Thursday, May 4, 2023

Thursday, May 4, 2023

Baumgartner and Neergaard-Petersen leading OSU men’s golf together on-and-off the course

Jonas Baumgartner and Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen were at the bottom of the OSU’s men’s golf lineup last season, but this year they are leaders of their team.

Alan Bratton, OSU’s men’s golf coach, said they have committed to their new roles.

“Both those guys have had some quality events and they’ve done a good job leading at home,” Bratton said.

“Whether it’s the focus they’ve brought to practice every day when we’ve had qualifying rounds, whether they had to qualify or not, they’ve led on the course and encouraging the rest of the guys you know to make sure that everybody is bought in.”

The season started slow, but the Cowboys are ranked 21st, according to Golfstat, heading into the postseason and Baumgartner won his last regular season event, his first individual win.

May the Fourth be with you

do people love Marvel?

Why do people love Harry Potter? It’s because of the ability to capture hearts and create joy.

Leadership roles fell to Baumgartner and Neergaard-Petersen earlier than expected. In 2022, they were in and out of the lineup, waiting behind upperclassmen in Eugenio Chacarra, Brian Stark and Aman Gupta for their turn to be consistent contributors to the team. This season, they were expected to play more but not to be the best and most experienced players. Gupta graduated and moved on, but Stark planned to be back for another year and Chacarra announced on April 13, 2022, just after the postseason ended, he would return for another year rather than turn-

ing professional.

Things changed.

Chacarra received an offer from the LIV Golf tour, which he accepted. On Nov. 14, Stark announced he was transferring to Texas. The Cowboys entered the spring without their top two players in 2022.

Donnie Darr, an assistant coach for the Cowboys, said though Baumgartner and Neergaard-Petersen were rushed into leadership, they were well-suited for the role.

See Golf on 2-3

May the Fourth is the official Star Wars Day for fans all across the galaxy. The fun play-on of the famous line “May the Force be with you” has become a significant holiday for “Star Wars” enthusiasts.

While there are no official traditions, fans know that implementing “Star Wars” into their day is required. Fans wear their “Star Wars” gear, eat “Star Wars” snacks, play a little Sabbac, have a quick lightsaber duel and marathon the movies to celebrate the occasion.

Lucasfilm and, by extension, Disney, are taking the holiday to the next level with new traditions. In recent years, with the release of the final episode of the award-winning fan favorite, “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” on May 04, 2020, and the latest season of the “Star Wars” anthology series “Star Wars: Visons” premiering today. Every year all social media platforms, influencers, Lucasfilm, Disney and the “Star Wars” website are full of “May the Fourth be with you wishes” and ways to celebrate.

While not recognized as a legitimate national or global holiday, nothing stops fans from celebrating. But the famous holiday has a fun backstory.

It first appeared in 1978 when journalists like myself used the phrase on July 4. Fast forward to May 04, 1979, the day after Margret Thatcher was elected, the London Evening News had a congratulations from her supporters that stated, you guessed it, “May the Fourth be with you.”

The phrase appeared here and there, but it wasn’t until the internet became prevalent that fans could connect, and by the early 2010s, May the Fourth Be with had exploded into the sensation that is today.

You may be wondering why fans like myself love this day and this franchise so much, and the answer is simple: “Star Wars” is out of this world.

There doesn’t need to be a substantially real reason why we love it. Why

“Star Wars” has an impact. In 1977 no one expected it. Everyone thought that George Lucas was going to fail. The production process faced many rewrites, reshoots and other issues. “Star Wars” was going to be a blip on the radar, or so everyone thought.

When it hit theaters on May 25, 1977, Hollywood changed forever.

“Star Wars” ushered in an era of summer blockbusters, movie merchandising and science fiction films. I would even claim that it was the kickstart to one of the most iconic film eras that spanned the late 70s to early 90s.

Not only did “Star Wars” change the game, but it elevated special effects to a level never seen before. Using miniature models, lighting and some computer effects, the special effects artists of Industrial Lights & Magic and Digital Productions brought space to the silver screen.

Today people see

“Star Wars Episode IV — A New Hope” and compare their effects to today’s standards, but imagine it. Imagine sitting in the theatre in 1977. You’re ten years old, and you see a space battle unfold before you. Suddenly, a world of possibilities and imagination is open to you.

“Star Wars” changed the film industry, but it also significantly impacted fans.

“Star Wars” has shaped who I am in many ways.

From the bond I share with my dad to my love of film, it’s all because of “Star Wars.”

I was six years old when my dad introduced me to “Star Wars.” Until then, all I had ever watched was Barbie, Disney princesses, “Dora the Explorer,” and all the other ‘girly’ shows. I had never seen anything like it. I was that kid sitting in the theatre in 1977, staring wide-eyed at the galaxy unfolding before me. I fell in love with it. I fell in love with the galaxy far, far away. I had to know everything I could about “Star Wars.” Before long, I read every book, rewatched the movies, and my friends played lightsabers on the playground.

ORU storms back to take down Cowboys in another late-inning comeback

But it did alter its course.

The ball sailed off the Oral Roberts first baseman’s bat, over the right field wall of J.L Johnson Stadium, foreshadowing what was to come two innings later in OSU’s 9-7 loss at ORU on Tuesday night. The Golden Eagles finish 2-0 against the Cowboys this season.

The Cowboys (30-14) held a 5-0 lead midway through the fifth inning. McCroskey’s solo homer trimmed it to four.

Still, OSU starting pitcher

and two-way piece Carson Benge held ORU scoreless to end the inning, keeping the damage minimal.

The Golden Eagles (33-11) plated nine unanswered runs through the final four innings. A four-run bottom of the seventh –highlighted by a one-out, threerun home run by ORU shortstop Jake McMurray -- gave the Golden Eagles a 9-5 lead heading into the ninth inning.

TULSA -- Max McCroskey’s lead-off home run in the bottom of the fifth inning wasn’t a game-defining moment.

Luke Tolbert

The Cowboys’ seven-game winning streak was snapped, and ORU defeated OSU for the second time this season.

Jax Thompson Staff Reporter

Daniel Allen Staff Reporter

Hayden Alexander Staff Reporter

“They both have leadership qualities about them and so it’s been a pretty natural transition I think for them where they just recognized that it was their turn to lead,” Darr said. “And a lot of that leading doesn’t even have to be vocal, it can just be how you handle your business every day when you come to the golf course and treating the game the way a pro would treat it; and both of those guys certainly do that.”

Although Chacarra plays professionally now, he played a part in preparing Baumgartner and Neergaard-Petersen. They were housemates in 2022 and continue to be this season, though Chacarra spends more of his time away handling his new responsibilities. Baumgartner and NeergaardPetersen had the chance to learn from his example up close.

Now they’re passing on that experience to the newest member of the Cowboys, freshman John Wild. A strained oblique has kept Wild out of the lineup for most of the spring season, but Baumgartner and NeergaardPetersen have mentored him in practice and beyond.

“It’s been great being able to play with them and spending time with them, not only on the course, but off the course as well, kind of developing a relationship with them and just competing and practicing,” Wild said. “It’s been really great, especially for my development as a freshman so far.”

Although Baumgartner and Neergaard-Petersen were suited for the leadership roles they inherited, there was a learning curve. The Cowboys’ results as a team mirrored that. After a lackluster fall, the team has steadily improved in the spring.

“I’m just trying to lead

by example,” NeergaardPetersen said. “(I’m) trying to do the right things all the time. And I’ve certainly done a better job this semester. I did a decent job (in the fall), but I feel like I’ve improved on that.”

*****

Baumgartner and Neergaard-Petersen aren’t alone in leading the team. Bo Jin spent time in the lineup in 2022 and played well. He isn’t the vocal leader that Baumgartner and Neergaard-Petersen are, but he leads with his play. Jin’s experience, especially in the postseason, is invaluable to the Cowboys.

In 2022, Jin finished third in the Big 12 Championship and played in the NCAA

Regional and Championship tournaments.

Leading up to the Mountaineer Invitational, Jin struggled to find his form. His game came together in West Virgina, where he shot a 7-under 65 on the final day to shoot up the leaderboard and finish second to Baumgartner.

Jin said he enjoyed the dynamic of trying to edge out his teammate for the individual win.

“I think it’s really fun, because if you’re competing individually with a teammate, probably the team’s got to be doing really well,” Jin said. “And, you know, me and Jonas and my other teammates, we have games going on every single day trying to beat each other even at home (in practice).”

Jin was not in the final pairing with Baumgartner, but Jin said he enjoyed putting pressure on him. Jin said the team and Baumgartner’s win dampened the disappointment he would have felt from falling short of the win.

Baumgartner wasn’t paired with Jin, but he was paired with NeergaardPetersen in the early rounds. Baumgartner said playing with and against his teammates in a tournament enhances the experience.

“Probably it’s a little sweeter because we’re practicing every day with each other and competing,” Baumgartner said. “In tournaments it’s just a different feeling because you’re also playing against other players, but you want your own teammates to do

good.”

Baumgartner’s and Neergaard-Petersen’s first season as leaders started poorly. In their second event, the Cowboys hit their lowest point, finishing second-to-last in the Cabo Collegiate on March 7. Baumgartner, a junior, finished 51st, and NeergaardPetersen, a fifth-year senior, withdrew after getting a herniated disc in his back. In their last event of the regular season 41 days later, April 18, the Cowboys won the Mountaineer Invitational, and Baumgartner won the individual competition.

See Golf on 3

Courtesy of OSU Athletics

Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (above) and Jonas Baumgartner were thrown into leadership roles this season after being at the bottom of the lineup a year ago.

Continued from 1-2

“Jonas has grown tremendously,” Neergaard-Petersen said. “I’ve played a bunch of golf with him, and I’ve just noticed he’s been better; especially he’s been better like moving on from bad shots.

“And one of the things I told him is like, he’s been good enough to win for a while.”

Baumgartner played well, and the team followed his example. Jin and Leo Oyo also finished in the top 10 at the Mountaineer, with Jin finishing second.

Bratton said the win was a result of the effort Baumgartner and the team put in during the time between the Cabo Collegiate and Mountaineer Invitational.

“He’s been a nice leader for us, been focused, been working hard all year, so that was nice, to see him and all the rest of the guys get that pay off because, yeah, he won the tournament, but it was a team effort kind of across the board,” Bratton said.

In the time between Cabo and the Mountaineer, the team’s results improved. The Cowboys finished in the top five of the three tournaments preceding the Mountaineer Invitational.

Each week, a different player found momentum and played well. Neergaard-Petersen finished 20th at the NIT, his first tournament back from injury. He built on that with a seventh-place finish at the Haskins Award Invitational and a 12th-place finish at the Thunderbird Collegiate.

“It’s nice to see the hard work starting to pay off, and you know just getting more confidence,” Neergaard-Petersen said. “I feel like we’re heading the right way.”

Baumgartner’s scores were up and down, but he finished seventh at the NIT and remained a contributor in the

Haskins and the Thunderbird, even if he didn’t play to his expectations.

Senior Hazen Newman and fifth-year senior Oyo followed Baumgartner and Neergaard-Petersen’s example.

Newman placed in the top 20 of the Haskins and the Thunderbird after a poor showing at the NIT. Oyo didn’t finish as high as Newman but contributed to the middle of the Cowboy lineup, finishing 20th, 36th and 41st in the three tour-

naments between Cabo and the Mountaineer.

Newman said the results came because the team’s mindset started to change.

“I feel like as a whole our confidence has really grown the last few weeks,” Newman said. “I’d just say all of our confidence looks like it’s growing and that’s been huge for us, because we’ve had the talent, we just didn’t really believe in ourselves fully. So, I think our confidence is why

we’ve played so much better these last few weeks.”

Although Baumgartner, Jin and Neergaard-Petersen are new to leading a team, the postseason won’t wait for them to be ready. The Cowboys have had a season full of mixed results and more disappointment than they hoped, but they also collected experience and solid finishes along the way.

Oyo said though the team wants to win as much as possible, they learned a lot

from the season and have a chance to continue building.

“As much as we would have liked to have won those events, I feel like we’ve seen more positives than negative out of those results,” Oyo said. “I think the last three tournaments of the year, it’s a good time to use those learning experiences, lessons, and see what we can do.”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

OSU Athletics

Bo Jin isn’t as vocal as Baumgartner and Neergaard-Petersen, but he had to step up along with them and lead with his play.

Continued from 1

“We had a couple of moments where in the game it kind of sparked us,” ORU coach Ryan Folmar said. “The back half of the game looked really good (for us); we just weren’t good early.”

For OSU, it was the other way around.

It was the same recurring issue

plaguing the Cowboys in the latter stages of Tuesday’s ballgame: relief pitching.

Benge exited the mound in the sixth inning, pitching a career-high 5 1/3 innings, surrendering just one run – three once his stat line was finalized -- and striking out nine, another career high.

“I thought we were in a good spot (when I left),” Benge said. “We were hitting well and executing pitches.”

Brian Hendry, Gabe Davis and Bayden Root – three of OSU’s relief arms utilized – surrendering a com-

bined six runs after that.

The loss marks the sixth comefrom-behind win for an OSU opponent. Each containing one commonality – a late inning featuring three runs or more.

Of course, smaller intricacies built up to a treacherous bottom of the seventh. From plating just one run in a bases-loaded scenario in the second inning to the slew of inning-ending double plays, a variety of factors led to the demise of OSU’s once seemingly comfortable five-run lead.

Big innings have cost the Cowboys in pivotal moments over the sea-

son’s course. In patches, the pitching woes have dwindled, yet come back shortly thereafter. Winning shootouts isn’t a formula for success in baseball. Tuesday’s loss showed that even with the sevengame win streak the Cowboys entered with, that’s still the case.

“Pushing off the emotion of a frustrating loss we’re past that,” OSU coach Josh Holliday said. “The game doesn’t hinge on one moment, it hinges on all elements of the game. We just didn’t play well in the end like we did in the beginning.”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Luke Tolbert

The Cowboys built a five-run lead in the fifth inning but gave up eight runs in the final three innings in their 9-7 loss at ORU.

Advertising Executives Needed

The O’Colly Media Group at OSU is now taking applications for advertising executives to work in our expanding Media operation. Duties include contacting clients and providing them with advertising options for print editions, online editions, special editions and advertising bundle specials. Applicants should be able to work office hours and meet clients at their businesses. Salary includes base pay, commission and bonuses. To apply come to room 106 in the Paul Miller Journalism office or email Lori@ocolly.com

All photos by Luke Tolbert

Carson Benge

Marcus Brown

Chase Adkison

Jaxson Crull

Carson Benge

Marcus Brown

Cowboys lose to Golden Eagles 9-7 on Tuesday night at J.L. Johnson Stadium.

Continued from 1

I wanted to be Princess Leia, who showed me that not all princesses are damsels in distress. I wanted to be a Jedi fighting my way to the center of the battlefield. I told my third grade classmates that if they ever invented X-Wings, I was out of there.

It didn’t help that “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” was in its first season during this time. It quickly became my Saturday morning cartoon. I outright refused a couple of times to go to the football games I was supposed to be

cheering for. You couldn’t be in the marching band in first grade, sadly.

I grew up watching “Star Wars,” which became a constant source of fun and happiness. In elementary and middle school, it allowed me not to play princess every day. When the new movies came out, I was in middle school, and it gave me something to focus on during the rough social transition from kid to teenager. In high school, I found my love of journalism and film by writing an article about Star Wars in our school paper, The Trojan Torch. During COVID-19, it was a point of calm in the storm.

Now in college, I’m still writing about it, and as I explore the production, it drives me to want to know more about the backstory of not just “Star

Wars,” but all films. It is the bond I share with my dad. My dad has two girls, so you can imagine he was a little worried about how he would introduce us to his nerdy childhood. Little did he know that his nerdiness was genetic. To this day, we still watch “Star Wars” together. We see every new movie the day it’s released, no matter the circumstances, and we still talk about every little detail because we can’t get enough. It opened the door for my parents to introduce me to their nerdy childhoods and turn me into their arguably nerdiest child. Don’t worry, my sister is a “Star Wars” fan, but she has personality and interests all her own. That is why I love “Star Wars” and May the Fourth Be With You.

“Star Wars” has left a lasting impact on my life and the lives of many others. So if you’re wondering why people love “Star Wars” so much, it could be anything. People love what they love. “Star Wars” fans love a galaxy far far away that tells the epic story of love and loss that spans an entire universe. A classic hero’s journey to that becomes more detailed and layered with every new addition to the lore. There is something for everyone in “Star Wars.” If you want to join in on the fun today, it is easy. All you need to know is one simple phrase, “May the Fourth be with you!” Check out https://www.starwars. com/ for a ton of fun ideas and ways to celebrate.

Courtesy of Disney Parks Blog

May the Fourth is the official Star Wars Day for fans all across the galaxy. The fun play-on of the famous line “May the Force be with you” has become a significant holiday for “Star Wars” enthusiasts.

Rivalry put aside at OU, OSU mock powerlifting meet

ship, community, awareness and a friendly environment for lifters, new and old.

Hayden Alexander Staff Reporter

The bar is loaded, and the stage set.

Everybody is watching as the last lifter of the day steps onto the podium. He is shirtless and sporting a cowboy hat in Oklahoma State. The 6 feet 2 inches tall, 242 pound giant stares down the 578 lbs weight. He gets into starting position with both hands on the bar. He pulls on it, his muscles straining against the bar’s weight. His face turns red, his veins become visible and he clenches his teeth. His teammates scream for him to continue encouraging him to give it everything.

Finally, his knees lock, and the official’s hand drops, signaling a clean lift. As the final lifter of the day, Rocky Hensley secured a Bedlam win for the Oklahoma State Powerlifting team.

Last weekend the Oklahoma State and the University of Oklahoma powerlifting teams organized a mock Bedlam meet at Brewhouse Barbell in OKC. After a morning of lifting, OSU came out on top with the best overall team total, the top male lifter, and the top female lifter for the day.

The meet is not the first mock Bedlam meet in OSU and OU’s history.

“We have done this event in years past, and it has been a while, so we decided to bring it back,” sophomore, and Vice President of OSU powerlifting, Rocky Hensley, said.

It has been a minute, but it’s also not the first time OSU has won. Hensley said OSU has five other times in the past. However, the meet had little to do with who won and everything to do with building an atmosphere to foster sportsman-

“We decided to put on the event to get the members that can’t afford to compete but have the desire to compete involved with something that is fun, friendly and importantly competitive,” President of OSU powerlifting, Ethan Winn, said.

President of the OU powerlifting team, Daniel Malone, said he was more than happy to help put on the meet if it meant removing the obstacles of travel, money and equipment for his lifters.

“The starting cost in your first competition is $155,” Malone said. “We recognize as college students this is not realistic for a lot of individuals, so we sought other avenues to help our members compete without this financial burden.

The two clubs shared a strong relationship and were excited to bring the rivalry to OKC.

“While there is certainly a rivalry between our two clubs, we have an incredible relationship with each other,” Malone said.

Planning for the event included organizing equipment, coordinating with Brewhouse Barbell, putting together a tech setup, finding volunteers, figuring out awards and other things. Still, the two clubs got the job done.

“We shared a mutual desire to get our lifters involved,” Winn said. “I believe the relationship we have with the club in Norman allowed us to hold this meet.”

The ‘mock’ setting of the meet allowed for all members of each club to have a shot at experiencing the regular proceedings of a USA Powerlifting certified meet without paying entry costs. Junior Tommy Hosty from OSU said the lack of fees made a difference.

“I think the fact that the meet is free helps out because that’s a big barrier to entry,” Hosty said. “ Normally, it’s $50 for a USA PL Membership and

then about $85 for a meet fee.” The opportunity to compete for fun without the fees or the pressure brought in a lot of new lifters wanting. With three meets already in the books for the year, Senior Kate Tickle added a couple of new personal records to her list of accomplishments and took home the award for best female powerlifter of the day. Tickle is proud to set the standard for women looking to join the sport.

“We got to show up for both our gender and for our school,” Tickle said. “As the only female lifter at most competitions, I take it very seriously.”

Tickle is not the only one looking to impact the sport of powerlifting. Members from both OSU powerlifting and OU powerlifting are excited about what the mock meet means for the teams and the respective schools.

OU sophomore Joey Talaoc, having competed in the recent national competition, coached and encouraged several of his teammates through their lifts. He said he hopes the teams will work to foster a healthy environment and community for college lifters.

“I think, on each school, it’ll help grow the community and hopefully entice more members to come and be part of our clubs,” Talaoc said. “We’re actually making an impact within each other and trying to grow each other’s physical and mental health.”

The infamous rivalry between OSU and OU is one for the ages, but these lifters know it’s all in good fun. Sophomore Cole Hunter, like all fans on both sides, said he loves to trash talk, but when it comes down to it, he understands that it’s more than just a sport.

“As much as I like to say ‘I hate OU,’ I love the broth-

erhood between us,” Hunter said.”It’s great to compete against them.”

Both teams want to bring the community of powerlifting and what their members do to the forefront of the athletics conversation.

“I think this could have a really big impact because powerlifting isn’t a very wellknown sport,” Tickle said. “Bringing it into a Bedlam setting has the potential to expose it to the rest of the student population.”

The teams plan to take the sport to the next level by hosting the event annually and bringing in more colleges.

“We have talked about creating a separate, sanctioned event in the form of a Big 12 Championship or Oklahoma Collegiate championship,” Malone said. “Either would require extensive planning, but I know we can accomplish whatever we set our minds to.”

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Hayden Alexander

OSU powerlifting team celebrates victory against OU at the powerlifting mock meet.

Q and A

Giovannie and the Hired Guns talk new album, Calf Fry

everything to what the song sounds like. We wrote a couple of songs where it sounded like we needed to be a little heavier and it just kinda worked out like that. Everyone ended up liking it. It worked.”

Adam Engel Editor-in-Chief

Giovannie and the Hired Guns attracted instant success from its latest album, “Tejano Punk Boyz” in October, a venture into alternative rock and pop-punk after its start in Texas country. The band hits Calf Fry in Stillwater amid a run of 43 shows since Jan. 1.

The O’Colly caught up with bassist Alex Trejo ahead of the band’s show Friday night.

Q: Walk me through the band’s development. You guys released your first record in 2017 and have had a lot of success with latest album.

A: “It’s been cool. We started out playing at a bunch of small honky-tonk, Texas country bars. There are still quite a few of them we still play but we got our start in Texas country. Our sound kinda evolved into more like a modern alternative rock sound. Those are bands we’ve listened to our whole lives. System of a Down. Everclear. We also still hold to our country roots but we added that alternative rock flavor to it. Everyone caught on to it. Really enjoyed it.”

Q: What was the reason for the style change?

A: “It wasn’t any kind of decision we made. We were just writing songs and we used to play our instrumentals and

Q: Your band is playing a lot of festivals this time of year. How does that impact the type of show or set list you play?

A: “We keep our bangers pretty much in the forefront and kinda make sure the show is really hyped up. Make sure the fans are dancing the whole time. Make sure they are rocking it the whole time. We like to bring a really high energy show to the people who paid to be there.”

Q: You guys write a lot about relationships and things like that. Why do you feel like that might resonate so well with the college-aged crowd?

A: “I think it’s definitely the sound and the emotional relatability to our songs. Stuff we’ve been through when we were their age and it’s still relevant today. I think it’s just an honest storytelling of what we’ve been through and people resonate with that.”

Q: What is it about Calf Fry and Stillwater that keep you guys coming back?

A: “We really like Calf Fry. The people out there. It gets packed out there. People seem to have a good time and we really have a good time. The staff and everything at Calf Fry treat us really well. We’re happy to be back.

I like the location of Stillwater. I feel like every time we go up there, we see some our fans from Kansas

and some of our fans from around Oklahoma. We just have a really good time out there.”

Q: On the success with the latest album

A: “This last album, we were in the process of recording right before everything kinda took off. We ended up joining Crush Music right when we got done writing “Ramon Ayala.” That was the

first single we did with them. It took off. Hit No. 1 on the charts. Then we got signed with Warner Music and since then, they have been advertising our songs and our album. It just took off on social. We’re real blessed and thankful to have all these guys helping us out. Warner Music, Crush Music, Red 11 Music who are with WME now. We’re in the process of recording album

four now. Can’t wait to get that out to y’all.”

Q: What can fans expect on that new album?

A: “If you catch a show now, we are actually playing one of the songs off that album live. If you want a sneak peak, come out to a show. You might hear a song or two off the new album.”

Courtesy of David McClister

Giovannie and the Hired Guns earned its start in Texas honky-tonk but recently merged into the alternative rock scene.

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Daily Horoscope

Nancy Black

Tribune Content Agency

Linda Black Horoscopes

Today’s Birthday (05/04/23). Envision and organize this year. Consistent, collabora tive action can win big rewards. Creativity inspires springtime planning. Make a shift with your partner this summer, before autumn practices grow and strengthen your physical performance. Abandon outworn habits for winter renewal. Make inspiring long-term plans and dreams.

To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most chal lenging.

Aries (March 21-April 19) — Today is a 7 — Fantasies fade. Collaborate to adapt with financial changes. Manage for resilience. Save what you can don’t overindulge. Discover hidden treasures.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Today is an 8 — Share support with your partner. Offer encouragement. Don’t stir up controversies. Share special treats and moments. Listen generously. Align on practical priorities. Collaborate.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Today is a 7 — Too much of a good thing can sour. Consume in moderation. Avoid long work hours, too. Nurture health and fitness. Enjoy hot water and bubbles.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Today is a 7 — Romantic ideas and fantasies dissipate as realities clarify. Play the ace you’ve been holding. You’ve got love, so you’ve got everything. Strengthen foundations.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Today is an 8 — Nurture your roots and shoots. Adapt with changes over the half-year cycle following tomorrow’s Scorpio Eclipse. Take care of the basics. Make domestic upgrades.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Today is a 7 — Good news comes from afar. You can solve a puzzle. Use your wit, intellect and charm. Share your point of view. Edit carefully before publishing.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — Today is an 8 — Consider financial strategies. Focus on basic needs and temporarily postpone elaborations or frills. Adjust income sources over the next half-year phase beginning with tomorrow’s Eclipse.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Today is an 8 — Take extra time for yourself. Reconsider personal priorities, with tomorrow’s Eclipse in your sign. What do you love? Adapt focus for new passions and interests.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Today is a 6 — If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Fantasies dissipate. Use what you have. Find quiet time to think and consider plans.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Today is a 7 — Adapt to social changes and challenges over the next half year following tomorrow’s Eclipse. Enjoy friends, neighbors and community. Share transitions and new beginnings.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — Today is a 7 — Changes affect your market, profession or industry. Find opportunities hiding in plain sight. Your past work speaks well for you. Adapt for current interests.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Today is an 8 — Tackle a challenging project. You can learn what you need to know. Abandon fantasies and dig into the real thing. Study something you love.

FOR RELEASE MAY 4, 2023

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

Edited

by Patti Varol and Joyce Lewis

Max Schlenker

Solution to Wednesday’s puzzle

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit sudoku.org.uk