Pitt standout and soon-to-be NFL quarterback Kenny Pickett need not defend his hand size.

Butler resident Bob Ferne is doing it for him.

After hours of research, Ferne determined that it is factually incorrect to state that the size of an NFL football is any bigger than the NCAA football. So if Pickett can throw a college football — which he has clearly shown he can — he can throw a professional one.

“I’ve heard the talk about Pickett’s hands, how they’re too small, and was intrigued by that issue,” Ferne said. “I decided to take some time and research the size of the college and NFL football to see if there really was any difference.

“I probably spent four hours on the Internet doing this.”

Ferne’s findings include the long axis of an NCAA football being 10 7/8 inches to 11 7/16, compared to the NFL’s 11 inches to 11.25. The long circumference of the NCAA ball is 27.75 inches to 28.5, while the NFL’s is 28 inches to 28.5.

The short circumference of the NCAA ball is 20.75 inches to 21.75, the NFL’s 21 inches to 21.25.

The NCAA football has two white stripes, the NFL football no white stripes.

So, ultimately, the difference in these two footballs is insignificant.

So will any NFL team looking for a quarterback pass on Pickett out of fear he can’t pass a pro football?

Not a chance.

More glory

for Mars baseball

David and Will Bednar are not the only Mars graduates to go on to raise eyebrows as baseball players beyond high school.

Look out for Jack Anderson.

This Mars graduate is in his first year with the University of Pittsburgh baseball team. He spent two seasons with Northwestern and played last year for State College in Florida.

Now he is the designated hitter for the Panthers and has been lighting it up at the plate. Anderson is hitting .338 with 16 RBI, five homers and three doubles thus far this spring. He has 20 hits.

He also has four homers in his last eight games.

Pitt is hosting fifth-ranked Louisville this weekend. It will be interesting to see Anderson’s production at the plate against that team.

Kudos to KC

With the high school spring sports season kicking into gear, I continue to admire Karns City’s ingenuity in turning its artificial turf football field into a softball diamond.

A removable fence and a few pegs for bases turned that facility into a dependable field to play ball on. Not only do the Gremlins not have rainouts, they’ve had other schools inquire about the availability of their field.

Any high school with an artificial turf football field could do this. Of course, schools with lacrosse teams may have a difficullt time with scheduling.

This clever transition has worked for Karns City and it should be commended for it.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle