Latest news with #Springs
Mail & Guardian
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Mail & Guardian
Is the exceptional BYD Sealion 7 the best value electric SUV in South Africa?
The BYD Sealion 7 provides incredible comfort and a smooth drive. BYD has become an unstoppable force in the world of new-energy vehicles globally after surpassing Tesla with sales figures in late 2024. Its momentum in South Africa has been slow, however, but it didn't enter the local market very loudly. In April, BYD finally decided to announce loud and clear that it was here with three new models: the Shark 6, which is a plug-in hybrid bakkie; the Sealion 6, a plug-in hybrid SUV and the Sealion 7, a fully electric SUV that is the flagship model in South Africa. The Mail & Guardian had the Sealion 7 on test for a week. It's always exciting to get hold of EVs to get to understand them better because they are still fairly rare in South Africa. I remember my time with the Volvo EX30 and how I struggled to charge the vehicle because I live about 60km out of Johannesburg. Luckily, a home charger is included with the BYD Sealion 7, so that took my early anxiety away. The Sealion 7 comes with BYD's blade battery, offering 82.56 kilowatt-hour capacity. This means that you get a maximum range of 482km on a full battery, which is a good amount. I drove the vehicle from Sandton to Springs and back and made multiple trips from Springs to Boksburg. I also used it around town for the time I had it on test and only needed to charge it once. While the portable wall charger is only 2.2kWh, and takes about 24 hours to charge from 30% to 80%, BYD does include a 7kWh wallbox charger, when you purchase the vehicle. This means that you could charge it to 100% in 12 hours at home. However, if you are out and about, and can find a fast charging station in the city, the Sealion 7 can charge from 20% to 80% in 30 minutes. The exterior In the last quarter of 2024, BYD released the sporty Seal 7 sedan and the Sealion 7 is meant to be an extension of that vehicle. The Sealion 7 maintains that sporty look with very distinctive headlights in the front and subtle daytime running lights that run sharply below the headlights. The shape in the front is capped off by two bonnet lines that come down towards the headlights. What I love about the Sealion 7 is that it is a very attractive vehicle but the manufacturer has not overdone anything to give it a sporty feel. The back is a treat. The SUV does not become boxy but rather follows the curve shape all the way to the boot with a superb lightbar across the back that gives off Porsche Cayenne vibes. The best word to use for the entire exterior of the BYD Sealion 7 is 'sexy'. There's no doubt that it's a head turner and BYD's intention of producing a sport-coupe SUV is embodied by the exterior. The interior BYD does its best work inside the Sealion 7. The interior is plush, comfortable, spacious and packed with technology. From the time you enter the vehicle, you are treated to beautiful ambient lighting that extends all the way around the vehicle. The leather seats are extremely comfortable and there is ample space even at the back. The BYD Sealion 7 offers 500 litres of boot capacity, with the rear seats in place, and there's also 58 litres of front boot space that is ideal for an overnight bag. The centre console is neatly done but the highlight of the interior is the 15.6 inch infotainment screen that can be rotated to either portrait or landscape. 15.6 inches is huge for a screen in a vehicle. This screen allows you to change interior settings in the vehicle, like colours and themes, and even allows you to schedule charging. There is an exceptional amount of quality and tidiness on the door panels that I appreciated greatly. For me, the interior of the Sealion 7 is appealing, yet calming. There's a type of zen energy that it gives off while still keeping the sporty-coupe aura. The drive Driving EVs is always interesting. The silence when starting the vehicle and moving at slow speeds feels great, but as you pick up speed, that is where you can really understand the ride quality of the vehicle. One issue that I generally face with EVs is that when you press down on the accelerator, because you get instant torque, the kick feels too powerful and there is no gradual pick up in speed. BYD has managed this quite well in the Sealion 7. Yes, there is an instant kick but not so much that you are pushed back in your seat. I also liked that, once you passed 100km/h, the speed picked up gradually but the vehicle still felt very powerful. Of course, with 230kW of power and 380Nm of torque, power is never going to be a problem. The variant I was in went from 0 to 100km/h in 6.7 seconds. You also get the performance all-wheel-drive variant that delivers 390kW of power and 690Nm of torque and goes from 0 to 100km/h in just 4.5 seconds, which is ridiculous. While there was not much wind noise, and the cabin remained silent, I could feel the smoothness of the drive evaporate slightly when I approached the national speed limit. Safety The BYD Sealion 7 has earned a five-star Euro NCAP rating and comes with all the safety features you need. They include adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning and driver-attention warning. The BYD Sealion 7 also comes with predictive collision technology, traffic sign recognition and intelligent speed-limit control. One thing that was impressive was that the steering wheel was not terribly sensitive to the lane-keep assist as it is in most vehicles. Of course, it would warn you if you tried to move out of the lane without indicating but it was not a constant fight with the steering wheel to assert control over the vehicle. Verdict The BYD Sealion 7 is stunning both inside and out, has exceptional features and is more spacious than it looks from the outside. All this, coupled with the fact that it is a fully electric SUV, makes it an exceptional all-round vehicle. Priced at R1 099 900 for the premium variant and R1 299 900 for the performance variant, it is still great value for money, given how EVs are priced in the country.
Miami Herald
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Miami Springs baseball wins state title, breaks school's 37-year title drought
Even though there were plenty of fans in the stands making a lot of noise, Magdiel Estevez heard none of it. He knelt down behind the pitchers mound, dropped his head, closed his eyes and shut off the rest of the world. The Miami Springs senior pitcher was about to pitch what he hoped was the last inning of his high school career and the most important one. He needed a moment. With the pressure of an entire team, school, alumni and community on his shoulders and the Golden Hawks nursing a one-run lead and three outs away from making history, all he did was deliver in a remarkably clutch way. Estevez not only retired the side in order but struck out all three batters he faced, sending his Hawks teammates running to the middle of the field for the traditional dog pile celebration. Miami Springs edged Santa Rosa Beach South Walton 2-1 in the Class 3A state championship game at Hammond Stadium. South Walton, which also was a state runner-up a year ago, losing in the final to Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons, brought a 31-3 record and a No. 1 Class 3A state ranking into the game. But just 24 hours after upsetting hometown favorite Fort Myers Bishop Verot in the semifinal, Springs once again relished the underdog role and delivered. And with it came the school's first state championship in any sport since 1988 when the Hawks' girls' soccer team defeated Melbourne in February, 1988. It also was only the second state title for any program in the last 55 years dating all the way back to boys swimming in 1970. Springs also became only the third Miami-Dade County public school team to win a state title over the last 22 years, joining South Dade and American who both won it in 2014. 'I don't really like to pray for hits, strikeouts or wins,' said Estevez, a Miami-Dade College signee who was nothing short of brilliant, allowing just two hits over his seven innings of work while striking out six including those final three. 'My prayer to the Lord was mainly, 'put your hands over me and I need you to guide me at this moment.' I know that, win or lose no matter the outcome that people would love me regardless. That really helped me find peace at that moment. Such a big blessing to be here and be a part of something so special today. I thank God that he allowed me to perform the way I did today and that I was blessed with such great teammates.' He's right about those great teammates. As great as Estevez was, he was the first to make sure his infielders got recognized. And for good reason. The Hawks' infield of third baseman Jordany Gonzalez, shortstop Roydan Perez and second baseman Yordan Torres have been nothing short of brilliant all season long. And on a day that they needed to be at their best, they delivered, especially Gonzalez who had a stretch in the fourth and fifth inning that might have reminded some of Orioles third baseman Brooks Robinson in the 1970 World Series. Over a six-batter span, Gonzalez made four incredible defensive plays, two of them diving to his left to throw South Walton runners out and prevent the Seahawks from mounting any kind of a rally. 'Everytime Mags (Estevez) has gone out on the mound this season, he would leave everything on the field for us,' Gonzalez said. 'So today it was my turn and our entire infield's turn to leave everything on the field for him. It all starts in practice. You work day-after-day-after-day taking ground ball after ground ball and it prepares you for moments like today. So it was just a matter of all of us doing our job out there and protecting our pitcher.' Springs coach David Fanshawe, completing his ninth season since taking over the program in 2016, could not have praised his pitcher more. 'Magdiel, the way he pitched today was basically the way he has pitched for us all year,' Fanshawe said. 'Coming into this game I saw just how calm he was out there. Like all season, he never would get rattled no matter how big the moment was and the moment didn't get any bigger for him than it was out there today. He was truly magnificent at the most important time we needed him to be.' Going up against some impressive South Walton starting pitching, unlike the 12-2 mercy rule win over Bishop Verot on Monday, offense would be tough to come by for the Hawks. The Seahawks threw University of Florida commit Braxton Varnes out there to start the game before Auburn-bound Coleman Barthwick replaced him in the third inning. But Springs designated hitter Taylor Ancheta didn't seem to be impressed with either one. Because somebody who had not hit a home run in over a year, stunned even perhaps himself when the lefty got a Varnes fastball in the second inning and launched it over the right field fence for a solo home run and 1-0 Hawks lead. 'Honestly, the whole thing is still kind of a blur right now,' said Ancheta with a wry smile. 'I got a first pitch fast ball down and in and I just turned on it and got barrel on it. Honestly, I couldn't believe I hit it that far. I knew it was gone when it when it left the bat.' Desperately needing an insurance run, after squandering a golden chance when No. 9 hitter Justin Mercado led off the fourth inning with a triple into the right field corner and wound up not scoring, the Hawks plated that valuable run in the top of the sixth. With runners on first and second and two outs, Torres ripped a shot right at South Walton first baseman Jaie Cunningham who could not handle the sharp grounder as the ball trickled into shallow right field. Perez never slowed down, flying around third and crossing the plate without a throw to make it 2-0. The run proved to be the difference as the Seahawks touched Estevez for their only run in the game in a tense bottom of the sixth. After Hudson Quinn led off the inning with only the team's second hit of the game, he was sacrificed down to second, Estevez walked leadoff hitter Frank Wells. A wild pitch advanced the runners to second and third before Cameron Tipton-Thomas hit a ground ball out to second scoring Quinn from third and advancing Wells to third. With the tying run 90 feet away, Varnes, the team's No. 4 hitter hit a line drive to right but Andres Suarez was right there to cooly make the catch to end the inning. 'Not yet,' said Fanshawe when asked if what his team has just accomplished for the school and the community had sunk in yet. 'I just want my team to enjoy this moment and try and embrace the history. We knocked off two very good teams, we have a lot of people back home in Miami Springs waiting for us. School, community, my ex players, my phone is blowing up right now which is so great.'
NZ Herald
16-05-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Unbeaten Jason Devery realising potential in Tairāwhiti men's interclub golf pennants
Devery, playing for Te Puia Hot Springs, is yet to taste defeat after six rounds of the series, which heads to Poverty Bay's Awapuni Links on Sunday. He has a perfect record of five wins from five matches and ended another player's 100% record in round six of the matchplay competition at Tolaga Bay last weekend. Devery was unavailable for round five in the morning, but filled in at No 4 for the Springs in the afternoon and defeated previously unbeaten Poverty Bay player Hayden Keast 5 and 4. Keast wasn't complaining. 'I ran into a hot Jason Devery,' Poverty Bay co-captain Keast said. 'He was two-under through nine holes and I couldn't keep pace. The bro was in good form.' The two points Devery banked for his team were vital. They lost 6-2 to Patutahi (1) in the morning and drew 4-all with Poverty Bay in the afternoon to lift their overall total to 27 points. They sit in fourth place, four points ahead of Waikohu (23) with one round of round-robin play to go. Defending champions Patutahi (1) lead on 35 points, with Electrinet Park (1) second on 32 and Poverty Bay third on 31. Following round seven, the eight teams split into the top and bottom four for semifinal play Sunday afternoon, and Springs do not want to be involved in the playoffs for fifth to eighth. Neither do Waikohu, but to have any chance of catching Springs they need big points in their last round-robin tie against Tolaga Bay and for Te Puia to slip up. Springs face Park (1), who will be fizzing with confidence on the back of their 6-2 round six defeat of Patutahi (1), courtesy of comprehensive wins to No 1 Dan Collier and No 2 Anaru Reedy, and an 18th-hole victory to No 3 Matt Henwood. With Devery missing round five, then beating Keast, only two players – Eddie Brown jnr and Glenn Solomann – have six-from-six individual win records and their achievements continue from where they left off last year. Patutahi's Brown jnr and Waikohu's Auckland-based teenager Solomann were the two frontrunners for the 2024 Sportsman Trophy for player of the series. Solomann got the nod, just. Saturday also saw another teen machine, Marcus Gray, in action for Poverty Bay and he justified his elevation with two wins. RESULTS – ROUND 5 Patutahi (1) 6 Te Puia Hot Springs 2: Hukanui Brown def Richard Apanui 2 and 1; Jace Brown lost to Wade Wesche 2 and 1; Shayde Skudder def Brendon McLeod 3 and 2; Eddie Brown jnr def John Wyllie 4 and 3. Poverty Bay 6 Electrinet Park (1) 2: Pete Anderson lost to Anaru Reedy 3 and 2; Waka Donnelly def Dan Collier 3 and 2; Marcus Gray def Brad Reynolds 5 and 4; Hayden Keast def Matt Henwood 3 and 1. Waikohu 5 Electrinet Park (2) 3: Glenn Solomann def Bailey Matoe 3 and 1; David Solomann def Selwyn Peneha 4 and 3; Terry Reeves lost to Peter Stewart 5 and 4; Mike Christophers halved with Anthony Pahina. Tolaga Bay 4 Patutahi (2) 4: Bruce Yates def Lyall Anania 5 and 4; Taine Lincoln lost to Dean Pohatu 2 and 1; BJ Sidney lost to Regan Hindmarsh 5 and 4; Tim Adamson def Hamish Harris 6 and 5. ROUND 6 Patutahi (1) 2 Electrinet Park (1) 6: Hukanui Brown lost to Dan Collier 6 and 5; Jace Brown lost to Anaru Reedy 5 and 4; Shayde Skudder lost to Matt Henwood 1-down; Eddie Brown jnr def Brad Reynolds 2 and 1. Poverty Bay 4 Te Puia Hot Springs 4: Pete Anderson lost to Richard Apanui 5 and 4; Waka Donnelly def Wade Wesche 5 and 4; Marcus Gray def Brendon McLeod 2 and 1; Hayden Keast lost to Jason Devery 5 and 4. Waikohu 6 Patutahi (2) 2: Glenn Solomann def Lyall Anania 5 and 4; David Solomann def Dean Pohatu 3 and 2; Mike Christophers lost to Regan Hindmarsh 5 and 4; Terry Reeves def Hamish Harris 3 and 2. Tolaga Bay 6 Electrinet Park (2) 2: Bruce Yates def Bailey Matoe 4 and 3; Taine Lincoln def Selwyn Peneha 2 and 1; Wiremu Aupouri lost to Peter Stewart 5 and 4; Tim Adamson def Anthony Pahina 3 and 2. Overall points: Patutahi (1) 35, Electrinet Park (1) 32, Poverty Bay 31, Te Puia Hot Springs 27, Waikohu 23, Tolaga Bay 19, Electrinet Park (2) 13, Patutahi (2) 12.
Miami Herald
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Estevez's gem powers Miami Springs to first trip to state baseball final four since 2019
Miami-Dade High Schools Estevez's gem powers Miami Springs to first trip to state baseball final four since 2019 Special to the Miami Herald The Miami Springs baseball team started its season in Fort Myers three months ago. And the Golden Hawks are going to finish it there as well. Six years after making a first-ever trip to the state final four, Springs is headed back again following an impressive 5-0 shutout victory over St. Brendan in Game two of a Region 4-3A final on Wednesday afternoon at Springs' Shelly Dunkel Field. The win finished off an outstanding three-week run by the Hawks who entered as the region's No. 1 seed and finished a perfect 6-0 on their home field. Along the way, they outscored their three opponents, iMater Academy, Monsignor Pace and St. Brendan by a composite score of 39-7. Springs (26-3) advances to the Class 3A state semifinals for the first time since 2019 and will play on Monday, May 19 at the Lee Health Sports Complex – Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers. The Hawks will enter as the No. 3 seed and will face either Clearwater Calvary Christian or Fort Myers Bishop Verot who are playing Game 3 of their best-of-3 series in Region 3-3A on Thursday night. If it's Bishop Verot, it would mark a rematch of the two teams who met in Fort Myers to kick off the 2025 season in a Feb. 3 preseason classic. 'Isn't it something how it all started for us in Fort Myers three months ago and now we're going to finish in Fort Myers,' Springs coach David Fanshawe said. 'Hopefully we've got two more wins in us to complete the journey.' Fanshawe said that even though the game didn't count officially, the 8-1 victory over a Bishop Verot team that is currently 26-1 this season was a huge confidence booster for his players. 'Even though it was only a preseason game, we played really well against them that night and beat them decisively,' Fanshawe said. 'I think that our kids got a boatload of confidence from that game and as it turned out, was the launching pad to our season.' One day after winning a 3-2 extra-inning nail-biter over St. Brendan in the first game, there would be no such drama on Wednesday thanks to a brilliant and dominating pitching performance by senior Magdiel Estevez. With an effective slider that St. Brendan hitters simply could not figure out, Estevez was in complete command the entire time, as he struck out 10 Sabre batters, gave up just two hits, and walked just two as the Sabres (19-15) had just two runners reach second base. The only thing keeping Estevez from a complete game shutout was pitch count. With just one batter left, he maxed out at 105 pitches forcing Fanshawe to replace him with reliever Anthony Espinoza, who recorded the final out. 'Maybe I was a little nervous inside but I managed to stay calm all game long and really got out there and found my comfort zone,' said Estevez, a Miami-Dade commit. 'I was excited for the game and the opportunity to come through for my team. I was really getting a lot of movement on my slider, filthy for sure.' Estevez also enjoyed what all pitchers love, especially in a big game – an early lead. The Hawks got him a single run in the first inning and then blew things open when No. 9 hitter Justin Mercado stepped up with the bases loaded in the second and ripped a line shot down the right field line to clear the bases and put the Hawks up 4-0. Miami Springs pitcher Magdiel Estevez dominated from first pitch to last pitch as he gave up just two hits and struck out 10 to lead the Hawks to a 5-0 victory over St. Brendan in the clinching game of the Region 4-3A final series. Bill Daley Special to the Miami Herald 'The early runs were big,' Estevez said. 'When you get a lead that like, it gives you the confidence to make some pitches without the worry of making a mistake and giving up a long ball because you have a little wiggle room. What a cool moment this is for me. You dream about something like this as a little kid playing Little League.' The Hawks, whose only losses this season came to COHEA, Belen Jesuit and Varela in a GMAC semifinal, then got Estevez one more run in the fourth when Yordan Torres, who delivered an RBI game-winning hit in the ninth on Tuesday, came through again with a one-out triple before scoring on a wild pitch. 'Every high school team out there sets this as a goal whey they take the practice field back in January and to realize it, to actually walk through that door to state is just so gratifying,' Springs catcher and senior captain Kelven Perera said. 'All the hard work paid off. Now, we've got some time to get ready and we want to go out there and take advantage of the opportunity in front of us and get two more wins.'
USA Today
06-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Athletics vs. Seattle Mariners odds, tips and betting trends
Athletics vs. Seattle Mariners odds, tips and betting trends | May 6 The Seattle Mariners (20-13) will visit the Athletics (19-16), Tuesday at 10:05 p.m. ET, in a matchup of AL West rivals. The Mariners (+100 underdog on the moneyline to win) are away versus the Athletics (-120). The matchup on the mound for this contest is set with the Athletics looking to Jeffrey Springs (4-3), and Emerson Hancock (1-1) taking the ball for the Seattle Mariners. Here's what you need to get ready for Tuesday's Athletics vs. Mariners game, including viewing options. Athletics vs. Seattle Mariners odds, line and spread MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Tuesday at 12:16 a.m. ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub. Favorite: Athletics (-120, bet $120 to win $100) Athletics (-120, bet $120 to win $100) Underdog: Mariners (+100, bet $100 to win $100) Mariners (+100, bet $100 to win $100) Over/under: 9.5 Athletics vs. Mariners: Game time and live stream info Game day: Tuesday, May 6, 2025 Tuesday, May 6, 2025 Game time: 10:05 p.m. ET 10:05 p.m. ET Location: West Sacramento, California West Sacramento, California Stadium: Sutter Health Park Sutter Health Park TV channel: NBCS-CA and ROOT Sports NW NBCS-CA and ROOT Sports NW Live stream: Watch LIVE with Fubo! (Regional restrictions may apply) Watch Athletics vs. Mariners on Fubo! Athletics stats and trends Athletics betting records The Athletics have been favorites in 13 games this season and won nine (69.2%) of those contests. The Athletics have a record of 6-3, a 66.7% win rate, when they're favored by -120 or more by bookmakers this season. The implied probability of a win from the Athletics, based on the moneyline, is 54.5%. The Athletics and their opponents have hit the over in 15 of their 35 games with a total this season. The Athletics are 18-17-0 against the spread in their 35 chances this season. Jeffrey Springs (Athletics probable starter) Springs (4-3 with a 4.98 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 34 1/3 innings pitched) makes the start for the Athletics, his eighth of the season. The left-hander last appeared on Thursday against the Texas Rangers, when he went six scoreless innings while giving up two hits. The 32-year-old has amassed an ERA of 4.98, with 7.3 strikeouts per nine innings, in seven games this season. Opponents have a .242 batting average against him. Springs is trying to secure his fourth quality start of the year in this game. Springs is looking for his third straight outing lasting five or more innings. He averages 4.9 frames per appearance on the hill. He has had two appearances this season in which he did not allow an earned run. The opposing Mariners offense has a collective .245 batting average, and is 21st in the league with 273 total hits and ninth in MLB action with 168 runs scored. It has the seventh-ranked slugging percentage (.420) and ranks fourth in home runs (49) in all of MLB. Springs has a 0 ERA and a 0.667 WHIP against the Mariners this season in six innings pitched, allowing a .150 batting average over one appearance. Athletics batting stats The Athletics have hit 45 homers this season, which ranks sixth in the league. Hitters for the Athletics rank sixth in the majors with a combined .421 team slugging percentage. The Athletics rank ninth in MLB with a .254 team batting average. The Athletics have scored the 16th-most runs in the league this season with 150 (4.3 per game). The Athletics have an OBP of .315 this season, which ranks 15th in MLB. The Athletics have shown patience at the plate this season with the fourth-best rate of strikeouts per game (7.4) among MLB offenses. Mariners stats and trends Mariners betting records The Mariners have been victorious in six, or 50%, of the 12 contests they have been chosen as underdogs in this season. This season, the Mariners have come away with a win six times in 11 chances when named as an underdog of at least +100 or worse on the moneyline. The Mariners have an implied victory probability of 50% according to the moneyline set for this matchup. The Mariners and their opponents have hit the over in 19 of their 33 games with a total this season. In 33 games with a line this season, the Mariners have a mark of 17-16-0 against the spread. Emerson Hancock (Mariners probable starter) The Mariners will send Hancock (1-1) out to make his fifth start of the season. He is 1-1 with a 6.62 ERA and 15 strikeouts through 17 2/3 innings pitched. The righty last appeared on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Angels, when he tossed six innings, allowing three earned runs while giving up nine hits. During four games this season, the 25-year-old has put up a 6.62 ERA and 7.6 strikeouts per nine innings, while allowing a batting average of .347 to opposing hitters. Hancock is looking to claim his third quality start in a row in this outing. Hancock will try to continue a four-game streak of pitching five or more innings (he's averaging 4.3 frames per appearance). The opposing Athletics offense has the sixth-ranked slugging percentage (.421) and ranks sixth in home runs hit (45) in all of MLB. They have a collective .254 batting average, and are fifth in the league with 303 total hits and 16th in MLB action scoring 150 runs. Mariners batting stats The Mariners average 1.5 home runs per game to rank fourth in MLB action with 49 total home runs. So far this season, the Mariners rank seventh in MLB, slugging .420. The Mariners are 13th in the majors with a .245 batting average. The Mariners score the ninth-most runs in baseball (168 total, 5.1 per game). The Mariners rank second in the majors with an on-base percentage of .339. Watch the MLB on Fubo!
