Sports Beat column - January 24, 2007

Sports Beat
January 24, 2007

Sports Beat by Bill McCaffrey

The Super Bowl is almost here, hockey and basketball (pro and college) are rolling along but thereâ¤s no clear winner in plain sight. In the local area there is reclining interest in the Super Bowl especially with the purple thugs no where in sight. Interest in the Super Bowl is really down. Itâ¤s who cares as far as the Caps and NHL go on there bumbling way. But baseball interest seems to be up with new owners in DC and a budding super star Ryan Zimmerman on the big stage. The Washington Nationals will miss the talented Alfonso Soriano. I have never been a big Frank Robinson fan but I feel the team treated him pretty shabby. In the National League I think the Philadelphia Phillies have the team to beat. They have the talent to be the team to beat. Over Baltimore way the Orioles have an improved team one that should win a few more games but not one that can challenge the Yankees, Red Sox or Blue Jays and if Tampa Bay wasnâ¤t in the Orioles division the Orioles would probably be in the basement and they still may be if the Devil Rays stay healthy and injury free. Hey a big hello to Emmet Lanier and Billy Via, two former Washington Senators bat boys in the 1940â¤s who traveled to College Park where the Senators held Spring training because of World War II travel restrictions also to another Senatorâ¤s bat boy from that era Manny Crupi. When Spring training really goes into full swing in late February weâ¤ll start getting some information for you. Look for the Phillies Cole Hammel to have a big year.

No. 3 Terps Bounce Back With 95-68 Victory Over Virginia
Maryland improves to 19-1.

POSTGAME NOTES
â¤¢ The win improves the Terrapins' record to 19-1 (3-1). It matches the team's best record after 20 games. They also started 19-1 in the 1991-92 season. â¤¢ The Terps extended their home winning streak to 17 games. â¤¢ This is the third most points that the Cavaliers have given up this season. They gave up 96 twice, most recently on January 8 at North Carolina . â¤¢ It was the ninth time on the season that Maryland scored 90 or more points. â¤¢ Crystal Langhorne eclipsed the 1,500 point plateau with her 17 points on the day. She now has 1,509 on her career, just a point behind Deedee Warley (1999-2002) for seventh place on the Maryland all-time list. â¤¢ Langhorne also registered 12 rebounds, one shy of a season high. It was her 39th career double-double and the sixth of the season. â¤¢ Langhorne scored in double figures for the 44th consecutive game. â¤¢ For the second time this season, two Terps scored 20 or more points. Laura Harper poured in 21 and Kristi Toliver knocked down 20. The last time that happened was in an 82-64 win over TCU in the BTI Classic, when Harper scored a career-high 27 and Shay Doron had 22. â¤¢ Toliver scored 20 or more points for just the second time in her career. The last time was 28 points against Utah on March 27, 2006, to help send the Terps to the Final Four. â¤¢ For the 16th time in 20 games, at least four Terrapins scored in double figures. In addition to Langhorne, Harper, and Toliver, Marissa Coleman had 16 points. â¤¢ Harper's five blocks ties a career high set on November 24, 2005 against Gonzaga. â¤¢ Jade Perry had 10 rebounds on the day, the third time in the past four games that she has registered at least 10 rebounds. It is the fifth time this season that she has pulled down double digit boards. For six days, Maryland waited for redemption. When the opportunity finally came, the defending national champions wasted little time blunting the memory of a painful loss. Crystal Langhorne had 17 points and 12 rebounds, Laura Harper scored 21, and No. 3 Maryland bounced back from its first defeat of the season by cruising past Virginia 95-68 Friday night. Kristi Toliver scored 20 points and Marissa Coleman added 16 for the Terrapins (19-1, 3-1 Atlantic Coast Conference). Maryland was coming off an 82-61 embarrassment at Duke on Saturday that dropped the Terps from the top spot in the AP poll. "Obviously, we had a tough one down in Durham . There was only one thing we could do, and that was recover and regroup," Toliver said. "I think tonight we showed we are a mature bunch. We could have folded because UVA is a very talented team. But we just came out with a lot of confidence and a lot of focus." Maryland trailed 6-4 before Toliver scored five points in a 14-0 run that put the Terrapins ahead for good. Five different players contributed to the spree, which included five free throws. It was 32-23 before Harper made a layup and a three-point play during a 9-0 spurt that increased Maryland 's lead to 18. The Terrapins ended up topping the 90-point barrier for the ninth time, but coach Brenda Frese spoke excitedly about a defense that was repeatedly burned for easy baskets by Duke. "I thought our team showed a lot of character tonight," Frese said. "I'm very pleased with our improvement defensively. We really focused and brought a lot more energy to the game." Lyndra Littles led Virginia (12-6, 2-2) with a career-high tying 23 points and Sharnee Zoll had 11 assists. The Cavaliers, who were outscored 22-6 at the foul line, have lost four straight at Maryland . Virginia knew the Terps would be eager to rebound from their defeat at Duke, but that didn't influence the game plan of coach Debbie Ryan. "I don't think we got anything different than we were going to get. I know they lost a game the other day, but I didn't feel like it was a game where I had to tell my team to be afraid," Ryan said. "They knew what happened last week. We watched that game together." Ryan said the Cavaliers got in trouble in the first half when guard Monica Wright picked up two fouls in the opening 3 minutes. And although Virginia was outrebounded 49-32, Ryan said it had nothing to do with a lack of effort by her front court. "They're very big inside. We just don't have that kind of size," Ryan said. Down 42-27 at halftime, Virginia used two straight baskets by Wright to close to 48-35. After Frese called a timeout, Langhorne returned to make two straight layups, Toliver hit a 3-pointer and Shay Doron capped the 9-0 run with two free throws. Minutes later, Doron made a 3-pointer and Toliver followed with a jumper to make it 67-40 with 11:42 left.

Maryland Field Hockey Earns Sportsmanship Award
Terps earn confences honor voted on by league teams.

The 2006 NCAA Champion Maryland field hockey team was recently named one of the fall recipients of the ACC's fall season Sportsmanship Award, the league announced. Conference teams vote on the award based on good character and sportsmanship displayed throughout the season. The ACC gives a Sportsmanship award for each of its 25 sports. The ACC Student Athlete Advisory Committee proposed an idea for an award that recognized teams that earned the respect of their peers throughout the competition season. The Terps won their second-straight national championship with a 1-0 win over Wake Forest . Maryland also captured a share of the regular-season title and advanced to the ACC Tournament finals. The team award follows a string of postseason honors for the squad. Head coach Missy Meharg, who completed her 19th season at the helm, was recently named National Field Hockey Coach of the Year by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association. Senior Paula Infante was selected the Honda Award recipient for the second-straight year, presented to the nation's top field hockey player, and was also the conference's Defensive Player of the Year. Five Terps were named to the All-ACC team, while five were also honored as All-Americans.

GOODRICH AND BULLDOGS EMBARRASS VIRGINIA UNION
Bowie State Crushes Virginia Union 92-70

Senior Gil Goodrich and the Bowie State Bulldogs made a very strong statement in their rematch with Virginia Union. Goodrich burned the A.C. Jordan Arena nets for a game-high 38 points and handed VUU a crushing 92-70 loss. The 22 point margin was the worst loss ever to Bowie State and dropped the Panthers to 10-2 overall, 7-2 in the CIAA and 3-1 in the CIAA Eastern Division. The BSU win snaps a two-game losing streak and puts the Bulldogs back into contention for the CIAA Eastern crown. Things didnâ¤t look very good for Bowie State early on but the Bulldogs kept their cool. The first 20 minutes featured the play of each teamâ¤s best player, Brad Byerson for Virginia Union and Goodrich for Bowie State . Byerson led the Panthers first half scoring with 13 points and Goodrich netted 25 in the first 20 minutes. The major difference on the first half stat sheet was 3-point shooting. Bowie State jacked up 17 first half 3-pointers, hitting seven while Virginia Union was one-of-five from behind the arc. Points-in-the-paint was VUUâ¤s strong point in the first half, outscoring the Bulldogs 28-12. After a 34-34 tie at the 4:14 mark, Bowie Stateâ¤s Goodrich scored nine of BSUâ¤s next 12 points to take a 46-42 lead at the half. Back-to-back field goals by Virginia Unionâ¤s Chris Green and Byerson, tied the contest a 46. However, it was all Bowie State after that as the Bulldogs went on an 8-0 run to open up at 54-46 advantage. Six of the eight points during a 1:52 stretch were contributed by BSU senior Tyronne Beale. It only went down hill even more for Virginia Union for the rest of the game. The Panthers hit only eight-of 24 second half field goal attempts (33.3 percent) compared to 19-of-33 (57.6 percent) for the Bowie State Bulldogs. Virginia Union turned the ball over 18 times on the night, allowing for 20 Bowie State points. Other top scorers for Bowie State include Beale with 22 points and juniors Orlando Wright and Jason Ingram adding 10 points each. BSUâ¤s Beale and junior Joshua Johnson tied for a team-high six rebounds and Goodrich dished out a game-high eight assists. Virginia Union was led by Brad Byerson with 22 points and Greg Thondique with 10 points. Byerson and Thondique also led the Panthers with six rebounds each. Bowie State (10-5, 6-5 and 3-2 in the East) will entertain the Golden Bulls of Johnson C. Smith in a 7:30 p.m. clash â¤³ Saturday (1/27) as part of a doubleheader with the women.

JOHNSON'S THREE LIFTS BOWIE STATE OVER LIVINGSTONE
Lady Bulldogs Squeak Out 70-68 Win Over Lady Blue Bears

Bowie State junior Crystal Johnson nailed a 3-pointer with one second left in the game to lift the Lady Bulldogs to a dramatic 70-68 road win over Livingstone College . The loss drops the Lady Bears to 6-9 overall (3-5 in the CIAA). Bowie State improves to 10-5 on the season and 6-3 in the CIAA. So far this season whenever Bowie State leads at the half and scores 70 points or more, the Lady Bulldogs have been unbeaten. Livingstone closed the first half with a 12-2 run but BSU held a 34-32 halftime advantage and led by as much as 12 points (32-20) late in the first 20 minutes. Bowie State led the first 9:10 of the second half before a pair of free throws by Livingstoneâ¤s Clintoria Bryant gave the Lady Bears their first lead of the night at 48-47. A layup by BSUâ¤s Bethany Sloat shifted the advantage back to the visitors but it was short lived. Bryant hit a 3-pointer on Livingstoneâ¤s next possession, which seemed to inspire the Lady Blue Bears. Livingstone extended its lead to nine points (60-51) at the 5:19 mark but the Lady Bulldogs battled back to square the game at 64-64 on a Markeya Watson layup with 1:11 remaining in the game. Livingstone regained the lead on a Kimone Johnâ¤s layup but BSU sophomore Tracy Cole nailed her sixth 3-point field goal of the game, giving the Lady Bulldogs the lead at 67-66 with 31 ticks left on the Trent Gymnasium clock. Livingstoneâ¤s Chelsea Johnson knocked down two free throws with 11 seconds remaining to give the lead back to the Lady Bears at 68-67, setting up the dramatic finish by Bowie State . Bowie State was led on offense by Swailesâ¤ game-high 22 points and 12 rebounds, her eighth double-double of the season. Cole scored a season-high 20 points and fellow sophomore Markeya Watson added 16 points to go along with nine rebounds for the Lady Bulldogs. Lamika Davis paced the Livingstone with a team-high 15 points. Bryant and Johns chipped in 14 points each for the Lady Blue Bears and Lina Brown added 10 points. Both teams were pretty even in terms of shooting percentage from the floor. Livingstone hit 23-of-55 field goal attempts (41.8 percent) and Bowie State made 23-of-56 from the field (41.1 percent). The major statistical difference was in the rebound category. BSU outrebounded Livingstone 44 to 26. In fact, the Lady Bulldogs had more defensive rebounds (27) than the Lady Bears had total rebounds.

MOORE LEADS BOWIE STATE OVER JOHNSON C. SMITH
Lady Bulldogs Edge Lady Golden Bulls 60-55

Poor second half shooting by Johnson C. Smith and hot second half shooting by Bowie State lifted the visiting Lady Bulldogs to a 60-55 CIAA victory over the Lady Golden Bulls. The first half featured five ties and five lead changes and the visitors of Bowie State led by as much as seven (21-14) midway through the first half. However, Johnson C. Smith stepped into halftime with a 30-28 lead. BSU held a 16-8 points in the paint advantage in the first 20 minutes. Senior Genet Moore went four-for-six in the first half, which included three-of-three from behind the 3-point line. Brittany Sumpter paced the JCSU Lady Golden Bulls in the first half with 12 points, knocking down all five of her free throw attempts. Johnson C. Smith held its halftime lead up to the 14:47 mark until BSUâ¤s Moore layup shifted the advantage back to Bowie State at 39-38. From that point, Bowie State went on a 12-5 run to give the Lady Bulldogs a little breathing room at 51-43 with 9:37 left to play. Bowie State held Johnson C. Smith to just eight-of 30 from the floor in the second half (26.7 percent). Bowie State only the other hand, knocked down 10-of-19 from floor in the second half (52.6 percent). Johnson C. Smith maintained composure and eventually tied the game at 54-54 with 3:40 remaining on a 3-point bucket by Shemika Jones (12 points). Both teams went ice cold over the next 2:50 before Bowie State junior Allyson Swailesâ¤ layup put the Lady Bulldogs in front to stay. The Lady Bulldogs of Bowie State were led by Moore â¤s 21 points on the night and Swailes along with sophomore Markeya Watson added another 18 and 11 points respectively. Swailes also pulled down a team-high 11 rebounds and dished out a game-high five assists. Sumpter led Johnson C. Smith with 16 points and Rochelle Bodie hauled down a team-high 12 rebounds for the Lady Golden Bulls.

GOLDEN BULLS POUND BULLDOGS 81-53
Bowie State Suffer Worse Loss Ever to Johnson C. Smith

Johnson C. Smith University (6-5, 4-3 CIAA) used a balanced offensive attack to lead the Golden Bulls to an 81-53 victory over the visiting Bulldogs of Bowie State University. Led by the efforts of Jerry Hollis and Ryan Scott, the gold and blue of JCSU were able to hold Bowie State to a season low 28% from the field. Hollisâ¤ 18 rebounds were tops in tonightâ¤s thrashing of Bowie State . Bowie State trailed by four points (35-31) at the break but went as cold as the night air in the second half. The Bulldogs made only seven-of-28 second half field goal attempts (25.0 percent) and made just two of its 19 3-point attempts (10.5 percent) overall. Turnovers were plentiful by both teams with Johnson C. Smith committing 25 in the game and Bowie State accounting for 22 miscues. All five of Johnson C. Smithâ¤s starters scored in double figures with Scott leading all scorers with 20 points. Hollis had 16 points, 18 rebounds, three blocks, three assists and three steals. Maurice Hooper and Javon Borum added 14 and 13 points respectively while Borum also dished out seven assists. David Sanders had his second double-double of the season with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Bowie State (9-4, 5-3 CIAA) was paced by Tyronne Beale who recorded 16 points and nine boards. Jason Ingram added 11 points, and six rebounds. Gil Goodrich, who was in the top ten in all of Division II in three categories: (points per game, 3-pt field goals made, and assists per game), was limited to 10 points, four steals, and three assists.

LIVINGSTONE STOPS BOWIE STATE 83-79

Livingstone College avenged an earlier season loss to Bowie State , beating the Bulldogs 83-79. This marked the first time Bowie State has lost to Livingstone since Head Coach Luke Dâ¤Alessio took over the Bulldogs program in the 1999-200 season. The win moves Livingstoneâ¤s record to 4-9 overall and 2-6 in the CIAA. Livingstoneâ¤s Christopher Worley scored the games first two points but Bowie State floor general Gil Goodrich scored 15 points (all 3-pointers) over the next eight minutes. Because of that, Bowie State took a 25-16 advantage at the 11:19 mark of the first half. Livingstone kept its composure and worked their way back to a tie at 34-34 with 4:00 minutes remaining in the first half. However, the BSU Bulldogs managed to take a slim 42-41 lead into the halftime break. Bowie State may have highlighted the first half, but the second half was a dog fight to the end. The intense game saw 18 lead changes but had Livingstone ahead most of the second half. The final tie between the two was at 4:13 left with the score 66-66. Livingstone grabbed a five point lead (75-70) with 1:31 left to play but Goodrich cut the Bowie State deficit to 77-75 with 38 seconds remaining. After his three-point shot, Goodrich committed a foul off of the inbound that sent Christopher Worley to the line. In BSUâ¤s efforts to stop the clock for possessions with fouls, Livingstone countered the strategy by making six of eight free throws and prevented Bowie State from making any points behind the arc. Bowie State made 10-of-23 field goals from behind the three-pointer line. Livingstone out-rebounded the Bulldogs 44-29, which was a season low for the Bulldogs. BSU was led by Goodrich with 30 points, Tyronne Beale with 12 points and Jason Ingram along with Joshua Johnson added 10 points each. Worley led Livingstone with 19 points, hitting five-of-seven from the floor and nine-of-12 from the charity stripe. Joshua Houston pumped in 17 points for the Blue Bears and Michael Duncan added 12 points and tied for a game-high eight rebounds for Livingstone.

Doron Named Candidate for Senior CLASS Award Doron featured among the top 30 candidates in the country

Maryland's Shay Doron was named one the top 30 women's candidates for the 2007 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award - the nation's premier tribute to college seniors. The award is presented annually to a NCAA Division I male and female senior basketball player who excel both on and off the court. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the award was launched during the 2001-02 season to honor the attributes of college basketball seniors who remain committed to their university and pursue the many rewards that a senior season can bring. Shay Doron has been named team captain three times. She has contributed to the team in many ways on the court since arriving on campus as a freshman. She currently ranks in numerous career categories in the Maryland record books, including No. 2 on the scoring list behind only Vicky Bullett. This year, she has been named to three National Player of the Year candidate lists. Last year, Doron was an ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA second team Academic All-American and has been an academic all-district selection twice. Sponsored by Lowe's, the award has already reached its sixth year. Finalists will be selected based on personal qualities that define a complete student athlete. These areas of excellence are identified under the categories of classroom, character and community, as well as the candidate's performance and team loyalty on the court. The greater emphasis on the off-court achievements of the candidate reflects Lowe's commitment to helping young people build successful careers and encouraging students to use their skills to make an impact in life. From the list of 30 nominees for each gender, a national media committee will select 10 finalists for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award in February as the conference basketball season hits its peak. The finalists will be placed on the official ballot for a nationwide vote during the NCAA Tournament in March. Fan balloting will be coupled with votes from coaches and media to determine the male and female recipients. Winners will be announced during the men's and women's respective Final Four weekends.

WE GET LETTERS

Hi Bill, As you know, I have a personal interest in the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation (DMRF). I am forever trying to promote awareness of dystonia, a little-known but surprisingly common neurological disorder. Iâ¤d like to tell you about an exciting opportunity for the dystonia community: the release of an incredible documentary film entitled TWISTED. This hour-long film is a human interest story that gives the audience a look into the lives of several individuals living with dystonia. TWISTED is a sensitive and revealing depiction of not only the experience of people with dystonia but also universal themes about courage, love, family, and the human condition. The DMRF is proud to have provided the start-up funding for this film â¤³ a grant to get started and get the additional funding to complete it. We are confident that this film is going to do in 54 minutes what we have been striving to do for many, many years. TWISTED will be nationally broadcast on Tuesday, January 30, 2007 on the PBS television program â¤¦Independent Lensâ¤?. Check your local listings for the exact date and time the film will air in your community. The PBS website will help you contact your local affiliate: http://www.pbs.org/stationfinder A preview of the film can also be found on this website. Please help us promote awareness of dystonia by telling your colleagues, neighbors, friends, and family about this film. And please tune in to watch TWISTED. Itâ¤s a remarkable film about truly unforgettable peopleâ¤²I know you will find the film enjoyable and worthwhile. Sincerely, June Bill, A New Book by Mark Opsasnick: THE REAL STORY BEHIND THE EXORCIST: A STUDY OF THE HAUNTED BOY AND OTHER TRUE-LIFE HORROR LEGENDS FROM AROUND THE NATIONâ¤S CAPITAL Hereâ¤s the deal. Basically, I became tired of people blatantly stealing my material and not giving me proper credit, so I decided to rewrite and batch together five of my most popular investigative pieces and offer them up in book form. Chapters in this book include: Introduction â¤³ Halloween World: Searching the Shadows for Truth and Deliverance Chapter One â¤³ A Study of the Haunted Boy: The True Story that Inspired the Movie â¤¦The Exorcistâ¤? Chapter Two â¤³ When Vadig Calls: The Tom Monteleone Contactee Caper Chapter Three â¤³ Evil Forces in College Park : Attack of the Luzo-Brazilian Black Magic Cult Chapter Four â¤³ Screams in the Hollow: The Ghost of Crybaby Bridge Chapter Five â¤³ Horror on Fletchertown Road : The Goatman of Prince Georgeâ¤s County, Maryland This book can be ordered directly from the publisher right now at www.xlibris.com/realstorybehindtheexorcist.html. It will also be available through Amazon.com after February 1, 2007. For additional information, please visit www.capitolrock.com, click on â¤¦Books,â¤? and scroll to the bottom of the page. Lastly, I will not be lecturing on the material in this â¤¦Exorcistâ¤? book in 2007. If I schedule any additional talks/book signings in the coming year, they will be in support of my previous release â¤¦The Lizard King Was Hereâ¤? and the topic will be Jim Morrison of the Doors and his years in the Washington , D.C. area. Thanks, Mark Opsasnick Mark, Another smash hit for you! Bill Bill, Per the By-Laws, I appointed a nominating committee which met and decided on the slate of Officer's for the upcoming year. They are as follows: President: John Morton 1st Vice: Bill McNamara 2nd Vice: Chris Welsh 3rd Vice: Tom Lawler Secretary: Tom Kelleher Treasurer: Owen Ward Chaplain: Fr. Jack Ward Counsel: Mike May All current and proposed Officer's were contacted both prior to and after the nominating committee met and all are in agreement. Any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me @ (443) 955-4513. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the slate of Officer's and Committee members for all of their help and support this year. Slainte, Dan Mead,President The Society of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick Dear Bill, In you last column I read about people who resemble other people. In the old days my friend "J" who was remembered as John Schneider and I, who was remembered as ?. Also my friend "J" would remember at a time in our young life when a article came out in the Post. "River Rats Raid Captain Kidds Boat Yard. This was after a shopping excursion when we "acquired" a inflatable rubber raft where Bubby would not let Rat Reynolds cling onto a string in swimming to the Big Island for a fort. Love ya, Charlie Edâ¤s letter to Mike Preston of the Sun: Mike, Your column today stunk. The offense was WAY better with Billick this year. How do you think they got to 13-3 and were in the top 10 in offense? They just didn't do well against the cover 2 the last 2 games and alot of that had to do with execution. Did Billick throw those INTs? Haven't you been saying Jamal is too slow to the holes for 2 years and all year you questioned McNair's accuracy? No play calling magic could change that. The play calling in the Steelers game on December 24th and during the Billick OC era was excellent but most of it came against a non-cover 2 defense. The best way to beat the cover 2 is execution in the running game and with the QB. Neither of those panned out the last 2 games so get off the coach and get on the guys who deserve the criticism- the players on offense. They didn't get it done. But you just can't get over criticizing Billick, it is all you know how to do, and the team has a bad game and you are back to being your usual grumpy old self and criticizing the head coach. Your act is so tired. Do some hard football research. How about writing about Brian working on ways to beat the cover 2 in the off-season? Did you even ask him about that? That is the only defense his offense had trouble with this season and guess what? The Colts and some other explosive teams (see Cincy) had the same problem. The likely way to beat it is by QB execution and a good running game. The Ravens had neither in the Colts game. That is the bottom line, not Billick's play calling. Ed Ed, Go get um! Bill Bill, I know it has been a while and I hope 2007 is and will continue to be good to you. This is what we (The Steve Ports Trio) are up to over the next month or so. Hope to see you: Sunday, Feb. 11 â¤³ 1-6PM, Bull/Oyster Roast with the Klassix at Michaelâ¤s 8th Avenue in Glen Burnie . This is a rare opportunity to see our 6-piece band â¤³ The Klassix. This is always a great event. Tickets are $35. If interested, e-mail me back and I will provide contact information. Friday, Feb. 16 - 9-1:30AM, The Stil in Timonium â¤³- 410-560-7900 www.thestill.net/html Enjoy, Steve, David and Don Bill, The Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League is currently seeking volunteers to keep score at games around Maryland and Northern Virginia for its upcoming 2007 season. The Ripken, Sr. League consists of seven teams located in Bethesda , College Park , Glen Burnie , Hanover , Rockville , and Silver Spring , Maryland , and Herndon , Virginia . The League's players come from some of the best NCAA and Junior College programs in the country to get exposure to professional scouts. Like other top summer leagues in Cape Cod , Alaska , and the Carolinas , the Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League uses wood bats to simulate the professional experience. The season runs from June 8 to August 3, with games almost every night. The complete schedule of games can be found at www.ripkensrcollegebaseball.org. Scorekeeping is an important task-coaches, scouts and periodicals like Baseball America rely upon player stats to track their progress over the summer, and accuracy in scorekeeping is vital to maintaining our relationships with college coaches and scouts. Currently, regular scorekeepers are needed to cover the games of the College Park Bombers (played at the University of Maryland's Shipley Field), the Rockville Express (played at Montgomery College-Rockville's Knights Field), the Maryland Redbirds (played at Bachman Park in Glen Burnie and Joe Cannon Stadium in Hanover), and Youse's Maryland Orioles (played at Bachman Park). Back-up scorekeepers are needed to fill in games for the Bethesda Big Train (played at Shirley Povich Field in Bethesda), Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts (played at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring), and the Herndon Braves (played at Herndon High School in Herndon). Scorekeepers must arrive 30 minutes before game-time to collect starting lineups and umpire names. Games in the Ripken, Sr. League are either nine innings or seven innings (when part of a doubleheader). They typically last 2.5 hours. Scorekeepers who volunteer to score games in a doubleheader are expected to cover both seven-inning games. There is no minimum or maximum number of games required for a commitment, but for purposes of utilizing the scorekeeping software, a selection of at least 10 games is strongly recommended.

Experience Required
Scorekeeping can be a simple and fun way of following a baseball game. It can also be as nuanced and challenging as the game of baseball itself. For purposes of scorekeeping in the Ripken, Sr. League, anyone with knowledge of how to score a Major League Baseball game should-with some specialized training-be able to keep score at the collegiate level. The Ripken, Sr. League utilizes The Automated Scorebook for Baseball, a software program that allows for live scorekeeping and creates postgame box scores that can be immediately uploaded to the League's web site. This software may appear daunting at first glance, but anyone with a basic understanding of Windows and DOS functions and a few practice sessions will learn it quickly. There will be several training sessions for the software program in May, before the season begins, and David Vincent will conduct a preseason seminar on advanced scorekeeping techniques and decision-making.

Signing Up
Please understand that this is a volunteer position. New scorekeepers are welcome to sign up for as many or few games as they'd like. The quality of play in the Ripken, Sr. League is first-rate, and the excitement is contagious-rarely do our scorekeepers volunteer for just one game! If you are interested in volunteering as a Ripken, Sr. League scorekeeper in 2007, or have further questions, please contact Alex Thompson. Alex Thompson Executive Director Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League www.ripkensrcollegebaseball.org Cell: 410/588-9900 athompson@crscbl.org

SPORTS NOTES

Ashley Looper of Cecil College â¤s Womenâ¤s basketball scored 42 points in a game against MJC-Rockville last week. Rumor has Dallas Cowboy owner Jerry Jones sided with Terrill Owens over Bill Parcelâ¤s forcing Bill to ride off into the sunset. Despite losing the Orioles broadcasts to Radio 1300 folks still like 1090â¤s sportscasters ahead of 1300 but WNST still ranks number one with the people. 1300 had more sad looking people after the Colts beat the Patriots. Most people I talk to think Brian Urlacher is a much better linebacker than â¤¦Raghead Rayâ¤? Lewis ever was. Raghead was a great one but was never as good as Urlacher. I hope the NFL Hall of Fame group never brings up Art Modell again for consideration. He was eliminated again and should never be considered again. Russ Grimm should have gotten the Pittsburgh Stealer coaching job. Poor Gary Williams his group of NBA want-to-bees have really looked bad this season. 1-4 start in the ACC means the Terps are headed to empty seats day unless they turn it around fast. The Washington Capitals have three stars in Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Sermin and Olie Kolzig but not much more. Will the Caps be sold, moved or disbaned? I like Peyton Manning and the Colts to beat the Chicago Bears and their top NFL defense. Congratulations to Sage Steele on her signing on with ESPN. She was the best in this area and deserves the promotion. Friendly was 14-0 and the 3A State Football Champion in 2006 and they will play the State 2A Champion Edmondson on September 7th at Baltimore Poly. Edmondson was 13-1 in 2006. Our deepest sympathy goes to the family of Scotty Glacken who passed on December 27th at age 62. He played football for St. Johnâ¤s , Duke, Denver Broncos and was in the St. Johns , Duke and Georgetown Halls of Fame. He coached football at Georgetown from 1968 to 1993 the latter years as head coach. One of his assistants was Anacostia High School all-time star running back Dan Droze. Deepest sympathy goes to the families of the following: Anne Barbara Feitel ( Cooledge High School grad) David Patrick Flynn ( Georgetown Prep and Wm. & Mary) Paul Trueman Lanham (Roosevelt HS (DC) grad) Andrew Kostecka (1940 Georgetown U. basketball star) John Joseph Cain (McKinley Tech grad & retired C&P employee) Lilly Rodriguez (Womens kick-boxing and boxing world champion) Art Buchwald (Humorist) David L. Richardso (47 Anacostia grad) Information from Fred Many Ann â¤¦Burgessâ¤? Adams (48 Anacostia Grad) Plummer Elsie Dâ¤Amico DiBartolo (Eastern HS grad) Walter M. Evunoff (Retired Metro DC police) Florida State has hired former NC State head football coach Chuck Amato. He previously worked for Bobby Bowden with the Seminoles. Saturday itâ¤s the Polar Bear Plunge at Sandy Point State Park sponsored by the State Police to benefit the Special Olympics. The goal this year is two million dollars. Joe Crede is staying with Chicago White Soxs, he signed a one year contract with then for five million dollars. The Washington Mystics will host this yearâ¤s WNBA All-Star game on July 15th. Joe Gibbs axed his linebacker coach Dale Lindsey. His replacement is Kirk Olivadotti who has been with the Skins seven years. Hey folks Great Mills high school is at it again another fight with seven arrests this time it was in the lunchroom. What is the Hornets nest coming to another â¤¦Blackboard Jungleâ¤? Where is Glenn Ford when you need him? St. Maryâ¤s Ryken Boys Basketball team is ranked 14th in the Washington Post Metro Boys Basketball Top 20. Maryland House of Delegates has two former NFL players in Delegate Michael Vaughan and Jay Walker, both from Prince George â¤s County. Womenâ¤s pillow fighting is becoming big time and a National League is forming. This sport joins the fast moving dodge ball and kick ball leagues that are forming now that those two sports have been banned in schools. No truth to the rumor that â¤¦Downtownâ¤? Brown is the new Washington Nationals Mascot Screech but sources say he is trying out to be the mascot for the new arena football team that will play at the Showplace Arena. Happy Birthday to Carolyn Schoenfeld Wilfond (Roosevelt HS grad 53). The Bowie State University track and field teams competed in the University of Maryland Terrapin Invitational held in the Prince George â¤s Sports and Learning Center . No team scores were recorded. On the womenâ¤s side, Damara Parrish placed fourth in the long jump (5.48 meters), fifth in the womenâ¤s 60 meter dash (7.79) and ninth in the 200 meter dash (25.63). Jennifer Geter came in fifth in the 400 meter dash and Kiera Watson placed fifth in the triple jump. Aaron Johnson had a ninth place finish in the menâ¤s high jump (2.00 meters) and Jason Linnear placed tenth in the menâ¤s triple jump (13.34 meters) to round out BSUâ¤s top 10 finishers. Greetings, Well we're back, it's the New Year and time to get together once again for Doc Walker's Networking Event 10 ......This coming thursday January 25th we're at e-Citie restaurant and bar, located at 1524 Springhill Road in Tyson's Corner .....Go to www.eciticafe.com for directions from anywhere in the metro area.....Time for the event is 6-9 p.m. business attire preferred....There will be food, fun, prizes, the world famous Quarterback Draw game, and PLENTY of networking opportunities with the movers and shakers in the Washington area.... So join Doc and myself @ e-citie in Tyson's (second level)....For more information call 703-760-9000..... Get there early, look forward to seeing you! Mike Byrd Executive Producer Doc Walker 's Pro View 240-354-7717 www.docwalker.com Is Maryland getting ex-Notre Dame soph point guard Kyle McAlamey, he just got bounced out of South Bend. Donâ¤t forget Saturdayâ¤s (Jan 27th) Jake Smith Baltimoreâ¤s Pro Boxing show at the Pikesville Armory. Itâ¤s the â¤¦Rock and Boxâ¤? show and after the last fight its live music with the popular sexshunate. I am saying a prayer for Denny Donaldson to have a speedy recovery from his recent fall.

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