Hoppers Baseball:   The Hoptown Hoppers have won six of the last seven games after a 9-2 win over Marion, and now a three game lead in the Ohio Valley League race.

Brett Pirtle and Cameron Olsen both had four hits in Sunday’s victory. Former Christian County pitcher Kyle Spencer got the start, but had to leave the game after an inning.

The 13-5 Hoppers are off today, but return to action tomorrow night hosting Madisonville at 7:05, with the Hoppers pre game at 6:50 on Newstalk 95.3 FM/1230 AM WHOP and whopam.com.

Elsewhere in the OVL Sunday, Fulton defeated Owensboro 8-5.

Tonight in the OVL: Owensboro is at Madisonville and Marion at Fulton.

Minor League Baseball:   The Bowling Green Hot Rods swept a three game set at Dayton with a 3-2 win Sunday. The Hot Rods open a Midwest League series this evening at West Michigan.

The Nashville Sounds lost at Albuquerque 4-2, with game three of the series with the Isotopes set for this evening.

College World Series:   Arizona defeated defending national champion South Carolina 5-1 in the first of the three game national championship series. The Gamecocks must now win the next two games to become the first team since Southern California in the early 1970’s to win three consecutive national titles.

College Basketball: The Courier Journal reported Sunday Western Kentucky University has been denied a hardship waiver by the NCAA that would have made Michael Bradley eligible for the upcoming season. Bradley is transferring to Western from Connecticut. Western athletic director Todd Stewart says the university has appealed and is expected to hear an answer this week.

Corey Gipson—who helped Austin Peay to Ohio Valley Conference championships in the 2002-03 and the 2003-04 seasons—is returning to Clarksville as an assistant on Coach Dave Loos staff. Gipson, who spent last two seasons as associate head coach at North Carolina Greensboro, is replacing Scott Combs who left the staff earlier this spring.

While we’re on Governors basketball, it was announced late last week the Governors will be heading to Canada for a three game exhibition series in August. The Governors will depart August 17^th and return on the 23^rd. The Governors will return to campus for 10 days of practice before making the Canadian trip. Coach Dave Loos says the trip will be a great opportunity for his young basketball team to get experience.

Murray State University coach Steve Prohm was named the citizen of the year at the Murray-Calloway County Chamber of Commerce’s 85^th annual dinner last week. Prohm was also the speaker for the event. He is the second Murray State coach, joining former football coach Mike Gottfried as being named as citizen of the year.

Champions Tour golf: Paducah’s Russ Cochran finished tied for 3^rd at the Montreal Championship. Cochran’s 11 under par score was five strokes behind winner Mark Calcavecchia.

Ohio Valley League Baseball: The Hoptown Hoppers saw a four game winning streak end last night at Fulton, as the Railroaders ended a four game losing streak of their own with a 4-3 victory. The Hoppers had a 3-0 lead going into the bottom of the 8th, then Fulton tied the game at 3 and then got the winning run in the bottom of the 9th inning. Tyler Vails took the pitching loss for the Hoppers and former UHA standout Matt McGowan went 1-4. The Hoppers are 11-5 on the season heading into tonight's game at Madisonville.

Meanwhile, second place Marion failed to gain any ground on the Hoppers as the Bobcats lost to Madisonville 5-2.

Other action tonight in the OVL has Fulton at Owensboro.

Minor League Baseball: The Nashville Sounds lost the finale of a series with Oklahoma City 10-7 last night at Greer Stadium. The Sounds begin a road trip this evening at Albquerque.

The Bowling Green Hot Rods opened the second half of the Midwest League season with a 9-8 victory. Game two of the series is this evening.

College World Series: Two time defending national champion South Carolina has advanced to the finals for the third time in as many years, with a 3-2 win over Arkansas. The Gamecocks will face Arizona in the first of a best of three series Sunday night in Omaha.

College Basketball: The Courier Journal reports former University of Louisville basketball Rakeem Buckles as saying it was his decision to leave the Cardinal program to play for Florida International. Buckles says his decision to leave was motiviated by former Louisville assistant Richard Pitino becoming the FIU coach and a chance to play in his hometown. Buckles will sit out the upcoming season and have one year of eligibility remaining.

Champions Tour golf: Paducah's Russ Cochran fired a six under 66 Friday to take a two stroke lead after the first round of the Montreal Championship. Michael Allen, Jerry Pate, Canadian Rod Spittle and 2010 Montreal Championship winner Larry Mize are all tied for second heading into today's second round.

The Hoptown Hoppers open a three game road trip this evening at Fulton. The Hoppers have a 1 ½ game lead on Marion in the Ohio Valley League race. Marion is also in action this evening as they play at Madisonville.

The Hoppers will travel to Madisonville Saturday night and play an afternoon game at Marion on Sunday.

Minor League Baseball tonight has the Nashville Sounds closing out a homestand against Oklahoma City, while the Bowling Green Hot Rods begin the second half of the Midwest League season at Dayton.

Major League Baseball interleague action has Atlanta at Boston, Cincinnati hosting Minnesota and St. Louis at Kansas City, while the Chicago Cubs play at Arizona.

At the College World Series in Omaha, South Carolina and Arkansas play for the second straight night in a elimination game. The Gamecocks blanked the Razorbacks 2-0 after beating Kent State 2-1 Thursday afternoon. The winner will face Arizona in a best of three series to determine the national champion.

Hoppers Baseball:   The second highest crowd of the season of 340 saw the Hoptown Hoppers bang out 14 hits in a 13-2 win over second place Marion Thursday night at Colonel Field. Brett Pirtle was 3-3, Phillip Menou was 2-4 with a home run in leading the Hopper hitting attack.

Taylor Veillon picked up his first win of the season. The Hoppers now 11-4 lead the Ohio Valley League by a game and a half as they begin a three game road trip this evening at Fulton.

Elsewhere in the OVL:   Owensboro ended Madisonville’s three game win streak with a 8-4 win. Tonight’s other game has Marion playing at Madisonville.

Minor League Baseball:   The Nashville Sounds defeated Oklahoma City 2-1, with the series finale tonight at Greer Stadium.

The Bowling Green Hot Rods return to action this evening, beginning the second half of the Midwest League season at Dayton.

Golf:   Murray State golfer Patrick Newcomb of Benton won the Kentucky State Amateur championship for the second straight year Thursday at the Cardinal Club in Simpsonville.  Newcomb had a final round 71 for a three day total of 206, winning by four strokes. Tyler Mitchell of Cadiz carded a final round 74 to finish with a three day total of 213, good for a tie for 8^th place.

Princeton’s Emma Talley was eliminated in the match play round of 32 at the WWGA National Amateur Championship in Monroe, Michigan. Talley was defeated by Moriya Jutanugarn of Thailand 3 and 2.  

College Basketball:   The Courier Journal reports the University of Louisville announced Thursday forward Rakeem Buckles will transfer to Florida International.   Buckles is expected to miss the upcoming season following surgery to repair a torn ACL in his right knee for the second time. In going to FIU, Buckles will be reunited with former Louisville assistant Richard Pitino and returning to his hometown.

Ohio Valley Conference member Jacksonville State will be banned from next year’s men’s NCAA basketball tournament. The Gamecock program is one of ten that will not be allowed to participate because of poor academic results. Also on the list is the first BCS institution to face the penalty, Connecticut.

NHL: The Nashville Predators will open the 2012-13 season on October 12^th at Detroit. The Predators return home the next night, October 13^th to open the home portion of the schedule against the St. Louis Blues.

However, this schedule could change if the NHL Players Association and the NHL can’t come to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement, which expires September 15^th.   There’s a possibility a lockout could take place if there is not a new CBA.

NFL:   The Tennessean reports the Tennessee Titans and Atlanta Falcons will hold a joint practice session August 6^th in Dalton, GA. The two teams also trained together in 2004. Training camp begins July 28^th.

The Hoptown Hoppers close out a brief two game home stand this evening hosting the Marion Bobcats, who are a half game behind the Hoppers in the Ohio Valley League standings. First pitch at 7:05, with pre game at 6:50 from Colonel Field on Newstalk 95.3 FM/1230 AM WHOP and world wide at whopam.com.

Elsewhere in the OVL this evening:   Madisonville travels to Owensboro.

Five games on the Major League Baseball interleague schedule today and tonight, including an afternoon game as St. Louis is at Detroit.

While we’re on the Cardinals, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports souvenir World Series rings are in high demand. The Cardinals hosted a replica ring night back in April, when the Cardinals and others were presented with their World Series rings and fans in attendance received replicas.   Now, there will be a second ring night to be held on July 6^th, which has caused ticket prices for that game to skyrocket.

At the College World Series in Omaha, three games are on the schedule today. Wednesday’s Kent State-South Carolina game was rained out and will be played first today, with the loser to be eliminated.   The winner will play Arkansas later tonight. The second afternoon game has Florida State going against Arizona, with the Seminoles facing elimination if they lose today.

Ohio Valley Conference member Jacksonville State will be banned from next year’s men’s NCAA basketball tournament. The Gamecock program is one of ten that will not be allowed to participate because of poor academic results. Also on the list is the first BCS institution to face the penalty, Connecticut.

A four team playoff system in college football to determine a national champion is one vote away from reality. The BCS commissioners Wednesday reached a consensus on a model for the four team, seeded playoff system. The agreement needs approval from the BCS presidential oversight committee next week to be official.

US Open golf champion Webb Simpson says he will not play in next month’s British Open. Speaking to reporters Wednesday before the start of this week’s PGA Tour event in Cromwell, CT, Simpson said he does not want to miss the birth of his second son.

The British Open is to be contested at Royal Lytham and St. Anne’s July 19-22, around the time Simpson’s wife is expected to give birth.