Author: David Shama

When the Gopher football team begins practice in August no new player will draw more attention than quarterback MarQueis Gray from Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis.  Gray might have the hottest high school reputation of any Gopher quarterback recruit in 50 years, dating back to 1958 when Sandy Stephens arrived here from Uniontown, Pennsylvania after turning down schools like Ohio State to play for Minnesota.

Gray was selected last January for the prestigious U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio.  He completed three of seven passes for 56 yards and a touchdown.              He also rushed for 41 yards and a touchdown.  He was ranked by rivals.com as the No. 3 “dual threat” quarterback in the country and the No. 1 recruit in Indiana.

Gopher coach Tim Brewster told Sports Headliners that Gray is adept at throwing and running.  “He’s a true quarterback who is very athletic,” Brewster said.

Neither Brewster, Gray or anyone else, can know how soon he will be playing on game days for the Gophers. Quarterback Adam Weber was a third-team freshman All-America and freshman All-Big Ten selection by The Sporting News last season. He started all 12 games, passed for 2,895 yards and 24 touchdowns, setting school records for pass completions, attempts, yards and touchdown passes.

Gray’s most immediate opportunity could be to take over as the No. 2 quarterback. Brewster said spring practice ended without any of Weber’s backups claiming the job.

Gray’s challenge is learning the Gophers’ complex spread offense and Brewster said “we won’t put him out there until he’s ready.”  Although Brewster said Gray ran a spread offense in high school, the difference between there and the Gopher system is “day and night.”  He also said Weber, who was a redshirt freshman last season, not a true freshman, could be the first to explain in detail what an “unbelievable amount of information” is involved with the Gopher offense and what a challenge it is for an inexperienced quarterback.

A red shirt season is a possibility for Gray.  Yet the Gophers were fortunate last season that despite a lot of pounding from opposing players, Weber didn’t miss any games.  Gray could be the alternative if Weber is hurt.

“We want to bring the young guy in and let him compete, and gauge where he’s at, particularly as a thinker,” Brewster said. “Once he assimilates, you are truly going to see a magnificent athlete.”

Besides his athleticism, there’s something else that excites the coach.  Gray told Brewster his priority is to become a “good teammate.”

Star Tribune Vikings writer Kevin Seifert will be leaving the newspaper as of Friday.  He’s accepted a position with espn.com.

Manager Ron Gardenhire is concerned about his pitchers being injured when the Twins play interleague games.  Because of the designated hitter rule in the American League, the only experience his pitchers normally have in hitting and running the bases are in games played at National League parks.  None of the Twins’ pitchers were injured during last weekend’s series at Colorado.

Twins pitcher Joe Nathan talking late last week about the possibility the American League Central Division champion may only finish 12 games over .500: “It’s possible. I mean you look at it right now, it’s very possible.”

As of this morning, Chicago led the division four games over .500.  The Twins, 23-22, are the only other team playing over .500 baseball.

Two baseball players local fans ask about but won’t be coming this way to join the Twins’ roster are home run king Barry Bonds and former Twin Jacques Jones.  Bonds is unemployed and Jones is in the Florida Marlins’ minor league system.

Bloomington Jefferson’s Moses Alipate, who has verbally committed to the Gophers’ recruiting class of 2009, is rated by scout.com as the 14^th best prep quarterback in the country.  Earlier this spring Michigan was hoping to sign Terrelle Pryor of Jeannette, Pennsylvania, considered by many the nation’s best prep quarterback for the class of 2008.  Instead he signed with Ohio State but Michigan now has commitments from two four-star quarterbacks for 2009, according to rivals.com, plus four-star wide receiver Bryce McNeal from Minneapolis (Breck School).

Because Big Brown won the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, Canterbury Park’s attendance could double on Saturday, June 7 for the Belmont Stakes.  Local horse racing fans (devotees and the casual) will be at Canterbury to wager on the Belmont Stakes from Elmont, New York where Big Brown will attempt to become the first Triple Crown winner since 1978.

NBA dates to put on the calendar include May 27-June 2, NBA pre-draft camp; June 5, first game of NBA finals; June 16, draft withdrawl date for early entrants; June 26, NBA draft; July 1, free agent negotiation period begins; July 9, first day to sign free agent contracts; July 11-20, NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

The Minnesota Thunder’s announcement last week that the local USL team will play its remaining home schedule at the National Sports Center in Blaine doesn’t mean the management won’t continue to consider a new soccer-only stadium in St. Paul.  Thunder president Manny Lagos told Sports Headliners that long range the franchise will look at the possibility and is even now reviewing sites, costs, etc.

The Thunder’s decision to leave Griffin Stadium in St. Paul two games into the home schedule surprised many observers but Lagos said the club had been considering moving out of the municipal football stadium since last fall.  Reality is that the other 10 teams in the USL play in soccer stadiums and the NSC, while not built for soccer, is a better fit than Griffin.

Lagos is excited about the removal of the track at the NSC, meaning that fans will be much closer to the field than the previous distance of about 80 feet.  He said capacity will be about 8,500 and easily expandable to over 12,000.  With a favorable lease, he’s hopeful the team can make money this season.

The Thunder, who plays its first home game at the NSC on Saturday beginning at 7:35 p.m. against Miami FC, has a four year lease to host future home schedules there.

Four MIAC men’s golf student-athletes have been named Cleveland Golf All-America Scholars for Division III by the Golf Coaches Association of America.  The four All-America Scholars from the MIAC are Saint John’s University junior Joe Daly, Gustavus Adolphus College senior Jordan Hawkinson, Gustavus Adolphus College senior Mark Stuckey, and University of St. Thomas senior John Treacy.

Twins third baseman Mike Lamb was talking about the challenge of hitting in the major leagues.  Pitchers routinely master multiple pitches like the fast ball, curve, slider, cutter and others.  In a typical game, three or four pitchers make appearances, keeping fresh arms in front of batters and often throwing a high volume of 90-plus miles per hour fast balls.

Despite an environment like that (you can add the challenges of travel and playing day after day without a break in the schedule) how does a player like Joe Mauer achieve or flirt with batting averages of .350 or beyond?  “It’s unbelievable,” Lamb told Sports Headliners.

Lamb, in his first season with the Twins but his ninth in the majors, is a career .279        hitter.  He’s been struggling this spring and his numbers include a modest .225 average with no home runs and 16 RBI.

Mauer has a career batting average of .313.  In 2006 he led the American League in hitting with a .347 average.  This season he’s hitting .316, among the best averages in the American League.  During the month of May he’s hitting .354.

How does Mauer hit like that?  “I don’t know,” Lamb said with a smile.  “I wish I did, then I’d try to steal some of it.  It’s a gift.

“He’s got a great eye.  He doesn’t swing at too many bad pitches. He’s got an inside out swing that keeps his bat in the zone a long time. So even if he’s fooled, he has a chance of getting the barrel (of the bat) on it.

“He’s not afraid of getting jammed (by pitches).  He uses the whole field.  Stuff I try to do but I don’t do it as well. …

“Obviously he sacrifices power (Mauer has no home runs so far this season).  Maybe because I don’t hit many home runs, I am not a believer in the almighty home run.

“But ultimately, it’s a gift (how Mauer hits).  You just watch him and you’re just jealous, man.  Why can’t I do that?  He’s good.”