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Detwiler heading to the World Baseball Classic with Gio

By WTOP Staff

Craig Heist, wtop.com

Viera, Fla. – The Nationals will now have two members of their starting rotation pitching for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic after left-hander Ross Detwiler found out Tuesday morning he will be joining teammate Gio Gonzalez on squad.

“Joe Torre and Marcel Lachemann called Davey and ask if we would be okay with Ross pitching in the World Baseball Classic for Team USA,” said Nats General Manager Mike Rizzo. “Like I have said all along, we feel like it’s our duty and obligation to put the best team forward we can for Team USA. We are honored that they want two of our starting pitchers to pitch for Team USA and we are flattered about it and I know Ross is really fired up about it and he wanted to do it.”

Last year, in his first full major league campaign, Detwiler went 10-8 with an ERA of 3.40. He was very impressive in the post-season against the Cardinals in game four of the National League Divisional Series throwing 6 innings while giving up three hits and one unearned run.

Detwiler said he got a text message from Tony Clark, the director of player relations with the MLB Players’ Association, asking if he was interested in playing but he was sleeping and didn’t see the text until Tuesday morning.

“I knew I had to go to Cat (Pitching coach Steve McCatty) and Davey and Riz with it,” Detwiler said. “When I got here I went over it with them and got the okay from them because they have schedules and they know what they want me to do, where they want me to be, when we are breaking camp. The little kid in me wanted to say ‘Yes’ right away without thinking it through but I came in, we thought it through and it was still a ‘Yes.'”

Getting a chance to play for Torre also presents a good opportunity for Detwiler. “I still remember him from when I was growing up in St. Louis when he managed them before he went over to the Yankees,” he said. “He was the manager I watched every night and now to be able to be in the same uniform and on the same bench as him, you grow up dreaming about stuff like that.

“I was really excited to do it. To get to represent my country in a baseball uniform, there is nothing better than that.”

Zimmerman coming along

Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman continues his recovery from off-season shoulder surgery.

Zimmerman took part in drills Tuesday and was throwing under the watchful eye of skipper Davey Johnson. Zimmerman was throwing from about 75 feet and Johnson liked what he saw.

“Great. He looked natural, free and easy,” Johnson said.

Johnson indicated there will be some time at DH for Zimmerman during spring training since even National League clubs use the DH in their games until about mid-March. The plan is to move him along slowly to make sure he is ready to go by opening day.

“I’m still a couple of weeks away from being out there and being able to do what I want,” Zimmerman said. “That’s kind of by design. We are going slow on purpose since we have a month-and-a-half down here to do something, but it’s coming along just as it should. There have been no setbacks, no kind of surprises, everything is right on schedule and that’s kind of the way we planned it.”

Zimmerman also wanted to reassure everyone he will indeed be ready for opening day.

“I’ll play in the same amount of games I always play in down here,” he said. “I need about 50 at-bats and that’s about it so, fortunately for me, I don’t need a lot of at-bats and we will have plenty of time to get my normal work load in down here.”

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Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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