Collazo to remain at USF

Posted Jun 28, 2008 by Brett McMurphy

Updated Jun 27, 2008 at 11:11 PM

Long-time Florida Atlantic assistant John McCormack was named head baseball coach of the Owls Friday with AD Craig Angelos choosing McCormack over University of South Florida pitching coach Lazer Collazo.

McCormack, who had been at FAU for 18 years, and Collazo, who came to USF two years ago with Coach Lelo Prado, were the two finalists to replace Kevin Cooney. Angelos, an assistant AD for eight years at the University of Miami, and Collazo had worked together at UM.

“I’m very happy to be here at USF,” Collazo said. “Things happen for a reason. I want to say how fortunate I am to coach with Lelo. It would have been a tough decision [to leave USF] anyway.”

Collazo, who spent 18 years at the University of Miami, was offered a position as FAU’s pitching coach, but is remaining at USF.

Gransberry to Detroit: Former USF center Kentrell Gransberry, who was not selected in Thursday’s NBA Draft, said Friday he has signed a free agent contract with the Detroit Pistons.

Gransberry said he will report to Las Vegas on July 7 to participate on the Pistons’ summer-league team. Until then, Gransberry said he’ll keep working to improve his game.

Kickoffs set: ESPN announced kickoffs for both of USF’s Thursday night games - home against Pittsburgh, Oct. 2 and at Cincinnati, Oct. 30 - will be 7:45 p.m. 

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Span Selected For Futures Game; Martinez To Manage World Squad

Posted Jun 27, 2008 by Adam Adkins

Updated Jun 27, 2008 at 10:59 PM

Former Tampa Catholic baseball standout Denard Span on Friday was chosen to play for the U.S. squad in the upcoming All-Star Futures Game, which is scheduled for July 13 at Yankee Stadium as part of Major League Baseball’s all-star festivities.

Span, an outfielder in the Minnesota Twins organization, was among 25 players selected for the U.S. team that will face the World all-stars, who will be managed by Tampa’s own and former Jefferson standout Tino Martinez, in a game that will be televised on ESPN2. The selections were made by Major League Baseball in conjunction with MLB.com and Baseball America.

The players selected for this year’s U.S. Futures squad were chosen as part of the 2008 Team USA Olympic trial team, meaning each player selected has a shot at representing the U.S. at the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing.

Span, who helped Tampa Cathollic win a state title in 2001, was a first round pick by Minnesota in the 2002 draft (20th overall). He made his MLB debut earlier this season and hit .258 during a 12-game stint with the Twins.

Span currently is playing for the Rochester Red Wings, Minnesota’s Triple A affiliate in the International League, where he’s hitting .347 through 37 games.

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Gaither’s Lattimore Gets Another Offer

Posted Jun 27, 2008 by Katherine Smith

Updated Jun 27, 2008 at 09:18 PM

Gaither’s Justin Lattimore picked up another offer on Friday. Illinois State University offered the Cowboys tight end a scholarship.

Lattimore has received several other Division I offers and is expected to pick up several more before the football season begins.

He is expected to attend a camp at Georgia later this summer where Gaither coach Mark Kantor said Lattimore should come home with an offer.

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Three pitchers in three-plus innings

Posted Jun 27, 2008 by Marc Lancaster

Updated Jun 27, 2008 at 08:18 PM

PITTSBURGH—Pittsburgh reliever Denny Bautista, who just joined the team yesterday, had to leave the game after Aki Iwamura lined one off his right arm leading off the fourth.

Sean Burnett is currently warming up. He’ll be the Pirates’ third pitcher of the night and we’re one batter into the fourth inning.

The Rays made quick work of starter Jimmy Barthmaier, who was making his major-league debut. They drove him from the game one out into the third inning on the strength of three-run homers by Evan Longoria in the first and Eric Hinske in the third.

This could be a rough weekend for the Pirates’ pitching staff. They already are dealing with injury problems and are slated to call up Ty Taubenheim from Triple-A to start tomorrow’s game. 

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Rays not pleased with suspension decisions

Posted Jun 27, 2008 by Marc Lancaster

Updated Jun 27, 2008 at 06:51 PM

PITTSBURGH—The Rays were upset enough that Akinori Iwamura’s appeal of his three-game suspension was denied, but when they heard Coco Crisp had two games knocked off his ban, they really weren’t happy. More than that, though, they simply didn’t understand the logic.

“First of all, the fact that after the appeal that we made the other day that Aki’s suspension was not reduced, I’m kind of baffled by it. I don’t agree with it at all,” said Rays manager Joe Maddon. “I thought it should have been reduced. I thought it was way too severe, because of the fact that we were reacting to a situation. And then furthermore, the guy that pretty much created the entire moment gets his reduced by two [games]. Honestly, none of that makes any sense to me whatsoever.”

Does Maddon think the Rays are owed an explanation?

“I don’t think it’s inappropriate to ask the appropriate people why Aki was not reduced,” he said. “They’re going to cite different, similar situations in the past, but I think this is dissimilar from the situation that occurred in the past. I believe every case should be judged based on its own merit or non-merit.”

And finally…

“We accept it and we’re going to move on,” said Maddon. “We’re not going to cry about it, we’re not going to raise a stink over the fact that the Red Sox were reduced and we were not. I’m not going to say anything about that. All I’m going to say is I don’t agree with the decision, I thought it was wrong, but we’re going to live by it and we’re not going to cry about it.”

UPDATING with Red Sox reaction, courtesy of Jeff Horrigan of the Boston Herald, here’s what Coco Crisp told reporters in Houston this afternoon:

“At the very best, it could possibly be three (sliced off) but that wouldn’t be fair to everybody else, obviously.”

(on the timing of enforcement, which keeps him out of the Tampa Bay series)
“I don’t think anything was going to happen in Tampa, even if I was playing those games. But (it’s) for precautionary reasons, I guess, for the first series back to let everything cool down.”

(on whether or not he expects any carryover next week in St. Pete?)
“I think everybody’s doing to go out and play baseball. This is a whole new series and the other stuff is in the past.”

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Akol signs with USF

Posted Jun 27, 2008 by Brett McMurphy

Updated Jun 27, 2008 at 04:46 PM

Teeng Akol, a 6-foot-11 forward from the Sudan, who spent the past season at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, signed with the University of South Florida Friday.

Akol will be eligible this season.

“He has great upside and a high ceiling,” USF coach Stan Heath said. “He’s someone that’s real hungry to be good. He has good skills inside and out and he’ll continue to work and get better.”

Heath said Akol has the talent to contribute immediately as a freshman.

“I’ve seen him in games where he’s shot 3s and then worked around the basket, blocking shots,” Heath said. “He has a great intensity level and whether he plays forward or center for us, it doesn’t matter. We will have to get him in the weight room and gain some weight.”

Akol completes USF’s recruiting class along with guard Gaby Belardo, center Alex Rivas Sanchez, forward Eugene Teague Jr. and forward Eladio Espinosa. St. Benedict’s Prep point guard Dwan McMillan originally signed with USF but is still trying to meet NCAA entrance requirements and will not attend USF, Heath said.

The Bulls also added Georgia transfer Mike Mercer, who becomes eligible to play Dec. 12, and Maryland transfer Gus Gilchrist. It’s unknown yet whether Gilchrist will have to sit out a transfer season.

All of USF’s incoming players, including Akol and Gilchrist, will begin summer school on Monday, Heath said.

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Pena dropped to 6th in order

Posted Jun 27, 2008 by Marc Lancaster

Updated Jun 27, 2008 at 04:12 PM

PITTSBURGH—Joe Maddon likes to take pressure off guys at times by hitting them lower in the lineup. Haven’t talked to the skipper yet, but that may be the rationale for Carlos Pena making his return in the sixth spot in the order tonight.

Or, maybe it was as Eric Hinske said with mock bravado—that he’s just too good to be moved out of the cleanup spot…

Jason Bartlett is here and looks exhausted but managed to make the rounds in the clubhouse passing out cigars and receiving congratulations from everyone.

Aki Iwamura said he was “very disappointed” his suspension wasn’t reduced and it “hurts” that he can’t play the first game against the Sox on Monday.

More later, but for now here’s the lineup:

Iwamura 2B
Crawford LF
Upton CF
Hinske RF
Longoria 3B
Pena 1B
Navarro C
Bartlett SS
Kazmir P

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Zobrist out; Aki gets three games

Posted Jun 27, 2008 by Marc Lancaster

Updated Jun 27, 2008 at 03:24 PM

PITTSBURGH—Greetings from one of the ballpark with the best view of anyplace in the majors, in my opinion.

Some news right off the top from high above PNC Park: As expected, Ben Zobrist has been optioned back to Durham to clear a roster spot for Carlos Pena, who is coming off the disabled list after just over three weeks on the sidelines with a fractured left index finger.

Pena and Jason Bartlett likely will be in the starting lineup tonight.

Akinori Iwamura will be, too, but he’ll have to sit the next three games after MLB denied his appeal of the suspension handed down for his role in the Rays-Red Sox brawl June 5.

Willy Aybar likely will get the starts at second in Iwamura’s absence, giving him a few more days in the lineup just when it’s about to get trickier to find him playing time with Pena back.

In other brawl-related news, MLB has reduced Coco Crisp’s suspension from seven games to five. A rather perplexing decision, considering no one else’s penalty got reduced and it was Crisp who instigated the entire thing over the course of two games.

Anyway, Crisp also will begin sitting tomorrow, so he’ll miss the entire Rays series at Tropicana Field next week.

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Big East countdown: No. 8

Posted Jun 27, 2008 by Brett McMurphy

Updated Jun 27, 2008 at 12:50 PM

Since this seems to be the latest rage of college football preseason magazines and websites – revealing a new team each day until getting No. 1 – I thought why not borrow (steal) that idea for revealing my picks for the Big East’s media poll. The league will announce the entire media poll July 29.

So here goes: From 8 to 1 each day (as long as I remember to update this daily).

No. 8 SYRACUSE

SU instant analysis: The highlight for Syracuse fans this year will be Oct. 3. By then the season will be nearly halfway over and, more importantly, that’s the day “The Express, The Ernie Davis Story” hits movie theaters. WR Mike Williams, the team’s only offensive threat last year with 10 TDs, has been suspended this fall because of academics. Since Williams can’t play this season, he can help Coach Greg Robinson start packing.

Fun with numbers: Last year five Big East teams won at least seven games. That’s how many games the Orange has won in the last three years combined.

If I could attend one SU game this season it would be: Northeastern at Syracuse, Sept. 20. Who else out there wouldn’t want to a part of history and witness a rare Syracuse win - and possibly the last one under Robinson?

Why I picked Syracuse No. 8? Because there are only eight teams in the Big East.

SU will finish better than 8th if: Hold on … give me a few more days/weeks, I’m still trying to come up with something.

SU will finish worse than 8th if: The league adds a ninth member.

This is the way I voted in the Big East’s media poll. The entire media poll will be revealed by the league on July 29.

8. Syracuse

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Sickles Basketball Wins SEBA Summer League

Posted Jun 27, 2008 by Nick Williams

Updated Jun 27, 2008 at 12:10 PM

The Sickles boys basketball summer league team defeated Land O’ Lakes, 39-22, on Thursday night to win the Southeast Basketball Academy summer league.

Sickles’ summer team, called the Talons, defeated Berkeley Prep’s summer team in the semifinals while Land O’ Lakes defeated Tampa Prep to advance.

“It’s been an interesting summer,” Sickles coach Renaldo Garcia said. “We were really happy with the kids efforts.”

The Talons went 12-1 during the league, suffering its only loss to Wharton. The team was led by backcourt duo Jordan Davis and Kelvin Daniels.

Garcia said the team still has a long way to go before they can dominate the high school season. He hopes the players take it upon themselves to improve individually during the summer.

“We explained to our kids they don’t hand out trophies this time of the year,” Garcia said.

Garcia also said Davis, along with Plant rising senior Sheldon Cooley, has been invited to UCF’s elite camp.

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