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Show /port/ MONDAY • APRIL 16 • 2007 Sports briefs Track and Field Manama Saiifu was best time of eight runners UVSC's brightest spot as in the women's 5000 meshe broke her own school re- ters, while Ashley Timo cord in the 100-meter dash at took second in the long the Javier's Wildcat Open. jump with an 18-foot jump. On the men's side, Salifu's time of 11.72 Zach Cook took second in was good for first place at the meet in an event the long jump with a leap that included 32 competi- of 22-04.50. In the hamtors. Saiifu added .a second mer throw, Gavin Shaw place finish in the 200 me- had a throw of 185-08.00. ters, with a time of 24.46. Trisha Wright had the Softball UVSC junior softball pitcher Corie Jensen has been named Independent Pitcher of the Week for her performance last week in wins over Utah State and Northern Colorado. Jensen finished the week with a 3-1 record and a .29 era. In 24 innings of work, she had 23 strikeouts while scattering 18 hits. She only allowed one earned run and teams hit ,209 off of the Wolverine junior. In her two wins over Northern Colorado, she allowed six hits, struck out 15 and walked only three batters. In the 11-0 six inning win over Utah State, she struck out five and allowed six hits. Her only loss was to Nevada where she allowed six hits and struck out three in five innings. This is the second time Jensen has received a weekly Independent honor. On Mar.. 13, she was named Independent Player of the Week after guiding the Wolverines to a 5-0 finish at the Saint Mary's Invitational. Baseball Baseball fans losing options to watch games on TV Cable and satellite companies fight for "MLB Extra Innings" Jason Adkins Sports Writer Baseball fans in Utah are a little anxious what cable or satellite provider will carry the games they want to see, but last minute maneuvering by the cable industry gives them some options. Major League Baseball and DirecTV announced in early March that the largest satellite provider in the United States would continue offering "MLB Extra Innings," a pay-per-view package that lets viewers watch out-of-market teams, and also carry the MLB Channel when it launches in 2009. iN DEMAND, a company jointly-owned by Comcast, Cox and TimeWarner has just announced a deal with MLB as well to offer "MLB Extra Innings." The availability of "MLB Extra Innings" on Comcast systems in Utah is uncertain at this time, as it has not been offered in past Sports Writer went 3-3 against Binghamton and the University of Utah. In an 18-1 win over Utah, Thomas went 4-for-5 with a home run, double and four batted in. He totaled four multi-hit games on the week. This is the second time this season that Thomas has earned the'award. Dustin Robinson led all UVSC golfers with a 6over 216 at the Wyoming Cowboy Classic at the Talking Stick Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona. Robinson finished the tournament with a 4-over 74 in the final round. Robinson shot UV's only sub-par round yesterday with a 1 -under 69. As a team, UVSC finished 23rd, with a combined team score of 897. UC Davis won the team tournament, while the Ag- gies' Louie Bishop won ' the tournament with a combined score of 5-under 205. Nic van Vuuren recorded the Wolverines' second-best tournament score with an 11-over 221, good enough for a tie for 70th; van Vuuren shot an even-par 70 in the opening round yesterday. Andrew Smith tied for 105th- with a 229. Tyler Weight shot a 233 to finish 110th, while Jordan Rogers finished tied for 118th with a 238. Women's Recap Echo Thatcher led the UV women's golf team with a team-best 22-over 166, as the Wolverines finished sixth as a team at the Matador Spring Classic at the Tierra Rejada Golf Club. Portland won the tournament with tournamenthost Cal-State Northridge finishing second. As a team, UVSC shot a two-day total of 706. Ashley Baldwin finished with a 27-over 171. The Wolverines wrap up their season at the NCAA Independent National Championships Apr. 29 and 30. From a distance and to the average observer, UVSC's rugby season might not seem like anything to get excited about. However, with a little perspective brought to the situation, one can see their 4-6 record in a new light. Going into the playoffs earlier this month, the Wolverines were ranked twelfth in the division II national rankings. If one were to dig even deeper, one would find that five of the six loses came to division I pow- NBA Apr. 21 NBA playoffs begin, check listings MLB Apr. 21 N.Y. Yankees at Boston on Fox, 1:55 p.m. NFL Apr. 28-29 NFL Draft on ESPN, all day sivity of the deal. iN DE- through MLB .TV, an InMAND and Dish Network ternet site offering the have carried MLB Extra same games that MLB Innings for the past several Extra Innings shows (as seasons, but were balking well as additional content). DirecTV vice president at carrying the MLB Channel on a basic package. of advertising and commuAnother element hold- nications Jon Gieselman ing up the deal with other said that other providers providers was that Direc- just haven't stepped up to TV will own a 20 percent the plate when it came to stake in the MLB Chan- negotiating a deal. "Canel. With the deal with iN ble 's advantage is with DEMAND, both providers bundling different serwill now own a 16 percent vices, Dish Network aims stake in the new channel. to be the Wal-Mart of pay A hearing was held with television with low prices the Senate Commerce, and international proScience and Transporta- gramming, and DirecTV tion Committee where the goes after sports programchairman of the commit- ming," Gieselman said. tee, Sen. John Kerry of A deal with Dish NetMassachusetts, a fan of work is still being negotithe Boston Red Sox, criti- ated, with no firm deadline cized MLB and DirecTV as to when an agreement to for trying to limit the avail- carry "MLB Extra Innings" ability of baseball games. has to be agreed to before Representatives from the Littleton, Coloradoboth companies disagreed based satellite provider loswith Sen. Kerry, arguing es their chance to offer the that their deal is a busi- package to its customers. ness move and fans can still get baseball games erhouses who dominated their conference. In Gary Brown's first year as head coach, he has led the Wolverines to their best season in recent history.. With convincing victories over conference foe's Utah State and Idaho State, UVSC cruised through conference play ensuring them a playoff spot. In the first round of the national tournament, the Wolverines were matched up with seventh-ranked Santa Rosa. UVSC came out victorious giving the Wolverines their first play-off win and a second round meeting with sixth- ranked Humboltd State. In a hard fought game, UVSC came up on the losing side, despite dominating their opponent in the scrum. Only losing three guys from this year's team, the Wolverines look to be even stronger for next spring when the competitive season begins. "We want to take another step forward," said Coach Gary Brown of his team' s potential. The most impressive part of all this is where these players are coming from. Rugby at UVSC is a club sport, which means there are no scholarships or other forms of funding. Recruiting for the rugby team largely takes place in the hall at UVSC. The Wolverines are becoming a strong team that will compete for the division II national championship next year and any student that wants to can participate. "If you come out for the team, you'll get playing time," said UV forward Mike Snyder. UVSC rugby is becoming one of the better teams in division II, and with UVSC gaining University status, the future for the program appears even brighter. Up one game, down the next From BASEBALL - B 5 torn of the sixth. Backup catcher Kevin Arendsee doubled in a run and Keiki Albino's RBI single put the game gave UVSC a flicker of hope. That hope ended in the eighth as the T-Birds scored four runs to get a 10-run cushion. Game 3: Marcus Moore's 14 K's helps stifle the TBirdsbatsina4-2win Moore struck out 14 Southern Utah batters, a UVSC Division I record, en route to- his second straight complete-game win. Moore's gem included allowing just two runs and four hits. Thomas and Heaps both went 2-for-4, with two RBIs each, leading the Wolverines's bats. "We were just all about payback fort yesterday," Moore said. "We didn't feel like we should have lost. It was lopsided and we had to do what we could today to not let it happen again." The Wolverines scored two in the first inning to take the early lead. Austin Heaps's single with two outs, brought home Ryan Jones and Eli Slesk from second and third. Heaps made his way to third but was stranded when Josh Hinckley grounded to the T-Bird shortstop, ending the inning. JacobRomney'sblastfor Southern Utah with a runner on tied the game at two. "At first I think he (Moore) was a little erratic," Gardner said. "I don't know if he just wasn't loose or what. He usually works ahead." Thomas's team-leading seventh home-run in the third inning, just over the left-field fence, put UVSC right back in the lead. Thomas also hit an RBI single in the fourth, giving the Wolverines the cushion they needed. Moore got in some trouble in the ninth, with the T-Birds having runners on first and second with one out. Moore got out of trouble, though, throwing a slider inside with the count full, catching the SUU batter looking for the third out. "He (the home-plate umpire) had a good zone throughout the game," Moore added. "He was giving me the corners. The coach called for a slider inside. I wouldn't be looking forthat pitch either and I just happened to hit the spot." Sorry, sorry streetball From WISDOM -B5 Sports on TV years to cable customers in the state. Comcast spokesperson Ray King said that there are several factors to consider when introducing "MLB Extra Innings" to cable customers in the state. "We are looking at what it would take to offer it,," King said. "There are many issues when offering a new package." Fans can watch the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies locally on Fox Sports Net, and watch games on ESPN, FOX and TBS. With "MLB Extra Innings," baseball fans can also catch almost any game that is televised around the country. Utah has a higher than the national average of satellite customers, so a deal with all providers is particularly important for fans in the Beehive State. After the deal was announced, their was an immediate outcry by fans and even with elected officials over the potential exclu- Second round playoff loss gives rugby hope for the future Matt Beaudin UVSC senior catcher Derrick Thomas was named the Division I Independent Player of the Week on Tuesday after batting .600 (I2-for-20) for the Wolverines last week. Thomas blasted three home runs, four doubles and 11 runs batted while slugging 1.250, as UVSC B7 mastered-or think they have mastered-trick moves, dribbling, dunking, traveling, carrying and the lot. There are referees, but they may as well not have even been there. The players haven't mastered shooting, passing or defense. They didn't even attempt the defense part. To start things out, the show was supposed to begin at 7 p.m. but the actual "game" didn't start until an hour or so later. Do these guys think they are some kind of super- stars? They played in front do anything, and when of 2,000 people, if that. he did, he only dribbled "Hot Sauce," "Circus," between his legs two or "Elevator" and others ran three times, going on to around the court show- pass a defender (calling ing off, but really showing the player a "defender" nothing. The horrendous being an undeserved compasses thwarted most alley- pliment) for a lay up. oop attempts; the bricks Former Cougars Jimcould have built a house; my Balderson, Rashaun and there were more turn- Broadus and Keena Young overs during the game than played alongside former the amount sold at our Wolverine Pierre Thomas near-campus McDonalds. among others for the team To say it was an ugly playing against the streetmess of egos is an un- ballers. Those guys could derstatement. Hot Sauce- have made a solid core announced as the best team in reality, but in this streetballer in the world- joke they performed their had few opportunities to defenseless role pretty well. There were more people paying more money to attend this kind of spectacle than at most of the UVSC basketball games. The McKay Center wasn't sold out for the streetballers, but more people showed up to see fake basketball than the real thing. Is it the new generation that like this kind of game? Is this what the NBA (four Jazz players sat on the streetballers bench) is going to end up being like? I hope not. |