FORT MYERS — Here is the high school state softball poll as conducted by the Florida Sports Writers Association. Teams are followed by first-place votes, records (if available) and total votes.
CLASS 6A
1. Palm Beach Gardens (9) (12-1) 90
2. Port Orange Spruce Creek (8-0) 81
3. Cooper City (11-0) 70
4. Jacksonville Mandarin (10-0) 58
5. Lake Worth Park Vista (12-2) 49
6. Miami Palmetto (8-1) 41
7. Lake Mary (10-2) 35
8. Jupiter (11-3) 27
9. Winter Garden West Orange (10-0) 25
10. Clearwater Countryside (11-1) 6
Also receiving votes: Port St. Lucie Centennial (11-1) 4, Plant City Durant (11-0) 3, Kissimmee Osceola (10-0) 2, Southwest Miami (8-1) 2, Apopka (10-2) 1, Miami Lourdes (9-2) 1.
CLASS 5A
1. Tampa Chamberlain (8) (10-0) 89
2. Palm Beach Gardens Dwyer (1) (12-0) 74
3. Pace (6-0) 70
4. Lakeland George Jenkins (10-1) 60
5. Niceville (10-1) 55
6. Tampa Plant (8-2) 40
7. Lakewood Ranch (12-1) 32
8. Jacksonville Bartram Trail (12-2) 28
9. Auburndale (7-3) 16
10. Tallahassee Lincoln (n/a) 11
Also receiving votes: Naples Barron Collier (7-1) 7, Venice (10-2) 3, Eagle Lake Lake Region (12-1) 2.
CLASS 4A
1. Naples (8) (10-0) 89
2. Palatka (1) (10-0) 82
3. Groveland South Lake (10-1) 67
4. Escambia (8-2) 63
5. Space Coast (14-1) 44
6. Bartow (7-4) 42
7. Pembroke Pines Charter (10-2) 28
8. Braden River (8-1) 20
9. Okeechobee (10-2) 19
10. Milton (11-2) 16
Also receiving votes: Fort Myers Riverdale (7-1) 8, Navarre (9-5) 7, Tallahassee Godby (10-2) 5, Lake Wales (8-2) 5.
CLASS 3A
1. Jacksonville Trinity Christian (5) (8-1) 83
2. Winter Park Trinity Prep (11-1) 72
3. Callahan West Nassau (1) (7-2) 70
4. Miami Gulliver (8-2) 57
5. Tampa Academy of the Holy Names (8-1) 52
6. West Palm Beach Cardinal Newman (9-2) 45
7. American Heritage Plantation (9-4) 42
8. Pierson Taylor (8-2) 17
9. Fort Lauderdale Westminster Academy (8-2) 16
10. Tampa Catholic (9-3) 12
Also receiving votes: Interlachen (7-2) 5, Bratt Northview (5-2) 5, Jacksonville Bolles (8-5): 3, Williston (n/a) 3, Frostproof (n/a) 2, Mount Dora (10-4) 1.
CLASS 2A
1. Hollywood Christian (7) (10-1) 88
2. Jacksonville Bishop Snyder (2) (7-3) 82
3. Jacksonville Providence (10-2) 68
4. Miami Westminster Christian (9-2) 43
5. Wewahitchka (n/a) 40
6. Jay (4-1) 29
T7. Moore Haven (8-4) 28
T7. Port St Joe (n/a) 28
9. Orange Park St. Johns Country Day (8-1) 27
10. Oviedo Master’s Academy (9-2) 20
Also receiving votes: Mount Dora Bible (6-4) 4, Pompano Beach Highlands Christian (n/a) 3, North Palm Beach Benjamin (n/a) 2.
CLASS A
1. Orlando Pine Castle Christian (9) (8-1) 90
2. Fort Myers Southwest Florida Christian (9-3) 69
3. Homestead Colonial Christian (n/a) 65
4. Seffner Christian (9-0) 51
5. St. Petersburg Canterbury (9-1) 45
6. Deerfield Beach Zion Lutheran (n/a) 36
7. Maitland Orangewood Christian (12-1) 25
8. Fort Lauderdale Christian (n/a) 20
9. Allentown Central (2-1) 15
10. Jacksonville Eagle’s View (4-5) 13
Also receiving votes: Quincy Robert F. Munroe (n/a) 10, Wellington Christian (n/a) 7, Aucilla Christian (n/a) 4.
While I may have ended up at the Hillsborough-Jefferson game Tuesday night, that wasn’t the beginning. Rather, it was the final game of my triple-header trek around Hillsborough County, where I caught three games - two in their entirety - in one day.
In all, it was a 15-inning, six-hour marathon with six teams in three different venues, the ultimate tuneup for the upcoming Saladino Tournament.
Here’s what happened at my other stops Tuesday before seeing the shorthanded Terriers, who were missing seven total players because of injuries and suspensions, fall on the road to the Dragons in a Class 5A-District 10 game.
Everything started at Tampa Catholic, where the Crusaders hosted St. Pete Catholic in a Class 3A-District 11 game at 4 p.m.
After a quiet first inning, Tampa Catholic turned on the offense against Barons starter Mark Luttman. The Crusaders scored in each of the next four innings before ending things on Eric Gerken’s RBI single in the fifth, which gave Tampa Catholic an 11-1 victory in a game shortened by the mercy rule.
Jason Sproat and Ryan Henry each had RBI singles in a three-run second, giving the Crusaders the early lead. After St. Pete Catholic scored once in the third, Tampa Catholic tacked on three more, getting a run-scoring single from Anthony Espin and an RBI double from Kyle Allen, to make it 6-1.
The Crusaders made it 9-1 with three more runs in the fourth. Zack Alvarez and Will Knox each produced RBI doubles and also scored a run, while Henry also doubled and scored.
Tampa Catholic then ended it in the fifth, with Alvarez bringing home the 10th run with a bases-loaded walk before Gerken’s single.
Espin picked up the win, yielding one run on two hits while striking out five in four innings. Henry finished 3-for-3, while Allen and Knox also had multi-hit games.
I caught up with Espin and senior pitcher Joe Kelly, as well as first-year coach Rich Arena, to get their thoughts on the upcoming Saladino Tournament. Tampa Catholic will be making its first appearance in the annual event since 2004.
You can read more on Tampa Catholic and what the Crusaders trio I talked to had to say in Saturday’s Tampa Tribune.
After that game ended, it was a quick shot down Hillsborough Avenue from Rome Avenue to Kelly Road to see Berkeley Prep, one of the surprising team’s in the area this year, take on Lennard in another Class 3A-District 11 game - arriving to watch the first batter of the game ground out while simultaneously pulling into a parking space for the 6 p.m. start.
The Buccaneers took control from the beginning and cruised to a 12-0 victory, which ended in the sixth because of the mercy rule.
Berkeley Prep’s Taylor Babich was a one-man wrecking crew. Not only did he pick up the victory on the mound, allowing only two hits and striking out six in a complete game, but he ended the game with a walkoff three-run homer to left-center field.
Luke Erickson and Matt Lewis helped the Buccaneers take control in the third. Each contributed two-run singles in the five-run inning, helping Berkeley Prep open a 7-0 lead and prompting Coach Justin Houston to empty his bench.
Berkeley Prep, coming off a victory over Jesuit on Saturday, debuted at No. 4 in the FSWA Class 3A state baseball poll, which was released late Monday night. One of the main reasons the Buccaneers have got off to such a good start has been because of the pitching staff, notably left-handers Eddie Sipple and Matt Ryckman.
I caught up with the senior pitching duo after the game to find out their thoughts on Berkeley Prep’s start, their own performances this season and whether or not they believe they combine for the best 1-2 punch in Hillsborough County that people might know the least about.
To read more about what Sipple, Ryckman and Coach Houston had to say, pick up Friday’s Tampa Tribune.
Finally, a quick shot down the Veterans Expressway and over to Westshore and Cypress to watch a battle – from the fourth inning on, at least – between district rivals that went down to the wire.
Chad Taylor stole the show at the end of the game, getting the Dragons out of a jam by recording the final out on the mound in the sixth before turning a double play in the seventh and snagging a hard-hit liner for the final out to preserve a 4-3 win.
You can read more about the Hillsborough-Jefferson game in Wednesday’s Tampa Tribune.
The Tampa Bay Storm front office was busy Tuesday. The first order of business came when kicker Matt Leach was released. Then the team dealt receiver Demetris Bendross to the Nashville Kats and acquired defensive lineman Tim McGill. And finally, lineman Geir Gudmundsen was signed to the practice squad.
Leach kicked in just one game and was the second kicker for the Storm in as many weeks. Leach, who went 4-for-6 on extra points and missed a 57-yard field goal attempt Saturday against Dallas, replaced Bill Gramatica, who missed all four of his extra points and was 1 of 3 on field goal attempts in the season-opener against Orlando.
Because Bendross was traded away, former Bucs receiver Karl Williams was activated from the practice squad to the active roster. According to Marcum, he will see playing time Saturday against Georgia. In nine NFL seasons, Williams, an AFL rookie, caught 155 passes for 1,897 yards and seven TDs. He also returned 56 kickoffs for 1,245 yards and returned 255 punts for 2,565 yards. Williams owns seven of the 10 longest punt returns in Bucs history.
Bendross, a speed receiver, caught 13 passes for 144 yards and two scores in two games. He led the team in receiving against Orlando with 10 receptions for 124 yards.
Last season, Bendross was involved in one of the most interesting transaction of the season. One day following a Week 7 loss, Bendross left the Storm offices inside the Forum, telling reporters he was “fired.” A day later, the team announced he had not been released although inquiries were made. Bendross finished the season with 55 receptions for 765 yards and 11 scores and led the team with 43 kickoff returns for 795 yards and one TD.
Well, not everyone from North Carolina was critical of Tampa’s effort in hosting the ACC Tournament. Here are the words of Ron Green Jr., from The Charlotte Observer, who has been around the ACC long enough to have attended Mike Krzyzewski’s introductory news conference at Duke University in 1980. This is from Green’s Observer blog:
“The ACC tournament should go back to Tampa.
“Not immediately, but at some point in the future.
“It should also go to Boston.
“That would be really cool.
“Before we leave the Tampa experience behind, it should be said again that taking the ACC tournament to Florida was a good thing, despite the grumbling that apparently rumbled through North Carolina much of last week.
“And most of the people complaining don’t go to the tournameny anyway. They watch it on TV so what difference does it make from your den if the games are in Tampa or Greensboro?
“The worst that could be said about Tampa was the fact there were maybe 2,000 empty seats Sunday for the final game. Would that have happened in North Carolina? Maybe.
“Not if North Carolina and N.C. State were playing, but let Boston College meet Virginia Tech in the final next year in Charlotte and see how tough it is to buy a ticket on the street. It won’t be hard.
“Greensboro and Charlotte are where the bulk of the ACC tournaments should be played because they’re near the geographic and emotional center of a league that cherishes its hoops.
“Greensboro has the advantage of nearly 4,000 more seats than Charlotte but there is something to be said for squeezing ticket demand once in a while. Charlotte will have approximately 1,500 fewer seats than Tampa, which means each school will get about 110 fewer than this year (Boston College gets a full share for the first time next year).
“That’s a serious squeeze because more locals will want to attend than in Tampa, where many regulars chose to take a pass this year, freeing tickets for others.
“If Charlotte puts on a good show—and it will—it should get the tournament again in the future even if the numbers are tight. They won’t be so tight in 2009 when the tournament goes to the Georgia Dome.
“It’s good that so many people still care about the ACC tournament. And if you think going to Tampa was a bad idea, ask someone who was down there. They’ll be easy to recognize. They’re the ones with nice tans.”
-- Ron Green Jr.
April Lindsey has stepped down as Blake girls basketball coach to take an administrative position at the middle school level.
“It was an extremely difficult decision because of the young ladies I’m leaving,” said Lindsey, who had turned down two similar job offers in the past. “But when God opens doors for you, you know it’s time. Everything fell into place, timing wise, and I couldn’t pass up this opportunity.”
In six seasons with the Yellow Jackets, Lindsey had a record of 107-48 and won three district titles (2004, 2006-07).
No timetable has been set on naming a new coach. Blake, which loses two starters from this season’s 22-4 team, advanced to the Class 5A region semifinals last month.
Academy of the Holy Names basketball star, Gianna Messina, will receive the Dottie McGahagin Memorial Basketball Award for 2006-2007 according to Hillsborough County director of athletics Lanness Robinson’s office.
Messina averaged 24 points per game and 12 rebounds per game in helping lead the Jaguars to the Class 3A state semifinals.
The senior, who will play at USF next year, will be recognized on March 29 at the Hillsborough County School Board meeting.
By EDDIE DANIELS
The Tampa Tribune
TAMPA – Saturday night was an improvement for the Tampa Bay Storm, only the team didn’t get a victory out of it.
In the Storm’s 59-40 road loss to Dallas, the offensive line gave up zero sacks compared to the season-opening debacle in which Orlando recorded three sacks. Orlando also recorded 12 pressures. Saturday, the Storm offensive line gave up just four.
“I think we played better. We got better,” Storm coach Tim Marcum said. “We improved. We played a good football team.”
Although Dallas (2-0) had a 13-point advantage at the end of the third quarter, Tampa Bay (0-2) cut into the lead and trailed 39-36 at the top of the fourth quarter.
“I liked the fact that we got better,” Marcum said. “We kept John [Kaleo] upright, we had some very, very close calls, controversial calls that could have made the difference in the game.”
Kaleo finished the game 25 of 43 for 271, three TDs and one interception.
SNOWBALL’S CHANCE: During the practice leading up to the Dallas game, Marcum made a switch at center, replacing Rod Williams with Marcus “Snowball” Owen. His addition to the lineup, along with Dwayne Morgan and Tom Kaleita, played a major role in the sackless game.
“Those will be the guys,” Marcum said of the offensive line. “The fourth guy in that mix is [fullback Rodney] Filer.”
The group will have to be up to the challenge as Georgia brings in linemen Ernest Allen and former Storm player Mike Sutton.
“Marcus was a natural offensive lineman at Kansas, who has been in this league for a long time,” Marcum said. “It’s just hard to get him out of there.”
HARD DIRT: If Marcum had his way, the schedule, at least the opening portion of it, wouldn’t be filled with some of the league’s top teams.
“When I looked at the schedule and saw Orlando, Dallas, Georgia, there’s a saying in Snyder [TX], I knew we had our plow down in some hard dirt,” Marcum said. “So far, the first two rows that we plowed turned out to be [like that].”
First there was Orlando, which opened the season as No. 5 in the AFLWA poll; then Dallas, which held New York to seven point the previous week and was the top team in the poll and now this.
Georgia brings with it one of the top receiving corps in the AFL, which includes Chris Jackson, Derek Lee, Troy Bergeron and Jarrick Hillery.
TRUE BACK: With the free substitution rule came a new form of fullback for the Storm – one who was a true runner. Filer collected three rushing TDs Saturday and finished with 31 yards on seven carries.
“Rodney made some really nice runs. That’s like 200 [yards] in the outdoor game,” Marcum said of Filer’s 31 rushing yards.
It’s the seventh time a Storm player has rushed for three scores. The last time it happened was 2006 when former QB Shane Stafford did it against Kansas City.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?: In the second half, Kaleo had to call the bulk of the plays after the communication device inside his helmet failed. According to Marcum, the device went dead around halftime.
DE JA VU: For the second consecutive week an opponent has scored on the first play of the game. Orlando did it in Week 1 with a 34-yard pass and Dallas did it on a 30-yard pass. This is also the third time the Storm have started the season 0-2 since 1997. The last time was 2002. That season the team lost three straight.
Reporter Eddie Daniels can be reached at (813) 948-4214 or edaniels@tampatrib.com.
TAMPA – The announced signing of four more free agents aside, Tuesday was another slow day at One Buc Place. The parade of players in and out of the Bucs training facility should pick up pretty soon, though.
The Bucs have a visit scheduled for Thursday with Panthers free-agent linebacker Chris Draft and their interest in Broncos free-agent guard Cooper Carlisle may be on the rise as well.
The 31-year-old Draft has been on the Bucs radar for a while, perhaps because of concerns they may have regarding the health of middle linebacker Shelton Quarles.
Quarles is dealing with some health issues that may force him to miss all or part of the 2007 season or even retire. The Bucs appear to be preparing for the worst by talking with Draft.
Carlisle has been on their radar as well but it wasn’t until former starting guard/center Sean Mahan was signed by the Steelers over the weekend that their interest began to pick up again.
An eight-year veteran out of Florida who started all 32 games for Denver the last two years, Carlisle is considered by many NFL insiders to be the best offensive lineman left in free agency.
The Bucs are also believed to still be on the lookout for a tight end (Jerramy Stevens?) and possibly a safety (Mike Doss?), but one of the signings announced Tuesday could allow them to solve the safety need internally.
By adding cornerback Sammy Davis, who came into the league as a first-round pick of the Chargers in 2003, the Bucs have given themselves added flexibility in the secondary.
With Davis joining a group that already includes Ronde Barber, Brian Kelly, Phillip Buchanon and Juran Bolden, there’s a chance Bolden may be asked to take some snaps at safety.
Either way, the addition of Davis would seem to greatly strengthen the Bucs’ defense corps. Though he started just one game last year, Davis made 30 tackles and broke up eight passes after being traded to the 49ers.
The Bucs also formally announced the signing of defensive tackles Lance Legree and Kenny Smith, the latter of whom is a former Raiders player who has been out of football for two years.
Legree, meanwhile, has played for the Giants, Jets and 49ers and has recorded 138 tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and one pass breakup in 76 career games.
The other player signing announced by the Bucs Tuesday was that of wide receiver Levon Thomas. Thomas was a member of the Saints practice squad in 2005 and 2006.
Here’s my first pass at a mock draft, assuming that my first pick is still available at the fourth slot and that no trades screw up the Bucs’ position/quantity of picks. Note that the Bucs gained a second round pick from the Anthony McFarland trade, but gave up a sixth rounder to the Jets for Doug Jolley. Tomorrow I’ll post my backup plan.
1) Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech
Someone slipped me some Kool-Aid ("Cal-Aid"?) Despite my strong belief that the Buccaneers have greater needs, especially on the defensive side of the ball, you just can’t pass this guy up if he’s available. Joey Galloway needs an obvious successor, and Johnson is one of the few that can fill his shoes.
2a) Eric Weddle, SS, Utah
He doesn’t have all the physical tools of a LaRon Landry (LSU), but I believe Weddle is one of the most underrated players in the draft and I wouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger on him at this position. Tampa Bay’s safeties aren’t getting the job done and with some serious coaching from Raheem Morris and Monte Kiffin, Weddle could start immediately.
2b) Charles Johnson, DE, Georgia
As much as I like the Kevin Carter signing, I know he’s not a long-term answer at pass-rusher. Johnson spends a lot of time in the opposing backfield and can also play coverage when he has to. He’s a little short, but has excellent fundamentals and still has a lot of untapped potential. He picked up the slack for a underperforming Quentin Moses last year and had 9.5 sacks.
3) Marcus Thomas, DT, Florida
Yes, this is the guy who was suspended last year because of marijuana. And then he was expelled because he flaked out of rehab. But he apologized and it sounded sincere. So… yeah, there are character issues that need to be examined. But he reminds me so much of Warren Sapp that it’s scary and Sapp, despite his flaws, was a team leader and an elite player. Thomas would have been a high first-rounder if not for the expulsion. This slot may even be too low to get him still.
4) Samson Satele, C, Hawaii
John Wade will (read: should) retire soon and despite apparent apathy toward the position, a good center is critical. Satele is probably the second-best center in the draft and should not last this long, but probably will because he hasn’t shown good push against the run. But being a student of June Jones, he has excellent pass-blocking technique to go along with a nasty attitude. And strength can be developed.
5) Quincy Black, OLB, New Mexico
Some guys you draft for potential, not what they did on the field. Black is one such prospect. He underachieved in college but had an excellent combine. He has the physical tools and just needs the right coaching to develop into a quality linebacker. I think the Bucs can bring out the best in him.
7) Garrett Wolfe, KR, Northern Illinois
Wolfe would be a dedicated kick/punt returner because he would get crushed as a running back. He runs in the low 4.4s with an explosive initial burst and the ability to plant his foot in the ground and change direction quickly. If he can be coached to make good decisions on punts and develop his return catching skills, he could be extremely valuable in the field position game.
Joe Maddon had indicated the first cut would be fairly small, but the Rays decided to go ahead and dispense with the pleasantries, cutting 10 players before today’s game. There are now 46 players in camp. Here’s the full list, with reaction below:
Optioned to Durham
Jeff Niemann
Mitch Talbot
Reassigned to minor-league camp
Josh Arhart
Reid Brignac
Evan Longoria
Tony Peguero
Jason Grabowski
Steve Andrade
Andy Sonnanstine
Fernando Perez
Jeff Niemann
“My goal was to show them I’m healthy. To come in and show them that there should be no doubt in their mind or anybody’s mind that there’s anything wrong. Come in, throw every day, throw hard, do whatever to show them that I am healthy and I can do this. I was trying to get that little thought out of everyone’s head.”
Evan Longoria
“It definitely makes me more hungry to strap it on and go hard for a full season to try to get myself back up here as soon as I can.”
“My stats didn’t prove anything, but at least I didn’t feel like I was overmatched. At least I didn’t feel like the game sped up on me or I really didn’t have an idea what was going on.”
Reid Brignac
“I learned, not only on the field, but off the field how to carry myself as a big-league ballplayer. It’s a little different than being a minor-league guy. “
“I think it’s going to give me a chip on my shoulder to get back here, to never stop working, to not be satisfied with being in the minor leagues.”
Last of a mini-homestand here at PEP before a couple of night games on the road. With it, we’ll see Ty Wigginton’s spring debut at third. Here’s what we’ve got:
Phillies
Shane Victorino RF
Aaron Rowand CF
Greg Dobbs LF
Wes Helms 3B
Brennan King 1B
Karim Garcia DH
Abraham Nunez SS
Rod Barajas C
Brent Abernathy 2B
Adam Eaton P
Rays
Rocco Baldelli CF
Carl Crawford LF
Delmon Young RF
Ty Wigginton 3B
Greg Norton 1B
Jorge Cantu DH
B.J. Upton 2B
Shawn Riggans C
Ben Zobrist SS
Scott Kazmir P
In the next few weeks, the number of folks hoping to become the next University of South Florida men’s basketball coach will likely increase daily, but there is at least one candidate on USF’s wish list that can be scratched off - VCU’s Anthony Grant.
The former Florida assistant who has guided the Rams (27-6) to the NCAA Tournament in his first season is not interested in the USF position, several sources said.
Grant was initially one of six candidates I projected as the most likely candidates to replace Robert McCullum. And what I’ve been told is the remaining five - (in alphabetical order) Travis Ford, Pete Gillen, Bobby Lutz, Sean Miller and John Pelphrey - remain in play.
While former Villanova coach Steve Lappas tossed his hat in the ring to be considered for the USF job, a couple of other former coaches are also pursuing the position - Mike Jarvis and Cliff Ellis.
Jarvis spent 18 seasons as head coach at Boston University, George Washington and St. John’s before he was fired at St. John’s during the 2003 season, the first Big East coach to be fired in-season. Jarvis, now a TV analyst for ESPN, is one of four coaches to win at least 100 games at three different schools.
Ellis, whose business card reads “Cliff Ellis, Coaching Genius,” was formerly head coach at South Alabama, Clemson and Auburn, before getting fired after 10 seasons with Auburn in 2004. He also is a TV analyst.
Ironically in 1982, Ellis was at South Alabama looking for an assistant coach when Leonard Hamilton called. Hamilton recommended an individual from Birmingham, Ala., who had no college coaching experience and exactly six seasons of middle school and high school coaching experience.
So based solely on Hamilton’s recommendation Ellis hired the coach Hamilton suggested and Robert McCullum received his first college coaching position as an assistant with Ellis at South Alabama in 1982-83. Small world, huh?
OK, let’s not bury the lead.
I’m picking Florida to repeat as national champions, which, of course, is impossible. No team has done that since Duke in 1991 and ‘92. Before those Duke teams of Christian Laettner and Bobby Hurley, the last program to repeat was UCLA in 1972 and ‘73.
So we’re talking history—BIG history.
You can check out my pick-by-pick bracket. But let me talk in generalities about how I arrived at these selections.
* Florida (Midwest)—The Gators got a fortunate draw. They don’t have to navigate through the likes of Texas, Texas A&M, Georgetown or any number of dangerous high seeds. In theory, anybody can lose to anybody, right? But in reality, I don’t see anybody in the Midwest that can hang with the Gators. Wisconsin wobbled home in the late season. Maryland and Oregon would need to play flawlessly. I thought about taking a flier on the UNLV-Georgia Tech winner, but, nah. It would be stunning if Florida didn’t make the Final Four out of this region.
* UCLA (West)—Kansas is seeded No. 1, but UCLA might have a slightly better team than last season’s national runner-up, mostly due to the play of guard Darren Collison. Kansas has terrific talent, but the Jayhawks have been first-round NCAA losers the past two seasons. UCLA, meanwhile, appears primed to emerge in the West.
* Georgetown (East)—Where’s No. 1 North Carolina, you say? Probably to the region final, but not to Atlanta. I’ve had an eye on the Hoyas for some time now.. Their style of play drives opponents crazy. They have a big man (7-foot-2 Roy Hibbert) who can dominate. John Thompson III is an excellent coach. Plus, Georgetown was in last season’s region semifinals againsnt at Florida (should have won, actually) and that experience will pay off in a game against North Carolina’s youthful linep.
* Texas A&M (South)—I can hardly believe this. I just typed in “Texas A&M” and “Final Four” in the same sentence. Wow. Wasn’t too long ago that the Aggies were dreadful (winless in the Big 12), but Coach Billy Gillespie has changed that. Anyway, Aggies guard Acie Law IV has been Mr. Clutch and I can him carrying Texas A&M a long, long way. I do like Ohio State and super freshman Greg Oden, but something tells me the Buckeyes’ youth will catch up to them.
So there you have it.
National semifinals—Florida over UCLA, Georgetown over Texas A&M.
Championship game—Florida over Georgetown.
And I’m sure those picks will be EXACTLY right (ha-ha) in a few weekends.
But that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
Anyone else care to share their Final Four picks/rationale?
The Red Sox have returned Rule 5 pick Nick Debarr, a big right-hander who went 4-3 with a 2.74 ERA in 40 relief appearances for Visalia last season.
Debarr pitched one Grapefruit League inning for the Sox, facing four batters and allowing a hit. I imagine he’ll end up with Montgomery after his work in high-A last season.
Just had a bit of extracurricular activity here. In the top of the third, Al Reyes hit Placido Polanco with a pitch immediately after surrendering a solo homer to Pudge Rodriguez. In the bottom of the third, Tigers starter Jeremy Bonderman pegged Ty Wigginton in the leg with two outs and the bases empty. Wigginton was none too pleased and gave Bonderman a long stare as he walked slowly to first, then shouted something I couldn’t quite make out with his head turned away from the pitcher. Home plate umpire Chad Fairchild warned both dugouts after that exchange. In the sixth, Steve Andrade hit Gary Sheffield in the back with a pitch, but nothing was made of it.
This is becoming something of a trend with the Tigers, who had a tiff with the Red Sox in similar circumstances Saturday afternoon.
Wigginton, stand-up guy that he is, addressed the matter head-on after coming out of the game, repeating what he yelled into the Rays’ dugout as he walked down the line.
“In the heat of the moment, I said, ‘We can get one of them, too, boys,’” said Wigginton. “I’ve got no problem with how it went down. Getting hit’s part of the game. They hit me the right way. They hit me below the waist. It was good, clean baseball. That’s the way baseball’s supposed to be played. I’ve got a lot of respect for Bonderman. I’ve got a lot of respect for the Tigers and the way they play the game. I thought they went about it the right way.”
Asked if he would have liked to have seen the Rays retaliate quicker, Wigginton pondered the question for a while and said, “no comment.”
He later added: “I think it’s respecting the game of baseball when you stand up for your teammates. I’m not going to come straight out and tell a pitcher to hurt somebody. You never want to see anybody get hurt on a baseball field for either team.”
Advertisement
