Times staff, wires
Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Nicklaus: Major faith in Tiger still

PALM BEACH GARDENS — Jack Nicklaus still doubts his lead in career Grand Slam titles will last. He figures it's a matter of time before Tiger Woods' slump ends. Woods hasn't won a tournament since his personal life imploded in November 2009, and he has stalled at 14 major titles, four shy of Nicklaus' record. "I still think he'll break my record," Nicklaus, 71, said Wednesday before playing a round in the Honda Classic pro-am. "I'm surprised that he has not bounced back by now. He's got such a great work ethic. He's so determined to what he wants to do." Nicklaus said he hasn't talked to Woods since June, and that conversation was brief. "He got maybe off the track, but I think he's really a principled kid," Nicklaus said. "Did he have some wayward … ? Yes. But are we all perfect? No." Woods isn't playing in the Honda Classic; he hasn't since 1993. Last week he was ousted in the first round of the WGC-Match Play Championship, and he has failed to crack the top 20 in his three tournaments this year.

Florida swing

The PGA Tour makes its march through Florida beginning this week with the Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens. That will be followed by the World Golf Championships Cadillac Championship in Miami, the Transitions Championship at Innisbrook in Palm Harbor and the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando. Woods will start his Florida swing by playing in next week's WGC event. He is a six-time winner of the tournament. Expect Woods to skip the Transitions Championship on March 17-20 and play in the Arnold Palmer Invitational on March 24-27.

Transitions adds

The Transitions Championship on March 17-20 at Innisbrook in Palm Harbor continues to fill out its field. Former Tampa resident Woody Austin is in on a sponsor's exemption. Past champions Jim Furyk, Vijay Singh, Sean O'Hair, Mark Calcavecchia, K.J. Choi and Retief Goosen are returning. Also in on a sponsor's exemption is Oklahoma State junior Peter Uihlein, a former winner of St. Petersburg Country Club's New Year's Invitational.

A gift of life

Beth Allen, a relatively unknown American who plays in Europe, will be out of action for a few months after donating a kidney to her brother Dan. The surgery was Tuesday; both are recovering. Dan Allen, 38, has had daily dialysis for the past five years since a kidney he received in a transplant a dozen years ago began failing. The kidney from Beth, 29, could extend his life for a dozen years.

Members wanted

The annual membership event for the Tampa Bay chapter of the Executive Women's Golf Association is 6 p.m. March 22 at the Tampa Club in Tampa. The group is open to women interested in learning about golf events, leagues and social functions. Register at ewgatampabay.org; click on "Events." Deadline to register for the event is March 18.

This week on tour

PGA: Honda Classic, PGA National Resort and Spa, Palm Beach Gardens. TV: Today-Friday, 3 p.m., Golf Channel; Saturday-Sunday, 1 p.m., Golf Channel, and 3 p.m., Ch. 8

Nationwide: Bogota Open, Bogota (Colombia) Country Club

Times staff, wires

Times wires
Wednesday, March 2, 2011

College Football

Few schools check recruits' background

An investigation of 25 top college football programs by Sports Illustrated and CBS News revealed that Oklahoma and TCU were the only ones to do criminal background checks on recruits.

SI and CBS News did criminal background checks on all the players on the rosters of SI's 2010 preseason top 25 as of Sept. 1. Florida, FSU and Miami were among them.

The study found about 7 percent of the 2,837 players (204 total) "had been in trouble with the law either before or after entering college."

NCAA president Mark Emmert said the 7 percent figure appears "pretty unacceptable," but stressed that the NCAA needs more information. "We don't know what that (number) looks like relative to the regular student body," he said. "We don't know what that looks like relative to society at large."

There were no available figures to compare the records of the football players at the schools that were studied with those of the general student populations there. Overall, in 2008 there were 6,318 arrests for every 100,000 youths ages 10 through 17 in the United States, according to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

AUTOS

IndyCar changes race in Texas to twins format

The Firestone Twin 275s will replace the single 550-kilometer (342 miles) IndyCar series race June 11 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Each race will pay half the points and half the bonus prizes. There will be an hour between races for teams to prepare their cars, enough time for a halftime show. Part of the break will include drivers coming up on a stage for a blind draw to determine their starting spot for the second race.

More Autos: NASCAR is moving its Hall of Fame ceremony from May to January beginning in 2012. Chairman Brian France says the move will give the event its own identity. … Three-time F1 champion Jackie Stewart, 71, is having tests at a London hospital after complaining of chest pains and passing out during a flight.

Et cetera

Soccer: Luis Moreno, a Colombian club team defender who kicked an injured owl that landed on the field and later died, has been suspended for two matches and fined $560 by league officials. … The United States beat Japan 2-1 in their Algarve Cup opener in Portugal.

Greyhounds: Aerial Battle and Hi Noon Renegade won final qualifiers in the $64,000 Sprint Classic at Derby Lane in St. Petersburg. Other dogs to advance to Saturday night's finale: Backwood Cody, Kiowa Class King, Kiowa Jsk Gustaf, M's Free Hand, Odd Inspector and Tmc's Pistol.

Don Jensen, Times correspondent; Times wires

Times staff
Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Tampa Bay Golf Tour

Tampabay.com/golf is a guide to public courses in the bay area. More than 70 regulation and executive courses are listed, broken down by county and price range. The site also has a video review of each course. This week's featured courses: Heritage Harbor Golf and Country Club, Hernando Oaks Golf Club, Beacon Woods Golf Course, Dunedin Country Club, USF Golf Course, and Chi Chi Rodriguez Golf Course.

Ratings of the day

The Golf Channel averaged 771,000 viewers for its three days of coverage of the WGC-Match Play Championship, up 84 percent from the previous year. NBC said it had an average of 2.5 million viewers for its weekend coverage, up from 1.5 million a year ago when it was on CBS while NBC was in Vancouver for the Olympics.

Number of the day

4 European players now ahead of Tiger Woods, left, in the Official World Golf Ranking. Martin Kaymer, Lee Westwood, Luke Donald and Graeme McDowell are the top four players, the first time European players held the top four spots since March 1992.

Times wires
Wednesday, March 2, 2011

TAMPA — Mark Teixeira ended his 12-year relationship with agent Scott Boras, the Yankees first baseman announced Wednesday.

"There's no reason to get into a lot of specifics right now, but sometimes business relationships just run their course," said Teixeira, who is in the third season of an eight-year, $180 million deal.

Teixeira, who has not selected a new agent, said Boras took the news well but was disappointed.

Burnett on target: RHP A.J. Burnett pitched two scoreless innings in his first spring start, and the Yankees beat an Astros split squad 6-5.

Burnett, who had control issues last year, threw first-pitch strikes to his first five batters and 15 of 21 strikes overall.

"That's what we're working on: not worrying about what happens if you throw a ball or what I did wrong if I miss by 4 inches," Burnett said.

Short hops: C Francisco Cervelli fouled a ball off his left foot. Initial exams were inconclusive, and he will be held out today and Friday. … SS Derek Jeter went 1-for-3 and is 2-for-9 so far with his strideless swing.

Jays: Late delivery

DUNEDIN — SS Jon Diaz hit a two-run single in the bottom of the ninth as the Blue Jays beat the Rays 5-4.

Toronto RHP Brandon Morrow allowed two singles and struck out four in three scoreless innings.

DH Edwin Encarnacion hit a two-run homer in the second off the Rays' David Price.

Careful with Hill: 2B Aaron Hill, sidelined with tightness in his right quadriceps muscle, played for the first time this spring in a "B" game vs. the Phillies. Hill doubled and was replaced to keep him from running too much. "I just wanted to see some live pitching," he said.

Phillies: Oswalt debut

CLEARWATER — RHP Roy Oswalt, acquired from Houston at the trade deadline last season, walked his first hitter in his Phillies spring debut but settled in to have what he felt was a productive start.

He gave up a run in two innings of a 6-5 loss to the Orioles.

"I was pretty much just trying to locate fastballs, more than anything," Oswalt said. "I tried to stick with that and the changeup most of the day.

"My biggest thing, my goal every spring training, is to just get your fastball command down first, and then everything works off of that."

Oswalt gave up consecutive one-out hits in the second, including an RBI double to Brendan Harris. In all, Oswalt allowed two hits, walked one and struck out one.

Not so hot: Rookie OF Domonic Brown was held out against the Orioles. Brown, in competition for the starting rightfield job, is 0-for-12 with eight strikeouts in four games so far.

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 2, 2011

DUNEDIN — Ben Zobrist, making the first of several spring starts at first base, said Wednesday that he feels comfortable with most parts of the position.

Well, except one.

Zobrist, who played mostly the outfield and second base last season, said he's still struggling receiving pickoff throws from pitchers, something he said he will have to work on in the spring as the Rays could use him at first regularly against left-handed starters.

On Wednesday against the Blue Jays, Zobrist had trouble catching a low pickoff throw by LHP David Price, resulting in an error charged to Price. A similar thing happened in Game 2 of the AL Division Series against the Rangers, with a pickoff throw from RHP James Shields bouncing off Zobrist's glove.

"I've got to get time over there and get comfortable with it and see how our different starters, especially their arm angles and the ball coming out of their hands," said Zobrist, who has just 17 big-league games (11 starts) at first base. "I just can't pick it up real easy and am just uncomfortable right now. But that's just a matter of reps."

Manager Joe Maddon said it's more of a "mechanical issue," getting Zobrist in a more functional setup with a runner on first.

"But that's kind of easily fixed," Maddon said.

Maddon said Zobrist will start at first Friday against the Twins.

PRICE encouraged: Price gave up three runs with two walks over two innings in his second spring start, but Maddon was pleased with his velocity, and how he mixed in breaking balls.

Price said he was working on his changeup, and though he felt "gassed" after 41 pitches, he was encouraged overall.

"It was the best I've felt all spring for sure, armwise, bodywise," Price said.

MEDICAL MATTERS: INF Elliot Johnson (left quad tightness) and OF Sam Fuld (right elbow), both competing for roster spots, are dealing with minor injuries. Fuld said he will be back in a couple of days, with Johnson expecting to be out at least a week.

N.Y. STATE OF MIND: In what likely will be ongoing speculation as long as both franchises remain troubled, the New York Post reported Wednesday that Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg is interested in, even "strongly considering," buying the Mets.

However, the financially troubled Wilpon family has thus far only sought to sell a minority stake, and Sternberg told the Post, as he told the St. Petersburg Times last month, he had "no interest."

N.Y. STATE OF MIND II: Former Yankees pitching coach Dave Eiland, now a Rays special assistant, said there's "no hard feelings" toward his old team, which comes to Port Charlotte today. "They're just another team." … OF Johnny Damon also downplayed the reunion aspect with the team that let him go after 2009: "That's baseball; it's their fault I'm not there."

GAME DETAILS: The Rays gave up two runs in the ninth inning to lose 5-4 to the Jays, falling to 1-4 in the spring. RHP Wade Davis made his spring debut, looking good in a 1-2-3 fourth inning. DH Dan Johnson had a two-run double and a triple, with INF Felipe Lopez and Joe Inglett also adding run-scoring singles.

MINOR MATTERS: The Rays have signed RHP Edgar Gonzalez to a minor-league contract. Gonzalez, 28, will not have an invitation to big-league camp and is expected to compete for a rotation spot at Triple-A Durham. He has spent parts of seven seasons in the majors, mostly with Arizona and Oakland.

Times staff writer Marc Topkin contributed to this report. Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@sptimes.com.

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 2, 2011

SEC women's tournament

When/where: Today-Sunday; Bridgestone Arena, Nashville

Today: Arkansas (9) vs. Florida (8), 1; Alabama (10) vs. LSU (7), 3:30; Ole Miss (12) vs. South Carolina (5), 7:30; Mississippi State (11) vs. Auburn (6), 10

Friday: Tennessee (1) vs. Arkansas-Florida, 1; Kentucky (2) vs. Alabama-LSU, 3:30; Georgia (4) vs. Ole Miss-South Carolina, 7:30; Vanderbilt (3) vs. Mississippi State-Auburn, 10

TV: Today on FSN except Florida (Sun Sports). Friday on Sun Sports except Tennessee (FSN). Saturday's semifinals (4 and 6:30) on ESPNU. Sunday's final (5:30) on ESPN2.

The favorite: Tennessee went 16-0 in conference play with only three games — at Vanderbilt, at Kentucky and at LSU — decided by single digits. And not that it likely matters, but playing in Nashville will resemble a home game.

Dark horse: LSU went 5-8 in road games. But throw out an 81-51 loss to No. 1 Connecticut, and the average margin of defeat was 5.7 points. In addition, it went 3-0 on neutral courts.

Looking at Florida: There are no go-to, take-over players. Its strength is its collective play. In wins over Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and Georgia to end the regular season, the Gators got strong play from everyone — scoring from freshman guard Jaterra Bonds, inside play from center Azania Stewart and outside shooting from 3-point threat Jordan Jones, among others.

Antonya English, Times staff writer

Times staff
Wednesday, March 2, 2011

ACC women's tournament

When/where: Today-Sunday; Greensboro (N.C.) Coliseum

Today: Georgia Tech (5) vs. Virginia Tech (12), 11 a.m.; Virginia (8) vs. Wake Forest (9), 3 p.m.; Boston College (7) vs. N.C. State (10), 6; North Carolina (6) vs. Clemson (11), 8

Friday: Maryland (4) vs. Georgia Tech-Virginia Tech, 11 a.m.; Duke (1) vs. Virginia-Wake Forest, 3 p.m.; Miami (2) vs. Boston College-N.C. State, 6; Florida State (3) vs. North Carolina-Clemson, 8

TV: Today's first two games are on FSN. Friday's first two games are on Sun Sports. (Miami and Florida State are on theacc.com.) Saturday's semifinals (1 and 3:30) and Sunday's final (1) are on FSN.

Favorite: Eighth-ranked and defending champion Duke is 26-3 and led by All-ACC guard Jasmine Thomas at 14.9 points per game.

Dark horse: North Carolina (22-7) is having a bit of an off year. But only it and Maryland (both at home) beat Duke in ACC play.

Looking at Miami: The 10th-ranked Hurricanes (26-3) are coached by Duke alumna Katie Meier. And they have the ACC's top two scorers in Riquna Williams (21.7 per game) and Shenise Johnson (19.6).

Looking at Florida State: The 14th-ranked Seminoles (23-6) have All-ACC forward Cierra Bravard, who averages 14.4 points and 7.4 rebounds.

Times wires

By Brandon Wright, Times Correspondent
Wednesday, March 2, 2011

TAMPA — Little went right Monday night in Tampa Bay's preseason opener as the Storm barely resembled a team that reached the ArenaBowl, losing to Jacksonville 56-19.

The good news? It didn't count.

Tampa Bay looked sluggish on offense, turning the ball over four times. Tampa Bay also took a pair of safeties and turned the ball over once on downs. Although the score appeared lopsided, the majority of starters with secured positions played only a possession or two.

"We had a lot of young guys running around out there, and we kept the playbook pretty simple for them," first-year coach Dave Ewart said.

With 26 rookies currently in camp, the game provided the coaching staff a chance to evaluate players getting their first Arena League snaps.

"It's a totally different game when the bullets start flying," Ewart said. "It's not like (outdoor) football where the fans are way back. It's a high-pressure, high-intensity environment with the fans right on top of you that these guys have to get used to."

Ewart said he "isn't the kind of guy who takes positives from a loss," but he did point out the offensive line played well.

"I can promise you one thing," he said. "We are going to get better."

Kaleita Returns: The Storm bolstered its offensive line this week with the signing of OL Tom Kaleita, who is coming off an All-Arena season. He surrendered one sack in 19 games last year and also caught a pair of touchdowns.

"Obviously, Tom returning is big," Ewart said. "He's only going to make that group up front better."

The Storm also added OL Ryan McDonald, who spent time on the San Diego Chargers practice squad in 2009-10, and former Florida International DB/WR Markihe Anderson. To make room on the roster, DB Ken Heatly and DL Cedrick Fisher were placed on the physically unable to perform list and WR/DB Pat Clark was released.

Still Looking: Although there are a number of positions up for grabs, perhaps the shakiest is kicker. Massimo Scaccia was brought in before the Jacksonville game but was released Tuesday. The team signed former Clearwater High kicker Kyle Chilton on Wednesday in advance of tonight's game against Orlando.

"Kyle will have every opportunity to win the job," Ewart said.

Cheap Date: The Storm hosts Orlando at 7:30 tonight at the St. Pete Times Forum in the final preseason game. Admission is free, doors open at 6:30, and all food and drinks are half price.

Basil Spyridakos, Times Correspondent
Wednesday, March 2, 2011

CLEARWATER — Countryside left eight runners in scoring position Wednesday and Palm Harbor University capitalized.

Samantha McCloskey homered in the top of the eighth inning, breaking a 1-1 tie and leading the Hurricanes to a 3-1 victory over the Cougars.

"I don't usually see pitches I hit, so I just watched it and hit the ball," McCloskey said.

Taylor Sabol pitched well for the Hurricanes (7-2, 3-1), allowing six hits, five strikeouts and one earned run. The defense backed her up, making one incredible play after another and containing nearly every Cougars scoring threat.

In the bottom of the third, Countryside's Erin Jankiewicz floated a liner over second base, but shortstop Dani Darby made an over-the-shoulder catch to end the inning.

In the top of the sixth, PHU's Lindsay Fenlon led off with a single and McCloskey blasted a shot toward rightfield that rolled by a diving Kelsie Sanchez.

Sanchez regrouped and threw to second but the ball was mishandled, allowing Fenlon to round third and score.

"We gave it to them," Countryside coach Kaylyn Bayly said. "Just making too many errors. We're making too many mental mistakes."

Countryside (7-2, 2-2) answered in the bottom of the inning on a single from Alyssa Householder, driving home a hustling Jankiewicz from third.

In extra innings with a runner on first, McCloskey crushed a two-run homer in the top of the eighth to put the Hurricanes up for good.

"(McCloskey) was looking at me like she thought I was going to have her bunt the girl over," PHU coach Chuck Poetter said. "She just looked at me and smiled."

Times wires
Wednesday, March 2, 2011

WASHINGTON — NFL owners ended their special labor meeting Wednesday night without taking any action, just 30 hours before the collective bargaining agreement with the players expires.

Most owners left a suburban Washington hotel Wednesday night after a three-hour meeting, canceling a session scheduled for today. They are not required to take a lockout vote. That authority has been given to the labor committee, which met with the union in mediated talks earlier Wednesday.

"The committee has not made any decision as to what will happen upon expiration of the current agreement if we don't have a new one," league spokesman Greg Aiello said.

Earlier Wednesday, 10 owners and union president Kevin Mawae participated in mediated contract talks. The ninth session also included commissioner Roger Goodell and lasted about four hours.

"We're talking," Mawae said. "It's better than not talking."

Another mediation session is scheduled for this morning.

The CBA runs out at midnight tonight. Among the possibilities are the owners lock out the players and the union decertifies.

A lockout prevents contact between teams and players, including workouts. (The draft is still set for April 28-30.)

Decertification, in essence, ends the union's existence. But it also allows individual players to file an antitrust lawsuit and file for an injunction that would prevent or end a lockout. The Washington Post reported the players would decertify today and possibly seek the injunction soon after.

Jeff Pash, the league's general counsel and lead labor negotiator, reiterated Wednesday that it is possible the league and union agree to extend the deadline for arriving at a new deal.

"We have to see where we are," he said.

At mediator George Cohen's request, neither side has commented on if any progress has been made. The biggest issues are dividing revenue, a rookie wage scale, expanding the regular season to 18 games and benefits for retired players.

The union won a battle Tuesday when a federal judge in Minneapolis sided with it on TV contract money. Judge David Doty overruled a special master's decision to reject the union's request that $4 billion in 2011 payments from networks to the league be placed in escrow if there is a lockout. A hearing to determine what happens to the money has not been scheduled.

The union accused the owners of structuring TV contracts so they would be guaranteed money even if there was a work stoppage in 2011. In doing so, it decreased money made in other years of the contracts and, thus, decreased the amount designated for players. The union argued this violated the agreement between the sides that mandates the NFL make good-faith efforts to maximize revenue for players in all seasons.

Pash said Wednesday that the ruling "doesn't change the dynamic. We've been very clear that the television money was a loan. It's not a payment. It's not anything we were counting on. The decision was, frankly, not unexpected. And so it doesn't alter our planning one iota."

Vick signs: Quarterback Michael Vick, designated the Eagles' franchise player, signed his one-year tender. Franchise players must earn the average of the top five salaries at their position. For quarterbacks, that is about $20 million.

Jets: Defensive end Vernon Gholston was waived. The sixth overall pick in 2008 didn't play in last season's playoffs and had no sacks in 45 regular-season games (five starts).

Packers: Linebacker A.J. Hawk was released. The fifth overall pick in 2006 played in all 80 games (starting 77). Last season, he was third on the team with 72 tackles. General manager Ted Thompson said Hawk's $10 million salary for 2011 prompted his release and he hopes to re-sign him.

Ravens: Defensive tackle Haloti Ngata signed his $12.5 million, one-year tender as a franchise player.

Times wires
Wednesday, March 2, 2011

PHOENIX — The Cubs are becoming all too familiar with dugout arguments.

There was one in June between pitcher Carlos Zambrano and first baseman Derrek Lee, and now another between pitcher Carlos Silva and third baseman Aramis Ramirez in the team's fourth spring game, a 12-5 loss Wednesday to the Brewers.

Silva was upset after he gave up six runs in the first, including three unearned because of three errors. Manager Mike Quade said Silva entered the dugout and ranted against the defense to no one in particular. Ramirez, who committed one of the miscues, took exception. No punches were thrown, and Silva was escorted to the clubhouse by a coach.

"You have two (upset) people," Quade said. "It was a brutal inning. There was plenty of blame to go around. Maybe it's something we need.

"That just tells you how poor our defense has been (14 errors in four games), although we have made our share of pitching mistakes, too."

The manager's initial reaction was not to hand out any discipline. The team was to discuss the matter at a meeting.

Red Sox: Right-hander Josh Beckett will miss today's scheduled start because of concussion symptoms. Beckett was hit on the left temple while shagging balls in the outfield during batting practice Monday. The team said he has passed tests and been cleared for physical activity. The team expects Beckett to take his next turn.

A's: Outfielder Coco Crisp was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving in Scottsdale, Ariz.. He was released from jail and arrived at Phoenix Municipal Stadium on time to take part in pregame drills. The team is waiting for further details.

Cardinals: Right-hander Chris Carpenter is expected to miss at least one spring start even though his strained left hamstring is feeling better.

Dodgers: Left-hander Clayton Kershaw, who has been named the opening day starter against the Giants on March 31, agreed to a one-year deal worth $500,000. He earned $440,000 last season, when he went 13-10 with a 2.91 ERA.

Mariners: Left-hander Aaron Laffey was acquired in a trade with the Indians for minor-league infielder Matt Lawson, who will report to Cleveland's minor-league camp. Laffey split time between Cleveland and Triple-A Columbus last season, and he bounced back and forth between the rotation and bullpen. He likely to be looked at as a possible No. 5 starter now.

Twins: Manager Ron Gardenhire confirmed that Brian Duensing will open the season as a starter. The left-hander responded by tossing two scoreless innings in a 4-2 win over the Pirates. He gave up two hits and one walk, striking out two.

Bob Putnam, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 2, 2011

PALM HARBOR — Countryside coach Kemo O'Sullivan has oriented the Cougars' run toward one of the top seeds in Class 6A, District 7 by preaching the gospel of strong pitching. As he plotted it, Countryside would be better armed, less reliant on the bat and ready to showcase the abundance of talent in its rotation.

The message hasn't always gotten through. In his first three seasons, O'Sullivan has yet to guide Countryside to a playoff berth.

But after winning five of their first seven games, including Wednesday's 7-2 victory over Palm Harbor University — the third district win this season — the Cougars were rumbling about being a serious postseason contender.

Believe it. Armed with a real, live pitching attack, Countryside has the arsenal to take on top teams and take command of the district.

"Pitching has been the big thing for us," O'Sullivan said. "We have a multitude of guys that we can throw out there and know they'll get the job done."

Chris Frey started against the Hurricanes and pitched six scoreless innings before giving up two runs in the seventh. He allowed four hits and improved to 4-0.

"We knew this was a must-win if we want to keep our hopes of getting one of the top two seeds in the district," Frey said. "We worked hard all week, and this was huge for us. We just have to keep pitching and play defense. That's what will win us games."

Frey got all the support he needed in the fourth inning when Countryside broke open a scoreless game with five runs. The Cougars did not score by mashing the ball. Instead, they worked the count, drawing four walks and taking advantage of a batter being hit by a pitch. The only big hit in the inning came from Kiefer Sullivan, who had a two-RBI single.

Countryside added two insurance runs in the seventh. The Hurricanes scored their two runs in the bottom half of the inning, but the rally ended after they had runners picked off for the final two outs.

With the win, the Cougars improve to 3-1 in the district and a chance to move into first place in 6A-7 when they host Sarasota on Friday.

"We're 5-2 right now, but we're not hitting on all cylinders — yet," O'Sullivan said. "We've been in every game, and we hope we can keep it going with our last district game."

Times wires
Wednesday, March 2, 2011

TALLAHASSEE — Florida State had turned a 67-60 deficit against No. 13 North Carolina into a 70-69 lead with 18.2 seconds left Wednesday. Fans at the Donald L. Tucker Center were raucous.

Then an 18-year-old freshman silenced them.

Harrison Barnes made a 3-pointer from the top of the key with three seconds left that gave the Tar Heels a 72-70 win over the Seminoles.

"Great players make great plays," FSU coach Leonard Hamilton said. "That's about as good as it gets."

But it wasn't anything unusual for Barnes, who has made the winning or go-ahead shot in five games this season.

"I've always been comfortable taking the last-second shot," he said.

"I'm glad Coach (Roy Williams) gave me the opportunity and I came through."

Barnes was supposed to drive to the basket but decided to pull the trigger from long range after he briefly surveyed the defense.

"They had three guys high, so I knew it was going to be a jump shot because it would be hard to get to the rack," he said.

"You can't really second-guess yourself. You have to go with the first instinct."

FSU's Derwin Kitchen said he and his teammates knew what was coming after North Carolina called timeout with 11 seconds left.

"They were going to give it to Barnes and let him make a play," he said. "I kind of figured he was going to shoot a jump shot."

Still …

"Mike Snaer had a hand in his face and everything," Kitchen said. "He made a huge shot for his team. You really can't do anything about that."

Snaer blamed himself.

"I just gave him too much breathing room," he said.

Sophomore John Henson, a graduate of Tampa's Sickles High, had 19 points and 12 rebounds and Barnes scored 18 for the Tar Heels (23-6, 13-2 ACC), who won their sixth straight overall and fifth in a row in Tallahassee.

The Tar Heels can clinch the top seed in next week's ACC tournament win a win over No. 4 Duke on Saturday.

FSU, which came one game shy of finishing a perfect ACC season at home for the first time since coming into the conference for the 1991-92 season, completes its regular season Sunday at North Carolina State.

The Seminoles (20-9, 10-5), playing their fourth game without star forward Chris Singleton (broken foot), played one of their most competitive games of the season. The lead changed 14 times; the score was tied 11 times.

At the least, they walked off the court hoping they had won some respect.

"I hope people understand how good we actually are because I don't think people understand that," Snaer said. "That when we come to play, we're a very, very, very good team."

Information from the Orlando Sentinel was used in this report.

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Quote of the day

"He hit a ball that if I throw it four straight times, he's standing on first. It was a great piece of hitting."

David Price, Rays LHP, on Jays DH Edwin Encarnacion, who hit a two-run homer in the second inning

Oh so close

DH Dan Johnson, an admitted "notoriously slow starter" offensively, picked up his first two hits of the spring Wednesday, a triple and a two-run double. Both balls bounced off the rightfield wall. Joked Johnson: "(Needed) a little more muscle, less topspin and less backspin. Combine those, it's pretty good. I wouldn't have had to run so hard."

Rays vs. Yankees

When/where: 1:05 today; Charlotte Sports Park, 2300 El Jobean Road, Port Charlotte

Internet radio: raysbaseball.com

Tickets: Reserved seats $19-$27, berm/boardwalk $10. Through raysbaseball.com and Ticketmaster, at Tropicana Field and Charlotte Sports Park box offices and Tampa team store.

Gates open: 11 a.m.

Directions: Driving time from the bay area is 1½-2 hours. Suggested route: I-75 south to Exit 179 (Toledo Blade Road), go west 6½ miles (crossing U.S. 41) to El Jobean Road (SR 776), go right 2 miles, complex is on the left.

Parking: $10, lots open at 10

Rays information: Toll-free 1-888-326-7297 (FAN-RAYS)

Pitchers: Rays — James Shields, Kyle Farnsworth, Joel Peralta, Juan Cruz; Yankees — Freddy Garcia, Ivan Nova, Dellin Betances, Adam Warren, Robert Fish

Heads up

Many of the Rays regulars, including 3B Evan Longoria, DH Manny Ramirez, LF Johnny Damon and CF B.J. Upton will be in the lineup. Also, RHP Juan Cruz, a candidate for one of the final bullpen spots, will make his spring debut.

Who is this Ray?

He traveled with the Rays during the AL Division Series last season as an emergency catcher despite having never played a game in the majors. He caught and called the pitches for Stephen Strasburg in his professional debut in the Arizona Fall League in 2009.

On deck

Friday: at Twins (Fort Myers), 1:05. Rays — Alex Torres; Twins — Kevin Slowey

Saturday: Twins, 1:05. Rays — Andy Sonnanstine; Twins — TBA

Upcoming schedule

March

6: at Phillies (ss)

7: at Pirates

8: Blue Jays

9: Blue Jays, and vs. Netherlands at St. Petersburg

10: Red Sox

11: Pirates

12: at Phillies (ss)

13: at Blue Jays

14: Off

15: Marlins

16: at Marlins

17:- at Yankees, 7:05

18: Red Sox (ss), 7:05

19: at Twins

20: Orioles

21: Yankees, 7:05

22: at Red Sox, 7:05

23: Phillies

24: at Astros

25: Pirates

26: Orioles

27: at Pirates

28: at Yankees, 7:05

29: at Red Sox

30: vs. Blue Jays at Tropicana Field, 4:10

Who is this Ray answer: C Nevin Ashley

Joe Smith, Times staff writer

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 2, 2011

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 2, 2011

NEWARK, N.J. — The last time Lightning G Mike Smith played in Boston, he allowed five goals on 22 shots before being pulled in an 8-1 loss.

One goal was from 76 feet when Smith anticipated Dennis Seidenberg would rim the puck along the boards, left his net and watched Seidenberg shoot the puck straight in.

Smith said the Dec. 2 debacle will be forgotten when, if as planned, he faces the Bruins tonight at TD Garden in Boston. Coach Guy Boucher called the game a "gigantic test" for his goalie.

"If you look at it like that, then there's going to be a lot of problems that transpire because of it," Smith said Wednesday of his first game for Tampa Bay since his Feb. 25 recall from AHL Norfolk.

"Every goalie has had bad games against teams. You can't go into a game thinking about the last time you played. I've played good hockey since December. You can't dwell on the past."

Smith, 28, is on a streak. He won two straight for Tampa Bay, on Dec. 16 and 18 against the Thrashers and Sabres, stopping 49 of 51 shots, before a knee injury sidelined him a month.

In five games with Norfolk while the Lightning figured out its goaltending situation behind starter Dwayne Roloson, Smith was 1-4-0 but had a 1.83 goals-against average, a .924 save percentage and a shutout.

Still, facing the Bruins, winners of six straight, the day after a loss to the Devils won't be easy.

"It's a gigantic test, but he has to do it," Boucher said. "That's what a backup does. He has to take some tough games. … I think, really, he's going to be the only guy with energy after we, hopefully, leave everything on the ice (against New Jersey)."

"It will be exciting to be back in there," Smith said. "I'm confident. I've played well. I'm going to play my game."

BERGERON OUT: D Marc-Andre Bergeron sat out against the Devils with back spasms caused, he said, from doing squats on Tuesday. D Mattias Ohlund was back after missing two games with a lower-body injury.

STILL HERE: Brett Clark said he was not asked to waive his no-trade clause at Monday's trade deadline. He and fellow defenseman Randy Jones came up most in deadline-day rumors.

Clark was linked mildly to the Blackhawks. Tampa Bay turned down a draft choice for Jones.

"There's no question I wanted to stay the rest of the season and help this team," Jones said. "We have a great group of guys who have really jelled together. Chemistry like that is tough to find. I'm glad I'm part of it."

"I know some guys were scared we were going to move somebody," Boucher said, without naming names. "That's proof of how close that group is and how much they feel we have a team that can accomplish something."

LUNDIN CLOSER: D Mike Lundin, out 10 games with what is believed to be an abdominal injury, skated for the second straight day and said his return is a matter of getting in shape.

"I'm going to ramp it up," he said. "You may see me puking in the next couple of days."

Boucher said Lundin won't be in the lineup until at least Wednesday against Chicago.

ODDS AND ENDS: The Devils won the season series 3-1-0. … LW Marty St. Louis' nine-game points streak ended.

Times wires
Wednesday, March 2, 2011

TORONTO — The Maple Leafs weren't ready to let their playoff dreams slip away.

Trailing the Penguins 2-1 after a lackluster opening 40 minutes Wednesday, the players assessed their situation during the intermission. "I think we realized that it's do or die," forward Clarke MacArthur said.

The Maple Leafs responded with a rare third-period comeback. Phil Kessel tied it with his eighth goal in eight games and set up Mikhail Grabovski's winner 42 seconds into overtime. The 3-2 victory moved Toronto within four points of eighth-place Carolina in the Eastern Conference standings.

Toronto had 10 shots in the first two periods. "I would have liked to see us get to 3-1," Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said. "But …we need to find ways to be better in those situations and close out that game regardless of whether we got that third goal or not."

Game highlights: Jonathan Toews scored twice and the host Blackhawks held off the Flames 6-4 to extend their winning streak to a season-high six games. … In the host Islanders' 4-1 win over the Wild, New York enforcer Trevor Gillies, in his first game back from a nine-game suspension for giving Pittsburgh's Eric Tangradi a concussion with an a elbow to the head Feb. 11, was tossed out 2:23 into the second for a hit from behind on Minnesota's Cal Clutterbuck.

Devils: Four months after right knee surgery, forward Zach Parise was cleared to skate again.

First Period—1, Pitts., Niskanen 1 (Lovejoy, Dupuis), 6:52. 2, Toronto, Kulemin 23 (MacArthur, Grabovski), 14:04. Penalties—Letang, Pit (holding), :13; Phaneuf, Tor (interference), 4:43; Engelland, Pit (high-sticking), 9:05; Aulie, Tor (cross-checking), 18:33; Neal, Pit (slashing), 19:17.

Second Period—3, Pitts., Conner 7 (Niskanen), 6:40. Penalties—Pitts. bench, served by Conner (too many men), :48; Lupul, Tor (tripping), 1:51.

Third Period—4, Toronto, Kessel 27 (Gunnarsson, Bozak), 5:07. Penalties—Lovejoy, Pit (tripping), 16:42.

Overtime—5, Toronto, Grabovski 25 (Kessel, Gunnarsson), :42. Penalties—None. Shots on Goal—Pitts. 8-9-12-0—29. Toronto 6-4-9-1—20. Power-play opportunities—Pitts. 0 of 3; Toronto 0 of 5. Goalies—Pitts., Fleury 28-16-5 (20 shots-17 saves). Toronto, Reimer 11-4-3 (29-27). A—19,473 (18,819).

First Period—1, Chicago, Toews 24 (Sharp, Kane), 6:46. 2, Calgary, Tanguay 18 (Iginla, Giordano), 10:36 (pp). 3, Chicago, Frolik 9 (Dowell), 18:25. Penalties—Toews, Chi (goaltender interference), 9:58; Jokinen, Cal (holding stick), 11:10; Bouwmeester, Cal (holding), 18:58.

Second Period—4, Chicago, Campbell 4 (Bolland, Keith), 15:11 (pp). 5, Chicago, Toews 25 (Frolik, Campbell), 16:33. Penalties—Chicago bench, served by Frolik (too many men), 8:25; Kane, Chi (hooking), 10:51; Sarich, Cal (hooking), 14:05; Giordano, Cal, major (fighting), 18:45; Stalberg, Chi, major (fighting), 18:45.

Third Period—6, Calgary, Bourque 20 (Stajan, Babchuk), 1:24. 7, Calgary, Iginla 28 (Tanguay, Staios), 8:44. 8, Chicago, Bolland 14 (Bickell, Hossa), 10:49. 9, Calgary, Bourque 21 (Iginla, Bouwmeester), 16:04. 10, Chicago, Hossa 17 (Frolik, Seabrook), 19:21 (en). Penalties—Staios, Cal (hooking), 2:24. Shots on Goal—Calgary 9-6-10—25. Chicago 10-9-11—30. Power-play opportunities—Calgary 1 of 3; Chicago 1 of 4. Goalies—Calgary, Kiprusoff (19 shots-15 saves), Karlsson 4-4-4 (0:00 third, 10-9). Chicago, Crawford 24-12-3 (25-21).

First Period—1, NYI, Comeau 16 (Nielsen, Bailey), 10:31 (pp). 2, NYI, Okposo 4 (Grabner, Nielsen), 18:37. Penalties—Schultz, Min (hooking), 8:34; Okposo, NYI (hooking), 11:32.

Second Period—3, NYI, Comeau 17 (M.Martin, Gervais), :41. 4, NYI, MacDonald 2 (Okposo, Nielsen), 16:05 (pp). Penalties—Clutterbuck, Min (boarding), 2:23; T.Gillies, NYI, major-game misconduct (check from behind), 2:23; Konopka, NYI, misconduct, 2:23; Hillen, NYI (clipping), 12:37; Stoner, Min (holding stick), 15:41; Staubitz, Min, major (fighting), 19:01; Clutterbuck, Min, misconduct, 19:01; Konopka, NYI, major (fighting), 19:01.

Third Period—5, Minn., Madden 10 (Bouchard, Havlat), 11:33. Penalties—Peters, Min (boarding), 19:32. Shots on Goal—Minn. 10-10-14—34. NYI 17-16-8—41. Power-play opportunities—Minn. 0 of 3; NYI 2 of 3. Goalies—Minn., Backstrom 20-16-4 (19 shots-16 saves), Theodore (0:41 second, 22-21). NYI, Montoya 4-2-1 (34-33). A—7,098 (16,234).

Playoff chase

With nonshootout wins (the first tiebreaker) and games remaining. Division winners get the top three seeds:

East Pts. Wins GR

1. Flyers 86 38 20

2. Bruins 81 36 19

3. Lightning 81 32 19

4. Penguins 81 32 17

5. Capitals 78 32 18

6. Canadiens 75 32 18

7. Rangers 70 26 17

8. Hurricanes 69 26 18

9. Sabres 67 25 20

10. Maple Leafs 65 24 18

11. Thrashers 63 23 18

West Pts. Wins GR

1. Canucks 89 37 18

2. Red Wings* 84 35 19

3. Sharks 80 32 18

4. Blackhawks 76 30 18

5. Coyotes 76 30 17

6. Flames 75 26 16

7. Stars 74 29 19

8. Kings 74 28 19

9. Predators 73 26 18

10. Wild 72 31 18

11. Ducks* 71 29 19

12. Blue Jackets 69 27 20

* Late result not included

Andy Villamarzo, Times Correspondent
Wednesday, March 2, 2011

TRINITY — Sunlake's season-opening 11-1 loss to Pasco made some believe the Seahawks were the same squad from last season that went 15-10.

Six games later and couple big wins over Citrus and Hernando, the Seahawks are rolling and another example was Wednesday night as Sunlake routed Mitchell 10-0.

"All-around great hits, good defense and Tyler (Riendeau) did an excellent job pitching," Sunlake coach Jami Finan said. "This team with a lead usually keeps going with it. I think the motivation and teamwork is really going strong. They worked really hard going into this game.

"It's a big win for the girls. They were nervous and now excited to come away with this one."

The Mustangs (6-2), who are among one of the top teams on the North Suncoast, could not find a way to score as they stranded 10 runners despite several opportunities.

Sunlake (7-1) took a 2-0 lead after junior Courtney Durbin singled home Chloe Fletcher and Alex Rogers from third and first base, respectively. Durbin would score later in the inning off an error to give the Seahawks a 3-0 cushion.

In the top of the fifth the floodgates opened on Mitchell as pitcher Cori Williams (nine strikeouts) got touched for three runs in the fifth, one in the sixth and three in the seventh.

Riendeau pitched a solid game, allowing eight hits and striking out four.

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 2, 2011

NEWARK, N.J. — Lightning center Steven Stamkos spoke quietly Wednesday night.

"Things aren't going well," he said.

He spoke of doubting himself, passing up shots and his inability to generate any offense.

It was all on display during Tampa Bay's 2-1 loss to the Devils at the Prudential Center as the league's top goal scorer went without a shot on goal.

"It's tough," Stamkos said. "You don't have that confidence. You're hesitant. It's been tough. It's definitely frustrating."

Stamkos doesn't get the blame for the loss that ended the Lightning's three-game winning streak.

Ilya Kovalchuk's goal with 9:50 left in the third period broke a 1-1 tie after Tampa Bay defenseman Matt Smaby lost the puck in the defensive zone to Travis Zajac and right wing Steve Downie was out of position when the puck got to the Devils' top goal scorer.

But in a game in which the Lightning (37-19-7) had a season-worst 16 shots, Stamkos' input would have been welcome.

Stamkos, with a league-best 41 goals, has just one in nine games. And for the first time this season, he has zero shots in consecutive games.

In the second period Wednesday, he passed up an open shot from the right faceoff circle to pass to the middle to Marty St. Louis. The puck was knocked away.

"He's getting all kinds of opportunities to shoot the puck, and he doesn't," coach Guy Boucher said. "You want to pass up shots? Fine, pass up shots. You won't score goals."

"A lot of it has to do with, when things are going well, you have that swagger a little bit," Stamkos said. "When things aren't, you kind of doubt yourself. Maybe that's what's going on right now."

Stamkos wasn't the only offender against New Jersey, which is on an 18-2-2 run, is terrific positionally and clogs the middle of the ice.

St. Louis, Vinny Lecavalier and Teddy Purcell had one shot each. Downie had zero. And Dominic Moore's second-period power-play goal that gave the Lightning a 1-0 lead was a Pavel Kubina shot that deflected off Moore's skate.

But Stamkos has 22 percent of Tampa Bay's 187 goals. He can't afford to disappear.

"It will come back," general manager Steve Yzerman said of Stamkos' scoring touch. "There are times throughout the course of the season when for whatever reason it's not happening. … As a team, it's been a grind lately. It'll pick up again."

"I just have to keep doing the little things, go to the net, shoot the puck," Stamkos said. "I have to take it upon myself to start generating chances."

First Period—None. Penalties—Gagne, TB (hooking), 13:17.

Second Period—1, Tampa Bay, Moore 11 (Kubina, Hedman), 4:41 (pp). 2, New Jersey, Tallinder 4 (Kovalchuk, Zharkov), 18:45. Penalties—Salmela, NJ (delay of game), 3:01; Stamkos, TB (goaltender interference), 6:27; Volchenkov, NJ (charging), 19:34.

Third Period—3, New Jersey, Kovalchuk 22 (Zajac), 10:10. Penalties—None. Shots on Goal—Tampa Bay 3-7-6—16. New Jersey 6-10-11—27. Power-play opportunities—Tampa Bay 1 of 2; New Jersey 0 of 2. Goalies—Tampa Bay, Roloson 18-20-2 (27 shots-25 saves). New Jersey, Brodeur 15-19-2 (16-15).

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 2, 2011

TAMPA — For a half, it seemed as if Wednesday night's game against No. 4 Pittsburgh could have been the one in which USF played well enough for long enough to get the big upset that has slipped away from it late in games throughout this season.

But as soon as the second half started, Pittsburgh took care of any drama. It came out of halftime with a 19-5 run, a six-minute blitz that was all the separation it needed in a 66-50 win at the Sun Dome before an announced crowd of 4,640.

"I think we had a good game plan, came out and did the things we wanted to do to give ourselves a chance for 20 minutes," USF coach Stan Heath said. "We just didn't sustain it."

Bulls senior center Jarrid Famous, playing his final home game, had a double double by halftime with 11 points and 10 rebounds. But he and the rest of the Bulls (9-21, 3-14 Big East) went quiet after halftime.

Down 27-24 at the break, Pittsburgh's post players led the initial charge, and it hit 11 of its first 12 shots. Guard Ashton Gibbs hit three 3-pointers in a span of three minutes, putting Pittsburgh (26-4, 14-3) up 49-34 and out of reach.

"We just came up on the other end of the stick," Famous said. "They came out (of halftime) a different team. They came out more aggressive. I think that bothered us because we didn't come out and play the same way in the second half."

After outrebounding the Big East's best rebounding team in the first half, USF disappeared on the boards with just four rebounds in the first 12 minutes of the second half. The Bulls didn't hit their first 3-pointer until 7:36 was left in the game.

And for a Bulls team that had at least created a reputation of staying with elite teams until the closing minutes, this one didn't finish that way, getting out of hand for the final 10 minutes.

Pittsburgh, which can clinch the Big East regular-season title with a win Saturday against Villanova, gave coach Jamie Dixon his 214th career victory, the most for an NCAA coach in his eighth season. Nasir Robinson led the Panthers with 18 points while Augustus Gilchrist and Famous led USF with 15 each.

It likely was the Bulls' last game in the Sun Dome as they've known it.

Pending university and state approval later this month, USF has a $35 million renovation planned for the offseason and is seeking a title sponsor to put a name on the upgraded arena.

The Bulls close the regular season Saturday at No. 15 St. John's, then open play in the conference tournament Tuesday in New York.