HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL

THE KENTUCKY NATIONAL INSURANCE-KHSAA STATE BASEBALL TOURNAMENT BEGINS TODAY AT WHITAKER BANK PARK IN LEXINGTON

GAMES TODAY INCLUDE: 4^TH REGION CHAMPION WARREN EAST MEETING LETCHER COUNTY CENTRAL AT 10 AM HOPKINSVILLE TIME AND 1^ST REGION WINNER MAYFIELD MEETS 3^RD REGION WINNER APOLLO AT 12:30 HOPKINSVILLE TIME.

2^ND REGION CHAMPION UNION COUNTY WILL MEET NORTH OLDHAM TOMORROW AT 10 AM HOPKINSVILLE TIME.

HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL

ALLEN COUNTY SCOTTSVILLE IS THE 2011 STATE CHAMPION AFTER DEFEATING BALLARD IN TWO GAMES SATURDAY 9-4 AND 3-2 IN THE TITLE GAME. IT’S THE FIRST STATE CHAMPIONSHIP FOR THE LADY PATRIOTS.

KENTUCKY MISS SOFTBALL IS CHRISTIAN COUNTY’S GRIFFIN JOINER. JOINER ADDS THIS HONOR TO BEING NAMED KENTUCKY GATORADE SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR LAST WEEK.

CHRISTIAN COUNTY'S GRIFFIN JOINER AND CASEY CASTILE WERE NAMED CLASS THREE A FIRST TEAMM ALL STATE BY THE KENTUCKY HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION OVER THE WEEKEND.  MAGGIE GLASS--ALSO OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY WAS NAMED TO THE SECOND TEAM CLASS THREE A ALL STATE AND CHRISTIAN COUNTY'S COACHES WERE NAMED THE CLASS THREE A COACHING STAFF OF THE YEAR.

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

THE INDIANA BOYS MADE IT A SWEEP OVER KENTUCKY WINNING AT CONSECO FIELDHOUSE SATURDAY NIGHT 94-82. KENTUCKY MR. BASKETBALL ANTHONY HICKEY JUNIOR HAD SIX POINTS IN 27 MINUTES, DONOVAN KATES PLAYED 11 MINUTES AND DID NOT SCORE, WHILE WARREN CENTRAL’S GEORGE FANT HAD 6 POINTS AND 14 REBOUNDS.

INDIANA SALVAGED A SPLIT ON THE GIRLS SIDE WITH A 69-56 WIN OVER KENTUCKY SATURDAY NIGHT.

GOLF

HOPKINSVILLE GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB HAD ITS TWO MAN EVENT OVER THE WEEKEND.

CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT WINNERS WERE BUTCH O’ KELLEY AND MIKE GALLAGHER WITH A 118 TOTAL.

FIRST FLIGHT: AJ SHANKLIN AND JORDAN MCNICHOLS—126

SECOND FLIGHT: JEFF MILES AND ANTHONY DEMPSEY—128

THIRD FLIGHT: TJ JANES AND JACK GARDNER—133

FOURTH FLIGHT: DARREN AND AUSTIN WOODWARD—137

FIFTH FLIGHT: JORDAN AND MARK GARY—136

SIXTH FLIGHT: TIM HUGHES AND HUGH HARRELSON--144

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

THE COURIER JOURNAL REPORTS KENTUCKY’S FOOTBALL GAME WITH LOUISVILLE SEPTEMBER 17^TH IN LEXINGTON DID NOT GET PICKED BY THE TELEVISION NETWORKS IN ITS INITIAL ROUND OF GAME SELECTIONS.

U-K ATHLETICS DIRECTOR MITCH BARNHART SAYS HE’S NOT CONCERNED THE GAME HAS NOT BEEN PICKED UP YET. BARNHART SAYS BECAUSE OF THE SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE AGREEMENT WITH ESPN, IT WILL BE PICKED UP BY ONE OF THE ESPN FAMILY OR CBS OR THE UK NETWORK AFFILIATES.

COLLEGE BASEBALL

THE VANDERBILT COMMODORES ARE HEADED TO THE COLLEGE WORLD SERIES IN OMAHA.

VANDY WILL OPEN PLAY AGAINST NORTH CAROLINA THIS WEEKEND. THE GAME WILL BE ONE WHERE VANDERBILT BASKETBALL COACH KEVIN STALLINGS WILL HAVE MIXED EMOTIONS ACCORDING TO THE TENNESSEAN.

STALLINGS SON JACOB IS A JUNIOR CATCHER FOR THE TAR HEELS.

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

THE TRADEWATER PIRATES AND MARION BOBCATS SPLIT A DOUBLEHEADER SUNDAY. MARION TOOK THE FIRST GAME 7-6, WITH TRADEWATER WINNING THE NIGHTCAP 6-5. THE PIRATES ARE OFF TODAY BEFORE PLAYING AT FULTON TUESDAY NIGHT, THEN WILL HOST THE RAILROADERS WEDNESDAY EVENING AT SEVEN AT RIVERSIDE PARK IN DAWSON SPRINGS.

THE BOWLING GREEN HOT RODS CLOSED OUT A SERIES AT CLINTON WITH A 4-2 WIN SUNDAY. THE HOT RODS ARE OFF TODAY BEFORE OPENING A SERIES WITH WEST MICHIGAN TUESDAY NIGHT AT BOWLING GREEN BALLPARK.

THE NASHVILLE SOUNDS LOST A 16-14 SLUGFEST AT ALBQUEREQUE SUNDAY. THE SOUNDS OPEN A SERIES THIS EVENING AT GREER STADIUM AGAINST THE ROUND ROCK EXPRESS.

NFL

TENNESSEE TITANS QUARTERBACK KERRY COLLINS TELLS THE TENNESSEAN HE HOPES TO STAY WITH THE TITANS.

THE 38-YEAR-OLD COLLINS SAYS HE WILL EVEN BE WILLING TO TUTOR ROOKIE QUARTERBACK JAKE LOCKER, DRAFTED BY THE TITANS THIS SPRING, IF THE SITUATION FELT RIGHT.

COLLINS SAYS HE HAS A COUPLE OF YEARS LEFT IN HIM, BUT IS NOT SURE OF WHERE THE TITANS ARE CONCERING QUARTERBACKS RIGHT NOW.

HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL

DESPITE SEVERAL HEAT DELAYS, THE KHSAA STATE TOURNAMENT WAS ABLE TO COMPLETE ALL GAMES AT JACK FISHER PARK IN OWENSBORO ON FRIDAY.

2^ND REGION WINNER HOPKINS CENTRAL WAS ELIMINATED AFTER LOSING A PAIR OF GAMES. THE LADY STORM FELL TO CENTRAL HARDIN 4-0 AND ASHLAND PAUL BLAZER 1-0.

1^ST REGION WINNER CALLOWAY COUNTY WON THREE GAMES: DEFEATING RYLE 11-1, CENTRAL HARDIN 10-8 AND NORTH HARDIN 11-6.

3^RD REGION WINNER OWENSBORO CATHOLIC WAS ELIMINATED IN ITS FIRST GAME OF THE DAY, FALLING TO ASHLAND PAUL BLAZER 7-6.

4^TH REGION WINNER ALLEN COUNTY SCOTTSVILLE WON A PAIR OF GAMES, DEFEATING PLEASURE RIDGE PARK 14-5 AND CENTRAL HARDIN 2-0.

ALLEN COUNTY SCOTTSVILLE WILL FACE BALLARD IN THE WINNER’S BRACKET SEMI FINAL THIS MORNING, WITH CALLOWAY COUNTY FACING PLEASURE RIDGE PARK IN THE LOSER’S BRACKET SEMI FINAL. THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME IS SET FOR THIS AFTERNOON.

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY SIGNEE MARQUIS TEAGUE HIT THE GAME WINNING JUMPER TO GIVE THE INDIANA ALL STARS A 105-103 WIN OVER THE KENTUCKY ALL STARS AT BELLARMINE UNIVERSITY IN LOUISVILLE FRIDAY NIGHT.

KENTUCKY MR. BASKETBALL ANTHONY HICKEY FORMERLY OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY HAD 18 POINTS IN 36 MINUTES, WHILE FORMER TEAMMATE DONOVAN KATES HAD THREE POINTS IN SEVEN MINUTES. WESTERN KENTUCKY SIGNEE GEORGE FANT WHO PLAYED HIS PREP HOOPS AT WARREN CENTRAL HAD 18 POINTS.

THE KENTUCKY GIRLS DEFEATED INDIANA’S BEST 64-57. KENTUCKY MISS BASKETBALL AND UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE SIGNEE SARA HAMMOND HAD 21 POINTS AND 14 REBOUNDS ALONG WITH THREE BLOCKED SHOTS TO LEAD KENTUCKY TO THE WIN.

THE ALL STAR GAMES CONTINUE THIS EVENING AT CONSECO FIELDHOUSE IN INDIANAPOLIS.

THE COURIER JOURNAL REPORTS UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY ATHLETICS DIRECTOR MITCH BARNHART AND UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE ATHLETICS DIRECTOR TOM JURICH ARE NOT INTERESTED IN THE VACANT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR’S POSITION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE.

BOTH MEN SAY THEY ARE FOCUSED ON THEIR JOBS AT THEIR RESPECTIVE SCHOOLS. TENNESSEE IS LOOKING FOR A REPLACEMENT FOR MIKE HAMILTON, WHO ANNOUNCED HIS RESIGNATION EARLIER THIS WEEK.

THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE WILL APPEAR BEFORE THE NCAA COMMITTEE OF INFRACTIONS TODAY IN INDIANAPOLIS. OUTGOING ATHLETICS DIRECTOR MIKE HAMILTON WILL BE AMONG THOSE APPEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE, ALONG WITH FORMER BASKETBALL COACH BRUCE PEARL AND FORMER FOOTBALL COACH LANE KIFFIN. THE HEARING IS PART OF AN INVESTIGATION INTO RECRUITING IMPROPRITIES AT TENNESSEE.

THE LEXINGTON HERALD LEADER REPORTS KENTUCKY ATHLETIC DIRECTOR MITCH BARNHART IS WORKING ON A CONTRACT EXTENSION FOR BASKETBALL COACH JOHN CALIPARI. BARNHART SENT WORD TO THE NEWSPAPER VIA TWITTER THAT BECAUSE OF CALIPARI’S SUCCESS THIS SEASON AND RECURITMENT OF THREE STRAIGHT NUMBER ONE CLASSES. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN AS MANY YEARS THAT BARNHART WILL REWORK CALIPARI’S CONTRACT. THERE WAS NO MENTION OF A PAY RAISE, BUT BARNHART WANTS TO LENGTHEN CALIPARI’S CURRENT CONTRACT WHICH EXPIRES IN MARCH OF 2017.

COLLEGE BASEBALL

THE VANDERBILT COMMODORES WON THE FIRST GAME OF THE SUPER REGIONAL SERIES OVER OREGON STATE 11-1. GAME TWO OF THE SERIES IS TONIGHT IN NASHVILLE. A COMMODORE WIN WILL SEND THEM TO THE COLLEGE WORLD SERIES, BUT IF OREGON STATE WINS, THE SERIES WILL GO TO A THIRD GAME SUNDAY IN NASHVILLE.

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

THE TRADEWATER PIRATES DROPPED THEIR THIRD GAME IN A ROW AT OWENSBORO, LOSING TO THE OILERS 6-5 FRIDAY NIGHT. THE PIRATES PLAY THIS EVENING AT MARION, BEFORE HOSTING FULTON IN A DOUBLEHEADER SUNDAY AFTERNOON AT FIVE AT RIVERSIDE PARK IN DAWSON SPRINGS.

THE BOWLING GREEN HOT RODS OPENED A SERIES WITH A 6-4 WIN OVER THE CLINTON LUMBERJACKS. GAME TWO OF THE SERIES IS THIS EVENING IN CLINTON, IOWA.

HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL

RECENT CHRISTIAN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE GRIFFIN JOINER WAS NAMED GATORADE’S KENTUCKY SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR THURSDAY.

JOINER HAD AN OUTSTANDING SENIOR YEAR, HITTING .654 WITH 18 DOUBLES, A SCHOOL RECORD 18 HOME RUNS, WITH 66 RBI. SHE ALSO HAD A 20-2 PITCHING RECORD WITH A 1.73 EARNED RUN AVERAGE, WITH 110 STRIKEOUTS IN 105 INNINGS PITCHED.

JOINER ALSO CONCLUDES HER PREP SOFTBALL CAREER WITH 30 HOME RUNS AND 216 RBI, WHICH ARE BOTH SECOND BEST IN STATE HISTORY.  JOINER WILL CONTINUE HER CAREER THIS FALL AS SHE ATTENDS THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY.

AT THE KHSAA STATE SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT IN OWENSBORO THURSDAY:

2^ND REGION WINNER HOPKINS CENTRAL DEFEATED WALTON VERONA 5-0, FIRST REGION WINNER CALLOWAY COUNTY OVER ASHLAND BLAZER 3-0, THIRD REGION WINNER OWENSBORO CATHOLIC LOST TO LAFAYETTE 11-8 AND FOURTH REGION WINNER ALLEN COUNTY SCOTTSVILLE DEFEATED EAST JESSAMINE 10-0 IN SIX INNINGS.

GAMES CONTINUE THIS MORNING WITH WINNERS BRACKET PLAY AS HOPKINS CENTRAL GOES AGAINST CENTRAL HARDIN, CALLOWAY COUNTY MEETS LAFAYETTE, ALLEN COUNTY SCOTTSVILLE PLAYS PLEASURE RIDGE PARK. OWENSBORO CATHOLIC TAKES ON ASHLAND BLAZER IN LOSERS BRACKET PLAY.

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

THE KENTUCKY/INDIANA ALL STAR SERIES TAKES PLACE THIS WEEKEND. THIS EVENING’S BOYS AND GIRLS GAMES WILL BE PLAYED AT BELLARMINE UNIVERSITY IN LOUISVILLE.

IN THE BOYS GAME, INDIANA IS FAVORED THANKS TO THREE MCDONALD’S ALL AMERICANS. THE HOOSIERS HAVE WON 22 OF THE LAST 25 GAMES IN THE SERIES.

THE KENTUCKY TEAM WILL FEATURE FORMER CHRISTIAN COUNTY STANDOUT ANTHONY HICKEY, JUNIOR—KENTUCKY’S MR. BASKETBALL AND TEAMMATE DONOVAN KATES. TIP OFF AT 6:30 HOPKINSVILLE TIME.

INDIANA LEADS THE GIRLS SERIES 39-31 AFTER SPLITTING THE TWO MEETINGS LAST YEAR. THE GIRLS WILL TIP OFF AT 4:30 HOPKINSVILLE TIME.

THE GAMES WILL MOVE TO CONSECO FIELDHOUSE IN INDIANAPOLIS SATURDAY.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY ANNOUNCED THURSDAY RYAN HARROW IS TRANSFERRING FROM NORTH CAROLINA STATE TO PLAY FOR THE WILDCATS.

COACH JOHN CALIPARI TELLS THE COURIER JOURNAL HARROW HAS ENROLLED FOR SUMMER CLASSES. THE SIX-ONE HARROW AVERAGED NINE POINT THREE POINTS AND THREE POINT THREE ASSISTS LAST SEASON FOR THE WOLFPACK. HARROW ANNOUNCED HIS DECISION TO TRANSFER AFTER COACH SIDNEY LOWE RESIGNED.

HARROW WILL SIT OUT THE UPCOMING SEASON AND HAVE THREE YEARS OF ELIGIBILITY REMAINING.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

THE KNOXVILLE NEWS SENTINEL REPORTS MONTORI HUGHES IS NO LONGER A MEMBER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE’S FOOTBALL TEAM.

HUGHES CAME TO KNOXVILLE IN 2009 AND PLAYED DEFENSIVE TACKLE. HE WAS DISMISSED WITHOUT AN OFFICIAL REASON BY COACH DEREK DOOLEY THURSDAY.

HOWEVER, REPORTS INDICATE HUGHES’ DISMISSAL WAS DUE TO ACADEMIC ISSUES AND A VIOLATION OF TEAM RULES WHICH KEPT HIM OUT OF THE FIRST TWO PRACTICES THIS SPRING.

IN OTHER U-T NEWS:  JOAN CRONAN WAS NAMED THURSDAY AS INTERIM ATHLETICS DIRECTOR. CRONAN HAS SERVED AS THE LONGTIME WOMEN’S ATHLETIC DIRECTOR. MIKE HAMILTON ANNOUNCED HIS RESIGNATION EARLIER THIS WEEK, EFFECTIVE JUNE 30^TH.

U-T CHANCELLOR JIMMY CHEEK SAYS THE SCHOOL IS IN A NATIONWIDE SEARCH FOR HAMILTON’S REPLACEMENT, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO LAST SIX TO EIGHT WEEKS ACCORDING TO THE KNOXVILLE NEWS SENTINEL.

NFL

TENNESSEE TITANS WIDE RECEIVER KENNY BRITT HAS BEEN ARRESTED AGAIN.

THE TENNESSEAN REPORTS ONE DAY AFTER PLEADING GUILTY TO CHARGES OF RECKLESS DRIVING IN HIS HOMESTATE OF NEW JERSEY, BRITT WAS ARRESTED AT A HOBOKEN CAR WASH AFTER UNDERCOVER OFFICERS NOTICED A SMELL OF MARIJUANA AND SAW BRITT WITH A CIGAR WHICH CONTAINED SUSPECTED MARIJUANA.

BRITT THEN GOT INTO A SCUFFLE WITH THE OFFICERS. IT’S BRITT’S 6^TH ARREST SINCE BEING DRAFTED BY THE TITANS IN 2009.

NHL

THE NASHVILLE PREDATORS INTRODUCED LANE LAMBERT AS A NEW ASSISTANT COACH THURSDAY. LAMBERT HAD BEEN HEAD COACH OF THE PREDATORS AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE AFFILIATE—THE MILWUAKEE ADMIRALS. LAMBERT REPLACES BRENT PETERSON, WHO WILL GIVE UP HIS COACHING DUTIES BECAUSE OF PARKINSON’S DISEASE.

GOLF

MURRAY STATE’S PATRICK NEWCOMB OF BENTON WON THE 100^TH KENTUCKY STATE AMATEUR GOLF TOURNAMENT IN LEXINGTON THURSDAY.

NEWCOMB FINISHED AT SEVEN UNDER PAR 209 AND WON BY TWO STROKES.

COLLEGE BASEBALL

THE VANDERBILT COMMODORES OPEN SUPER REGIONAL PLAY THIS EVENING HOSTING OREGON STATE IN THE FIRST OF A BEST TWO OUT OF THREE SERIES. GAME TIME AT HAWKINS FIELD IS EIGHT P-M.

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

THE TRADEWATER PIRATES LOST THEIR SECOND GAME IN A ROW LAST NIGHT, FALLING TO THE OWENSBORO OILERS 5-4. THE TWO TEAMS PLAY AGAIN TONIGHT IN OWENSBORO.

ELSEWHERE IN THE OHIO VALLEY LEAGUE: FULTON DEFEATED MARION 7-3 WITH THE TWO TEAMS TO PLAY AGAIN THIS EVENING IN MARION.

THE BOWLING GREEN HOT RODS WON THEIR SECOND GAME IN A ROW 6-4 OVER KANE COUNTY. THE HOT RODS OPEN A SERIES TONIGHT AGAINST THE CLINTON LUMBERKINGS IN CLINTON, IOWA.

THE NASHVILLE SOUNDS OPENED A SERIES AT ALBUQUERQUE WITH A 14-1 WIN. THE TWO TEAMS PLAY AGAIN THIS EVENING.

CHRISTIAN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE GRIFFIN JOINER HAS BEEN SELECTED AS KENTUCKY'S GATORADE SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR.

JOINER LED THE LADY COLONELS TO THE SECOND REGION SEMIFINALS THIS SEASON.  SHE HIT .654 WITH 18 DOUBLES, 18 HOME RUNS (A SCHOOL RECORD) AND HAD 66 RBI.  IN THE CIRCLE, JOINER WAS 20-2 WITH A 1.73 EARNED RUN AVERAGE.  JOINER STRUCK OUT 110 BATTERS IN 105 INNINGS PITCHED.  JOINER WAS A 2010 FIRST TEAM ALL STATE AND FINISHED HER HIGH SCHOOL CAREER WITH 30 HOME RUNS AND 216 RBI, WHICH PLACED HER SECOND IN STATE HISTORY IN BOTH CATEGORIES.

JOINER--WHO WAS ALSO SALUTATORIAN OF THE 2011 GRADUATING CLASS--WILL ATTEND THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY THIS FALL TO CONTINUE HER SOFTBALL CAREER.