Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi will be with basketball coach Tubby Smith tomorrow when the Jimmy Williams trial begins in front of Hennepin County Judge Regina Chu.  Maturi said he’s set aside the remainder of this week and all of next for the jury trial involving Williams’ contention that he was offered an assistant coaching job with the Gophers in 2007.

USA Today Sports Weekly lists the top prospects for the 2011 NFL draft in its May 5-11 issue.  Wisconsin offensive tackle Gabe Carimi is No. 3 and Iowa linebacker Adrian Clayborn No. 4.  Other Big Ten players in the top 32 are Michigan State linebacker Greg Jones (No. 13), Penn State running back Evan Royster (No. 16) and Penn State center Stefen Wisniewski (No. 29).

ESPN.com’s simulated series between all-time Yankees and Red Sox teams resulted in New York winning in six games.  The players include several with local ties such as Red Sox legend Ted Williams who played minor league baseball in Minneapolis.  Also on the Red Sox roster are former Minneapolis minor leaguers Carl Yastrzemksi and Dick Radatz.  Former Twins David Ortiz and Luis Tiant are also on the Red Sox all-time team.  Former Twin Graig Nettles is on the Yankees roster as is Hibbing, Minnesota born Roger Maris. https://espn.go.com/new-york/rivalry/_/id/5167822/

Twins relief pitchers have a 2.16 ERA during the last eight home games.

Two months ago Roy Smalley had “no inkling” he would be in the restaurant business but “Smalley’s 87 Club” in Butler Square is drawing large crowds and media attention since opening earlier this year.  Smalley is a partner in the restaurant after being approached about using his name and fame as a member of the 1987 World Series champion Twins.  Located in the former Champp’s space, the restaurant is more than a sports bar, according to Smalley, who said the menu has gluten free items and includes fish and salads.  “The variety and quality has exceeded my expectations,” Smalley said.

KFAN’s Paul Allen, hoping to bring the Wolves good luck, will accompany club executive David Kahn to Secaucus, New Jersey for the May 18 NBA draft lottery.  The radio station talk host impressed Kahn by predicting Super Saver would win the Kentucky Derby.  At the time, Allen told Kahn that if his prediction came true he would like to bring the Wolves good fortune by attending the lottery to determine the draft order of NBA teams that didn’t qualify for the playoffs.

Star Tribune and Canterbury Park handicapper Kevin Gorg said on KFAN yesterday that Super Saver may win the Triple Crown this spring.  The Preakness Stakes is Saturday, with the Belmont Stakes on June 5.  Canterbury Park opens its live racing season on Friday night.

Gophers baseball coach John Anderson is the speaker at tomorrow’s CORES luncheon in Bloomington.  CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, retired reporters, educators and sports fans.  Board members include former Henry High football coach Jim Dotseth and Gophers public address announcer Dick Jonckowski.

The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference has three schools, Minnesota State, Winona State and St. Cloud State, among the 48 selected for the NCAA Division II baseball tournament. The NSIC schools are three of the six teams in the Central Region tournament that begins tomorrow in Farmington, New Mexico.  Minnesota State, the NSIC regular season and tournament champions, is the second seed, while Winona State is fourth and St. Cloud State sixth in the double elimination tournament.

Marta Radcliffe, a senior pitcher for St. Thomas from Lakeville, Minn., allowed one run, five hits and three walks while producing 23 strikeouts in 18 innings last weekend during the MIAC Softball Playoffs.  The Tommies won the tournament and Radcliffe was named tournament MVP.

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Don’t expect Twins management to rush decisions about rookie catching sensation Wilson Ramos.  Fans and media started wondering about his future with the team after a few games this week when he replaced the injured Joe Mauer.

Ramos, who was recalled recently from Triple AAA Rochester, had seven hits in his first nine at bats in the big leagues.  That set off a frenzy about the young Venezuelan with observers speculating about his future after Mauer returns to the lineup.

General manager Bill Smith was noncommittal during an interview with Sports Headliners.  But that doesn’t mean he too isn’t impressed with Ramos.  “We love him,” Smith said.

There’s no doubt the 22-year-old is one of the organization’s best prospects (regardless of position) but Smith didn’t want to address whether the team will eventually option him back to Rochester.  Ramos was impressive during spring training with the Twins, including a long home run in the team’s final game in Florida.

Ask Smith about Ramos and he expresses satisfaction with the catcher’s skills behind the plate.  Ramos hit .317 with AA New Britain last season, but Smith doesn’t necessarily think batting .300 or better will be on the resume in the majors.  He does believe 20 home runs or more per season is possible.  “He’s a power hitter,” Smith said.

After five seasons in the minors and a nice spring training performance, some major league teams would have kept Ramos on their rosters.  But Smith wanted him to play every day rather than mostly be a reserve with the Twins.

The Rochester decision disappointed Ramos and might explain his .179 average while playing there.  When Mauer comes back, Ramos seems likely to ship out again but a more strategic matter is how the Twins will accommodate the two catchers in the future.

Mauer is among baseball’s most valuable players and is only 27 years old.  The Twins have rewarded him with a $184 million contract that begins next year.  Will the Twins consider moving Mauer or Ramos to another position?  Neither one is experienced at any other position.

Again, Smith didn’t want to speculate.  The Twins’ way is not to be too reactive and that approach won’t allow for much more now than to focus on a pennant race.

Catcher is a vital position in baseball and there’s a shortage of big leaguers who can contribute there.  In addition to Mauer and Ramos, the Twins have 27-year-old Jose Morales who hit .311 with the club last season and Drew Butera, a 26-year-old defensive catcher who is in his first season on the roster.  Morales has been injured and unable to play this season.

Smith has to not only like the team’s catching depth, but also the leverage it may provide in trade talks during the next off-season.

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The Minneapolis, St. Paul and Bloomington visitors bureaus want to bring the 2015 Summer National Senior Games to this area.  Local representatives will meet here today with Senior Games leaders.  Two other metropolitan areas are among the finalists for the multi-sport event for senior citizens, according to a Sports Headliners source.

Timberwolves basketball boss David Kahn is in Paris this week watching 2009 draft choice Ricky Rubio play with his European team.

It’s not certain whether the Wolves will replace departing vice president Fred Hoiberg or instead restructure their basketball operation.  Hoiberg, who has no professional or collegiate head basketball coaching experience, is the new head coach at Iowa State.

Former Timberwolves basketball boss Kevin McHale might be having too much fun in his work as an NBA TV analyst to coach again or return to the front office for a league team.  McHale’s name has been mentioned as the coaching successor to Vinny Del Negro in Chicago.  Another candidate might be Kentucky coach John Calipari who coached Chicago’s Derrick Rose when Rose was in college at Memphis.

Hoiberg said on last Sunday’s WCCO Radio Sports Huddle that McHale was the best coach he ever played for.  Hoiberg’s other coaches included Flip Saunders and Larry Bird.

Speculation about Jacques Lemaire, who recently resigned as New Jersey coach, includes that his players stopped listening to him.  That was also said when Lemaire coached the Wild last year.

The Wild’s Andrew Brunette and Nick Schultz are Twins season ticket holders and already have attended multiple games at Target Field.

Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom is holding a contest for fans on Wild.com to design his goalie mask for next season.

Saint Paul native Kyle Okposo scored two goals for Team USA in its 3-1 victory over France on Tuesday, the squad’s only exhibition game prior to the IIHF World Men’s Championship in Germany.

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