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The Big 12 decided Monday against adding any new members after a three-month process during which conference officials held interviews with 11 potential expansion candidates. Reaction from some of the schools who were considered:---Todays Big 12 announcement does not change the fact that we remain committed, competitive and optimistic. This process has only strengthened our collective resolve that we can compete with the best in class from academics to athletics. -- University of Cincinnati interim president Beverly J. Davenport and athletic director Mike Bohn, in a joint statement.---The Big 12s decision in no way changes the mission of the University of Houston that began long before there was talk of conference expansion. ... We remain committed to strengthening our nationally competitive programs in academics and athletics that allow our student athletes to compete on the national stage. We are confident that in this competitive collegiate athletics landscape an established program with a history of winning championships and a demonstrated commitment to talent and facilities in the nations fourth largest city will find its rightful place. Our destiny belongs to us. -- University of Houston President Renu Khator.---One of the telling things about this process is that the Big 12, in wanting to expand, look at who they were talking to. Most of the schools they were talking to were in our conference. I think that shows, without question, that our conference plays at their level and are athletically and academically appropriate to be a Power Five. -- UConn President Susan Herbst, who also serves as chairwoman of the board for the American Athletic Conference.---The Big 12 decision today will likely stabilize the FBS conference landscape in the short term. At Rice, we need to continue to promote our brand and schedule well to deliver the best environment possible for our students and fans. -- Rice AD Joe Karlgaard.---Over the last few months, BYU has learned a lot about its strengths as an institution and as an athletic department. Through our in-depth review we have reinforced valuable relationships and have been reminded how strong we are as a university. BYU strives to run its athletic program like a P5 institution. Our national fan base and broadcast ratings, along with the many historical and recent successes of our teams, attest we certainly belong. We believe BYU can significantly contribute to the athletic and academic excellence of a P5 conference. -- BYU official statement.---Our student-athletes, coaches, staff, donors, alumni, fans and community members have propelled our program to profound success in recent years in the American Athletic Conference and I am confident that they will continue to do so in the future. The USF family came together with many in the Tampa community to tell our remarkable story to the world, and we will continue to share it. -- USF athletic director Mark Harlan.---I think its easy to refocus on our vision to be the best program in the American Athletic Conference and if we do that then well compete on a national level across all 17 sports. Now we have everyone devoted to that vision. When we talked in the spring before the Big 12s announcement, we felt we were positioning ourselves to be another power conference. So in a lot of ways, this process validated that belief because ours was the league where they looked. -- SMU AD Rick Hart told the Dallas Morning News. China Jerseys Online . That left plenty of energy for pitching books and swatting away free agency questions. 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ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Angels and Cincinnati Reds dont know much about each other, playing head-to-head only nine times in their respective histories.And they havent played each other at all since 2013, when the lineups of each team looked very different than their current lineups.But the one thing both teams have in common is not something either team is too happy about: Both are in last place, playing out the season and doing a lot of evaluating for next season and beyond.The Angels, though 18 games under .500 and 20 1/2 games out in the American League West, enter the series playing well, having won four of their past five games, beating playoff contenders Toronto and Detroit during that stretch.Not so much for the Reds, 19 games under .500 and 27 games out in the National League Central, who have lost five of seven.The Reds, though, have Dan Straily starting on the mound coming in on a hot streak. Hes 6-0 in his last seven starts and hasnt lost a decision since July 8. He leads the Reds staff in victories (10), innings pitched (151 1/3) and strikeouts (123).A key pitch for Straily is his changeup, and he has been happy to share his secrets with his teammates. In particular, Straily recently was approached by teammate Brandon Finnegan for some help.It was the exact same problem I went through a couple of years ago back when I was in the minor leagues, Straily told mlb.com. Once he told me he was having problems cutting it, I just showed him what helped me stop cutting it and it worked for him. Its just how we hold it. We have the same grip; he was just holding it the same way I used to hold it in college.College balls, the seams allow it to do something different. The seams are smaller and when you throw it the way we threw it back in college, now its like a cutter, sometimes its down, sometimes it goes arm-side, theres no control with the movement, which is a good thing, except when nobody can catch it.The advice paid off when Finnegan struck out a career-high 12 Arizona Diamondback hitters in just sixx innings last Friday.ddddddddddddStraily may have a few tricks up his sleeve against the Angels, at least, compared to what the Angels are used to seeing when facing him. Straily started seven games against the Angels while pitching for Oakland, but went just 1/3 with a 6.69 ERA.Matt Shoemaker will start for the Angels with a record (8-13) that wont strike fear into the Reds hitters. But Shoemaker has been far better than his record shows.Shoemaker has given up two earned runs or fewer in more than half of his starts (13 of 25), but earned the victory in just six of those 13 games.One of Shoemakers biggest problems this season has been a lack of run support. The Angels have scored at least four runs in only 11 of Shoemakers 25 starts. And early runs are even better.Its always good to have a lead, Shoemaker told MLB.com. Its always nice knowing, thats in the back of your mind, Hey weve got a two-run lead or whatever it is. The game plan is to attack the hitters, but then when you have the lead, same thing, attack the hitters, stay aggressive.With just over a month to play, about the only drama the Angels have is whether or not Mike Trout can win another MVP award. Trouts numbers make him a candidate -- .312 average, 24 homers, 82 RBI, 97 runs scored and a league-leading .432 on-base percentage.Surprisingly, though, Angels manager Mike Scioscia generally doesnt believe players from last-place teams deserve to be an MVP.Yes, Scioscia said when asked if the MVP should come from a contender. Unless somebody just separates themselves so much where you go my gosh, this guys 15 more home runs than the next guy, 30 more RBI than the next guy.But I definitely think there needs to be a value on how youve affected a teams performance. I think to be a contender says a lot about what a player brings to a team. ... When you play on a contender your production has more of an impact on that teams success. ' ' '