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SALEM, Ore. -- Conner Mertens didnt want to pretend anymore -- especially with his teammates. So the redshirt freshman kicker at Division III Willamette announced Tuesday that hes bisexual. "It got to a point where I just got tired of it, trying to hide who I was and trying to pretend I was something I was not," he said. Mertens, 19, announced his sexual orientation to his teammates during a meeting on Monday. A story about him appeared on Outsports.com on Tuesday. Speaking on campus later in the afternoon, Mertens said he hopes his announcement helps dispel the stereotypes and stigmas associated with bisexual athletes -- and in turn let other LGBT athletes know they are not alone. "You can be real and you can be yourself," Mertens said. "That only starts when you can love yourself and let others love you. Thats kind of where I was going with this." Bearcats coach Glen Fowles said the players were overwhelmingly supportive of his decision. "Its been great to see the way our guys have rallied around," Fowles said. "For our guys, Conner is just a kicker." Team captain and junior inside linebacker Jack Nelson said: "It wasnt a big deal and we were glad he felt comfortable to tell us." While several LGBT athletes have come out, including former NBA player Jason Collins, WNBA star Brittney Griner and Major League Soccer player Robbie Rogers, its believed that Mertens is the first active college football player at any level to publicly announce his bisexuality. Willamette issued a statement supporting Mertens decision, saying the university "respects his contribution to a more humane and just world." Fowles joked about how Mertens first approached him: "He says, Coach, Im really going to utilize this open door policy." Mertens, who told his family just after Christmas, said he was humbled by the response. "It sounds corny, but I legitimately feel theres a weight off my shoulders. Its tiring to pretend your something else for 24-7, for 18 or 19 years of your life," he said. "So finally to be able to joke about it, to be honest about it, not have to put on this mask, Im finally able to take a deep breath." The Bearcats play in the Northwest Conference. The team went 7-2 overall last season and finished third in the league at 4-2. Mertens did not play his freshman season because he hurt his left knee while playing soccer. He will compete with two other kickers on the Bearcats roster. NFL Jerseys From China . He says he will have the operation Wednesday and be ready in time for training camp in September. Bernier missed five games in March due to the injury. Cheap San Francisco 49ers Jerseys . The Maple Leafs handed their embattled head coach a two-year contract extension on Thursday, while at the same time announcing that assistants Dave Farrish, Greg Cronin and Scott Gordon will not be back. http://www.cheapauthenticwholesalenfljerseys.com/. Boston is making its first appearance in the ALCS since 2008. For Detroit, its a third straight trip to the ALCS and its fourth in eight years. Cheap NFL Jerseys . As if he had been rehearsing it, Vasquez looked around with a grimacing stare as he clinched two fists and flexed his muscles. What do you think of DeMar DeRozans face after he hits a big shot, he was asked moments earlier. China Jerseys Cheap .C. United on Saturday night and boost the Unions playoff hopes. Nick DeLeon scored in the 36th minute for United (3-23-6), which had ample opportunities to build on its lead but went its 10th straight match without a victory.PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle gave Garrett Jones a few days off this week, freeing the first baseman to explore ways to work out of a miserable funk that threatened to banish him to the bench indefinitely. A lot of time in the batting cage and a couple of helpful hints from a new teammate provided Jones with the confidence boost he desperately needed. Jones hit his 100th career home run and drove in four runs as the Pirates beat St. Louis 5-0 on Friday night to move into a tie with the Cardinals for the lead in the NL Central. "Big game, big series," Jones said. "I made some adjustments and took it into the game and I felt good. I felt aggressive and strong and it was nice to be able to contribute to the win." A pep talk from outfielder Marlon Byrd helped. The veteran, acquired by the Pirates in a trade with the New York Mets on Tuesday, pulled Jones aside and delivered some advice culled from 12 years of bouncing through seven big league cities. "He came up to me and said youre a guy who can hit 30-40 home runs," Jones said. "He started talking to me about hitting and the few things he mentioned to me just made a lot of sense." Hard to argue with the results. Jones finished with three hits while matching his entire RBI total for the month in one night. Russell Martin added his 12th homer of the season for Pittsburgh. Jose Tabata and Neil Walker got two hits as the Pirates moved within four victories of their first winning season in 21 years. Francisco Liriano (15-6) allowed just two hits over eight innings, walking two and striking out six to reach the 15-win plateau for the first time in his eight-year career. The left-hander struggled in his previous start last weekend in San Francisco but bounced back with one of his most dominant performances of the season. Liriano credited his resilience on a newfound maturity that allows him to move on quickly following a rough night. "Whatever is done is done, nothing you can do about it, just focus on the next start," Liriano said. Having an early lead to work with certainly helped. Jones came in hitting just .119 in August but broke out against St. Louis starter Shelby Miller (12-9). Jones hit a two-run double in the first inning to give Pittsburgh the lead, added a moon shot to the seats in right field off Miller in the fourth and followed it up with an RBI single in the fifth. "Garrett put in a lot of work and it paid off big time for us," Hurdle said.dddddddddddd The Cardinals came in surging after they erased a four-game deficit earlier this month. St. Louis arrived at PNC Park with a one-game lead and a chance to create some breathing room over Pittsburgh and Cincinnati heading into September. Instead, things tightened up after Miller again struggled to get outs against the Pirates. The rookie right-hander is in the midst of a breakout season but fell to 0-4 versus Pittsburgh, though his hitters havent done him any favours. The Cardinals have produced just one run in Millers four starts against the Pirates. Miller lasted just 4 1-3 innings, giving up five runs on eight hits, walking three and striking out three. He struggled with his command, twice walking Liriano - who came in hitting just .075 - on four pitches. "I made some mistakes with some pitches and they put good swings on them," Miller said. "At the end of the day, they were better than us. I was just battling all night. It wasnt a good night." It certainly was for Liriano, who is in the midst of a mid-career revival with the Pirates. The 2006 All-Star pitched a complete game in a 5-1 win at St. Louis two weeks ago and was even sharper in front of a packed PNC Park that is still getting used to being in the thick of a pennant race. The Cardinals managed only one runner in the last six innings, and no one got past second base in the entire game. "Theyre waiting for him to make a mistake out of over the plate but hes not making many mistakes then you dont have too many options," St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said. "We hit some balls hard but not enough of them in a row then we gave him the lead and that made it even tougher for us." NOTES: Pittsburgh All-Star closer Jason Grilli will pitch one inning for Double-A Altoona on Saturday as he continues his rehab from a strained flexor tendon in his right forearm. Grilli has been on the 15-day disabled list since injuring the arm against Washington on July 22 ... The Cardinals bolstered their bullpen on Friday when they acquired reliever John Axford from Milwaukee. "Theres a lot of experience there, a lot of upside," Matheny said. "Its hard to forget that two years ago this guy was one of the top relievers in the game." ... Lance Lynn (13-8, 4.02 ERA) starts for the Cardinals on Saturday against A.J. Burnett (6-9, 3.18). ' ' '