Author: David Shama

The Twins will be accepting donations at the gates on behalf of Feed My Starving Children and UNICEF to aid in the relief efforts in Japan.

John Gordon, beginning his final season as the team’s radio play-by-play announcer, will raise the Twins Territory Flag before the game.  Gordon began broadcasting Twins games in 1987.

The sixth-annual “Friday Night at the Frozen Four” is tonight from 4:30-9:30 p.m. at Xcel Energy Center.  The event includes the presentation of the Hobey Baker Memorial Award and the Hockey Humanitarian Award, plus appearances by 24 college hockey legends.  Among that group will be former Gopher and Hobey Baker winner Neal Broten.

Fans can skate on the ice with the celebrities and also receive autographs.  Tickets are $13 ($8 for students, seniors (55+) and available at the Xcel Energy Center Box Office, Ticketmaster Ticket Centers, by phone at 800-745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

FOX Sports North analyst Kevin Gorg told Sports Headliners that Edina native Anders Lee, playing for the Notre Dame team that lost to Minnesota Duluth last night in the Frozen Four, has a “ton of potential” including scoring skills and is a sure NHL prospect.  Lee, 6-3, is a freshman center for the Irish.

Wild prospect Sean Lorenz (fourth round, 2008 NHL Entry Draft) also plays for Notre Dame.  He was named CCHA Defensive Defenseman of the Year.

Another Wild prospect, Mikael Granlund (first round, 2010 NHL Entry Draft), set an SM-liiga record when he earned five points (two goals, three assists) in 12 minutes, 38 seconds. It was the fastest five points in SM-liiga history and the first five point period in Finnish Elite League playoff history. The performance led HIFK Helsinki to a 7-1 win and advancement to the SM-liiga finals.  Overall, Granlund leads the league with 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in 11 playoff games.

It wouldn’t be surprising if there is an announcement soon after the Wild’s final regular season game on Sunday regarding the future of coach Todd Richards.

Everyone expects the Lynx to choose Connecticut sensation Maya Moore with the first pick in Monday’s WNBA draft.  Moore is the NCAA’s first ever three-time Wade Trophy winner.  During Moore’s college career the Huskies’ record was 150-4, the best for any player in men’s or women’s NCAA history.

NBA star Kevin Durant said this on ESPN earlier this week: “She does things on the court that you see Kobe (Bryant) or LeBron (James) do.”

Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve sees Moore, a forward, as a player with exceptional passion and multiple skills including shooting.  “I think she was even honored on the all-defensive side of things,” Reeve said.  “A player that does a little of everything and is determined to be the best.”

Former Benilde-St. Margaret’s player and Iowa Hawkeye prospect Kachine Alexander is expected to be drafted during the second or third round.  She is projected as a shooting guard in the WNBA.

Gophers football coach Jerry Kill has designated quarterback MarQueis Gray as the team’s player representative on a media teleconference call next week involving Big Ten programs.

Joel Maturi told Sports Headliners that his future as Gophers athletics director is likely to be determined by year’s end.

Although incoming University of Minnesota president Eric Kaler doesn’t officially take over until July 1, Maturi and Kaler have been communicating on various subjects.  Maturi’s contract ends next year and he’s expressed interest in remaining in the job he’s held since 2002.

“Last time we spoke about this topic − a couple months ago − I think we both decided that late next fall, once he got to know me and once I got to know him, we both could assess the environment and what would be best for the University of Minnesota,” Maturi said last week.  “We’ll probably decide whether I would go beyond next year at that time.”

Maturi, 66, has also talked to Kaler about the athletics department budget.  Funding is an ongoing challenge for the 25-sport department that is almost entirely self-supporting from ticket, TV and other revenues.

He has told Kaler that funding support for the department from the University has decreased in recent years.  Maturi shared similar information in an e-mail to Gophers supporters in February when he wrote that money from the University has declined from $6.8 million in 2002-2003 to $2.3 million in 2010-2011.

Those figures represent a decrease from 14 percent to 3 percent of the total department budget.  But Maturi wrote in the e-mail that the department has “operated with a balanced budget since my arrival in 2002.”

Contributing to the budget challenge is a situation for the last two years involving the state legislature.  Lawmakers have said the Gophers can’t serve alcohol exclusively in suites and other preferred seating areas at TCF Bank Stadium, Williams Arena and Mariucci Arena.  Some legislators argue that if alcohol is made available at U sports venues it should be sold to all adults in attendance, not just those in premium seating areas.

The Gophers have lost premium seating customers because of the policy, but the University hopes to persuade lawmakers during this legislative session to make a change (other major college programs sell alcohol in suites and other special areas).  It’s obviously a change Maturi would welcome.

“We’re talking millions of dollars being lost by intercollegiate athletics and we could use that money,” he said.  “I am hopeful that considering the financial challenges that all of us face, they (legislators) allow us that opportunity to generate the revenues that we have been losing the last two years.”

Justin Morneau has played in all five Twins regular season games this season.  For the local franchise that’s cause for celebration during an otherwise mediocre start to the 2010 season.

Morneau didn’t play most of last summer because of a concussion and his slow recovery during the off-season resulted in a cautious spring training for the Twins first baseman.  But so far the former All-Star has had no symptoms that have sidelined him.

Morneau had one hit in 10 at-bats during the team’s first three games in Toronto.  After two games in New York against the Yankees, he’s 2-6.

“He’ll get his swing there and you will start seeing the ball flying into the seats,” manager Ron Gardenhire said on Monday night during his post-game TV press conference on FOX Sports North.  “He’s a strong young man who has been an MVP in this league.  He knows how to hit.  It’s just a matter of getting his timing.”

Morneau, who turns 30 next month, is now in his peak career years.  He played in 81 games last season, hitting .345 with 18 home runs and 56 RBI.  Double the home runs and RBI totals over a 162 game schedule and see how impressive those numbers are,  and how similar the totals are to 2009 when he slugged 30 home runs and had 100 RBI.

The Twins would struggle to make the playoffs without Morneau and catcher Joe Mauer who had off-season knee surgery but is among the most valuable players in baseball.  For now both are on the field and able to provide the Twins with a better chance of improving their 2-3 start to the season.