HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL

THE KHSAA STATE TOURNAMENT BEGINS WITH A NEW FORMAT TODAY AT JACK FISHER PARK IN OWENSBORO.

ALL FIRST ROUND GAMES ARE BEING PLAYED TODAY, WITH 2^ND REGION CHAMPION HOPKINS CENTRAL MEETING WALTON VERONA AT FIVE P-M. ALSO AT FIVE, 4^TH REGION CHAMPION ALLEN COUNTY SCOTTSVILLE TAKES ON EAST JESSAMINE.

IN THE SEVEN P-M GAMES: 1^ST REGION CHAMPION CALLOWAY COUNTY TAKES ON ASHLAND BLAZER AND 3^RD REGION WINNER OWENSBORO CATHOLIC TAKES ON LAFAYETTE.

THE TOURNAMENT RUNS THROUGH SATURDAY.

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

RECENT HOPKINSVILLE HIGH GRADUATE SHIKEYA MILLER SIGNED WEDNESDAY TO PLAY COLLEGE BASKETBALL FOR LINDSEY WILSON COLLEGE.  MILLER IS THE SECOND LADY TIGER IN AS MANY YEARS TO SIGN COLLEGIATELY.

THE KENTUCKY/INDIANA ALL STAR BASKETBALL SERIES RESUMES TOMORROW NIGHT AT BELLARMINE UNIVERSITY IN LOUISVILLE.

THE COURIER JOURNAL REPORTS KENTUCKY MR. BASKETBALL ANTHONY HICKEY HAS YET TO PRACTICE WITH THE ALL STARS AS HE HAS BEEN ENROLLING IN CLASSES THIS WEEK AT L-S-U.

FORMER CHRISTIAN COUNTY STANDOUT DONOVAN KATES IS ALSO A MEMBER OF THE KENTUCKY ALL STAR TEAM.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

KENTUCKY HAS RECEIVED ANOTHER COMMITMENT FOR THE 2012 CLASS. THE COURIER JOURNAL REPORTS INDIANAPOLIS PIKE HIGH SCHOOL CORNERBACK JONATHON REED HAS VERBALLY COMMITTED TO THE WILDCATS.

REED IS FROM THE SAME HIGH SCHOOL AS FELLOW FOOTBALLER DAKOTAH TYLER AND INCOMING KENTUCKY FRESHMAN POINT GUARD MARQUIS TEAGUE.

COLLEGE BASEBALL

FORMER HOPKINSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL STANDOUT JUSTIN HAGEMAN WAS NAMED AS A LOUISVILLE SLUGGER FRESHMAN ALL AMERICAN ANNOUNCED BY COLLEGIATE BASEBALL WEDNESDAY. THE WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY HURLER WAS THE SUN BELT CONFERENCE FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR.

HAGEMAN WENT 8-5 WITH A THREE POINT 22 EARNED RUN AVERAGE WITH 85 STRIKEOUTS. HAGEMAN IS THE LONE SUN BELT CONFERENCE MEMBER OF THE LOUISVILLE SLUGGER FRESHMAN ALL AMERICAN TEAM.

AUSTIN PEAY ALSO HAD A PLAYER SELECTED AS A LOUISVILLE SLUGGER FRESHMAN ALL AMERICAN. SECOND BASEMAN JORDAN HANKINS LED THE GOVERNORS WITH A 351 BATTING AVERAGE ALONG WITH FOUR HOME RUNS AND 31 R-B-I.

TWO MORE MEMBERS OF AUSTIN PEAY’S BASEBALL TEAM WERE SELECTED IN THE MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL DRAFT WEDNESDAY.

LEFT HANDED PITCHER JEREMY DOBBS—THE OVC PITCHER OF THE YEAR—WAS TAKEN IN THE 33^RD ROUND BY THE SEATTLE MARINERS, WHILE CLOSER RYNE HARPER WAS TAKEN IN THE 37^TH ROUND BY THE ATLANTA BRAVES.

FORMER UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE FOOTBALL COACH PHILLIP FULMER MADE HIS FIRST PUBLIC COMMENTS CONCERNING THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR’S JOB AT TENNESSEE WEDNESDAY.

FULMER TOLD THE KNOXVILLE NEWS SENTINEL HE IS NOT RULING OUT THE POSSIBILITY OF SEEKING THE JOB VACATED EARLIER THIS WEEK BY MIKE HAMILTON.

TENNESSEE IS EXPECTED TO NAME AN INTERIM A-D BY THE END OF THE WEEK.

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

THE TRADEWATER PIRATES CLUBBED THE FULTON RAILROADERS 16-3 WEDNESDAY NIGHT IN FULTON. THE PIRATES OPEN A TWO GAME SERIES AT OWENSBORO THIS EVENING.

THE BOWLING GREEN HOT RODS GOT BACK ON THE WINNING WAYS WITH A 13-7 WIN AT KANE COUNTY. THE TWO TEAMS CLOSE OUT THE SERIES THIS EVENING.

AFTER AN OFF DAY, THE NASHVILLE SOUNDS OPEN A SERIES TONIGHT AT ALBUQUERQUE.

GOLF

MURRAY STATE GOLFER PATRICK NEWCOMB OF BENTON HAS A TWO SHOT LEAD HEADING INTO THE FINAL ROUND OF THE KENTUCKY STATE AMATEUR GOLF TOURNAMENT IN LEXINGTON.

NEWCOMB FIRED A 69 FOR A TWO DAY TOTAL OF 137. HOPKINSVILLE’S LOGAN LOFTUS FIRED AN EVEN PAR 72 FOR A TWO DAY TOTAL OF 153, JUST MISSING THE CUT BY ONE STROKE. RUSSELVILLE’S PAUL SANSOM IS AT 139 AFTER THE FIRST TWO ROUNDS.

THE GO JUNIOR SERIES BEGAN WITH ITS FIRST EVENT OF THE SEASON WEDNESDAY AT MADISONVILLE COUNTRY CLUB.

IN THE BOYS 13-15 DIVISION, HOPKINSVILLE’S TADD SWITZER FIRED A 79, TWO STROKES BEHIND WINNER BRANDON BLAKE OF OWENSBORO WHO HAD 77. T-J JANES HAD AN 86 AND GRANT STAMPER HAD A 104.

IN THE GIRLS 11-12 YEAR OLD DIVISION—9 HOLE PLAY—HOPKINSVILLE’S JESSICA SHELTON WAS THIRD WITH A 60 SCORE.

HOPKINSVILLE HIGH GOLFER DAYTON JONES HAD A 76 AND FINISHED TIED FOR SECOND IN THE BOYS 17-18 DIVISION AT THE PEPSI TOUR STOP WEDNESDAY AT CHERRY BLOSSOM GOLF CLUB IN GEORGETOWN.

JONES PICKED UP 75 POINTS AND NOW HAS 275 POINTS ON THE SEASON, WHICH IS TOPS IN THE 17-18 DIVISION.

THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE WILL BE SEARCHING FOR A NEW ATHLETICS DIRECTOR AFTER MIKE HAMILTON ANNOUNCED HIS RESIGNATION TUESDAY.

HAMILTON HAS BEEN U-T’S ATHLETICS DIRECTOR SINCE 2003, BUT HAS BEEN RECENTLY CRITICIZED FOR HIS HIRINGS OF COACHES OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS AND FOR NCAA VIOLATIONS COMMITTED BY THOSE COACHES WHICH RESULTED IN A MAJOR INVESTIGATION INTO RECRUITING.

HAMILTON’S RESIGNATION IS EFFECTIVE JUNE 30^TH. HOWEVER HE WILL BE PART OF THE GROUP WHICH WILL REPRESENT U-T WHEN IT APPEARS BEFORE THE NCAA COMMITTEE ON INFRACTIONS THIS WEEKEND IN INDIANAPOLIS.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE WILL HAVE THREE WALK ON PLAYERS ON ITS BASKETBALL ROSTER THIS SEASON.

THE COURIER JOURNAL SAYS COACH RICK PITINO ASKED SENIORS TO BE CHRIS SMITH AND KYLE KURICK ALONG WITH SOPHOMORE ELISHA JUSTICE WHO EARNED SCHOLARSHIPS AFTER WALKING ON TO RETURN TO WALK ON STATUS.

THE CHANGE IS DUE TO THE FACT THERE WERE ALREADY FOUR INCOMING FRRESHMEN INCLUDING BOWLING GREEN’S CHANE BEHANAN TO REPLACE THREE PLAYERS LEAVING THE PROGRAM. THEN, THE CARDS GOT FORMER TENNESSEE COMMITMENT KEVIN WARE AND LUKE HANCOCK—A TRANSFER FROM GEORGE MASON.

ALSO TUESDAY, COACH PITINO ANNOUNCED HIS SON RICHARD WAS NOT GOING ANYWHERE FOR TWO YEARS. THE ELDER PITINO RECENTLY BROUGHT HIS SON BACK TO THE LOUISVILLE PROGRAM AS AN ASSISTANT. THERE WAS SPECULATION THE YOUNGER PITINO WAS THE TOP CANDIDATE FOR THE HEAD COACHING POSITION AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY.

COLLEGE BASEBALL

AUSTIN PEAY PITCHER AND BOWLING GREEN NATIVE JACK SNODGRASS WAS DRAFTED TUESDAY. SNODGRASS WAS TAKEN IN THE 27^TH ROUND BY THE SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS.

SNODGRASS WAS 4-6 THIS PAST SEASON WITH A THREE POINT 50 EARNED RUN AVERAGE, BUT SAVED HIS BEST PITCHING FOR THE POST SEASON.

SNODGRASS HAD A CAREER HIGH 11 STRIKEOUTS AGAINST JACKSONVILLE STATE IN THE O-V-C TOURNAMENT AND PITCHED SEVEN INNINGS TO GET THE WIN OVER NUMBER NINE GEORGIA TECH IN THE FIRST GAME OF THE ATLANTA REGIONAL.

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

THE TRADEWATER PIRATES LOST FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS SEASON, FALLING IN 13 INNINGS TO FULTON 8-6. THE PIRATES PLAY THE RAILROADERS AGAIN THIS EVENING IN FULTON.

ELSEWHERE: OWENSBORO GOT A RUN IN THE BOTTOM OF THE NINTH TO EDGE MARION 3-2.

THE BOWLING GREEN HOT RODS WERE SHUTOUT AT KANE COUNTY 3-0 TUESDAY NIGHT. THE TWO TEAMS PLAY AGAIN THIS EVENING.

THE NASHVILLE SOUNDS SAW A FIVE GAME WINNING STREAK END AT THE HANDS OF NEW ORLEANS 5-4 TUESDAY. THE SOUNDS ARE OFF TODAY, BEFORE OPENING A SERIES AT ALBUQUERQUE THURSDAY NIGHT.

GOLF

THE 100^TH EDITION OF THE KENTUCKY STATE AMATEUR GOLF TOURNAMENT BEGAN TUESDAY AT KEARNEY HILLS GOLF CLUB IN LEXINGTON.

MURRAY STATE GOLFER PATRICK NEWCOMB OF BENTON AND BRUCE WALTERS, THE SECOND OF PIKEVILLE SHARE THE LEAD WITH 68. NEWCOMB HAD SIX BIRDIES IN HIS FIRST ROUND.

MADISONVILLE’S PATRICK HIBBS SHOT 77, HOPKINSVILLE’S LOGAN LOFTUS HAD AN 81, TYLER MITCHELL OF CADIZ FIRED AN 84. THE SECOND ROUND IS TODAY, WITH THE CUT MADE AFTER TODAY’S PLAY.

HOPKINSVILLE HIGH GOLFER DAYTON JONES FIRED A 69 TUESDAY AND WON THE BOYS 17-18 DIVISION AT THE PEPSI TOUR EVENT AT JUNIPER HILL GOLF COURSE IN FRANKFORT. JONES—WHO CURRENTLY LEADS THE POINTS RACE IN THE 17-18 BOYS DIVISION--IS PLAYING TODAY AT THE PEPSI TOUR EVENT AT CHERRY BLOSSOM GOLF CLUB IN GEORGETOWN.

A NEWS CONFERENCE WAS HELD IN KNOXVILLE THIS MORNING TO ANNOUNCE MIKE HAMILTON'S RESIGNATION AS ATHLETICS DIRECTOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE.

HAMILTON HAS SERVED AS ATHLETICS DIRECTOR SINCE 2003, AND HAS BEEN INCREASINGLY CRITICIZED FOR COACHES HE HIRED AND FIRED DURING THE LAST THREE SEASONS AND FOR NCAA VIOLATIONS COMMITTED BY THOSE COACHES WHICH RESULTED INTO A MAJOR INVESTIGATION INTO RECRUITING PRACTICES.

UT OFFICIALS SAY AN INTERIM ATHLETICS DIRECTOR WILL BE NAMED BY WEEK'S END. HAMILTON'S RESIGNATION IS EFFECTIVE JUNE 30TH.  THE KNOXVILLE NEWS SENTINEL REPORTS HAMILTON WILL REMAIN A PART OF THE GROUP REPRESENTING THE SCHOOL WHEN IT APPEARS BEFORE THE NCAA COMMITTEE ON INFRACTIONS SATURDAY IN INDIANAPOLIS.

YOU CAN HEAR COMMENTS FROM MIKE HAMILTON DURING THE BUDWEISER SPORTS FLASHES THIS AFTERNOON ON THE WHOP FAMILY OF STATIONS.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

THE BOWLING GREEN DAILY NEWS REPORTED MONDAY WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY’S BASKETBALL RECRUITING CLASS WILL ONLY HAVE SEVEN PLAYERS.

ONE OF THE EIGHT PROSPECTS—DENG LEEK—WILL NOT QUALIFY ACADEMICALLY OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL. LEEK—A NATIVE OF SUDAN, WHO PLAYED HIS HIGH SCHOOL BALL AT VERITAS ACADEMY IN NORTH CAROLINA—SIGNED WITH THE HILLTOPPERS LAST FALL.

MURRAY STATE COACH STEVE PROHM ANNOUNCED MONDAY ANOTHER ASSISTANT HAS JOINED THE STAFF. MATT MCMAHON JOINS WILLIAM SMALL, WHO JOINED THE RACERS STAFF LAST WEEK.

MCMAHON SERVED AS AN ASSISTANT AT NORTH CAROLINA-WILIMINGTON THIS PAST SEASON, AFTER SERVING 10 SEASONS AS AN ASSISTANT AT APPALACHIAN STATE.

COLLEGE BASEBALL

VANDERBILT HOSTS OREGON STATE IN NCAA SUPER REGIONAL ACTION AT HAWKINS FIELD ON THE VANDERBILT CAMPUS THIS WEEKEND.

THE FIRST GAME IS SET FOR FRIDAY NIGHT AT SEVEN, GAME TWO IS SATURDAY NIGHT AT EIGHT AND IF THE THIRD GAME IS NEEDED, IT WILL BE SUNDAY AT EITHER 3 PM, 6 PM OR 9 PM.

FRIDAY NIGHT’S GAME CAN BE SEEN ON ESPN U, WITH SATURDAY NIGHT’S GAME ON ESPN 2.

UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY PITCHER ALEX MEYER WAS TAKEN BY THE WASHINGTON NATIONALS AS THE 23^RD PICK IN THE MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL DRAFT MONDAY NIGHT.

MEYER HAD A 7-5 RECORD WITH A 2.94 EARNED RUN AVERAGE AND LED THE SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE WITH 110 STRIKEOUTS DURING HIS JUNIOR YEAR.

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

THE TRADEWATER PIRATES ARE BACK IN ACTION THIS EVENING, HOSTING THE FULTON RAILROADERS AT SEVEN P-M AT RIVERSIDE PARK.

THE PIRATES AND OWENSBORO OILERS WILL MEET AT CHRISTIAN COUNTY HIGH’S COLONEL FIELD THURSDAY JUNE 23^RD AT SEVEN P-M. TICKETS ARE FIVE DOLLARS EACH AND ON SALE NOW AT THE HOPKINSVILLE-CHRISTIAN COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, PENNYROYAL HOSPICE AND THE PENNYROYAL ARTS COUNCIL.

THE GAME WILL ALSO BE BROADCAST ON NEWSTALK 95.3 FM/1230 AM WHOP AND ONLINE AT WHOPAM.COM.

AFTER AN OFF DAY MONDAY, THE BOWLING GREEN HOT RODS PLAY AT THE KANE COUNTY COUGARS THIS EVENING.

THE NASHVILLE SOUNDS WON THEIR FIFTH GAME IN A ROW, ROUTING THE NEW ORLEANS ZEPHYRS 19-1 MONDAY. THE TEAMS CLOSE OUT THEIR SERIES WITH A GAME AT 11:30 TODAY IN NEW ORLEANS.

NHL

THE TENNESSEAN REPORTS THE NASHVILLE PREDATORS HAVE SIGNED GOALTENDING COACH MITCH KORN TO A NEW CONTRACT. KORN—WHOSE DEAL WAS TO EXPIRE AT THE END OF THE MONTH—HAS SIGNED A THREE YEAR DEAL. KORN IS THE ONLY GOALTENDING COACH IN THE HISTORY OF THE PREDATORS FRANCHISE.

GOLF

THE 100^TH EDITION OF THE KENTUCKY STATE AMATEUR WILL BEGIN TODAY AT KEARNEY LINKS GOLF CLUB IN LEXINGTON.

THREE FORMER CHAMPIONS ARE IN THE FIELD FOR THE EVENT. HOPKINSVILLE’S LOGAN LOFTUS, TYLER MITCHELL OF CADIZ, ALONG WITH PATRICK HIBBS OF MADISONVILLE AND PATRICK NEWCOMB OF BENTON ARE IN THE FIELD. THE EVENT GOES THROUGH THURSDAY.

THE FIELD IS NOW SET FOR THE KHSAA STATE FAST PITCH SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT WHICH BEGINS THURSDAY AT JACK FISHER PARK IN OWENSBORO.

2^ND REGION CHAMP HOPKINS CENTRAL WILL MEET WALTON VERONA THURSDAY AT FIVE PM.

1^ST REGION CHAMP CALLOWAY COUNTY MEETS ASHLAND BLAZER AT SEVEN PM THURSDAY.

3^RD REGION WINNER OWENSBORO CATHOLIC PLAYS LAFAYETTE AT SEVEN PM THURSDAY.

4^TH REGION WINNER ALLEN COUNTY SCOTTSVILLE GOES AGAINST EAST JESSAMINE AT FIVE P-M THURSDAY.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

KENTUCKY HAS RECEIVED A PAIR OF COMMITMENTS FOR THE 2012 CLASS FROM TWINS.

THE COURIER JOURNAL REPORTS ZACK AND DARON BLAYLOCK OF MARIETTA GEORGIA’S WALTON HIGH SCHOOL GAVE THEIR COMMITMENTS TO COACH JOKER PHILLIPS SUNDAY.

BOTH ARE ANTICIPATED TO PLAY ON THE DEFENSIVE SIDE AT SAFETY FOR ZACK BLAYLOCK, WHILE DARON BLAYLOCK WILL PLAY EITHER LINEBACKER OR SAFETY.

WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS DIRECTOR ROSS BJORK SAYS THE HILLTOPPER FOOTBALL TEAM SHOULD BE BETTER THIS SEASON AND FANS WILL SEE A "BIG DIFFERENCE" WHEN THE HILLTOPPERS TAKE THE FIELD AGAINST KENTUCKY SEPTEMBER 1ST AT L-P FIELD IN NASHVILLE.

IN A STORY PUBLISHED IN THE BOWLING GREEN DAILY NEWS, BJORK WOULD NOT PREDICT HOW MANY GAMES SECOND YEAR COACH WILLIE TAGGART'S TEAM WOULD WIN.  HOWEVER, AFTER WINNING FOUR GAMES IN THE LAST THREE YEARS, BJORK SAID THE TEAM HAS NOT EARNED MORE FANS, ADDING WINNING WILL BRING MORE PEOPLE TO GAMES.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

FORMER UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY PLAYER DEANDRE LIGGINS IS SCHEDULED TO WORK OUT TODAY FOR THE N-B-A'S INDIANA PACERS.  LIGGINS WHO WAS THE WILDCATS PRIMARY DEFENSIVE STOPPER LAST SEASON, TELLS THE COURIER JOURNAL HE NEEDS TO SHOW TEAMS HE CAN SCORE.  HOWEVER, LIGGINS ALSO SAYS HIS ROLE IN THE N-B-A WOULD BE DOING THE SAME THINGS HE DID IN COLLEGE.  THE N-B-A DRAFT IS JUNE 23RD.

COLLEGE BASEBALL

AUSTIN PEAY SAW ITS RUN IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT END SUNDAY WITH A 12-2 LOSS TO GEORGIA TECH IN THE ATLANTA REGIONAL.

THE GOVERNORS FINISH THE SEASON 34-24.

VANDERBILT GOES TO SUPER REGIONAL PLAY FOR THE THIRD TIME IN SCHOOL HISTORY AFTER A 6-1 WIN OVER BELMONT IN THE NASHVILLE REGIONAL.

THE COMMODORES—50-10 ON THE SEASON--WILL HOST THE WINNER OF THE OREGON STATE REGIONAL THIS WEEKEND IN NASHVILLE.

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

THE TRADEWATER PIRATES ARE OFF TO A 2-0 START AFTER WINS AGAINST THE OWENSBORO OILERS. THE PIRATES WON THE SEASON OPENER 8-3 FRIDAY NIGHT AND A TEN INNING 9-8 WIN SATURDAY NIGHT. THE PIRATES ARE BACK IN ACTION TOMORROW NIGHT HOSTING THE FULTON RAILROADERS AT SEVEN AT RIVERSIDE PARK IN DAWSON SPRINGS.

THE PIRATES WILL BE COMING TO HOPKINSVILLE TO PLAY A GAME AGAINST THE OWENSBORO OILERS THURSDAY JUNE 23^RD. THE GAME IS AT SEVEN P-M AT CHRISTIAN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL’S COLONEL FIELD, WITH TICKETS FIVE DOLLARS EACH. TICKETS ARE NOW AVAILABLE AT THE HOPKINSVILLE-CHRISTIAN COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, PENNYROYAL HOSPICE AND THE PENNYROYAL ARTS COUNCIL.

THE NASHVILLE SOUNDS WON THEIR FOURTH GAME IN A ROW AT NEW ORLEANS 7-2. THE TWO TEAMS PLAY IN THE BIG EASY AGAIN THIS EVENING.

THE BOWLING GREEN HOT RODS DEFEATED THE BELOIT SNAPPERS 2-1 SUNDAY. AFTER AN OFF DAY, THE HOT RODS OPEN A ROAD TRIP AT THE KANE COUNTY COUGARS TUESDAY NIGHT.

GOLF

156 PLAYERS ARE ENTERED IN THE FIELD FOR THE KENTUCKY STATE AMATEUR GOLF TOURNAMENT TO BE PLAYED TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY AT KEARNEY HILLS GOLF CLUB IN LEXINGTON.

AMONG LOCAL PLAYERS IN THE FIELD ARE: LOGAN LOFTUS OF HOPKINSVILLE, PATRICK HIBBS OF MADISONVILLE, PATRICK NEWCOMB OF BENTON, AND PAUL SANSOM OF RUSSELLVILLE.