Former Vikings assistant coach Dean Dalton’s activities include coaching freshman and sophomore lacrosse at Eden Prairie High School.
Football coach Tim Brewster and several of his players will be at a news conference today (Wednesday) to unveil the Gophers’ new uniforms.
After Sunday’s game and going back to last season, Twins pitcher Scott Baker has 12 consecutive starts allowing three runs or less. In those starts his record is 5-4, with a 3.42 ERA. Baker, 2-0 this season with a 3.51 ERA, is perhaps the team’s best starter, although Livan Hernandez, 3-0 with a 3.55 ERA, has been effective, too.
Also on Sunday, Brendan Harris became just the third Twins player to hit a home run this season. It was the Twins’ 19th game of the year. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, that’s the furthest a team has gone in a season with just two players hitting a home run since 1984 when the Cleveland Indians took 23 games before a third player homered.
Among the interesting angles about the recently announced 2008 Big Ten/ACC Challenge is the Minnesota versus Virginia game and the Sampson family. Incoming Gopher freshman Ralph Sampson III is expected to be a starter just like his dad was as a first year player for the Cavaliers before becoming an All-American. The Minnesota-Virginia game is December 2 at Williams Arena. The feature game among the two conferences will be North Carolina-Michigan State from Ford Field in Detroit on December 2. A lot of media think Purdue will be the Big Ten’s best team next season and the Boilermakers host Duke on December 2.
Don Shelby of WCCO TV will emcee the 34th annual Mr. and Miss Basketball awards banquet on Sunday at the Minneapolis Marriott West in St. Louis Park. The five boys’ finalists are Jared Berggren of Princeton (Wisconsin), Michael Floyd of Cretin-Derham Hall (Notre Dame); Cody Schilling of Ellsworth (Augustana in Sioux Falls); Jordan Taylor of Benilde-St. Margaret’s (Wisconsin); and Anthony Tucker of Minnetonka (Iowa).
The girls’ finalists are Courtney Boylan of Chaska (Michigan); Kiara Buford of St. Paul Central (Minnesota); Brianna Mastey of Becker (Minnesota); Brittnye McSparron of Eastview (Drake); and Kamille Wahlin of Crookston (Iowa). The banquet begins at 5 p.m. and tickets are $30 each. For more information, call Ken Lien, 952-653-4356.
The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced recently that six MIAC football student-athletes are part of the 2008 NFF Hampshire Honor Society comprised of college football players from all divisions who each maintained a 3.2 GPA or better. Augsburg’s Alan Mueller, Jason Weber, and John Welty, Gustavus’ Jared Sieling, Saint John’s John Cloeter, St. Olaf’s Matt Penz were recognized with the honor. A total of 441 football student-athletes from 227 schools in all NCAA and NAIA divisions were named to the Hampshire Honor Society, an increase of more than 25 percent from the inaugural class in 2007. To qualify, student-athletes must be a starter or significant substitute in their last year of eligibility, have a minimum 3.2 cumulative grade-point average (4.0 scale), and meet all NCAA-mandated progress towards degree requirements.