Tag: Preston Johnson

48 days till Patriots season opener: Every player to wear No. 48 for New England

Here’s a list of every Patriots player to wear the No. 48 jersey number

Another week is in the rearview, and the New England Patriots are now officially 48 days from the start of their 2023 regular season opener.

So we’re continuing our ongoing countdown series by listing every Patriots player that has ever worn a No. 48 jersey.

The number currently belongs to rising linebacker Jahlani Tavai, who started to emerge as a real difference-maker for the team last season. That effort earned the former second-round draft pick a two-year contract extension last year.

Former Patriots linebacker Harvey Langi wore No. 48 before Tavai took up the mantle in 2021. There have been a total of 14 players that have ever worn the number throughout franchise history.

Here’s a full list of those players (via Pro Football Reference)

Errors doom Notre Dame, drop game 1 in Starkville super regional

The Irish drop game 1 in Starkville

In a back and forth affair, host Mississippi State ultimately came out on top against Notre Dame in the first game of the three game super regionals. There were a lot of good omens for the Irish; 24-3 when scoring first, 33-3 when scoring more than three runs, but it wasn’t meant to be.

After leading 7-3 after the middle of the fifth, the Irish would only score one more time. The hosts hit three homers with Logan Tanner’s in the bottom of the 7th being the winning blast. John Michael Bertrand wasn’t as effective as he was last week, going four innings while allowing five run, four earned. Tanner Kohlhepp took the Irish the rest of the way but was the losing pitcher, while Preston Johnson was the winner for the Bulldogs.

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MSU closer Landon Sims went through the heart of the Irish order in the bottom of the eighth and then closed the door in the ninth after the Bulldogs took the lead in the bottom of the seventh. For a majority of the game, Notre Dame had the momentum, shutting down the MSU crowd while answering everything the Bulldogs sent to them.

What ultimately doom the Irish was their defense, which has been stellar all year. Uncharacteristic errors, four on the day, were the most the defense has made in a single game all season.

The offense did exactly what they needed to do, but unfortunately it just wasn’t enough for the Irish to scratch out an opening game win. Zach Prajzner was the star of the offense going three for four, with two doubles, a homer and four RBI.

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The series is not over by any means, as game one proved that these two teams are evenly matched. Game two of the series is scheduled for tomorrow at 6pm CST.