pitched 6 2/3 innings and hasn’t gone more than three innings. Birdsong, Harrison and Roupp will all pitch in the Giants’ exhibition against the Sacramento River Cats on Sunday; Roupp will start for the Giants and be followed by Birdsong while Harrison will start for the River Cats.

With camp ending in Arizona, the Giants’ decision to start Harrison in the minors — presumably with Triple-A Sacramento — does not come as much of a surprise. Following Harrison’s last outing, Melvin said it  “might be hard” for Harrison to get fully stretched out in time for the season.

“We’ll see where we are with him,” Melvin said. “He’s a little bit behind everybody,” Melvin said after Harrison’s most recent outing last Sunday. “Getting him three innings and it seemed like there was a little bit more life in his arm. Like I said, it was a step in the right direction.”

Melvin said the Giants haven’t decided what to do once Harrison is stretched out.

Birdsong appears to have the advantage in the competition for the final spot in the rotation.

In four Cactus League appearances, the 23-year-old Birdsong has allowed one earned run across 12 innings (0.75 ERA) with 18 strikeouts. He also hasn’t walked a batter, no small feat given he walked 13.7% of the batters he faced as a rookie.

Roupp, 26, has also enjoyed an impressive spring. Along with a 3.75 ERA with 14 strikeouts to two walks, Roupp struck out 13 batters over five scoreless innings against the Colorado Rockies Single-A team last week.

It’s also possible that Birdsong and Roupp could both make the Opening Day roster — one in the rotation and the other in the bullpen.Melvin said Roupp starting for the Giants on Sunday likely isn’t an indication that the Giants favor him over Birdsong for the final rotation spot.”]

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“Both of them have pitched really well,” Melvin said. “It’s been pretty difficult to figure out if one of them’s in the bullpen, one of them’s in the (rotation) and who’s it going to be. I’m not saying that’s the way it’s going to be — that option is there. But it’s been very difficult because of them have pitched really well and you love seeing that.”

Winn, Lucchesi also part of cuts

Along with Harrison, right-hander Keaton Winn was optioned and left-hander Joey Lucchesi, a non-roster invitee, was re-assigned to minor league camp.

With Lucchesi out of the running for the Opening Day roster, the Giants will open the season with Erik Miller as the only left-handed reliever in the bullpen. Newark’s Lucchesi has an out in his contract, but not until July.

“He’s a starter trying to acclimate to that role,” Melvin said. “His clean innings were clean and he pitched well. It’s just about trying to keep as many options open as we can. Which, a lot of times at the beginning of the season, you look to do, but there’s also some other guys that have performed really well that are going to be on the team.”