Just a few random thoughts here and there ...

•Slippery Rock University’s men’s basketball team came up with a huge victory over PSAC West leader Indiana last weekend, only to lose a one-point decision to Clarion Wednesday night.

The Rock was swept this season by Clarion and Seton Hill, the two teams it’s in a dogfight with for the final two spots in the conference tournament.

SRU needs a home win against Gannon this weekend, a win at Pitt-Johnstown Wednesday, and hope things break its way.

If it doesn’t, inconsistency all season will be the culprit.

•Remember the Butler girls bowling team from a couple of years back that won 50 straight matches and a state championship? Some members of that team are doing well in the collegiate ranks.

Megan Paul bowls for third-ranked Lindenwood (Mo.) University, Autumn Hepler is with eighth-ranked Ursuline (Ohio) and Brea Suchonic was named all-conference with Penn State Altoona.

Not bad.

•Now that spring training has arrived, the baseball prognosticators are out in full-force. And nobody is mentioning the Pirates.

The Cubs are the popular choice in the National League now, with the Mets, Cardinals, Dodgers and Giants getting props. It’s as if the Bucs have fallen off the face of the earth.

Not having a first baseman or a sturdy starting rotation will do that.

•Will somebody give Pedro Alvarez a job, please?

The guess here is that his agent, Scott Boras, continues to have a high price tag on Alvarez. Uhh, it’s late February, Mr. Boras. Time for Pedro to go on sale.

•Mars senior John Castello has verbally committed to Shippensburg to play basketball after spurning football offers due to possible concussion issues down the road.

Planet teammate Christian Schmitt is headed to Furman as a preferred walk-on, Alex Gruber will no doubt be playing somewhere in college and who knows what Division I school Robby Carmody will wind up with. He still has two years of high school ball to play.

Talk about a loaded basketball team.

•Speaking of loaded, watch out for Butler’s boys basketball team next winter. The Tornado will be experienced, talented — and hungry.

•Butler graduate Nate Snodgrass is winding up his basketball career at Pitt-Johnstown. He is averaging 14.3 points and 3,5 assists per game, has hit 53 3-pointers and is shooting 86 percent at the free throw line this season.

There’s a guy who could transform his talents into whatever his team needed to win. Not players can do that.

•The Penguins are back to their high-flying offensive-minded ways on the ice. Entertaining, indeed. Will it work in the playoffs?

They have to get there, first.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle