MIAC – Page 51 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Worth Noting

Posted on April 9, 2012April 9, 2012 by David Shama

Lurtsema said choosing a player in the first round of the NFL draft doesn’t guarantee later performance. “One-third will be total busts,” he said. “One-third will be mediocre.”

Among the Vikings draft choices last year was tight end Kyle Rudolph in the second round. The 6-6, 258- pound Rudolph impressed in part-time work during 2011 and Lurtsema described him as “the steal of the draft.”

Congratulations to the Fitzgerald family, including Larry Sr. and Larry Jr., for ongoing efforts to raise money for charities involving breast cancer, HIV and urban education. The eighth annual Carol Fitzgerald Memorial Fund Benefit was held last Friday at the Metropolitan Ballroom in Golden Valley.

In its March 26 baseball preview issue, Sports Illustrated predicts the Angels, who play at Target Field this afternoon in the Twins home opener, will win the American League pennant and defeat the Giants in the World Series.

The magazine reports that Albert Pujols’ new 10-year contract with the Angels includes a bonus payment of $7 million if he hits 763 career home runs, breaking the major league record of 762 held by Barry Bonds. The 32-year-old Pujols has hit 445 home runs in his big league career that began in 2001.

Pujols ranked No. 3 nationally in Majestic jersey sales in 2011, according to a MLB.com news release last week. The Yankees’ Derek Jeter was No. 1 with the Phillies’ Cliff Lee No. 2. The Twins’ Joe Mauer ranked No. 12.

Despite numerous media reports linking Gophers assistant coach Ron Jirsa to the head coaching search at Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin, Minnesota coach Tubby Smith said he expects no change in his staff for next season.

Smith had only two scholarships available for his 2012 recruiting class. The two incoming recruits, Wally Ellenson and Charles Buggs, will attend summer school at Minnesota.

Smith is an “11-12” handicapper and would love to play Augusta National Golf Club.

Gophers senior Ralph Sampson III is expected to attend the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament this week. Also attending the pre-NBA draft event is Bloomington native and Badgers player Jordan Taylor, according to the tournament website.

The April 9 issue of Sports Illustrated includes a college basketball top 10 for 2012-13 and Indiana is ranked No. 1. The other schools in order are Louisville, Kentucky, Florida, Michigan, Syracuse, Gonzaga, North Carolina, Arizona and Memphis.

Charlotte coach Paul Silas was an NBA forward whose 16-year playing career began in 1964. He’s impressed with the Wolves’ Kevin Love who in his fourth season is often referred to as the best power forward in the league. “If he continues to do like he’s doing, for a good portion of his career, he’s going to be one of the best ever because you just don’t see anybody in this league scoring like he does and rebounding the way he does,” Silas said.

The Wolves are hosting three free TV viewing parties this month including Wednesday night’s game from Denver. The games aren’t on local TV and will be seen via NBA League Pass. The Wednesday night party begins at 7:30 p.m. and can be seen at Champps Americana in Eden Prairie.

Defending MIAC football champion St. Thomas opens spring practice on Wednesday. The Tommies spring intrasquad game will be on May 12 starting at 1 p.m. at O’Shaughnessy Stadium.

Bethel’s Nicole Wriedt (volleyball), Gustavus’ Benjamin Ceder (soccer) and Brad Kruckeberg (football), and St. Thomas’ Dan Chapman (football) are among 58 women and men the NCAA announced have won postgraduate scholarships. The grants are $7,500 each.

The Gophers baseball team was 3-0 in the Big Ten Conference before losing three games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday to Ohio State in Columbus. In a preseason coaches’ vote, the Gophers (3-3) were predicted to finish No. 3 in the conference behind Michigan State (3-3) and Purdue (7-2).

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Worth Noting

Posted on April 2, 2012April 2, 2012 by David Shama

Joe Mauer is ranked the 39^th best player in baseball by ESPN.com. Justin Morneau is the second highest ranked Twin at No. 196. ESPN.com has been counting down baseball’s top 500 players since March 20 with the top 25 to be announced today and tomorrow.

Wally McNeil (“Wally the Beer Man”) said he will again be a celebrity bartender at Sneaky Pete’s before and after Twins home games. He plans to work some St. Paul Saints games, too.

Ron Stolski said there were over 1,400 registrations for the Minnesota Football Coaches Clinic last week, a number that “quadrupled” the total four years ago. Stolski is executive director of the Minnesota Football Coaches Association, the organization administering the annual clinic.

The MFCA and the Randy Shaver Cancer Research and Community Fund are partnering to promote “Tackle Cancer Month” in September. High school football programs are being asked to collect donations at their home games to benefit the fund.

Shaver, the KARE 11 sportscaster who is a cancer survivor, told the clinic audience less than 10 percent of the fund’s budget goes for operating costs, with the balance funding research and other programs such as cancer prevention. Through the years he’s helped raise over $4.5 million for the cancer cause, primarily through his annual celebrity golf event.

Among the clinic speakers was Gophers coach Jerry Kill who gave a rousing speech to the high school coaches in attendance. “We want to win for you,” Kill told them.

Kill said he and his staff try to understand all they can about their players. This includes how players learn and some have admitted it’s difficult to pay attention in meetings for more than about 20 minutes. The players have also said they want more team building and camaraderie activities during summer months.

Glenn Caruso was awarded the MFCA’s Tom Mahoney Man of the Year Award at the clinic. The St. Thomas coach has a 43-7 record during four years and his 2011 team was one victory from the Division III national championship game. Caruso told Sports Headliners he’s proud that 96 of his 125 players are from Minnesota schools and all eight assistants are natives of the state.

The Tommies will play a spring football game against a Canadian club team on May 20 in Winnipeg. That day will be Caruso’s 38^th birthday.

Among Division III programs nationally, St. Thomas athletics ranks No. 8 in the latest Leerfield Sports Director’s Cup standings. St.Olaf ranks No. 25. The final 2011-12 standings are expected to be released in early June.

Freshman point guard Andre Hollins scored 20 or more points in four of the Gophers last eight games. Hollins made 90.4 percent of his free throws this season and could have led the nation but didn’t have enough attempts to qualify.

Those close to new University of Minnesota president Eric Kaler are impressed with his attitude toward Gophers sports and his commitment to winning.

The 2012 Hobey Baker Award winner will be announced Friday from MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa during the NCAA Frozen Four. The finalists for the award honoring college hockey’s best player are Spencer Abbott, senior forward from the University of Maine; Jack Connolly, senior forward from the University of Minnesota-Duluth; and Austin Smith, senior forward from Colgate University. The announcement will be aired live on the NHL Network and on the Hobey Baker website at 5 p.m. Minneapolis time.

The Minnesota Stars will play FC Edmonton today in an exhibition match at Parade Stadium. The event begins at 1 p.m. and admission is free. The Stars open their NASL regular season schedule at home on Saturday night (7:30 p.m.) against Carolina at the Metrodome.

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Worth Noting

Posted on March 16, 2012March 16, 2012 by David Shama

The North Dakota team the Gophers play tonight at Xcel Energy Center in a WCHA Final Five game is 11-2-1 in its last 13 games. The Sioux are led in scoring by sophomore and All-WCHA third team selection Brock Nelson who had two goals in the Final Five win over St. Cloud State yesterday.

Jim Dutcher, the former Gophers coach, follows the San Diego State basketball team where his son Brian is an assistant head coach. The Aztecs play a first round Midwest Regional NCAA Tournament game today against North Carolina State. Jim said San Diego State’s basketball history includes winning 14 of the last 15 overtime games, and the Aztecs are 70-0 in games when leading with five minutes to play.

The Aztecs have one of the best high school recruits in the country coming to San Diegon ext season in Winston Shepard from Findlay Prep in Las Vegas.

Mr. Basketball chair Ken Lien told Sports Headliners there is so much parity among Mr. Basketball candidates the list is at eight right now when usually there’s a final five by mid-March.

Center fielder Denard Span played in a major league career low 70 games with the Twins last season, mostly because of concussion and headache problems. Span, the team’s leadoff hitter, ranks No. 5 for best on-base percentage (.361) among American League outfielders since 2008.

The Twins have to be hoping third baseman Danny Valencia provides much needed power in the lineup. The 6-2, 218-pound Valencia hit 15 home runs in his first full major league season last year. He and reserve first baseman Chris Parmelee lead the club in spring training home runs with two each.

The St. Thomas women’s basketball team and Gustavus women’s hockey team play Division III national championship semifinal games tonight. The Tommies (30-1) play Illinois Wesleyan (26-5) in Holland, Michigan. The Gusties (24-2-2) play Norwich(26-2-1) in Rochester, New York.

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