8th District Softball Update 5.24.11

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS ATHLETIC DIRECTOR DICK WEAVER SAYS THE 8TH DISTRICT SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT GAMES SCHEDULED AT UHA WILL GO ON AS SCHEDULED THIS AFTERNOON.

THE OPENING GAME AT 5:30 HAS HOST UHA MEETING HOPKINSVILLE, WITH CHRISTIAN COUNTY TO TAKE ON FORT CAMPBELL IN THE NIGHTCAP.

ADMISSION TO THE GAMES IS FIVE DOLLARS.

8th District Baseball Update 5.24.11

CHRISTIAN COUNTY ATHLETICS DIRECTOR KERRY STOVALL TELLS WHOP SPORTS THE 8TH DISTRICT BASEBALL TOURNAMENT GAMES SCHEDULED FOR THIS EVENING AT UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS ACADEMY HAVE BEEN MOVED TO CHRISTIAN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL.

TONIGHT'S ACTION WILL BEGIN AT 5:30 WITH THE COMPLETETION OF THE SUSPENDED GAME BETWEEN HOPKINSVILLE AND FORT CAMPBELL WITH THE TIGERS LEADING 6-0 IN THE BOTTOM OF THE THIRD INNING.  CHRISTIAN COUNTY AND UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS WILL PLAY THEIR GAME 30 MINUTES AFTER THE FIRST GAME CONCLUDES.

FANS WHO ARE COMING TO THE GAMES THIS EVENING ARE ADVISED TO ENTER THE GAME VIA GLASS AVENUE AS NORTH DRIVE WILL BE BLOCKED THIS EVENING.

WEATHER PERMITTING, WE WILL HAVE THE GAMES WITH THE HERITAGE BANK PRE GAME SHOW AT 5:15 ON NEWSTALK 95.3 FM/1230 AM WHOP AND WHOPAM.COM.

THE 8TH DISTRICT SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT IS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN TODAY AT U-H-A, BUT THERE'S NO WORD ON WHETHER THOSE GAMES WOULD BE PLAYED.

IF THERE ARE MORE CHANGES OR CANCELLATIONS, WE WILL HAVE THE INFORMATION ON THE WHOP FAMILY OF STATIONS AND ONLINE.

Sports Headlines 5.24.11

HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL

RAIN WAS THE WINNER AT THE 8^TH DISTRICT TOURNAMENT AT UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS.

PLAY WAS HALTED AS HOPKINSVILLE WAS TO BAT IN THE BOTTOM OF THE 3^RD INNING LEADING FORT CAMPBELL 6-0.

THE GAME WILL RESUME AT 5:30 TODAY, WITH CHRISTIAN COUNTY AND UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS TO FOLLOW. WEATHER PERMITTING, COVERAGE OF THE GAMES WITH THE HERITAGE BANK PRE GAME SHOW AT 5:15 ON NEWSTALK 95.3 FM/1230 AM WHOP AND WHOPAM.COM.

5^TH DISTRICT: TRIGG COUNTY DEFEATED LYON COUNTY 9-1.

7^TH DISTRICT: MADISONVILLE DEFEATED DAWSON SPRINGS 14-1 IN FIVE INNINGS.

13^TH DISTRICT: LOGAN COUNTY DEFEATED TODD CENTRAL 14-2.

TODAY’S GAMES: 5^TH DISTRICT ACTION HAS CRITTENDEN COUNTY AT LIVINGSTON CENTRAL, 6^TH DISTRICT HAS HENDERSON COUNTY AT WEBSTER COUNTY AND IN THE 7^TH DISTRICT HOST HOPKINS CENTRAL TAKES ON CALDWELL COUNTY.

HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL

5^TH DISTRICT: LIVINGSTON CENTRAL DEFEATED TRIGG COUNTY 15-0 IN FOUR INNINGS AND LYON COUNTY EDGED CRITTENDEN COUNTY 9-8.

TODAY’S GAMES: THE 5^TH DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIP HAS LYON COUNTY MEETING LIVINGSTON CENTRAL. 6^TH DISTRICT ACTION HAS UNION COUNTY HOSTING WEBSTER COUNTY. 7^TH DISTRICT PLAY HAS CALDWELL COUNTY MEETING MADISONVILLE AND HOPKINS CENTRAL GOING AGAINST DAWSON SPRINGS.

13^TH DISTRICT: FRANKLIN SIMPSON MEETS RUSSELLVILLE AND TODD CENTRAL GOES AGAINST HOST LOGAN COUNTY.

BECAUSE OF MONDAY’S RAINOUTS IN THE 8^TH DISTRICT BASEBALL TOURNAMENT, THE 8^TH DISTRICT SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT WILL NOW BEGIN WEDNESDAY.

LONG TIME HENDERSON COUNTY BASEBALL COACH B-T WAYNE DIED SUNDAY MORNING. IN 32 SEASONS AS HENDERSON COUNTY’S COACH, WAYNE WON 702 GAMES AND LED THE COLONELS TO THE 2000 STATE BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP.

WAYNE HAD BEEN COACHING AT KENTUCKY WESLEYAN UNTIL EARLY APRIL WHEN HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH ADVANCED COLON CANCER. JUST LAST WEEK, THE HENDERSON COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION RENAMED THE FIELD IN WAYNE’S HONOR ACCORDING TO A STORY IN THE HENDERSON GLEANER.

HOPKINSVILLE HIGH FOOTBALL PLAYER JOSH RAMSEUR SIGNED A LETTER TO PLAY COLLEGIATELY MONDAY AT MINNESOTA WEST JUNIOR COLLEGE. RAMSEUR SAYS HE HOPES TO PLAY ON THE DEFENSIVE LINE, BUT IF NOT, HE WILL PLAY ON THE OFFENSIVE LINE. 

ANOTHER LOCAL STUDENT/ATHLETE WILL SIGN A LETTER TODAY, AS CHRISTIAN COUNTY’S KYLE SPENCER WILL SIGN TO PLAY BASEBALL WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF EVANSVILLE AT TWO P-M AT CHRISTIAN COUNTY HIGH.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

MURRAY STATE NAMED BILLY KENNEDY’S REPLACEMENT MONDAY AFTERNOON. STEVE PROHM—WHO HAD BEEN THE TOP ASSISTANT FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS—IS THE NEW RACERS COACH.

PROHM BECOMES THE 15^TH COACH IN MURRAY STATE UNIVERSITY HISTORY.

COLLEGE BASEBALL

THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE ANNOUNCED TODD RALEIGH HAS BEEN FIRED AS BASEBALL COACH. THE KNOXVILLE NEWS SENTINEL REPORTS THE FIRING WAS ANNOUNCED AFTER AN EIGHT MINUTE MEETING WITH ATHLETICS DIRECTOR MIKE HAMILTON.

RALEIGH WAS 108-113 IN FOUR SEASONS AT U-T. THE VOLS MISSED OUT ON THE POST SEASON FOR THE FOURTH TIME IN AS MANY YEARS.

GOLF

FRED COUPLES HAS WITHDRAWN FROM THIS WEEK’S SENIOR PGA CHAMPIONSHIP AT VALHALLA IN LOUISVILLE. COUPLES WITHDREW BECAUSE OF A BAD BACK AND WILL BE REPLACED IN THE FIELD BY BLAINE MCALLISTER.

MEANWHILE, PADUCAH’S RUSS COCHRAN IS BATTLING A WRIST INJURY. COCHRAN TOLD THE COURIER JOURNAL HE IS ABOUT “50-50” ON WHETHER HE WILL COMPETE THIS WEEK.

Sports Headlines 5.23.11

THE HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL POST SEASON BEGINS ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH TODAY.

BASEBALL

8^TH DISTRICT: UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS IS HOSTING THIS YEAR’S TOURNAMENT, WITH HOPKINSVILLE PLAYING FORT CAMPBELL IN THE FIRST GAME AT 5:30 THIS EVENING, TO BE FOLLOWED BY CHRISTIAN COUNTY MEETING HOST U-H-A.

COVERAGE OF BOTH GAMES—WEATHER PERMITTING—WILL BEGIN WITH THE HERITAGE BANK PRE GAME SHOW AT 5:15 ON NEWSTALK 95.3 FM/1230 AM WHOP AND WHOPAM.COM.

5^TH DISTRICT: TRIGG COUNTY MEETS LYON COUNTY AT LIVINGSTON CENTRAL.

7^TH DISTRICT: HOPKINS CENTRAL HOSTS THIS YEAR’S GAMES, WITH MADISONVILLE MEETING DAWSON SPRINGS AT FIVE P-M, TO BE FOLLOWED BY HOPKINS CENTRAL AND CALDWELL COUNTY.

SOFTBALL

5^TH DISTRICT: HOST LIVINGSTON CENTRAL MEETS TRIGG COUNTY AT 5:30, TO BE FOLLOWED BY LYON COUNTY AND CRITTENDEN COUNTY.

6^TH DISTRICT: WEBSTER COUNTY PLAYS AT UNION COUNTY.

THE 8^TH DISTRICT SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT IS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN TOMORROW NIGHT AT U-H-A, WITH THE HOST LADY BLAZERS PLAYING HOPKINSVILLE AT 5:30, TO BE FOLLOWED BY CHRISTIAN COUNTY AND FORT CAMPBELL. BOTH GAMES CAN BE HEARD WITH THE HERITAGE BANK PRE GAME SHOW AT 5:15 ON NEWSTALK 95.3 FM/1230 AM WHOP AND WHOPAM.COM.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

FORMER KENTUCKY WILDCAT DEANDRE LIGGINS TELLS THE COURIER JOURNAL PLAYERS SHOULD GET MORE TIME TO DECIDE WHETHER THEY WANT TO STAY IN THE N-B-A DRAFT OR RETURN TO COLLEGE.

LIGGINS SAID HE HAD NO DOUBTS ABOUT HIS DECISION TO GO TO DRAFT, BUT SAID HAVING A SHORT TIME FRAME TO MAKE A DECISION IS DIFFICULT. THIS YEAR, THE DEADLINE WAS MAY 8^TH. NEXT YEAR, THE DECISION TO WITHDRAW FROM THE DRAFT WILL BE THE FIRST DAY OF THE SPRING SIGNING PERIOD IN MID-APRIL.

COLLEGE BASEBALL

THE FIELD IS SET FOR THE OHIO VALLEY CONFERENCE BASEBALL TOURNAMENT TO BE HELD BEGINNING WEDNESDAY AT PRINGLE’S PARK IN JACKSON, TENNESSEE.

AUSTIN PEAY IS THE NUMBER ONE SEED AND WILL NOT PLAY UNTIL THURSDAY EVENING AT SEVEN AGAINST ONE OF FOUR TEAMS: EASTERN KENTUCKY, TENNESSEE TECH, JACKSONVILLE STATE OR UT MARTIN. THOSE FOUR TEAMS PLAY EACH OTHER IN OPENING ROUND PLAY ON WEDNESDAY.

WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY’S BASEBALL TEAM WILL PLAY IN THE SUN BELT CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT THIS WEEK IN MONROE, LOUISIANA. THE HILLTOPPERS WILL FACE ARKANSAS LITTLE ROCK AT THREE P-M THURSDAY.

COLLEGE GOLF

MURRAY STATE UNIVERSITY SENIOR CAMERON CARRICO FINISHED HIS COLLEGIATE CAREER THIS WEEKEND AT THE NC-AA REGIONAL IN ZIONSVILLE, INDIANA.

CARRICO FIRED A FINAL ROUND 72 SATURDAY TO GO WITH AN OPENING ROUND 81 AND 69 TO FINISH AT 244, WHICH WAS GOOD FOR 34^TH PLACE IN THE FIELD OF 75 PLAYERS.

CARRICO CAPS A SEASON WHERE HE WAS NAMED THE O-V-C PLAYER OF THE YEAR.

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

THE BOWLING GREEN HOT RODS LOST AT THE LANSING LUGNUTS 14-1 SUNDAY, WITH THE TEAMS CLOSING OUT THE SERIES TONIGHT IN LANSING.

THE NASHVILLE SOUNDS LOSE THE FINALE OF THE SERIES AT SALT LAKE CITY SUNDAY 8-4. THE SOUNDS OPEN A SERIES AT TACOMA TONIGHT.

THE TRADEWATER PIRATES ARE GETTING READY TO OPEN THEIR SEASON IN THE OHIO VALLEY LEAGUE. THE SEASON BEGINS FOR THE PIRATES JUNE 3^RD WHEN THEY HOST THE OWENSBORO OILERS.

THE TEAMS IN THE LEAGUE ARE—TRADEWATER PIRATES, OWENSBORO OILERS, FULTON RAILROADERS AND MARION BOBCATS. THE SEASON RUNS THROUGH THE END OF JULY.

PGA TOUR

NASHVILLE’S BRANDT SNEDEKER FINISHED TIED FOR 16^TH AT THE CROWNE PLAZA INVITATIONAL AT FORT WORTH, TEXAS. SNEDEKER FINISHED THE TOURNAMENT FOUR UNDER PAR.

AFTER LOSING IN A PLAYOFF AT THE PLAYERS LAST WEEK, DAVID TOMS REBOUNDED WITH A ONE SHOT WIN OVER CHARLIE WI. TOMS FINISHED AT 15 UNDER PAR.

Sports Headlines 5.21.11

HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL

FRIDAY SCORES:  HOPKINSVILLE DEFEATED APOLLO 4-2, UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS EDGED TODD CENTRAL 4-3, NO REPORT ON THE KHSAA WEBSITE ON THE CHRISTIAN COUNTY/SOUTH WARREN GAME, TRIGG COUNTY DEFEATED RUSSELLVILLE 13-6, UNION COUNTY OVER HOPKINS CENTRAL 11-1 IN FIVE INNINGS.

TODAY'S GAMES:  TRIGG COUNTY HOSTS HEATH, HENDERSON COUNTY PLAYS A DOUBLEHEADER WITH GRAYSON COUNTY, MADISONVILLE HOSTS OHIO COUNTY, CALDWELL COUNTY HOSTS MURRAY, UNION COUNTY TAKES ON APOLLO.

HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL

FRIDAY SCORES:   TODD CENTRAL OVER WARREN CENTRAL 10-0 IN FIVE INNINGS, DAWSON SPRINGS SHUT OUT BUTLER COUNTY 3-0, CALLOWAY COUNTY DEFEATED HICKMAN COUNTY 2-0, LONE OAK OVER LIVINGSTON CENTRAL 6-1.

TODAY'S GAMES:  CHRISTIAN COUNTY CLOSES OUT THE REGULAR SEASON HOSTING HENDERSON COUNTY AT SIX P-M, CALLOWAY COUNTY PLAYS LIVINGSTON CENTRAL AND MUHLENBERG COUNTY IN A DOUBLEHEADER, HOPKINS CENTRAL PLAYS HEATH AND WARREN EAST AT THE OWENSBORO CATHOLIC ROUND ROBIN INVITATIONAL.

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

CHRISTIAN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL NAMED ITS NEW BOYS BASKETBALL COACH FRIDAY AND HE IS SOMEONE WHO IS VERY FAMILIAR TO THE PROGRAM.  TYLER SMITHART--WHO HAD BEEN AN ASSISTANT UNDER FORMER COACH KERRY STOVALL THE LAST THREE SEASONS--WILL REPLACE STOVALL ON THE BENCH NEXT SEASON.  BEFORE COMING TO CHRISTIAN COUNTY, SMITHART SERVED AS AN ASSISTANT COACH AT HENRY CLAY HIGH SCHOOL IN LEXINGTON.  SMITHART IS A GRADUATE OF TRANSYLVANIA UNIVERSITY AND PLAYED HIS HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL FOR HENDERSON COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL.

COLLEGE BASEBALL

FORMER HOPKINSVILLE HIGH PITCHER JUSTIN HAGEMAN DID NOT FACTOR IN WESTERN KENTUCKY'S LOSS TO MIDDLE TENNESSEE 5-1 FRIDAY NIGHT.  HAGEMAN PITCHED EIGHT INNINGS, ALLOWING ONE RUN ON TWO HITS, STRIKING OUT FOUR AND WALKING ONE BATTER.  HAGEMAN GAVE UP A LEAD OFF WALK IN THE BOTTOM OF THE FIRST AND THEN RETIRED 19 OF THE NEXT 20 BATTERS HE FACED.  BRIAN EDELED CAME ON TO RELIEVE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE NIGHT AND GAVE UP A WALKOFF GRAND SLAM.  THE TEAMS CLOSE OUT THE SERIES TODAY IN MURFREESBORO.

AUSTIN PEAY SWEPT AN O-V-C DOUBLEHEADER AT UT MARTIN, TAKING THE FIRST GAME 11-6 AND THE NIGHTCAP 14-3.  THE TEAMS CLOSE OUT THE SERIES TODAY.

MURRAY STATE SWEPT TENNESSEE TECH IN A PAIR OF ONE RUN GAMES AT REAGAN FIELD, 6-5 AND 8-7.  THE TEAMS CLOSE OUT THE SERIES TODAY.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY WILL PLAY A PAIR OF GAMES WITH 2011 FINAL FOUR PARTICIPANT VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH.  THE COURIER JOURNAL REPORTS WKU WILL HOST VCU NOVEMBER 23RD IN BOWLING GREEN AND WILL PLAY THE RETURN GAME IN RICHMOND IN THE 2012-13 SEASON.  VCU WILL THE FIRST FINAL FOUR TEAM TO PLAY IN DIDDLE ARENA SINCE LOUISVILLE CAME TO BOWLING GREEN IN THE 1986-87 SEASON AFTER LOUISVILLE WON THE 1986 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP.

IT WAS ALSO ANNOUNCED FRIDAY WESTERN KENTUCKY GUARD BRANDON PETERS WILL NOT RETURN TO THE BASKETBALL TEAM.  PETERS WAS RULED ACADEMICALLY INELIGIBLE DURING THE 2009-10 SEASON AND MISSED WKU'S LAST 20 GAMES.  PETERS GRADES AT THE END OF THE SPRING SEMESTER HAD NOT MADE ADEQUATE PROGRESS FOR HIM TO RETURN NEXT SEASON.

KENTUCKY COACH JOHN CALIPARI WAS HONORED FRIDAY NIGHT DURING DICK VITALE'S CHARITY GALA IN SARASOTA, FLORIDA.  THE LEXINGTON HERALD LEADER SAYS CALIPARI AND NORTH CAROLINA COACH ROY WILLIAMS WERE BOTH HONORED DURING THE ONE THOUSAND DOLLAR A PLATE DINNER TO HELP RAISE FUNDS FOR THE V FOUNDATION.  BOTH CALIPARI AND WILLIAMS TALKED ABOUT LOSING PARENTS TO CANCER.  CALIPARI LOST HIS MOTHER TO THE DISEASE LAST FALL, WHILE WILLIAMS LOST BOTH PARENTS TO THE DISEASE.

THE MAINE RED CLAWS OF THE N-B-A DEVELOPMENTAL LEAGUE HAS EXPRESSED AN INTEREST TO HAVE FORMER TENNESSEE COACH BRUCE PEARL COACH THE TEAM.  PEARL WAS FIRED AT U-T IN MARCH AFTER LYING TO NCAA INVESTIGATORS DURING AN INQUIRY OF THE BASKETBALL PROGRAM.  RED CLAWS PRESIDENT JON JENNINGS SAYS THE TEAM IS SEARCHING FOR A REPLACEMENT FOR AUSTIN AINGE WHO LEFT TO JOIN HIS FATHER DANNY AINGE WITH THE BOSTON CELTICS AS THE TEAM'S DIRECTOR OF PLAYER PERSONNEL.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE WILL LOSE THREE FOOTBALL SCHOLARSHIPS FOR THE UPCOMING SEASON.  THE COURIER JOURNAL REPORTS THE THREE SCHOLARSHIPS WERE LOST BECAUSE THE SCHOOL'S FOUR YEAR ACADEMIC PROGRESS DIPPED BELOW THE NCAA MANDATED 925 MINIMUM.

U OF L OFFERED 21 OF 25 SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE FOR THE 2011 SEASON.  ALTHOUGH THE CARDS ARE PENALIZED FOR ONE RECRUITING CLASS, THEY WILL BE ALLOWED TO KEEP THEIR SCHOLARSHIP LIMIT OF 85.

GOLF

BERNHARD LANGER HAS WITHDRAWN FROM NEXT WEEK'S SENIOR PGA CHAMPIONSHIP TO BE CONTESTED AT VALHALLA GOLF CLUB IN LOUISVILLE.  THE COURIER JOURNAL SAYS LANGER--THE THREE TIME CHAMPIONS TOUR PLAYER OF THE YEAR--WAS EXPECTED TO MAKE HIS FIRST START IN TWO MONTHS FOLLOWING THUMB SURGERY.  LANGER WON THE ACE GROUP CLASSIC EARLIER THIS SEASON.

FRANKLIN'S KENNY PERRY FAILED TO MAKE THE CUT AT THE CROWNE PLAZA INVITATIONAL AT COLONIAL GOLF CLUB IN FORT WORTH, TEXAS.  PERRY SHOT A 72 FRIDAY TO FINISH AT ONE OVER PAR.  NASHVILLE'S BRANDT SNEDEKER SHOT A THREE UNDER PAR 67 FRIDAY AND STANDS AT FOUR UNDER PAR FOR THE TOURNAMENT, WHILE UNION'S STEVE FLESCH FIRED AN EVEN PAR 70 AND STANDS AT ONE UNDER PAR.  DAVID TOMS FIRED HIS SECOND STRAIGHT 62 AND STANDS AT 16 UNDER PAR, WHICH IS GOOD FOR A SEVEN SHOT LEAD OVER A QUARTET OF GOLFERS HEADING INTO TODAY'S THIRD ROUND.

HORSE RACING

KENTUCKY DERBY WINNER ANIMAL KINGDOM IS THE MORNING LINE FAVORITE FOR THE SECOND LEG IN HORSE RACING'S TRIPLE CROWN AS THE PREAKNESS STAKES TAKES PLACE TODAY AT PIMLICO RACE TRACK IN BALTIMORE.