Times wires
Monday, May 30, 2011

PARIS — Decoding Rafael Nadal's self-evaluations can be a tricky proposition.

Listen, for example, to the way top-seeded Nadal spoke about his game and his mind-set after handling 37th-ranked Ivan Ljubicic 7-5, 6-3, 6-3 on Monday to reach the quarterfinals at the French Open, improve his record there to 42-1 and get closer to tying Bjorn Borg's record of six titles in Paris.

Nadal chastised himself for being "too anxious." He said he needs to "hit the ball with a little bit more conviction." Looking at the big picture, Nadal insisted: "The thing is, you have to be (a) realist, and today, I'm not playing well enough to win this tournament."

Maybe he's playing possum. Maybe he's being sincere. Or maybe — as explained by Toni Nadal, Rafael's uncle and coach — this is just the way his nephew is.

"All his life, Rafael never had big, big confidence," Toni said Monday. "He's not a guy who thinks, 'Oh, I am so good.' Never. He tries to improve, he tries to play better, every day."

Toni's nephew has done precisely that at Roland Garros. Since falling behind two-sets-to-one against John Isner in the first round last week, he has won 11 consecutive sets. He made half as many unforced errors as 2006 French Open semifinalist Ljubicic, 48-24. He accumulated 20 break points, converting six.

After trailing 4-5, 30-all — "I felt like he felt the pressure," said Ljubicic, who was two points from taking the first set there — Nadal steeled himself and won 30 of the next 32 points on his serve.

"For moments, I am playing well. But for moments, I am still having (a) few mistakes in a row," Nadal said. "That's what cannot happen in (the) next round."

That's because he'll face No. 5 Robin Soderling, the only man to defeat Nadal at the French Open, in the fourth round in 2009. It's also a rematch of last year's final, which Nadal won in straight sets.

While Nadal and Soderling advanced with relative ease Monday, 34th-ranked Juan Ignacio Chela put in a lot of work before edging Alejandro Falla 4-6, 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 to return to the Roland Garros quarterfinals for the first time since 2004.

Chela will play No. 4 Andy Murray or No. 15 Viktor Troicki, whose match was suspended because of darkness tied at two sets each.

"I wouldn't have believed it," said Chela, 31, "if you had told me, seven years later, I would still be here."

Maria Sharapova went two years without getting to a Grand Slam quarterfinal. She made it back by erasing deficits in both sets and beating 12th-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska 7-6 (7-4), 7-5. The three-time major champion fell behind 4-1 in the first set then 5-3 in the second, where she fended off five set points.

Sharapova's quarterfinal opponent will be No. 15 Andrea Petkovic, who defeated No. 25 Maria Kirilenko 6-2, 2-6, 6-4.

Another quarterfinal will have No. 4 Victoria Azarenka against No. 6 Li Na.

Azarenka reached her fourth career Grand Slam quarterfinal by beating Ekaterina Makarova 6-2, 6-3, while Li came back to beat No. 9 Petra Kvitova 2-6, 6-1, 6-3.

Times wires
Monday, May 30, 2011

White Sox 7, Red Sox 3

BOSTON — Alexei Ramirez and Carlos Quentin had two RBIs each during a four-run sixth as the White Sox roughed up Jon Lester, snapping his seven-game winning streak. Paul Konerko added a solo homer for Chicago, which halted a three-game skid and won its 11th in 13 games against the Red Sox. Jake Peavy, making his fourth start since working back from right shoulder surgery in July, pitched seven sharp innings.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Monday, May 30, 2011

Rays vs. Rangers

When/where: 6:40 tonight; Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg

TV/radio: Sun Sports; 620-AM, 680-AM (Spanish)

Starting pitchers

RAYS: RH Alex Cobb (0-0, 8.31)

RANGERS: LH C.J. Wilson (5-3, 3.25)

Tickets: $9-$210 at Tropicana Field box office, Ticketmaster, raysbaseball.com, team store in Tampa, $3 surcharge within five hours of game.

Watch for …

Cobb's comeback: Cobb earned another shot, going back to Triple A after his May 1 start vs. the Angels (41/3 IP, 4 H, 4 R) and dealing, with a 2-0, 0.36 mark in four starts.

C.J.'s stuff: Wilson will be working with five days' rest; in five career starts with an extra day he is 2-0, 3.73. Wilson is 2-0, 2.45 vs. the Rays.

Key matchups

Rays vs. Wilson

Johnny Damon 2-for-8

Evan Longoria 0-for-6

Casey Kotchman 0-for-11

Ben Zobrist 2-for-6

Rangers vs. Cobb

None have faced

On deck

Wednesday: vs. Rangers, 1:10, Sun Sports. Rays — David Price (6-4, 3.54); Rangers — Colby Lewis (4-5, 3.90)

Chief Seminole at the Trop

FSU football coach Jimbo Fisher grew up on the diamond, a good enough middle infielder to first earn a baseball scholarship to Clemson. Fisher, though, said he had no regrets about sticking with football. "It turned out pretty good,'' he said. "But baseball is probably my first love.'' Fisher was at the Trop Monday with his wife and Rays-loving sons, Trey and Ethan (with his dad at right), who threw out the first pitches to FSU fans B.J. Upton and Tom Foley. There also turned out to be a reunion with Rays radio man Dave Wills, who in 1988 was the PR man when Fisher played QB for the Arena league Chicago Bruisers.

And Lightning soon?

The Rays are working on inviting coach Guy Boucher and Lightning players to a game, manager Joe Maddon said. "We want to get him out, hang out a little bit, get some of the guys to take BP if they like — they're good low-ball hitters.''

Monday, May 30, 2011

Karsen Callahan faced little resistance in capturing the championship at Winter's Family Fun Fest 15K in Clearwater on May 21.

Callahan, 33, broke the tape in 50 minutes, 33 seconds. That was nearly seven minutes faster than the next runner to cross the finish line. He was one of only two participants to complete the race in less than one hour — the other was Patrick Hickey of York, Pa.

Age group winners among area runners were: (F masters) Dawna Leeth, Seminole, 1:02:05; (F15-19) Alison Williams, Palm Harbor, 1:57:06; (F30-34) Lisa Williams, Largo, 1:02:21; (M35-39) Don Zadrozny, Dunedin, 1:02:47; (M40-44) Jeffrey Aber, Clearwater, 1:07:31; (F45-49) Erin Russell, Clearwater, 1:09:19; (F50-54) Patti Spence, Belleair 1:07:30; (M60-64) Doug Norcross, Belleair Bluffs, 1:59:08; (M65-69) Steve Berg, Palm Harbor, 1:22:42.

Local runners weren't able to claim the men's or women's overall championships in the 5K competition, but several claimed age group championships.

Placing first in their division were: (M masters) Thomas Bassano, Palm Harbor, 19:00; (M10 and under) Jake Kadunce, Palm Harbor, 23:59; (F11-14) Jennifer Holtz, Belleair, 24:01; (M11-14) Robert Cotter, Tarpon Springs, 21:27; (M15-19) Jordan Ditro, Dunedin, 23:43; (F25-29) Katie Howell, Clearwater, 24:57; (M25-29) Casey Rabon, Clearwater, 20:02; (M35-39) Kevin Howell, Clearwater, 19:47; (F40-44) Molly Rohrer, Palm Harbor, 22:10; (M40-44) Steven Williams, Largo, 19:02; (F45-49) Kim Thomas, Safety Harbor, 24:10; (F50-54) Julide Burak, Seminole, 24:44; (M50-54) Jim Hummel, Tarpon Springs, 19:20; (F55-59) Pamela Mione, Seminole, 24:48; (M55-59) Marc Reisner, Tarpon Springs, 26:47; (F60-64) Carole Torreano, Largo, 31:34; (F65-69) Carmen LeBlanc, Clearwater, 49:00; (M65-69) Richard Lebeau, Largo, 29:48; (M70-74) Jim Patton, Seminole, 33:38.

ST. PETE MASTERS: A pair of swimmers from the St. Pete Masters swim club grabbed medals at the Canadian Masters Nationals held in Montreal over the weekend.

Mike Torsney won three gold medals in the men's 80- to 84-year-old age group, taking first in the 50-meter butterfly, 100 butterfly and 200 individual medley. Torsney was also second in the 50, 100, and 200 backstroke.

In the women's 70-74 division, Sandy Steer was a bronze-medal winner in the 800 freestyle and 200 breaststroke.

U.S. SECRET SERVICE 5K: A handful of Pinellas County runners were the fastest in their age group at the ninth annual U.S. Secret Service 5K in Tampa on May 21.

Division winners were: (F Athena) Colleen Ficco, Palm Harbor, 24:37; (M55-59) Al Kohn, Palm Harbor, 21:19; (M60-64) Michael Coyne, St. Petersburg, 18:35; (F60-64) Ellen Kohn, Palm Harbor, 24:58.

CLUB MED RACE SERIES SPRINT TRIATHLON: Susan Marcelli of Belleair was an age group champion at the Club Med Race Series Sprint Triathlon in Port St. Lucie on May 22.

Covering a course that included a 400-meter swim, 12-mile bike and 3-mile run, Marcelli, 41, crossed the finish line in one hour, 18 minutes and 20 seconds. She won her age group by more than nine minutes. She was first out of the water in 12:29 and also had the top time in her age group in the bike as well as the run to build a commanding lead.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Monday, May 30, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — There was a brief period Monday night when the Rays made a game of it, roughly from when Justin Ruggiano hit a three-run homer in the sixth to cut their deficit to four for a span of four batters until B.J. Upton struck out with the bases loaded.

Otherwise, there wasn't much good for them to take out of the 11-5 loss to the Rangers before a Memorial Day gathering of 14,203 at Tropicana Field.

Ruggiano got his first big-league hit since 2008. Matt Joyce showed the number-crunchers he could get not only one but two hits off a left-handed pitcher. The air conditioning felt good after a weekend at the beach.

And … and … and that was about it, as they lost for the seventh time in their past 10 games and 10th in 15, falling to 28-25.

"We didn't play good," manager Joe Maddon said. "It was one of our less impressive games overall."

Defense? Shortstop Sean Rodriguez made three errors, tying the team record while single-handedly ending their major-league record streak of multi-error-free games at 52, and the rest of his mates weren't sharp, either.

Offense? Apart from the sixth-inning flurry, when they scored four runs on homers by Ben Zobrist and Ruggiano during a five-hit outburst, there wasn't much: two singles by Joyce, raising his MLB-leading average to .368, and a couple others.

Pitching? That was the worst part of all, as seven combined to allow a season-high 20 hits (most at the Trop in four years) and the 11 runs.

Most concerning had to be Wade Davis, who was bad from the start and didn't get any better, allowing a career-high 12 hits while lasting only 22/3 innings (his shortest non-weather-affected start) and throwing a whopping 77 pitches.

But Davis — now 4-5, 4.52 — claimed it wasn't that bad, that he felt great and for the most part threw good pitches that the Rangers hit to the right spots.

"Overall, probably the best I've felt all year long," he said. "That was just a game where if it was a little bit on the plate they were finding holes. Everything they hit was going somewhere in a hole, landing in centerfield somewhere."

And Maddon said he thought Davis looked better than he had in previous starts.

"I really thought Wade had good stuff," Maddon said. "Velocity was good, break was good, but location probably was not."

Something was off, as Davis gave up hits to four of the first five batters to start the game, then five runs in the third, including back-to-back homers by the Nos. 8 and 9 hitters, Mike Napoli and Endy Chavez.

Davis hadn't looked good even when winning three of his first six starts and posting a 2.77 ERA, and he has been considerably worse in the five starts since, going 1-3 with a 7.17 ERA, allowing 38 hits (including nine homers) and 15 walks in 261/3 innings.

The Rays insist there's nothing wrong physically with Davis, who signed a long-term deal just before opening day that could be worth up to $35.1 million over seven years. But things certainly don't appear right.

"He's not been consistent with his game to this point," Maddon said. "But I really am kind of encouraged. I saw the better velocity, I saw good delivery; they just hit him tonight."

Early and often.

Marc Topkin can be reached at topkin@sptimes.com.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Monday, May 30, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — RHP Alex Cobb has been called up to make his second big-league start tonight, and both he and the Rays expect it to be much different than his first.

For one, Cobb, 23, won't have to battle the nervousness of his May 1 debut against the Angels, when he lasted just 41/3 innings, allowing four runs on four hits.

"Last time, the fact of it being your first outing, you're not able to sleep, your adrenaline is going from the second you get the call,'' Cobb said after Monday's game. "Now I'm a lot more calm, I actually can't wait to go to bed, I'm exhausted right now.''

For another, he and the Rays are confident he has corrected a flaw in his delivery that had him tipping his pitches — basically letting the Angels know what type of pitch was coming by how he held his glove.

"We've really beared down on it, people have watched him very closely and we're pretty confident that it's been rectified,'' manager Joe Maddon said. "I'd like to see him on a level playing field and see how he does.''

Said Cobb: "I think we've got that all behind us.''

To make room, the Rays optioned RHP Brandon Gomes back to Triple A.

Gomes didn't necessarily earn the demotion, having posted a 3.09 ERA over 10 games in his first big-league stint, but was most disposable, since he could be optioned. (RHP Adam Russell, another candidate, is out of options and could be lost on waivers.)

"Like his makeup, like his aggressiveness, like the pitches that he does throw,'' Maddon said. "I think he's going to be a very good major-league reliever.''

NIEMANN READY: RHP Jeff Niemann looked good and felt great during a 45-pitch, three-inning simulated game and appears set to head out on a three-start rehab assignment that should have him back in the rotation by mid June.

"We were going full-bore and everything felt great,'' Niemann said. "I think we're ready to take the next step.''

Maddon raved about what he saw when Niemann, out since May 4 with a lower back strain, began warming up in the bullpen. "I liked it a lot out there,'' Maddon said. "It was like a normal workout for him in the middle of the season. … Everything was good. It was really very encouraging.''

Specifics of the rehab assignment were not set, but Niemann expects to make one start for Class A Charlotte and two for Triple-A Durham. Maddon said they will set the dates based on when they plan to slot Niemann into the rotation and work backward.

CASEY OUT: 1B Casey Kotchman didn't play Monday and isn't expected to be in the lineup tonight due to a sprained and swollen right ankle, but from what head athletic trainer Ron Porterfield told Maddon he shouldn't require a trip to the disabled list. "Ronnie said sore, but not bad, not horrible,'' Maddon said.

ON THE DEFENSIVE: SS Sean Rodriguez tied an ignominious team record by making three errors, two on throws and the third on a ground ball. The crew he joins includes INFs Kevin Stocker (2002), Jason Smith (2002), Alex Gonzalez (2005) and Josh Wilson (2007) and C Dioner Navarro (2009).

MISCELLANY: DH Johnny Damon extended his streak of reaching base to 24 games, the second longest active streak in the majors behind Florida's Logan Morrison (31). … The Rays dropped to 3-8 on Memorial Day. … 2B/RF Ben Zobrist will visit Kaleb Gates' second-grade class today at Skyview Elementary for the Take Zobrist to School promotion. … CF B.J. Upton is 1-for-17 with the bases loaded the past two seasons, with seven walks. … 3B Evan Longoria batted leadoff for a third straight game, going 1-for-4 with a walk.

Times wires
Monday, May 30, 2011

D'backs 15, Marlins 4

PHOENIX — Kelly Johnson homered twice and fell a single shy of the cycle as the first-place Diamondbacks won their seventh straight game. Johnson, with a double and triple, tied a franchise record with four extra-base hits.

Times wires
Monday, May 30, 2011

Dodgers 7, Rockies 1

LOS ANGELES — James Loney had a homer and three RBIs and Andre Ethier also drove in three runs for the Dodgers. Chad Billingsley improved to 2-2 in his sixth home start after his teammates produced the kind of run support that he had been lacking. He had gotten 1.29 runs per game, third-lowest in the majors, in his previous home games.

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, May 31, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — It has been water-cooler conversation for years, a talk-radio staple when people see the billions of dollars surrounding college football and basketball and hear stories about athletes who have scholarships but can't afford things like a pizza or a plane ride home.

NCAA president Mark Emmert, in town last week to speak at the national convention of the Black Coaches and Administrators, made it clear he wants to spend time looking into how the NCAA could supplement the scholarship package given to athletes.

"We've seen in the last 20 years a huge infusion of money into all of intercollegiate athletics, because of (TV) rights, the attractiveness of games," he said at the Renaissance Vinoy. "The models of how we run games, the facilities, salaries of coaches ... there's a lot more resources across the board. The one piece that hasn't changed hardly at all is the support we supply to student-athletes and their families. Despite the massive infusion of money, the size and nature of the scholarship package are still the same. ... There are a whole variety of things that I think we need, I know we need to look at, that I am going to insist we look at."

Emmert said this is an acknowledgement that there are additional costs to attending college beyond tuition, books and housing. He'll hold a retreat for college presidents and administrators in August in Indianapolis, and one of the key topics to be discussed is how to find a viable model to provide more to athletes.

"The critical notion is that we need to explore whether or not we should be providing in our grant-in-aid the full cost of attendance," he said. "It's not a stipend. It's not pay. It's up to a number that the federal government approves as the cost of attendance for financial aid packages. The gap between that and what student-athletes get now tends to be a couple thousand dollars per year."

The challenge is in implementing something that most schools can afford — it's not a problem at elite national programs like Florida or Michigan, but if it can't be done at smaller Division I schools, the measure might only widen the gap between the haves and have-nots. Adding a $2,000 stipend at a school with 450-plus total athletes, as USF has for instance, would be $900,000 a year, or adding about 2.5 percent to the Bulls' annual athletics budget.

"For some schools, that would be a severe financial hardship. They just don't have the resources to do it. But others, it wouldn't be," Emmert said. "The question is can we make it permissive to allow schools that have the resources to do it. The concern, of course, is, 'Well, does that provide them with a competitive advantage?' So we need to think that through. On the other hand, denying support that could be very valuable to a student because some can afford it and some can't doesn't seem right either. So we've got to find the right balance."

The only difference in a supplement from one program to another would likely be in cost-of-living adjustments — a student in New York City has larger expenses than "in Iowa City," Emmert points out.

Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany mentioned the possibility last month, but the topic is still very much in the embryonic brainstorm phase of discussion. Asked last week in Ponte Vedra Beach about the issue, Big East commissioner John Marinatto still had more questions to be answered before he'd know if such a move would have his support.

"There's so many elements. Are there gender-equity consequences if you limit it to football?" he asked. "Are there fairness issues if you limit it to certain sports? Are there economic issues because not everyone might necessarily be able to support that model? It's premature to get into specifics about whether or not you support it."

Emmert said the balance of such a program across all sports is something "we'll have to wrestle with," saying that "if you're going to provide one level of support for a football player, why wouldn't you provide it to the women's volleyball player?"

Marinatto said the issue came up more formally at a meeting of conference commissioners at the Final Four last month, but stressed that consideration of such a supplement is still a far cry from the popular notion of "paying college athletes" a share of the industry's revenues.

"To do something like that would rip at the fiber and fabric of what it is that we are," Marinatto said. "We're amateur athletics. If you're going to go out and pay players, it changes completely what you're all about."

Emmert said any reasonable solution is still "at least a year away," given the time needed to shape a proposal and examine the financial implications at all levels of NCAA athletics.

"This is something that's been kicked around before, so it causes a lot of debate," he said. "I hope we can make up our mind one way or another in something like short order."

By Derek J. LaRiviere, Times Correspondent
Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Pasco-Hernando Community College has named James E. Johnson as athletic director and head men's basketball coach, replacing Bobby Bowman after 20 years.

As athletic director, Johnson will oversee all of the school's athletic programs, including the men's basketball and baseball teams and the women's volleyball, cross country and softball teams.

With more than 23 years of experience, Johnson most recently served as basketball coach and athletic director at Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Ark. The school's 2010-11 men's basketball team was the runner-up in the NAIA/Association of Independent Institutions Conference and had two players who earned all-conference honors.

Johnson's previous coaching experience includes working at the NAIA, NCAA Division I and semiprofessional levels. He was an assistant men's basketball coach at Western Washington University and a graduate assistant at the University of Arizona under Hall of Fame coach Lute Olsen. He also coached several honorable mention all-America and academic all-America candidates.

He earned a bachelor's degree from Western Washington University and a master's degree in education from the University of Arizona.

COPELAND FOOTBALL CAMP: The Hernando County Recreation Department will host the Horace Copeland Football Camp on July 22-23 at Springstead High School in Spring Hill.

Copeland, a former University of Miami and Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver, won two national championships in college. The curriculum for the clinic will be aimed at developing fundamental football skills to enhance individual and team skills at all positions.

The cost is $110 per person, with youths ages 7 to 14 welcome. The times for the camp will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days. All campers will be provided an official Horace "Hi-C" Copeland camp shirt, a personalized participation certification, lunch daily and a special autograph session with Copeland and other former pro players at the conclusion of camp.

Register online by visiting horacecopeland.com or at hernandocounty.us/parks_rec/, where registration and waiver forms may be printed.

Call Harry Johnson or Christie Williams at (352) 754-4031 or send e-mail to recreation@hernandocounty.us.

PHCC SPORTS CAMPS: Pasco-Hernando Community College is offering four summer sports youth camps at the West Campus in New Port Richey.

The camps are directed by PHCC head coaches and operated with the assistance from the college's assistant coaches, athletes and area high school coaches. Sessions include fundamental skills, individual player development and team competitions. Fees include registration, camp T-shirts and instruction.

The baseball camp will run from June 6-8 and is open to boys ages 7 to 13. It will be run by PHCC coach Steve Winterling and will be from 8:30 a.m. to noon each day. The fee is $75.

There will be multiple volleyball camps. An individual skills session will run from June 6-8 for girls ages 8 to 18. It will run daily from 8 to 11:30 a.m. There will be a specialty session from 5 to 8:30 p.m. June 6 and June 8-9 for girls ages 12 to 18. The cost for these sessions individually is $100. Players can participate in both for $175. They will be run by PHCC coach Kim Whitney.

The softball camp will be from 9 a.m. to noon June 6-9 and is open for girls ages 7 to 17. It will be run by PHCC coach Tom Ryan. The fee is $70.

The basketball camp will be from 8 a.m. to noon June 13-16 and is open to anyone age 7 to 16. It will be run by PHCC coach James Johnson and assistant coach Michael Jones. The fee is $75.

All camps are open to the public. For registration forms and information, visit phcc.edu/athletics/camps/.

WEST HERNANDO COUGARS: The West Hernando Cougars youth football and cheerleading program will have registration for the coming season over the next several weeks.

Officials will be at Delta Woods Park on Deltona Boulevard in Spring Hill for signups from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the following dates: Saturday and June 11, June 18 and June 25.

The Cougars' season starts July 11, with a 10-game schedule. The cheerleaders participate in competitions around the Tampa Bay area.

The football registration fee is $195 per child, with flag football $125. The fee includes rental of pads and a personalized jersey to keep. The cheerleading fee is $225 with a full uniform to keep. There is a $10 discount for every sibling also registered.

Call Bobby McFarland at (352) 585-6524 or visit West Hernando Cougars Football and Cheerleading on Facebook.

HYL FOOTBALL: The Hernando Youth League is beginning registration for the 2011 season.

Teams are available for kids ages 5 to 15. Registration will be June 11 at Ernie Wever Park in Brooksville.

Registration forms are available at leaguelineup.com/hylfootball. Forms must be presented at time of signup. The cost is $125, and space is limited.

For information, call Rick Hankins at (352) 346-0000 or send e-mail to popwarnerhernando@gmail.com.

JEROME BROWN GOLF: World Woods Golf Club, north of Brooksville, is hosting the Jerome Brown Golf Classic on Saturday, sponsored by Bright House Networks.

Proceeds will benefit the Jerome Brown Youth Foundation. For an entry fee of $65 per golfer, participants get 18 holes, a cart, lunch and a cap. The format is a four-person scramble.

Registration will be at 11:30 a.m., with lunch at noon. The shotgun start will be at 1 p.m.

For information, call Dianna Rusk Yoder at (352) 796-2526.

FAST-PITCH SOFTBALL CLINICS: The Hernando County Recreation Department is offering fast-pitch softball clinics at Anderson Snow Park in Spring Hill.

The private lessons are for players ages 7 to 16. The clinics will be led by April Pelham, a certified Florida fast-pitch instructor with more than 20 years of experience.

The cost is $20 for a 30-minute hitting or catching lesson. It is $15 for a 30-minute fielding or throwing lesson. Pitching lessons are also available at rates of $20 for 30 minutes, $25 for 45 minutes or $40 for one hour.

Call Penny Oliver at (352) 754-4031 or send e-mail to pennyo@hernandocounty.us.

BRITISH SOCCER CAMP: The First Hernando Youth Soccer Club has teamed up with Challenger Sports to host a weeklong British soccer camp July 18-22 at Anderson Snow Park in Spring Hill.

Each child will work with a member of a team of more than 1,000 British coaches being flown to the United States exclusively to work with summer programs. Challenger Sports will hold more than 3,000 camps this summer and coach more than 120,000 children between the ages of 3 and 19.

Space is limited, and parents are encouraged to register their children as soon as possible. To attend for a half day from 9 a.m. to noon, the cost is $117 for the week for ages 5 to 18. For a full day, the fee is $165 for ages 10 to 18. Goalkeepers ages 10 to 18 may attend from 5 to 8 p.m. for a cost of $117.

Each camper will receive a T-shirt, soccer ball, poster and a personalized skills evaluation.

For information, call Robert Andreu at (813) 283-4523 or send an e-mail to robertandreu@bellsouth.net. To register for the camp, visit challengersports.com.

To notify us of community sports achievements or coming events, contact Derek J. LaRiviere at derekjlariviere@gmail.com or (352) 584-6337.

By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Baseball classic: 6 p.m. on ESPN Classic. A replay of Nolan Ryan's fifth no-hitter as his Astros faced the Dodgers on Sept. 26, 1981.

Bruins at Canucks: 8 p.m. on Ch. 8. Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final. The Doctor is taking the Canucks in six games.

Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: 12:37 a.m. on Ch. 10. Soccer star David Beckham is one of the scheduled guests.

By Dave Walker, Times Correspondent
Tuesday, May 31, 2011

June marks the beginning of hurricane season, summer vacations and all of the outdoor activities that coincide. This is the time of year when tarpon fishermen and surfers alike are drooling. Recent winds have complicated fishing conditions, but the holiday weekend had relatively nice weather and decent fishing.

Tip: When fishing on the busiest days of the year, be extra patient. Frustration levels can be exacerbated by fatigue, extreme crowds and sweltering heat. Finding fishing exclusivity in Tampa Bay can be challenging on the major summer holidays.

What's hot: Mackerel are still marauding bait schools and chewing up everything in sight. Tarpon are hanging around area bridges and beaches and once again, we are right in the middle of "poon" season. Other species are cooperating as well, such as trout, cobia, pompano, sharks and inshore gag grouper.

Tactic: When planning a day on the water it is a pretty safe bet that the wind speed will be higher than the forecast states.

Time saver: Scaled sardines (greenbacks) are spawning and can be somewhat difficult to obtain. To save time and fuel, visit the bait shop. Live shrimp will do the trick for many species. The best part about using live shrimp is that it doesn't require chucking a bunch of lead around first thing in the morning.

Captain Dave Walker charters out of Tampa Bay and can be reached at (813) 310-6531, snookfish.com or captdavewalker@verizon.net.

Times wires
Tuesday, May 31, 2011

PARIS — Quickly and rather quietly, Roger Federer is back in the French Open semifinals.

But there is nothing low key about what comes next for the 16-time Grand Slam champion: a showdown with Novak Djokovic, 41-0 this year and unbeaten in his past 43 matches overall.

The no-fuss, no-muss Federer has won all 15 sets he has played in the French Open this year, capped Tuesday by a 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) quarterfinal victory over No. 9-seeded Gael Monfils.

"For me, the plan is trying to get a step further and into the finals," said Federer, who won the 2009 title at Roland Garros to complete a career Grand Slam and lost in the quarterfinals a year ago. "At the end of the day, that's, for me, the big picture."

Nevertheless, his semifinal with Djokovic is sure to be the talk of the tennis world until it's played Friday.

For Djokovic — whose quarterfinal opponent, Fabio Fognini, withdrew Monday with an injured left leg — a victory over Federer would guarantee a rise to No. 1 in the rankings for the first time. It also would make the second seed 42-0 in 2011, tying John McEnroe in 1984 for the best start to a season in the Open era, which began in 1968. And it would put Djokovic one win from his first French Open title, the objective he cares most about at the moment.

For Federer, a victory would put him into his first Grand Slam final in more than 16 months, his longest drought since he won his first major title at Wimbledon in 2003. It would allow him to make clear he's still at the top of the game as his 30th birthday approaches in August. Plus, it would serve as something of a rebuke to Djokovic, who beat Federer in the semifinals at the U.S. Open in September and Australian Open in January.

"There's less at stake for me than for him," said Federer, who is 13-9 against Djokovic over their careers, 0-3 this year. "He's got a lot of things going on."

The last player to defeat Djokovic was Federer, a 6-4, 6-1 winner in the ATP Finals at London on Nov. 27.

In one of today's men's quarterfinals, No. 4 Andy Murray faces unseeded Juan Ignacio Chela. Playing with a torn tendon in his right ankle, Murray on Tuesday won the last five games to finish off a 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 comeback victory over No. 15 Viktor Troicki in a fourth-round match suspended Monday night because of darkness.

"I've done a lot icing. Taking a lot pills," said Murray, who has won eight of his past nine five-set matches. "I was given crutches, which I didn't use, because I didn't know how to."

On the women's side, defending champion Francesca Schiavone, seeded fifth, came back after losing 10 of the first 12 games and beat No. 14 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 1-6, 7-5, 7-5. Thursday she meets No. 11 Marion Bartoli, who defeated No. 13 Svetlana Kuznetsova, the 2009 champion, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4.

Bartoli is the fourth woman from France to reach the French semifinals in the Open era. When Kuznetsova shanked a forehand to end their match, Bartoli said she thought:

"My God, I'm in the semifinal of my home Grand Slam. Finally I can play well here."

Times wires
Tuesday, May 31, 2011

VANCOUVER — Canucks center Manny Malhotra is unlikely to return from his career-threatening eye injury when the Stanley Cup final opens tonight.

Though Malhotra sat out practice Tuesday, general manager Mike Gillis refused to call it a setback.

Malhotra, second in the NHL in faceoff wins at 61.7 percent and a big part of the league's top-ranked penalty-kill before his injury, was hit in the left eye by a deflected puck March 16. He hasn't played since. There was concern he could lose the eye, and he has had at least two surgeries.

Malhotra returned to practice two weeks ago and was cleared for light contact Friday. Coach Alain Vigneault said Saturday he had been cleared to return for the Cup final. Gillis and Malhotra have said he is day to day and would be monitored by doctors.

"(Tuesday) was a day where they felt it would be best if he stayed away," Gillis said. "(Malhotra will) be back around the team (today), we anticipate. We have to be really patient with this. We have to rein him in a little bit because he's very enthusiastic."

With Malhotra out, Alexandre Bolduc said he'll center Vancouver's fourth line in Game 1 with Jeff Tambellini and Victor Oreskovich. Bolduc and Tambellini have appeared in two postseason games each this spring.

Panthers: Former player and current AHL Portland coach Kevin Dineen is expected to be named coach at a news conference scheduled for this afternoon. He would replace Peter DeBoer, who was fired after three seasons and a 103-107-36 record. Dineen's name was in the mix when the Lightning was looking for a coach last offseason.

Times wires
Tuesday, May 31, 2011

DURHAM, N.C. — Hall of Fame C Gary Carter was diagnosed Tuesday with a malignant brain tumor called a glioblastoma and will treat it with chemotherapy and radiation.

Doctors at the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke University say the location of the tumor makes it difficult to remove through an operation. Carter was returning home to Florida to begin the next part of his treatment.

"Mr. Carter's youth, strong physical condition and fighting spirit will be to his advantage as his treatment commences," said Drs. Allan H. Friedman and Henry S. Friedman, the co-deputy directors of the center.

"The outpouring of support for Mr. Carter has been incredible and we trust that his many friends and fans will join us in continuing to pray for him and his family."

Carter, 57, who just completed his second season as Palm Beach Atlantic University's baseball coach, announced May 21 that an MRI exam had revealed four small tumors. The Duke Medicine release mentions one tumor.

DODGERS SAGA: Though baseball officials believed Frank McCourt didn't have the money to cover the Dodgers' end-of-the-month payroll, the embattled owner covered team-related expenses, the Associated Press reported. If he hadn't been able to meet payroll Major League Baseball would have taken control and paid the bills.

CABRERA CAN DRIVE: Florida officials returned Tigers 1B Miguel Cabrera's driver's license, but he still faces DUI charges. The Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Department determined there wasn't enough evidence to prove Cabrera had been driving or was in actual control of his vehicle while under the influence of alcohol when he was arrested Feb. 16 in Fort Pierce.

BRAVES: 2B Dan Uggla, mired in a 4-for-47 slump, was given an unexpected day off.

CARDINALS: For the second time in May, Albert Pujols started at third base. The usual first baseman made his first start at third since 2002 on May 16.

CUBS: LF Alfonso Soriano went on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left quadriceps. The contract of OF Tyler Colvin was purchased from Triple-A Iowa.

GIANTS: 3B Pablo Sandoval, on the mend from right wrist surgery, took early batting practice and could be close to a rehab assignment.

MARINERS: 3B Chone Figgins, who is in an 0-for-22 slump, will sit for the next few days.

METS: 1B Ike Davis, out since May 10 with a bone bruise in his left ankle, had a setback in his recovery and will wear a walking boot for at least three weeks.

PADRES: An MRI exam on CF Cameron Maybin showed no structural damage in his sore right knee.

PHILLIES: LHP Mike Zagurski was promoted from Triple-A Lehigh Valley a day after RHP Vance Worley was demoted to Lehigh Valley.

RED SOX: RH Bobby Jenks, who allowed 10 runs in 82/3 innings before going on the disabled list May 1 with a right biceps strain, was activated. RHP Michael Bowden was optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket.

Times wires
Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Soccer

FC Tampa bay routed at Edmonton

FC Tampa Bay struggled from the start against FC Edmonton in a 4-0 loss, the worst defeat in the club's two-year history.

Already playing without injured defenders Andres Arango and Omar Jarun, Tampa Bay (2-3-4) lost forward Warren Ukah (gash in head) and midfielder Chad Burt (foot) in the first 35 minutes. Meanwhile, defender JP Rodrigues (knee) left with about 15 minutes remaining in the game.

Kyle Porter, Kyle Yamada, Shaun Saiko and Shawn Chin scored for Edmonton (5-2-1).

FIFA still reeling: Sepp Blatter acknowledged that corruption scandals have left FIFA "shaking on its foundations" on the eve of a presidential election that should give him another four-year term and a chance to restore order to the governing body.

It was a stunning turnaround for Blatter, who a day earlier denied that the bribery case that led to the suspension of his only challenger, Mohamed bin Hammam, had caused even a hint of crisis within FIFA.

The 208 delegations at the FIFA Congress will have little option but to confirm the 75-year-old Swiss for a last term today.

"I thought we were in a world of fair play, respect and discipline, and unfortunately I have to see it no longer is the case," Blatter said Tuesday. "There is danger."

Autos

Wheldon off to Texas, still looking for ride

Dan Wheldon will be at the next IndyCar series race in Texas. The Indianapolis 500 winner just doesn't know if he'll be in a car or a television booth.

The St. Petersburg resident, 32, hopes to drive in the dual races June 11 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, though his one-race deal with Bryan Herta Autosport expired hours after his Indy 500 win.

If unable to find a ride, Wheldon will work as an analyst on the Versus broadcast of the race.

Et cetera

Cycling: Spain's Alberto Contador can defend his Tour de France title now that the Court of Arbitration for Sport has decided to hear his doping case Aug. 1-3, more than a week after the Tour ends July 24. The three-time Tour champion tested positive for clenbuterol in July but was cleared by the Spanish cycling federation.

NFL: Former QB Ryan Leaf, 35, was recovering in California after doctors removed a benign tumor from his brain stem. … Vikings first-round pick QB Christian Ponder, a former Florida State standout, helped arrange an informal minicamp for himself and a few teammates this week at the IMG football academy facilities in Bradenton. More players, including former Florida star WR Percy Harvin, are expected to join them. … Fairfax (Va.) District Court Judge Mark C. Simmons dismissed a misdemeanor assault charge against Redskins DL Albert Haynesworth after the player reached an agreement with Arthur Velasquez, who said he was the victim of a road-rage attack in early February in Reston, Va.

Tennis: Austria's Daniel Koellerer became the first player to be banned for life for attempting to fix matches. Koellerer, ranked No. 385, was found guilty of three violations of the sport's anti-corruption rules and fined $100,000. He denied the charges and is considering an appeal.

Track: Usain Bolt remained unbeaten in two races this season, winning the 100 meters in 9.91 seconds at the Golden Spike meet in Ostrava, Czech Republic. He pulled away from fellow Jamaican Steve Mullings (9.97) to match his time in Rome last week.

Times wires

Times wires
Tuesday, May 31, 2011

COLUMBUS, Ohio — In the wake of football coach Jim Tressel's resignation, attention is focusing on the job security of Ohio State president Gordon Gee and athletic director Gene Smith.

Gee and Smith offered unwavering support for Tressel at a March 8 news conference.

Since then, it has become clearer that the NCAA may take a hard line on the university's transgressions, and Tressel's resignation under pressure was likely the first attempt to minimize damage to the university.

The university is already facing new allegations, including questions about cars driven by quarterback Terrelle Pryor and a growing number of alleged violations involving players' sales of OSU memorabilia. Ohio State faces an Aug. 12 date with the NCAA's committee on infractions, which could lead to vacated games and seasons, a bowl ban and recruiting limitations.

Ohio State trustees referred calls to Gee's office, and both Gee and Smith declined comment.

Both were thought to be distancing themselves from Tressel — despite their earlier praise of the coach's integrity and honesty — in the weeks leading up to Monday's resignation.

Tressel stepped aside in the midst of an NCAA investigation. Five top players were suspended in December for the first five games of the 2011 season for accepting cash and tattoos from the owner of a tattoo parlor.

SEC meetings open: Georgia coach Mark Richt started a media session at the SEC meetings in Destin with a flub: He knocked over a glass of water on a conference table, ruining a couple of tape recorders.

When he started speaking on the week's most heated topic, Richt was low key on oversigning and grayshirting.

"I'm just going to listen to what everyone has to say," Richt said before a meeting of coaches, where he was outnumbered by those who don't want further recruiting class restrictions.

The sides are split on the proposal to limit each team to 25 signees in a class. The current limit is 28.

Oversigning became an issue around the conference the past few months. Several coaches have been criticized for signing an excessive amount of players then making room for them later by releasing players from scholarships or having players take medical exemptions.

Coaches and athletic directors meet together today; the presidents vote Friday.

Florida and Georgia are on the same side with possibly the minority opinion.

Gators coach Will Muschamp was curt when he said, "We don't oversign."

Huskers QB to transfer: Backup quarterback Cody Green will transfer after getting beaten out by Taylor Martinez for the starter's job last fall and having failed to make headway in the spring against new challengers. Recruiting services pegged Green as one of the top 10 prospects in the nation when he was coming out of Dayton, Texas, two years ago.

KU coordinator retires: Defensive coordinator Carl Torbush, former head coach at Louisiana Tech and North Carolina, is retiring after being diagnosed with prostate cancer.

The school said Torbush, who also served as linebackers coach, will have surgery soon and expects a full recovery.

Torbush, 59, was one of the first assistants Turner Gill hired after he was hired as head coach following the 2009 season. Torbush has also been defensive coordinator at North Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi and Texas A&M.

Basketball: NBA assistant Damon Stoudamire will join Memphis coach Josh Pastner's staff as an assistant, pending approval by university officials. Stoudamire has spent the past two years as a Memphis Grizzlies assistant, and his duties included coaching the team's 2010 summer league squad.

men's golf: Florida (300) was tied for 14th after the first round of the NCAA Championships in Stillwater, Okla., 17 shots behind leader Georgia Tech. UF's top individuals were Bank Vongvanij and Andres Echavarria, both at 2-over 74, seven behind leader James White of Georgia Tech.

Times wires
Tuesday, May 31, 2011

White Sox 10, Red Sox 7

BOSTON — Alexei Ramirez tied his career high with four hits and Philip Humber stymied the Red Sox for seven innings to help the White Sox with their sixth straight at Fenway Park, their longest streak there since 1958-59. Humber scattered six hits in the first seven innings before giving up three in the eighth.

Times wires
Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Nationals 10, Phillies 2

WASHINGTON — Danny Espinosa hit two homers and drove in four runs to lead the Nationals. Espinosa hit a three-run shot to cap a five-run third and added a solo blast in the sixth, both off Cliff Lee. It was the rookie's second multihomer game; he also hit two against the Mets on Sept. 6, 2010. The Nationals snapped a six-game losing streak against the Phillies.

Times wires
Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Indians 6, Blue Jays 3

TORONTO — Former Ray Mitch Talbot won for the first time since April 11, Grady Sizemore drove in two runs and the Indians snapped the Blue Jays' four-game winning streak. Sizemore went in 0-for-12 with seven strikeouts in three games since coming off the DL last week but ended his slump with two RBI doubles. He finished 2-for-4, raising his average to .255.