Tom Lehman, Fred Couples and 18 more of the top 20 players on the Champions Tour will compete in the 3M Championship in Blaine July 30-August 5. Arnold Palmer will also participate. Lehman, the Minnesota native, tied for second in last year’s tournament behind champion Jay Haas.
Gophers coach Jerry Kill expects today or tomorrow to see the classroom grades of his players from last semester. Kill and his staff have worked with players to significantly improve academic performance but that’s no guarantee there won’t be disappointments. “It’s one day at a time,” he said.
Kill hopes his players, including the quarterbacks, will volunteer their time to workout during the off-season this spring and summer. It’s not mandatory, but quarterbacks MarQueis Gray, Max Shortell, Phillip Nelson and Mitch Leidner are likely to be throwing to Gophers receivers in the weeks ahead.
Nelson and Leidner are freshmen but Kill said no decision has been made on redshirting. “We’ll make those decisions after two-a-days end,” Kill said referring to scheduled practices in August.
Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi said it’s “inevitable” college football will go to a national championship playoff. “It’s what the public wants,” he told Sports Headliners.
Gophers women’s basketball coach Pam Borton promoted Curtis Loyd to associate head coach. Loyd joined the staff as an assistant coach in 2010 and is credited with improving Minnesota’s defense. Last season the Gophers held opponents to a program record low field goal percentage of .375.
It will be 20 years ago this summer the Dream Team that included Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan competed in the 1992 basketball Olympics. The Timberwolves’ Christian Laettner was on that team.
The Wild will have an 18-community promotional trip that includes players and other celebrities. The trip begins June 25 and ends June 28. www.wild.com
Hamline is sending three men and three women to next weekend’s NCAA Division III Track and Field Championships in Claremont, California including senior Devin Monson who ranks among the five best performers nationally in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters.
Former Twins first baseman Kent Hrbek, born in Minneapolis, celebrates his 52nd birthday today.
The Twins will see former teammate Orlando Hudson when they open a three-game series tomorrow night in Chicago against the White Sox. The second baseman was released by San Diego last week but signed with the White Sox. He’s playing with his fifth major league club in five years.
Major League Baseball just finished its first weekend of Interleague baseball this season. Next season, with Houston switching from the National League to the American, there will be Interleague play throughout the season.
The Twins, who won two of three Interleague games against the Brewers in Milwaukee Friday-Sunday, are 150-117 in Interleague competition, among the best records in baseball.
By the way, who was the last Twins pitcher to hit a home run?
Jim Kaat in 1972.