Sports Headlines 6.23.11

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE DAYS OF THE HOPTOWN HOPPERS IN THE KITTY LEAGUE, MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL RETURNS TO HOPKINSVILLE THIS EVENING.

THE TRADEWATER PIRATES AND OWENSBORO OILERS PLAY AN OHIO VALLEY LEAGUE GAME AT SEVEN TONIGHT AT CHRISTIAN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL’S COLONEL FIELD.

PRE GAME COVERAGE BEGINS AT 6:45 ON NEWSTALK 95.3 FM/1230 AM WHOP AND WHOPAM.COM.

LAST NIGHT, TRADEWATER BROKE A 2-2 TIE IN THE 8^TH INNING WITH TWO RUNS TO DEFEAT FULTON 4-2. OWENSBORO DEFEATED MARION 2-0 IN THE FIRST GAME OF A TWINBILL, WITH THE SECOND GAME RAINED OUT.

THE NASHVILLE SOUNDS SPLIT A DOUBLEHEADER WITH THE OMAHA STORMCHASERS, LOSING GAME ONE 4-1, WINNING GAME TWO 5-4. THE TWO TEAMS PLAY AGAIN TONIGHT AT GREER STADIUM IN NASHVILLE.

COLLEGE BASEBALL

VANDERBILT IS STILL ALIVE AT THE COLLEGE WORLD SERIES IN OMAHA. LAST NIGHT, THE COMMODORES DEFEATED NORTH CAROLINA 5-1 AND WILL GET ANOTHER CHANCE AT FLORIDA FRIDAY NIGHT. THE GATORS BEAT THE COMMODORES EARLIER THIS WEEK.

WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY WILL BEGIN THE SEARCH FOR A NEW BASEBALL COACH. THE BOWLING GREEN DAILY NEWS REPORTED WEDNESDAY CHRIS FINWOOD IS LEAVING AFTER SIX SEASONS TO GO TO OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY.

FINWOOD’S RECORD AT WKU WAS 190-54. HE LED THE HILLTOPPERS TO TWO NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES IN 2008 AND 09, ALONG WITH THE 2009 SUN BELT REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP. THE MOVE TO O-D-U NOT ONLY RETURNS FINWOOD TO HIS HOME STATE, BUT REUNITES HIM WITH FORMER WKU ATHLETICS DIRECTOR WOOD SELIG.

NBA DRAFT

FORMER UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS AND TENNESSEE VOLS STANDOUT SCOTTY HOPSON WILL LEARN TONIGHT WHERE HE WILL PLAY HIS PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL.

HOPSON HAS BEEN PROJECTED TO BE PICKED EITHER LATE IN THE FIRST ROUND OR SOMEWHERE IN THE SECOND ROUND. THE KNOXVILLE NEWS SENTINEL REPORTS HOPSON AS SAYING HE HOPES TO REPRESENT TENNESSEE IN THE PROS, BUT KNOWS HE HAS MORE WORK TO DO.

FORMER VOL TEAMMATE TOBIAS HARRIS—WHO JUST PLAYED ONE SEASON AT U-T—IS A PROJECTED LATE FIRST ROUND PICK.

MEANWHILE, ENES KANTER—WHO NEVER PLAYED A GAME AT KENTUCKY—IS NOT WORRIED HE WILL BE A DRAFT BUST. THE TURKISH CENTER COULD BE THE THIRD OR FOURTH PICK IN THE FIRST ROUND.

FORMER KENTUCKY GUARD BRANDON KNIGHT SAID IN A PRESS CONFERENCE WEDNESDAY, HE WAS A POINT GUARD, NOT A COMBO GUARD. KNIGHT IS PROJECTED TO BE ONE OF THE TOP GUARDS TO BE PICKED IN THE DRAFT THIS EVENING.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

KENTUCKY COACH JOHN CALIPARI SAYS HE ENVISIONS FOUR SUPER CONFERENCES IN COLLEGE ATHLETICS.

SPEAKING ON KENTUCKY SPORTS RADIO WEDNESDAY, CALIPARI SAYS HE CAN SEE CONFERENCES BRANCH OFF FROM THE NCAA AND FORM THEIR OWN COALITION.

CALIPARI SAYS EACH CONFERENCE WOULD HAVE 16 TO 18 TEAMS, DEPENDING ON HOW MANY SCHOOLS JOIN THE COALITION. IN FOOTBALL, CALIPARI’S PLAN CALLS FOR THE FOUR CONFERENCE WINNERS TO HAVE A PLAYOFF TO DETERMINE A NATIONAL CHAMPION, WHILE THE OTHER SCHOOLS CAN PLAY IN THE TRADITIONAL BOWL GAMES.

IN BASKETBALL 64 TO 72 TEAMS WOULD MAKE THE NCAA TOURNAMENT FIELD. CALIPARI’S PLAN ALSO CALLS FOR PAYING ATHLETES THREE TO FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS PER YEAR FOR ROOM AND BOARD.

GOLF

THE GO JUNIOR SERIES HELD AN EVENT WEDNESDAY AT LAKESHORE COUNTRY CLUB IN MADISONVILLE.

HOPKINSVILLE’S TADD SWITZER WON THE BOYS 13-15 DIVISION WITH A 76, TJ JANES HAD AN 89, DYLAN HENDERSON 94, HENDLEY TRAUGHBER 98 AND GRANT STAMPER 115.

HOPKINSVILLE’S SKYLAR JONES HAD A 92 IN THE BOYS 16-18 DIVISION. HUNTER TRAUGHBER WON THE BOYS 9-10 SIX HOLE DIVISION WITH A 31.

HOPKINSVILLE’S JESSICA SHELTON WON THE GIRLS 11-12 DIVISION WITH A NINE HOLE SCORE OF 53.

PRINCETON’S EMMA TALLEY HAS OPENED UP A FOUR SHOT LEAD HEADING INTO TODAY’S FINAL ROUND OF THE AMERICAN JUNIOR GOLF ASSOCIATION’S FRANKLIN JUNIOR IN FRANKLIN, TENNESSEE.

TALLEY HAD HER SECOND STRAIGHT EVEN PAR ROUND OF 72 WEDNESDAY AT WESTHAVEN GOLF CLUB.

WKU's Finwood headed to Old Dominion as baseball coach

THE BOWLING GREEN DAILY NEWS AND THE VIRGINIAN PILOT ARE REPORTING WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY BASEBALL COACH CHRIS FINWOOD HAS BEEN NAMED AS THE NEW BASEBALL COACH AT OLD DOMINION.  FINWOOD COACHED AT WKU FOR SIX SEASONS, COMPILING A 190-54 RECORD.  FINWOOD'S TEAMS MADE TWO NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES IN 2008 AND 2009, ALONG WITH WINNING THE 2009 SUN BELT CONFERENCE REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP.

THE MOVE TO OLD DOMINION NOT ONLY ALLOWS FINWOOD TO RETURN TO HIS HOME STATE, BUT ALSO REUNITES HIM WITH FORMER WKU ATHLETICS DIRECTOR WOOD SELIG.

Sports Headlines 6.22.11

COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

THE VANDERBILT COMMODORES WILL HAVE TO WIN THREE GAMES TO BE THE CHAMPIONS OF THE COLLEGE WORLD SERIES IN OMAHA.

VANDY FACES NORTH CAROLINA IN AN ELIMINATION GAME TODAY. THE COMMODORES WON OVER NORTH CAROLINA IN THEIR OPENING GAME OF THE TOURNAMENT, BUT LOST TO FLORIDA 3-1 TUESDAY COMPLETING A SUSPENDED GAME FROM MONDAY NIGHT.

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

THE TRADEWATER PIRATES LOST THE FIRST OF A TWO GAME SERIES TO THE FULTON RAILROADERS 7-2 TUESDAY NIGHT. GAME TWO OF THE SERIES TONIGHT AT SEVEN AT RIVERSIDE PARK IN DAWSON SPRINGS.

ELSEWHERE IN THE OHIO VALLEY LEAGUE: OWENSBORO’S GAME WITH MARION WAS RAINED OUT AND WILL BE PLAYED AS PART OF A DOUBLEHEADER THIS EVENING IN OWENSBORO.

THE NASHVILLE SOUNDS WERE SHUTOUT BY THE OMAHA STORMCHASERS 7-0 AT GREER STADIUM. THE TEAMS PLAY A DOUBLEHEADER BEGINNING AT 5:35 TODAY.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

FORMER TENNESSEE COACH BRUCE PEARL SAYS HE IS PROUD OF HIS TIME HE SPENT AS COACH OF THE VOLS. PEARL TELLS THE KNOXVILLE NEWS SENTINEL HE PLANS TO KEEP HIS KNOXVILLE HOME FOR THE NEAR FUTURE AND WILL ATTEND THE PILOT ROCKY TOP SUMMER LEAGUE HE ENCOURAGED WHEN HE TOOK THE JOB IN 2005.

PEARL WAS FIRED IN MARCH AMID AN NCAA PROBE THAT PRODUCED MULTIPLE CHARGES AGAINST THE UNIVERSITY. IF THE NCAA APPLIES A SHOW-CAUSE PENALTY ON PEARL—WHICH WOULD HIGHLY DISCOURAGE OTHER SCHOOLS FROM HIRING HIM—PEARL INDICATED HE WOULD LIKE TO DO TELEVISION WORK FOR A MAJOR NETWORK.

LOUISVILLE FORWARD RAKEEM BUCKLES SAYS HIS KNEE REHABILITATION PROCESS IS GOING WELL. THE COURIER JOURNAL SAYS BUCKLES HOPES TO BE ABLE TO PRACTICE BY OCTOBER. BUCKLES HAD SURGERY TO REPAIR A TORN RIGHT ANTERIOR CRUICIATE LIGAMENT. BUCKLES SAYS HE HASN’T THOUGHT ABOUT SITTING OUT THE UPCOMING SEASON, BUT HOPES TO BE READY TO PLAY.

GOLF

HOPKINSVILLE HIGH’S DAYTON JONES WON THE 17-18 DIVISION AT THE PEPSI TOUR STOP AT WOODLAWN SPRINGS GOLF CLUB IN BARDSTOWN. JONES SHOT A 78 GOOD FOR A ONE STROKE VICTORY.

MATCH PLAY BEGAN TUESDAY AT THE WOMEN’S STATE AMATEUR TOURNAMENT BEING PLAYED AT MILLER MEMORIAL GOLF COURSE IN MURRAY.

DEFENDING CHAMPION KARISA AKIN AND NUMBER TWO SEED LYDIA GUMM FROM NORTH HARDIN HIGH SCHOOL WERE AMONG THE WINNERS. THE ROUND OF 16 TAKES PLACE TODAY.

NHL

THE NHL AWARDS GALA IS SET FOR THIS EVENING IN LAS VEGAS AND SEVERAL NASHVILLE PREDATOR PLAYERS, COACHES AND EXECUTIVES ARE NOMINATED FOR AWARDS.

GOALIE PEKKA RINNE IS A NOMINEE FOR THE VERZINA AWARD, DEFENSEMAN AND CAPTAIN SHEA WEBER IS A NORRIS TROPHY NOMINEE, COACH BARRY TROTZ IS UP FOR THE JACK ADAMS AWARD AND GENERAL MANAGER DAVID POILE IS A NOMINEE FOR G-M OF THE YEAR.

Sports Headlines 6.21.11

HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL

WARREN EAST PITCHER MARK BIGGS HAS BEEN SELECTED AS KENTUCKY MR. BASEBALL.

BIGGS LED WARREN EAST TO THE QUARTERFINAL ROUND OF THIS YEAR’S KHSAA STATE BASEBALL TOURNAMENT. BIGGS WENT 5-0 WITH 50 STRIKEOUTS IN 36 AND TWO-THIRDS INNINGS THIS SEASON. BIGGS ALSO HIT 440 WITH 12 HOMERUNS AND 47 RBI.

BIGGS WAS AN 8^TH ROUND SELECTION BY THE TORONTO BLUE JAYS, HOWEVER, HE HAS SIGNED TO PLAY COLLEGIATELY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE.

HOPKINSVILLE HIGH PITCHER JOSH DRAKE WAS NAMED 2^ND TEAM ALL STATE BY THE KENTUCKY HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION. JOINING DRAKE ON THE 2^ND TEAM IS UNION COUNTY’S AARON HEDGEPATH, WHO WAS ALSO NAMED 2^ND REGION PLAYER OF THE YEAR.

MEMBERS OF THE 2^ND REGION HONORABLE MENTION TEAM WERE KYLE SPENCER OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY AND CHRISTIAN MCHATTON OF HENDERSON COUNTY.

THE 2^ND REGION COACH OF THE YEAR WAS CHAD ROBISON OF UNION COUNTY AND HOPKINSVILLE’S SCOTTY VANCE WAS NAMED ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR.

CHRISTIAN COUNTY’S KYLE SPENCER AND HOPKINSVILLE’S DAVID GARDNER WERE NAMED TO THE WEST SENIOR ALL STAR TEAM, WITH HOPTOWN’S CLAYTON SMITHSON NAMED TO THE JUNIOR WEST ALL STAR TEAM. THE JUNIOR AND SENIOR TEAMS WILL PLAY GAMES TODAY AND TOMORROW AT THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY.

COLLEGE BASEBALL

AT THE COLLEGE WORLD SERIES—VANDERBILT’S GAME WITH FLORIDA WAS SUSPENDED IN THE SIXTH INNING DUE TO WEATHER MONDAY NIGHT. THE GATORS LEAD THE GAME 3-1. THE GAME WILL BE RESUMED THIS MORNING.

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

THE TRADEWATER PIRATES OPEN A TWO GAME SERIES WITH THE FULTON RAILROADERS THIS EVENING AT RIVERSIDE PARK IN DAWSON SPRINGS. FIRST PITCH IS AT 7 PM.

IN OHIO VALLEY LEAGUE ACTION MONDAY NIGHT: FULTON AND OWENSBORO SPLIT A DOUBLEHEADER. THE RAILROADERS WON GAME ONE 5-4, WITH THE OILERS TAKING THE NIGHTCAP 12-2.

THE NASHVILLE SOUNDS LOST AT MEMPHIS 5-4. THE SOUNDS OPEN A SERIES WITH THE OMAHA STORMCHASERS TONIGHT AT GREER STADIUM.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

KENTUCKY COACH JOHN CALIPARI SAYS HE DOESN’T CARE ABOUT THE DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN THE NCAA AND U-K OVER HIS WIN TOTAL. CALIPARI TOLD THE LEXINGTON HERALD LEADER MONDAY IT WAS NOT A BIG DEAL.

CALIPARI TOLD REPORTERS AT A CAMP IN BOWLING GREEN HE DID NOT KNOW THE SCHOOL WAS GOING TO HONOR WHAT WAS THOUGHT TO BE HIS 500^TH CAREER WIN AGAINST FLORIDA FEBRUARY 26^TH. HE ALSO SAID PLAYERS WIN GAMES, COACHES LOSE GAMES. CALIPARI WILL BEGIN NEXT SEASON WITH 467 WINS.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

THE COURIER JOURNAL REPORTS UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE CORNERBACK DARIUS ASHLEY WAS ARRESTED EARLY SATURDAY MORNING ON HIS SECOND D-U-I IN SEVEN MONTHS.

ASHLEY REPORTEDLY HIT A LOUISVILLE POLICE CAR AT THE CORNER OF SECOND AND CHESTNUT STREETS AROUND 1:45. A U OF L SPOKESMAN SAYS COACH CHARLIE STRONG WOULD NOT COMMENT ON THE MATTER, BUT WAS AWARE OF THE ARREST.

TENNESSEE’S ALREADY THIN RANKS AT DEFENSIVE TACKLE HAS GOTTEN THINNER. THE TENNESSEAN REPORTS SENIOR RAE SYKES IS NOT ON THE TEAM BECAUSE OF ACADEMIC ISSUES ACCORDING TO A U-T SPOKESMAN. SYKES WAS SPARSELY USED LAST SEASON, APPEARING IN EIGHT GAMES.

GOLF

NORTH HARDIN JUNIOR TO BE LYDIA GUMM HAD THE BEST ROUND OF THE DAY WITH A 68 IN THE QUALIFYING ROUND FOR MATCH PLAY AT THE STATE WOMEN’S AMATEUR BEING CONTESTED AT MILLER MEMORIAL GOLF COURSE IN MURRAY.

MURRAY STATE WOMEN’S GOLF COACH VELVET MILKMAN AND LADY RACER GOLFER MORGAN CROSS TIED FOR FOURTH AT 75. THE TOP 31 AND DEFENDING CHAMP KARISA AKIN FROM ELIZABETHTOWN BEGIN MATCH PLAY TODAY.

Sports Headlines 6.20.11

GOLF

AUSTIN PEAY GOLFER DREW MILLER—A RELATIVE UNKNOWN IN THE GOVERNOR PROGRAM THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS—FIRED A SEVEN UNDER PAR 65 SUNDAY TO WIN THE 51^ST COMMANDING GENERAL GOLF TOURNAMENT AT COLE PARK GOLF COURSE AT FORT CAMPBELL.

MILLER HAD A TWO DAY TOTAL OF 136 TO CLAIM A FOUR SHOT VICTORY. HOPKINSVILLE HIGH GOLFER DAYTON JONES FINISHED SIXTH, WITH AUSTIN PEAY GOLFER LOGAN LOFTUS FINISHING 7^TH IN THE EVENT.

THE LEAF CHRONICLE REPORTS SWAN LAKE GOLF COURSE IN CLARKSVILLE WILL BE SHUTTING DOWN LATER THIS WEEK FOR REPAIR WORK ON ITS GREENS.

THE COURSE WILL HOST THE HANK MILES JUNIOR CITY AMATEUR TOURNAMENT WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY, WITH THE COURSE CLOSING UNTIL THE END OF AUGUST. SWAN LAKE WILL SWAP ITS BENTGRASS GREENS—SOME OF WHICH HAVE BECOME UNPLAYABLE BECAUSE OF THE HEAT THE LAST TWO SUMMERS—FOR CHAMPIONS BERMUDA GRASS GREENS.

THE COURSE WILL ALSO BE DOING SOME CLEANUP WORK DUE TO HEAVY TREE DAMAGE FROM RECENT THUNDERSTORMS AND CHANGE SOME OF THE TEE BOXES.

A FIELD OF 42 GOLFERS BEGIN PLAY TODAY IN THE WOMEN’S STATE AMATEUR GOLF TOURNAMENT AT THE MILLER MEMORIAL GOLF CLUB IN MURRAY. TODAY’S PLAY IS A QUALIFYING ROUND FOR MATCH PLAY WHICH BEGINS TUESDAY.

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

OWENSBORO CATHOLIC’S BECCA GREENWELL WAS NAMED CO M-V-P OF THE F-I-B-A AMERICAS UNDER 16 TOURNAMENT OVER THE WEEKEND. THE COURIER JOURNAL REPORTS KENTUCKY’S LEADING SCORER FROM LAST SEASON AVERAGED 15 POINT SIX POINTS A GAME DURING THE TOURNAMENT.

HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL

CENTRAL HARDIN OF REGION FIVE IS KENTUCKY’S STATE CHAMPION. THE BRUINS DEFEATED MERCER COUNTY 21-2 IN FIVE INNINGS TO WIN THE KENTUCKY NATIONAL INSURANCE-KHSAA STATE TOURNAMENT SATURDAY NIGHT IN LEXINGTON.

COLLEGE BASEBALL

AFTER A WIN OVER NORTH CAROLINA SATURDAY, THE VANDERBILT COMMODORES PLAY S-E-C RIVAL FLORIDA AT SIX THIS EVENING AT THE COLLEGE WORLD SERIES IN OMAHA.

THE GATORS OWN THE SEASON SERIES THREE GAMES TO ONE INCLUDING A 5-0 SHUTOUT OVER VANDY IN THE S-E-C CHAMPIONSHIP GAME.

THE OTHER GAME IN OMAHA TODAY IS AN ELIMINATION GAME AS NORTH CAROLINA FACES TEXAS.

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

THE TRADEWATER PIRATES GAME AGAINST MARION WAS RAINED OUT SATURDAY NIGHT. AFTER A COUPLE OF OFF DAYS, THE PIRATES PLAY A TWO GAME SERIES WITH FULTON BEGINNING TOMORROW NIGHT AT SEVEN AT RIVERSIDE PARK IN DAWSON SPRINGS.

DON’T FORGET THE TRADEWATER PIRATES WILL PLAY THE OWENSBORO OILERS THURSDAY NIGHT AT SEVEN AT CHRISTIAN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL’S COLONEL FIELD. TICKETS ARE FIVE DOLLARS, WITH PROCEEDS GOING TO PENNYROYAL HOSPICE.

WE’LL HAVE THE BROADCAST OF THE GAME ON NEWSTALK 95.3 FM/1230 AM WHOP AND WHOPAM.COM.

THE BOWLING GREEN HOT RODS WON THE FIRST HALF EASTERN DIVISION TITLE IN THE MIDWEST LEAGUE WITH A COME FROM BEHIND 6-4 WIN AT SOUTH BEND SUNDAY. THE HOT RODS ARE OFF UNTIL FRIDAY FOR THE MIDWEST LEAGUE ALL STAR BREAK.

THE NASHVILLE SOUNDS DEFEATED MEMPHIS 5-3 SUNDAY AT AUTO ZONE PARK. THE TWO TEAMS CONCLUDE THEIR SERIES THIS EVENING IN MEMPHIS.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

HOPKINSVILLE NATIVE AND NEW UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY ASSISTANT COACH STEVE PARDUE WAS IN TOWN SATURDAY FOR THE CHRISTIAN COUNTY UK ALUMNI CLUB’S GOLF OUTING.

PARDUE SAYS ONE OF THE NOTICABLE DIFFERENCES IN KENTUCKY’S OFFENSE BETWEEN ITS BOWL GAME LOSS AT THE END OF LAST SEASON THROUGH THE END OF SPRING PRACTICE WAS THE IMPROVED PLAY OF QUARTERBACK MORGAN NEWTON.

KENTUCKY OPENS THE SEASON THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 1^ST AGAINST WESTERN KENTUCKY AT L-P FIELD IN NASHVILLE.