volleyball, sun and fun in atl this weekend see back

VOLLEYBALL, SUN AND FUN IN ATL THIS WEEKEND SEE BACK PAGE
MAY 27 - JUNE 2, 2009
ATLANTA’S WEEKLY SPORTS TALK NEWSPAPER
VOL 5 NO 11
Get In The Game!
02 I SCORE ATLANTA
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MAY 2 7 -JUNE 2 , 2009
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STARTING
LINEUP
SCORE ATLANTA I 03
IN YOUR
FACE…
PUBLISHER/EDITOR I.J. Rosenberg
MANAGING EDITOR Alex Ewalt
ART/CREATIVE DIRECTOR DJ Galbiati
VIDEO MANAGER Scott Janovitz
BUSINESS MANAGER Marvin Botnick
SALES MANAGER Mark Mayo
BEAT WRITERS Josh Bagriansky (Falcons, Dream),
Stephen Black (Kennesaw State), Jason Boral (Thrashers),
James Butler (UGA), Dave Cohen (Georgia State), Ricky
Dimon (Tech), Alex Ewalt (Preps), Scott Janovitz
(Hawks/Recruiting), Fletcher Proctor (Braves)
STAFF WRITERS Cranston Collier, Joe Deighton, Rajesh Gupta,
Zander Lentz, Andrew McCarron, Corey Mitchell, Alan Gales,
Brian Penter, John Edwards, Derek Wiley
CONTRIBUTORS Tad Arapoglou, Dean Zindler, Kevin Dankosky,
Mitch Evans, Matt Judy, Tony Schiavone, Richard Diamond,
Joe Haines, Brian Katrek, Chris Dimino, Mike Bell, Matt Stewart,
Fred Kalil, Nick Cellini, Phillip Leopold, Dave Marshall, Greg
Smith, Steak Shapiro, Mike Cather, Beau Bock, Hal Lamar, Chris
Cotter, Roy Hickman, Dave Cohen, John Olah, Jeff Woolverton,
Chris Voss, Bob Rathbun, Courtney Capps, Bill Hartman, Chuck
Dowdle, Shannon Alderman, Dan Kamal, Dennis Scott, C.C.,
Hal Lanier, Jeff Batten, Micah Hart, Ben Wright,
Alan Vasquez, Andrew Vedlitz, Brian Jones
SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS Mitch Albom, Dave Kindred, Barry Bloom
™
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I.J. Rosenberg shares some of his Memorial Day musings with
readers, including thoughts on the Braves’ near future and the
Falcons’ team energy at minicamp.
___________________________________________________
Check out our high school sports report for an update on the
baseball playoffs, and profiles of the Marist baseball
program and East Paulding pitcher Zack Wheeler.
___________________________________________
The AVP Tour (pictured) is back in Atlanta this weekend for the
fourth time, so head down to Atlantic Station to catch some of the
world’s best volleyball players in action.
________________________________________________________________
Braves beat writer Fletcher Proctor takes a trip up I-85 to check in on
the newest addition to the local sports landscape, the Gwinnett Braves.
A SCORE UPDATE:
If you’re planning on attending any of the five high school baseball
championship series this Friday and Saturday, be sure to look for
the official GHSA state championship program, brought to you by
Score Atlanta. The special edition features a complete finals preview,
scorecards, rosters, and a feature on one of the top players in the
country, Cartersville’s Donavan Tate. Pick one up this weekend, or
download the program from Scoreatl.com!
SCHOOL
LISTING
CHEROKEE/FORSYTH: Cherokee, Creekview, Etowah, Forsyth Central,
North Forsyth, Sequoyah, South Forsyth, West Forsyth, Woodstock
COBB: Allatoona, Campbell, Harrison, Kell, Kennesaw Mountain, Lassiter,
Marietta, McEachern, N. Cobb, N. Cobb Christian, Pebblebrook,
Pope, S. Cobb, Sprayberry, Walton, Wheeler
DEKALB: Chamblee, Columbia, Decatur, Druid Hills, Dunwoody,
Lakeside, Marist, Miller Grove, M.L. King, Paideia, Redan, St. Pius
X, Southwest DeKalb, Stephenson, Stone Mountain, Tucker
FULTON: Alpharetta, Blessed Trinity, Centennial, Chattahoochee,
Douglass, Grady, Lovett, Mays, Milton, North Springs, Northview,
Riverwood, Roswell, Tri-Cities, Westminster, Woodward Academy
GWINNETT: Berkmar, Brookwood, Buford, C. Gwinnett, Collins
Hill, Dacula, Grayson, Greater Atlanta Christian, Meadowcreek, Mill
Creek, Norcross, North Gwinnett, Parkview, Peachtree Ridge,
South Gwinnett, Wesleyan
WWW.SCOREATL.COM
TEAM PAGES I COLUMNS
BACK IN THE SWING: Head coach
COVER DESIGN BY DJ GALBIATI. COVER PHOTO COURTESY OF AVP TOUR.
Mike Smith and the Falcons were back at Flowery
Branch last week in the team’s second minicamp of
the offseason. Though questions surrounding their
(still) teammates Michael Vick’s release from prison
threatened to overshadow the action on the field, the
Birds’ young guns and veterans alike got some of
the much-needed rust off with some rigorous workouts. Photo courtesy of Jimmy Cribb/Atlanta Falcons.
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5 CHEAP SEATS 6 SCORE LIST-DUE UP 7 SPIN-C.C.
8 HS SPORTS REPORT 14 HAWKS-THRASHERS-FALCONS
15 DAWGS-JACKETS 16 BRAVES-OWLS-PANTHERS
17 DREAM 18 CALENDAR 19 AD INDEX
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Get In The Game!
04 I SCORE ATLANTA
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MAY 2 7 -JUNE 2 , 2009
SCORE ATLANTA I 05
A
fter a few needed days away from the
office with the kids on a lake in north
Georgia, here are some observations as we
head into the hot summer and count down the
days until football starts …
• I would like to think the Braves will be
in the thick of the division and wild card race
in August, but they are going to need some
offensive help to be taken seriously. While
the starting pitching is sound and Tim
Hudson may be back later in the summer, the
bats need to take pressure off the pitching
and I'm not sure they have the talent right
now at the other eight positions to do so. This
team lacks the big hitter most clubs have and
Chipper Jones continues to be nagged by
injuries. I wrote before the season—and I
still feel strongly—that this team may be a
year away from being a very competitive
team. The key is patience and not to get desperate like they did two years ago when they
made the Mark Teixeira trade, which proved
to be a huge bust and left the team without
the cleanup hitter it needed as well as several
good prospects that have turned quickly into
good major league players. Remember 1990,
the season before the consecutive division
championship run began, when the Braves
had a rotation that was beginning to jell combined with a group of young and talented
position players? This roster makeup is different when it comes to the age of the pitchers in the rotation, but it reminds me of a
team that is just a piece or two away from
really being good. Still, no one in the NL
East is running away from the pack, so anything can happen. But realistically, we may
be a year away.
• The morale at the Falcons complex in
Flowery Branch is strong as the team prepares
to prove its 11-5 season and playoff appearance last season was not a fluke. While I think
it is unfair to think this team has the tools to be
considered one of the league's best right now,
the Falcons could very well find themselves
playing deep into the playoffs if they can find
a way to get this defense to take the same jump
the offense took last year. Healthy, the Falcons
have one of the top three or four offenses in
the league and there is no reason to think that
quarterback Matt Ryan won't be better than
last year when he was the league's best rookie.
Ryan continues to work hard in the offseason
learning the intricacies of the NFL and the
addition of All-Pro tight end Tony Gonzalez
gives him not only a sounding board in the
locker room but also a very good possession
receiver. But NFL champions play defense
and, again, this team is going to be counting
on the players from the draft helping on that
side of the ball. I did like the Mike Peterson
pickup, a solid starting veteran linebacker. The
key may be how much pressure the Falcons
can put on opposing quarterbacks, taking
some pressure off their own young secondary.
No early predictions from me, but when was
the last time this town was this excited about a
football season where the Falcons, Tech and
Georgia all have a chance to be very good?
• I checked out a couple of message
boards and blogs recently where sports fans
tried to make a case that the Falcons should
hold on to Michael Vick and even put him out
at receiver. Are you kidding? While I hope the
best for Vick in his comeback, he left this franchise in shambles. The best for the Falcons and
• All this movement of athletes from
one high school to another other is getting
way out of hand and is a subject I will
address closely come football season. The
way parents are shopping their kids and the
recruiting by coaches is causing some real
problems among the high school communities. What needs to happen is the schools
themselves need to get a better handle on
what is going on in their athletic departments, and I wish there was a rule that student-athletes have to sit out a year if they
transfer schools. But recently it was made
easier for student-athletes to move, as they
ON THE COVER
Braves a year away from contending; football fever in full bloom at Flowery Branch
For the fourth year, the AVP Tour goes
through Atlanta. The Atlanta Open hits
Atlantic Station this Friday through
Sunday, and fans can watch some of
the world’s top beach volleyball players while enjoying a little bit of beach
living in the middle of the big city. The
event is quickly becoming Atlanta’s
favorite way to officially kick off the
summer. The above photo and cover
photo are courtesy of the AVP Tour.
READY FOR ANOTHER RUN: Rich Poythress and the Georgia baseball team lost to LSU in the SEC Conference
Tournament semifinals on Saturday, but will be looking to get back to the College World Series for the second
straight year when NCAA Tournament play begins this week. Last season, the Bulldogs were one game away
from knocking off Fresno State in the final series. Photo courtesy of UGA Sports Communications.
CATCH I.J. ON SUNDAYS
Remember 1990 when the Braves had a rotation that was beginning to jell combined
with a group of young and talented position players? This roster makeup is different,
but it reminds me of a team that is just a piece or two away from really being good.
Vick is that he gets a fresh start somewhere
else and once the NFL makes a decision on his
status, I do think other teams will be at the
Falcons’ doorstep trying to make a deal.
• The Hawks are a big man away from
being a very good NBA team. The question is
whether general manager Rick Sund can be
creative enough to find one. This team will
not take the next big step until it has a force
in the middle, which has become very apparent to me while watching the two conference
championship series.
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can switch schools within their counties
without even moving homes. More on this
later, but it is turning into a real problem.
• Former AJC sports writer Todd
Holcomb, my colleague at the newspaper for
more than 13 years, has come out with a
daily high school football newsletter, which
is definitely worth subscribing to. I had
lunch with Todd the other day and the
newsletter has plenty of good information as
well as some meaty stories. To subscribe,
you can go to the front page of
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SCOREATL.com and hit the football icon in
the right column below the Watch Videos tab.
• Fox 5 sports director Ken Rodriguez
and lead producer Chip Zell do a fabulous job
with high school football and Score will be
partnering with them in the fall. Look for
more information soon, but high school football fans are going to really benefit from the
combining of these resources.
• We have a cover and inside page devoted to the AVP Tour, coming to Atlantic
Station this weekend. It is a fabulous event
run by the Atlanta Sports Council, one Score
has been involved in since first coming to
Atlanta three years ago. It’s the place to be
this weekend in Atlanta.
Don't forget to check out all the high
school state championship baseball scores at
SCOREATL.COM beginning Friday. Also,
Score continues to look for more summer and
fall interns. If you are interested, email your
resume or interest to info@scoreatl.com.
Internships are available in writing, editing,
radio, graphics, ad sales, marketing, web and
web video. Rosenberg can be reached at
ijrosenberg@scoreatl.com and 404-256-1572.
Get In The Game!
06 I SCORE ATLANTA
SCORE LIST
DUE UP
BY ALEX EWALT
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In what I suppose you could consider some sort of super-delayed
revenge for the 1992 World Series, the Braves took the Blue Jays to the woodshed last
weekend with a three-game sweep. This week, they take to the road to play the NL West.
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START OVER: Michael Vick was finally released to his home in Virginia last week,
where he will begin work at a $10-an-hour construction job. Hey, in this economy, it
could be worse! The Vick return chatter hasn’t really gotten going yet, but just you wait.
coach Mike Woodson about an extension despite taking the team to the second round.
Next year is the final one in his deal … are the Hawks making the right move?
FRIDAY
CWS-BOUND?: It was a pretty good week for college baseball in our state, as Georgia
Tech will host a regional, Georgia State will make its first NCAA appearance, Georgia
Southern was rewarded with a tourney berth and Georgia will look to make another run.
AND DON’T FORGET!: Baseball isn’t all that is going on in the world of local college sports. Georgia Tech and UGA men’s golf are gearing up for the NCAA
Championships and UGA softball is headed to the College World Series.
Tommy Hanson still has not been called up to the big leagues, so it looks
like he will have to dominate AAA teams for now. His next victim will be
the Indianapolis Indians at Gwinnett Stadium, starting at 7 p.m.
GHSA Baseball State Championships.
The high school sports year will conclude with the state finals for baseball in all five classifications. The championship series weren’t set at
press time, but four of five ’08 champions were still alive in the semis.
SATURDAY AVP Crocs Tour Atlanta Open.
MINICAMP MADNESS: The Falcons are rolling with the spring minicamps, and I per-
sonally can’t wait until the team starts its full training camp in July. With the new ingredients
on the team mixed with last year’s breakout stars, we could have something special here.
SUNDAY
HIGH SCHOOL HOTSHOTS: The prep sports season will conclude when 10 base-
ball teams clash this Friday and Saturday to decide the champs in all five classes. Will
Brookwood repeat in 5A, or will East Paulding, South Forsyth or Pope spoil the party?
PARTY HARD: New Orleans Saints tight end Jeremy Shockey was treated and
released for dehydration at a Las Vegas hospital after being found unconscious at a
pool party. The party, perhaps aptly called “Rehab,” was held at a Hard Rock Cafe.
MONDAY
DEAL REACHED: The Cleveland Cavaliers have struck a deal with a Chinese invest-
ment group that would give that group 15 percent ownership in the franchise; the Cavs
would benefit from a marketing standpoint. Hey, anything to keep LeBron, right?
TUESDAY
HEY HEY HELIO: After a lengthy legal battle over tax evasion charges, an emotion-
al Helio Castroneves returned to the Formula 1 circuit last weekend to win arguably the
sport’s biggest race, the Indianapolis 500, for his dominant Penske team. Good story.
Braves sweep
The Atlanta Spirit were ranked on Sports
Illustrated’s website as the fourth-worst owners of an NHL franchise. The rankings listed
the five best and five worst owners for all the
major sports; neither the Falcons or Braves
ownership appeared on the lists, and the
Spirit did not appear on the NBA’s rankings.
The Braves are going back to Cali as they take on the San Francisco
Giants. Cheer for they Braves as they do battle against the Giants and Cy
Young winner Tim Lincecum. Game starts at 10:15 p.m.
THURSDAY Gwinnett Braves vs. Indianapolis. 550 AM
WOODY WAITING: There have been no talks between Hawks management and head
Thrashers owners
Beach volleyball is coming back to Atlanta and it’s a chance for fans of the
sport to see some of the best volleyball athletes in the world. The event will
take place at Atlantic Station, and will go on all day Friday through Sunday.
SCCA National.
Want to see some racing this weekend? The Sports Car Club of America will
host a national event at Road Atlanta where some of the best amateur sports car
drivers will compete for the top prize. The action runs all Saturday and Sunday.
NBA Playoffs. TNT.
It has been a wild NBA playoff season and the Eastern Conference Finals
have been no different. If necessary, the Orlando Magic will face the
Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 7 of the series. Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m.
Braves vs. Chicago. 96.1 FM. Peachtree TV.
After a trip out west, the Braves will be back at The Ted to play host to
the Chicago Cubs for the first time this season. It should be a packed
house for the three-game series, and the action will start at 7 p.m.
State baseball teams
Georgia Tech defeated FSU on Saturday
to help the Jackets earn the right to host
a regional in this week’s NCAA
Tournament. Georgia earns another bid
to the tourney, Georgia State makes its
first appearance ever after winning the
CAA, and Georgia Southern is in the
field after winning over 40 games.
The Braves made short work of the thenfirst-place Toronto Blue Jays (AL East) in
last weekend’s home series. The newly
bespectacled Brian McCann smashed two
home runs in Sunday’s game-three win, a
10-2 blowout that capped off a big offensive week for the club. The team’s record
was 23-20 at press time.
Though the Atlanta Braves have been
playing some great baseball as of late,
the team has had to do it with several
stars being held out of the lineup. In addition to Tom Glavine’s ongoing recovery,
Chipper Jones (sprained toe) and Yunel
Escobar (strained hip flexor) have been
in and out of the lineup recently.
The Tennessee football program was at it
again last week, earning another minor
NCAA recruiting violation for a Twitter post
that mentioned a recent commitment by
name. Lane Kiffin and his staff continue to
rack up the penalties, but at least he’s
keeping the Volunteers relevant, right?
NUMBERS SUPPORTING AMY
Number of games
Chipper Jones has missed this year
4-5
Braves’ record in
games without Chipper
19-15
Braves' record
in games with Chipper
Like everyone else in the world of
golf, I was scared and saddened when I
heard about Amy Mickelson getting diagnosed with breast cancer. I was touched by how
many PGATOUR players
wore pink over the weekend at their various events
in a show of support.
People are asking when
Phil might return to action,
and I don't think anyone
knows. Mickelson has been
one of the most noted family men
on the PGATOUR over his career, and
will almost certainly not rush back.
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Georgia softball
The Lady Bulldogs earned their first-ever
trip to the College World Series with a
comeback 7-6 win over Ohio State on
Sunday. A five-run sixth inning brought
the team back from a late-game deficit.
The 2-0 sweep over the Buckeyes earns
Georgia the right to take on Washington
in the first game of the series.
Vol violation
Injured Braves
CRUNCHING THE
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BY BRIAN JONES
WEDNESDAY Braves at San Francisco. 96.1 FM. SportSouth.
BROOMIN’:
THUMBS UP TO
A BIG SWEEP
HOTTEST THINGS TO
SEE AND DO OVER THE
NEXT SEVEN DAYS
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Why would he?
I hope some good comes out of all of
this, no matter what happens, and
I think it will. The cause of
breast cancer research will
be aided in a big way and
that can save lives in the
future. Having Phil and
Amy Mickelson involved
will assure that. Perhaps a
silver lining.
Brian Katrek can be
heard on 790 The Zone’s “On
The Green with Brian Katrek”
Sundays from 8-9 a.m. and can be
reached at bkatrek@790thezone.com.
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THUMBS DOWN TO
BREAKING THE RULES
SANITY
AT LAST
“There’s the expression,
‘you are what you eat.’ To
some extent, you are who
you hang with, too, and
that does have an effect
on lives for all of us.”
- Arthur Blank on
Michael Vick last week
MAY 2 7 -JUNE 2 , 2009
SCORE ATLANTA I 07
Falcons go fishing at Lake Lanier with veterans; Smoltzie returns to mound
CHECK
THIS OUT!
FLAGRANTLY
FOUL
The officiating in the NBA
Playoffs has been dreadful. It’s actually been worse than dreadful.
Dreadful would be offended to know
that NBA officiating was compared
to it. Seriously, it’s one of the main
topics of conversation among both
hardcore and casual basketball fans
alike. We can literally tell how good
or bad a night it’s going to be once
they announce who is officiating the
game. Here’s a small list of names
you DON’T want to see officiating
your favorite team’s playoff contest
(especially if your team is playing
LeBron James): Joey Crawford, Mark
Wunderlich, Danny Crawford, Tony
Brothers, Steve Javie, Dick Bavetta,
and Violet Palmer just to name a few.
Stan Van Gundy wants people who
have columns to write about the officiating because we won’t be fined
$25,000. I’m only too happy to
oblige. There’s always been
favoritism towards the superstars in
the league, but they’ve taken it to a
whole new level of ridiculousness
this postseason.
The coaches and players can’t say
too much because they’ll be fined,
which is absolutely insane. Someone
should be able to say the officials were
particularly terrible without being disciplined. The league has made it so the
officials are free from criticism. They
never have to stand up and be held
accountable for their awful performances. They get to make one egregious
call after another with no repercussions. It must be nice to have a job that
you can blatantly suck at and not be
fired for it. We should all be so lucky.
You would think at this point in the
playoffs only the best of the best would
be allowed to work, but apparently
they’re just going with the usual suspects. I don’t know what kind of grading scale they use to assess the officials’ performances, but it needs to be
reevaluated, because if these guys
they’ve been trotting out are the best of
the best, then the league is in
serious trouble. The officials have become bigger
than the game and no
league can survive that, not
even the NBA.
Read more from
C.C. at http://cocovents.blogspot.com.
C.C. can be reached at
cfelicec@yahoo.com.
GONE FISHIN’: Last week Jerious Norwood (pictured left) and several other Falcons players and coaches
spent a day fishing on Lake Lanier with war veterans from the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center in
Augusta last week. It was the second year the team has hosted the very special community event. Photo
Spend your Saturday night downtown this week and check out some
of the best brawlers the world has to
offer at the Center Stage Theatre on
West Peachtree Street, as Mixed
Martial Arts (MMA) visits Atlanta
for the Sin City Fight Club Pro/Am!
Check out one of the world’s fastest
growing sports up close for just
$55, or snag a spot in the cheap
seats for just $30 a pop! Fighting
starts at 8 p.m., and the feature fight
is for the middleweight title with
champion Dymond Jones facing off
against Clint Hester. Make sure
you’re on time, because you won’t
want to miss a second of the bonecrushing action that is MMA. So
what are you waiting for? Visit ticketmaster.com to reserve your passes
online, or visit www.centerstageatlanta.com for more information
on the event and the venue.
courtesy of J. Michael Moore/Atlanta Falcons.
HERE’S THE SCOOP ...
he Falcons took advantage of Flowery
Branch’s close proximity to Lake
Lanier last week when more than a dozen
players and coaches teamed with veterans
from the Charlie Norwood VA Medical
Center in Augusta for an afternoon on the
lake. Many of the veterans present served in
Iraq and Afghanistan and spent several
weeks in Augusta as part of a program that
works towards helping veterans get acclimated for a return to everyday life. The
Falcons players and coaches in attendance
spent more than three hours on the lake
fishing with the vets and, for the second
year in a row, The Dam Store provided the
supplies while local fishermen donated
boats and guide services. “It’s a special day
to get out on the lake and exchange stories
with the people we were on the boat with
and hear what they’ve gone through,” said
center Todd McClure. “We look up to them
as the men and women serving our country.
It’s a great event for both sides.”
I know the playoffs haven’t even ended
yet, but for Thrashers fans the season was
over long ago and, as a result, the upcoming
June 26 draft is focus No. 1. With that said,
it’s never too early to start planning your
day-of-draft plans and the Atlanta
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Thrashers, as always, have their fans in
mind. The night of the first round, the team
will hold its annual draft party at Jillian’s in
Duluth. Darren Eliot and Dan Kamal will be
the evening’s hosts as they break down all of
the night’s actions, and Zach Bogosian will
be on hand to talk about what his draft-night
experience was like. He'll also be signing
autographs and talking to fans. Visit
Atlantathrashers.com for more information.
We’re so used to seeing athletes named
as All-Stars, but thanks to a joint effort from
People Magazine and Major League
Baseball, 30 “everyday All-Stars” will be
brought to St. Louis on July 14 to be honored
on the field at the 80th MLB All-Star Game.
The idea is part of the All-Stars Among Us
campaign, an effort to honor those who go
above and beyond to serve their communities. One person from each Major League
club will be selected to represent their team
at the Midsummer Classic and an overall
winner will be chosen and featured in People
Magazine. Visit Braves.com for more information on the contest.
RETURN OF SMOLTZIE …
Former Brave great and future Hall of
Famer John Smoltz took a big step in his
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Written by Scott Janovitz
return from shoulder surgery last week
when he threw 29 pitches for the Boston
Red Sox’s Class A affiliate in Greenville. In
what was his first game action in almost a
year, Smoltzie struck out two batters and
felt good doing it. The 42-year-old opened
the season on the disabled list following
surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right
shoulder last June. Smoltz hopes to return
to the majors next month.
The hits keep coming for the Tennessee
Volunteer football program and head coach
in charge, Lane Kiffin. Early last week the
school reported itself to the NCAA for a
minor recruiting infraction when the team’s
Twitter page mentioned the current recruit’s
name. The misstep was only the most recent
in a long line of recruiting infractions. The
week only worsened as Kiffin announced
Mark Smith, the team’s head strength and
conditioning coach, would no longer be
with the team moving forward. The reason
for Smith’s dismissal was not explained,
though it has been speculated that it was a
mutual decision. Just six months ago, Kiffin
swooped in and stole Smith from South
Carolina. Now, during the all-important
summer training period, Kiffin must recreate similar thievery.
08
HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS REPORT
War Eagles looking to improve upon state-best 10 baseball championships
arist is on the short list of the most sto- and continued their dominance of Region 6 sophomore designated hitter Brandon hits by senior third baseman Jimbo
M
ried high school baseball programs in throughout the year, outscoring their oppo- Leibrandt each contributed two home runs in Haneklau. Outfielder Patrick Sullivan drove
Georgia history. The school’s 10 state cham- nents by an average of 13 to 1.
the series. After limited action during the regpionships (to go along with six runner-up finishes) are a state record, and it should be a
surprise to no one that the War Eagles (at
press time on Monday) were right back in
title contention in 2009.
The team began the season a solid 7-3,
but have since gone on a remarkable run of
21-1, including going undefeated in Region
6-AAAA play.
“We used those first 10 games to solidify our lineup and a lot of things came together,” said head coach Mike Strickland.
GAINING STEAM …
The War Eagles began region play with a
16-1 win over Southwest DeKalb. They followed that up with a 17-0 drubbing of Tucker
They are led by seven seniors including
University of Georgia-bound shortstop Kyle
Farmer and ace pitcher Trent Scrudder.
Farmer is hitting .533 on the year with nine
home runs and 53 RBIs. Scrudder is 9-0
with a 2.90 ERA.
“Our senior class does a phenomenal job
of pulling the younger guys in,” Strickland said.
With the playoffs came more serious challenges, as the War Eagles came from behind in
each game against Whitewater to beat the
Wildcats 11-9 and 9-7 in the first round.
“We’ve come from behind to win a lot
of games,” Strickland said. “This team has
proved their resolve, to remain calm and
battle back.”
Junior first baseman Kash Manzelli and
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ular season, Leibrandt (the son of former
Atlanta Braves pitcher Charlie Liebrandt) has
come up big, hitting over .600 in the playoffs.
Marist then eliminated Sprayberry in
two games in the second round. The War
Eagles broke a 1-1 tie in the fifth inning with
three runs to win the first game, 5-3.
Scrudder was the winning pitcher. Manzelli
broke game two open in the third inning with
a two-run homer as part of a seven-run inning
that led to an 11-4 victory.
The third round of the playoffs brought
a new opponent—Lakeside-Evans—but the
same results, as Marist only needed two
games to advance to the semifinals. The War
Eagles won game one 13-10 behind three
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in three runs. Tied 5-5 in the sixth inning,
second baseman Andy Perez drove in two
runs with a double. Farmer struck out the
final three Lakeside hitters to wrap up the
series with a 9-5 win in game two.
SEEKING NO. 11 …
The War Eagles began a three-game series
with Region 5 champion Northgate (24-3) on
Monday. Marist’s hot bats will be put to the test
against its semifinal opponent, as the Vikings
have only allowed 11 runs this postseason.
The winner of that series will host either
Starr’s Mill or Loganville for the state title
beginning Friday.
Wiley
can
be
reached
at
dwiley@scoreatl.com.
HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS REPORT I09
And then there were 20: A look at the state semifinalist baseball teams
base seven times on bunt singles and stealing undefeated, winning against Callaway, North
s the GHSA state baseball playoffs get
CLASS 4A …
down to the end, let’s take a look at
A
five bases in the series. The No. 1-ranked Oconee and Jeff Davis. Senior first baseman
The 2008 state champion Loganville
each team’s road to the semifinals
(Gasports.com) Columbus Blue Devils have Adam Whitlock was 11-11 with 12 RBIs
Red Devils are still defending after defeating
(Monday and Tuesday’s results were not
available at press time):
CLASS 5A …
East Paulding jumped on the back of its
star pitcher Zach Wheeler to get to the final
four. He has put together a string of magnificent performances in the postseason, including 10 strikeouts against Kell, a no-hitter
against Mill Creek, and a two-hit, 15-strikeout gem to defeat Lowndes (read more about
Wheeler in the article below). South Forsyth
has gone through the playoffs without a loss.
A comeback win was needed against Newnan
to complete a third-round sweep; a two-out,
two-run double by Patrick Olvaney put the
War Eagles on top for good in that contest.
After sweeping Woodstock in the first
round and narrowly defeating North Gwinnett
in a tightly-contested second round, Pope
faced Northside-Warner Robins for a chance
to advance. In the deciding third game of the
series, junior pitcher Will Kendall threw a
masterful three-hit shutout to help the
Greyhounds win, 3-0. Their semifinal opponent, Brookwood, swept all three of its playoff
opponents, Collins Hill, Lassiter and East
Coweta. Timely hitting by Nicky Moore, who
had three hits and two RBIs, finished off a
sweep of East Coweta and put the Broncos in
position for back-to-back state titles.
Sequoyah, Lakeside-DeKalb and Evans, all
in two-game sweeps. Jason Johnson, Heath
Holder, Trey Culpepper, Drew Dickerson and
Clay Garner all hit home runs against Evans
to power their way into the semis. Starr’s Mill
has also swept its way into the semis by
defeating Chamblee, Winder-Barrow and
Wayne County. The pitching of Ken Jackson,
who is undefeated at 5-0 on the year, and the
hitting of Jesse Barker, batting .432 this season, has led the way.
The other half of the bracket features
Marist (read more about the War Eagles on
page 8), which has also gone through the
playoffs unscathed by sweeping Whitewater,
Sprayberry and Lakeside-Evans. Senior
shortstop Kyle Farmer hit a two-run homer in
the first game and picked up saves in the two
wins against Lakeside-Evans. Northgate
made it a clean sweep for all final four teams
in 4A, as the Vikings dusted Forsyth-Central,
Heritage-Rockdale and South Effingham
convincingly. Catlin Kendrick and Paul Rojas
both pitched complete games against South
Effingham, each giving up just a single run
defeat South Effingham.
CLASS 3A …
Carrollton made its way into the 3A
final four by getting past Dunwoody, West
Forsyth and Peach County. Against Peach,
the Trojans played small ball by reaching
only lost two games all year, and they
haven’t been tested in the playoffs yet. In
wins against Westover, Woodward Academy
and St. Pius X, the Devils outscored their
opponents 55-3.
Cartersville swept its first three opponents in the playoffs. Against NorthsideColumbus, Donavan Tate went 4-4, scored
three runs, and knocked in a run in the two
games. Cartersville’s opponent in the semifinals was the Perry Panthers. In the third-round
sweep over Oconee County, pitchers Perry
Kiser and Sam Kinnas threw complete games.
Kinnas gave up just four hits and also drove in
the tying run at the plate in the first win.
CLASS 2A …
Cook played its way into the final four
for the chance to win its third all-time state
title. The Hornets came through with a 7-5
win in the deciding game of a series against
Blessed Trinity; Kaleb Cowart hit a go-ahead
home run in the fifth inning to spark the victory. Dublin, the Hornets’ semifinal opponent,
defeated Monticello, Appling County and
Calhoun to clinch its position in the semifinals. Zach Mullis hit a two-run home run in
the first inning of the first game against
Calhoun and the Irish didn’t look back after
that; Dublin never trailed in the series.
Lovett has gone through the playoffs
through the first three rounds. After starting
the season 10-10, Westminster clawed its way
to the final four to make its overall record 2011. Pitcher Joseph Withrow was stellar,
allowing only four hits while striking out six
in a 5-3 series-clinching game against
Bleckley County in the third round.
CLASS A …
Calvary Day out of Savannah swept its
way to the semifinals. The Cavaliers’ Beau
Smith pitched a 1-0 shutout against Bremen
in the third round to lead them to the final
four. Semifinalist Landmark Christian
slammed its way to the final four with 14 hits
and four home runs against Pacelli in its
third-round victory, a rematch of last year’s
finals. Landmark’s top four batters in the
lineup—Kyle and Colby Wren, Blake Austin
and Jonathan Roberts—were 13-for-21.
Brookstone faced a deciding third game
against Darlington in its third-round series.
Garrett Hix and Milton McCluskey hit backto-back RBI doubles to lead the Cougars to a 70 win. The pitching of Wesleyan starters Devin
Stanton and Drew Fithian put the Wolves (the
defending 2A champs) into the final four. In a
third-round defeat of Schley County, the two
combined to give up only two runs.
Deighton can be reached at
jdeighton@scoreatl.com.
East Paulding hurler propels team to semifinals, seeks championship in final year
f Georgia high school baseball fans didn’t
know the name Zack Wheeler before the
month of May, chances are they know it now.
The best pitcher in the state turned in some
truly dominating performances through the
quarterfinals of the state playoffs, elevating
his East Paulding Raiders into the semifinals
against a South Forsyth team that was undefeated in the postseason to that point.
Though results of the semifinals were not
known at press time, betting against Wheeler,
a tall, wiry right hander who is a projected
first-round pick in the upcoming MLB draft,
is always risky business considering his recent
success against some of the state’s best Class
5A squads. For the senior, a state championship would be a perfect end to a stellar four
years at the Dallas school.
“It’s something we’ve worked hard for,”
I
said Wheeler. “We’ve come a long way,
worked hard in practice. It would just cap off
my high school career here.”
ance; Rednour followed that with another
one-run performance, as the Raiders took
both games by the score of 2-1.
BURNING THROUGH THE PLAYOFFS …
ELITE PROSPECT …
Though the first round against Kell
brought a rare loss to Wheeler’s record, the
senior resumed his usual domination in the
second round against Mill Creek. The
flame-throwing star didn’t just blank Mill
Creek in the first game of that series, he
went the distance for a complete-game nohitter in the 9-0 win.
In the third round, Wheeler and No. 2
starter Bobby Rednour simply dominated
Lowndes—on the road, no less—for a relatively easy 2-0 sweep. In the first contest,
Wheeler ripped through the Vikings’ lineup
for a two-hit, one-run, 14-strikeout perform-
Wheeler, standing a lanky 6-foot-4 and
weighing in at 175 pounds, has the frame and
the length that pro scouts covet. Projections
have the high school star increasing the
speed of his fastball—clearly his strong point
at this time in his career—from the low 90s
into the mid or high 90s.
“My strength is my fastball, of course,”
Wheeler said with a certain self-knowledge.
“But I’m mentally tough out there. I don’t get
down, I just keep pitching through it. One
thing I could work on is my changeup, just to
be more consistent with it.”
Though the next month will require some
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big decisions by Wheeler, who must decide
between college baseball at Kennesaw State
and the chance to jump right in as a professional, the Raiders’ star remains even-keeled
as the playoffs come to their conclusion.
“I’ve thought about it a little bit, how everything plays out with the draft, whether I go to college or go straight to the pros,” he said. “Right
now I’m just focusing on the season. I’ll worry
about the draft after the last playoff game.”
As of Monday, Wheeler and the rest of
his teammates were hoping that last playoff
game will be played this weekend in the
championship series against either Pope or
defending champion Brookwood. Another
vintage Wheeler performance against South
Forsyth could very well put them there.
Ewalt
can
be
reached
at
aewalt@scoreatl.com.
Get In The Game!
10 I SCORE ATLANTA
AVP Tour Atlanta Open combines urban attractions with world-class volleyball
M
emorial Day has long been viewed as
the unofficial start of summer. But in
Atlanta for the last three years, another event
has helped usher in the season, and that is the
AVP Tour Atlanta Open.
The annual event at Atlantic Station,
which will take place this Friday through
Sunday, is entering its fourth year as a stop on
the AVP Tour, professional beach volleyball’s main competitive organization.
According to Gary Stokan, president of the
Atlanta Sports Council and the man
responsible for bringing the AVP Tour stop
to Atlanta, the Open just continues to get
better and better.
“It’s a great event,” said Stokan.
“When the beach hits Atlanta and Atlantic
Station, we can officially declare that
summer’s here.”
The beach that Stokan is referring to is
a specially built sand court, brought in once a
year specially for the Open, that sits on the
grounds of Atlantic Station in Midtown.
“Having a facility that you can build
from scratch is really unique on the tour,”
Stokan said. “Beach volleyball is played on
the beach, so we basically created our own
beach in Atlanta.”
different. This weekend’s tournament could
very well produce a first for the Open, as the
current No. 1-ranked (according to the current AVP Tour standings) men’s team—Phil
Dalhausser and Todd Rogers—has never won
an Atlanta Open title. The duo, which won the
gold medal at last summer’s Beijing
the top spot in the current standings with the
absence of the powerhouse Misty MayTreanor (injured) and Kerri Walsh (maternity) combination. Rounding out the top three
are Jen Kessy/April Ross and Annett
Davis/Jenny Johnson Jordan. Also victorious
at last week’s Huntington Beach
Beyond the amazing athleticism that the
sport’s stars will display on the sand, the
Atlanta Open offers attendees much more
than just the chance to watch some great
beach volleyball. Atlantic Station is well
known as one of the city’s hot spots for food
and shopping, so there will be plenty of
entertainment between the time spent
watching volleyball.
“It’s truly an event where the fans can
come out in flip flops and sandals and
shorts, and there’s great music going on
as well,” Stokan said. “There’s an opportunity to not only shop around Atlantic
Station but also to participate in some of
the other fan activities down on the beach
at Atlantic Station.
“It’s a great event for families. It’s also in
a great atmosphere that has great restaurants
and clubs surrounding it, so you can really
make a whole day out of it.”
MAKING IT ATLANTA’S OWN …
THE COMPETITION …
Atlantans usually think of the Georgia
Coast or Gulf of Mexico when they think of
the sun and the sand, but beach volleyball
was nothing new to the city when the AVP
first came to town three years ago. When
Atlanta hosted the centennial Olympic
Games in 1996, it became the first city to
host Olympic beach volleyball, giving
Atlanta a unique relationship to the growing
sport. The fans responded immediately to the
Open in its inaugural year in 2006, as the
Saturday night session set a record for attendance on the AVP Tour.
“There’s a built-in fan base that really
knows and appreciates beach volleyball,”
Stokan said. “That’s what we’ve heard from
competitors. They really know the game and
appreciate the game.”
The competitors that have come through
Atlanta since the Open’s first year in ’06 read
like a who’s who of the greatest athletes the
sport has seen, and this year’s event will be no
THE EXPERIENCE …
TO THE BEACH: Now in its fourth year of hosting, Atlanta offers a one-of-a-kind beach volleyball experience
on the sixth stop of the 2009 AVP Tour season schedule. The Atlanta Open has hosted some of the sport’s top
talents since its inaugural year of 2006, and this weekend’s tournament will be another showcase for the best
the AVP has to offer. And the tournament site, Atlantic Station in Midtown, provides fans with countless other
entertainment options in between volleyball sessions. Photos courtesy of the AVP Tour.
Olympics, is fresh off its fourth (out of just
five tournaments so far this year) tournament
championship on the ’09 season, winning at
Huntington Beach, Cal., last week. The
Dalhausser-Rogers combo will be the
favorite, although the second-place team of
Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal and the thirdplace team of John Mayer and Dan Nygaard
will always present a challenge to the reigning Olympic champions.
On the women’s side, Nicole Branagh
and Elaine Youngs have been the team to beat
this year, topping the standings and, like
Dalhausser and Rogers, winning four out of
five of the events so far. The duo has assumed
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tourney, Branagh and Youngs look to be the
favorites to take the title at Atlantic Station
this weekend.
Even though there currently are two
dominant teams at the top of the sport, competition should be fierce from the time tourney play kicks off at 9 a.m on Friday to the
time it ends at about 5 p.m on Sunday with
the conclusion of the finals.
“It’s an open tournament,” Stokan said,
“so even though you’re the gold medal winners
on the men’s side, you still have to play your
way through to the championship. Whenever
fans come down they’re going to see fantastic
play throughout, because everybody’s trying to
get to the finals on Sunday, male and female.”
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In addition to the Open’s unique urban
setting and proximity to other entertainment options, the success of the event
moves beyond just the fan experience or the
top-notch competition that observers will
take in on the sand. With high venue
turnover on the AVP Tour, Atlanta’s event is
intact and growing.
“If you look at the tour year to year,
we’re one of the few cities that has kept an
event on the tour, and it’s because of the
success of the fan base,” Stokan said.
“The fans have supported this event from
the beginning. We plan to continue that as
long as the fans tell us that’s what they
want, whether it’s bringing the AVP Tour
here or the Chick-fil-A College Kickoff or
bringing events here like the ACC basketball tournament.”
If you haven’t yet made the trip down to
Midtown to take in an event that has become
uniquely Atlanta’s, stop by for a single day or
for each day of the volleyball action at
Atlantic Station.
For ticket and schedule information,
visit AVP.com.
at
can
be
reached
Ewalt
aewalt@scoreatl.com.
MAY 2 7 -JUNE 2 , 2009
SCORE ATLANTA I 11
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12 I SCORE ATLANTA
Get In The Game!
Vols pick up another recruit, violation; Georgia moves in on top Florida prospects
ane Kiffin and the Tennessee recruiting
train keep on rolling, as the Volunteers
picked up a commitment from another bigtime player last week, this time in the form of
Troup defensive end J.C. Copeland. Copeland,
a four-star recruit and the 18th-best weakside
defensive end according to Rivals.com, chose
Tennessee over offers from UCF, East
Carolina, UAB, Auburn, Maryland,
Mississippi and Southern Mississippi.
For Copeland, it was the Kiffin presence
and UT’s connection with the NFL that won
him over. “I’ve had a chance to speak with
coach Kiffin and his dad, and that’s really
what sealed it for me, the coaches they have
up there. They have a direct link to the NFL
there and that’s everybody’s dream. Getting a
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good education is important for sure, but with
that staff the NFL connections are strong too.”
At 6-foot-2, 240 pounds, Copeland has
the size and strength to make an early impact
in Knoxville. But it wasn’t the top recruit’s
football skills that made the most noise last
week. For the third time since Kiffin and his
staff have been in Knoxville, the Tennessee
football program had to turn itself in for another secondary recruiting violation. On Tuesday,
a Tennessee assistant coach posted the following on Lane Kiffin’s Twitter page: “It’s a beautiful day in Knoxville, Tennessee today. I was
so excited to hear that J.C. Copeland committed to play for the Vols today!”
The violation? College coaches are prohibited from publicly mentioning recruits by name.
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DAWGS MAKING MOVES …
While many have speculated that
Georgia might take a step back in recruiting
this year due to more competition than ever,
the hometown ‘Dogs have started to make a
big-time push along the recruiting trail. Last
week, Georgia received good news from two
of the state’s top recruits in M.L.K. running
back Mack Brown and Newnan safety Alec
Ogletree. Brown, one of the top backs in the
country and Georgia’s finest, announced that
Florida and Georgia are now his top two
while Ogletree, a four-star recruit according
to Rivals.com, announced a top four of
Virginia Tech, Georgia, Clemson and Auburn.
Georgia also extended a couple of offers
to get in the game on two top-notch Florida
recruits in Hollywood Hills corner Tony
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Grimes and four-star Niceville running back
Roy Finch. For Finch, the Georgia offer
instantly elevated the Bulldogs toward the top
of his list, as the 5-8, 175-pound burner was
extremely impressed with Georgia’s program.
As for Grimes, the Bulldog offer was the one
he’d been waiting for.
“Georgia has been the best all along,”
Grimes recently explained in an interview with
UGASports.com. “Just going up there, meeting
the coaches, there is just no comparison between
them and these schools down here. They are definitely at the top of the list right now.”
Listen to 790 The Zone every Sunday
from 2-4 p.m. for The Official Visit, Atlanta’s
only all-recruiting radio program, brought to
you by Score Atlanta. Janovitz can be reached
at sjanovitz@scoreatl.com.
MAY 2 7 -JUNE 2 , 2009
SCORE ATLANTA I 13
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Get In The Game!
14 I SCORE ATLANTA
Woodson, team management meet on future A look at the 2009 Thrasher draft prospects
Atlanta, but peaked in early June when the
might be the “offseason,” but Hawks
ith the 2009 draft less than a month Iginla, Kane could help change the average
away, I figured it was a good time to fan’s mind on the look of the modern NHL,
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Itmanagement
is hardly taking the time off,
team was swept by Cleveland in the second
preview the possible draft picks for the which could only help boost its popularity.
using the summer months to improve a team
that got past the first round of the playoffs
for the first time in over 10 years.
First on the list is dealing (or, as it turns
out, not dealing) with head coach Mike
Woodson, who met with general manager
Rick Sund last Thursday in a mutual effort to
make some sense of the team’s future. In the
end, we learned the Hawks are squarely in
Woody’s corner and that he will be back next
season, which represents the final year on his
contract. We also learned that even after five
years roaming the Hawks’ sideline, in the
eyes of management, Woodson still has
something to prove; the topic of a contract
extension was reportedly never broached.
Not to be dejected, however, Woodson
remains resolute and hard at work, welcoming the challenge.
“There’s always pressure, if you want to
call it that,” Woodson said after a busy day of
meetings. “I don’t look at it as pressure
because I’m not made like that. All these
people talking about ‘fire Woodson’ and all
that stuff, it’s never entered my mind. I swear.
The chatter is what it is. But we’re not going
to do anything but keep pushing ahead trying
to take another step next year.”
The “chatter” Woodson referenced has
been relatively persistent during his tenure in
round of the playoffs.
Still, the Hawks ended nearly a decadelong playoff drought last year with Woodson
roaming the sidelines and have improved in
every season he’s been in charge: after going
13-69 in his first season, the Hawks won 26
games in his second season, 30 in his third,
37 in his fourth and 47 this past season.
“Mike and his staff did a good job this
year,” said Sund. “We won 47 games and
locked up a top-four seed. In our business,
that’s not something that can be dismissed.”
OFF THE COURT …
The Atlanta Hawks A-Town Dancers are
looking for talented, enthusiastic individuals
with a love of performing to become part of
the 2009-10 squad. So if you are interested in
this opportunity, now’s the time to start training. Preliminary auditions are slated for
Sunday, June 7, and will be held on the
Philips Arena practice court. Registration
begins at 11 a.m.
For more information regarding auditions and to make registration form requests,
visit Hawks.com or call 404-878-3800. Final
auditions are set for Sat., June 13.
Janovitz
can
be
reached
at
sjanovitz@scoreatl.com.
Thrashers in a few weeks. Atlanta will pick
fourth overall behind the New York
Islanders, division rival Tampa Bay
Lightning and the Colorado Avalanche. The
consensus from draft experts has John
Tavares, Matt Duchene, and Victor Hedman
going in some order to those three teams,
leaving Atlanta with a litany of choices in
the fourth slot.
EVANDER KANE …
Agreed upon as the fourth best player in
the draft by most experts, the center from the
Vancouver Giants of the WHL could fit perfectly into John Anderson’s offensive system.
Kane was named after Evander Holyfield,
and NHL scouts hope that his frame fills out
like the four-time heavyweight champion.
Kane stands at 6-foot-1, but at only 17 years
old he weighed in this season at 180 pounds.
He possesses a quick release on his shot and
is an excellent skater, especially in tight
spots on the ice. His acceleration gives him
the advantage when fighting for 50-50
pucks. However, the most impressive aspect
of Kane’s game is his character on and off the
ice, as represented by his reaction to not
making Team Canada for the IIHF World
Championships this year. Kane was cut from
the team after tryouts and then brought in as
an injury replacement a few days before the
start of the tournament. Instead of sulking,
Kane responded by scoring two goals and
registering four assists, including two assists
in Canada’s 6-5 win over Russia in the semifinal round. One of the more interesting subplots with Kane will be his African-Canadian
heritage. Following in the steps of Jarome
Free agent WR signed; Moore picks number
City community, along with the collaboormer University of Miami wideout
Khalil Jones was signed by the team on
F
ration of numerous partners that are pasMay 20. The speedster was used mainly on
sionate about green space and community
special teams during his time at Coral
Gables, catching just 13 passes for 135 yards
in four seasons as a ‘Cane.
Jones won the team’s Humanitarian
Award at the MPC Computers Bowl, where
he was recognized for his activity off the
field. The speedy receiver also ran track at
UM and has clocked out at as fast as 4.37 in
the 40-yard dash.
SPRING BEAUTIFICATION …
The Arthur Blank Family of Business
doubled up with Park Pride, as more than
100 volunteers helped in the revitalization
and renovation of three Atlanta area parks:
Vine City Park, Washington Park and
Cleopas Johnson Park.
“One of the core values of all of our
businesses is giving back to the community,”
said Blank. “I’m particularly proud that our
associates decided to join forces today to
have a meaningful impact in parks surrounding the Georgia Dome.”
Several members of the Falcons front
office were involved in the event. Among
them were head coach Mike Smith, president Rich McKay, and general manager
Thomas Dimitroff.
The day also included the grand opening of Vine City Park. The event included a
ceremony featuring mayor Shirley Franklin
as well as Blank and his wife, Stephanie.
“Today’s opening of Vine City Park is
special to us, because it celebrates a journey of active involvement by the Vine
gathering areas,” Blank added.
MOORE HONORS FALLEN TEAMMATE …
Second-round draft pick William Moore
has decided to wear No. 25 in the NFL, honoring his former Missouri teammate and
friend Aaron O’Neal, who died suddenly in
July of 2005 while participating in a voluntary offseason summer workout with teammates. Moore and O’Neal were classmates
and close friends at Mizzou.
The two spent their freshman seasons
together as members of the scout team, helping to prepare the starters for the opposing
defense they would face on Saturday’s.
“Aaron is always with me on the field,”
Moore said.
Cornerback Von Hutchins, who missed
all of last season with an injury, held No. 25
before Moore was drafted. Hutchins allowed
Moore to use the number in exchange for a
donation to the Lupus Foundation of
America, which Hutchins has supported religiously since his mother was diagnosed with
the disease.
“I would have done that anyway,”
Moore said of the donation. “We’re doing
two good things at once.”
The change will be made official when
the Falcons open training camp in July.
“Whenever I feel like I can’t go to the extra
step, I think about Aaron and what he put on
the line,” Moore said.
Bagriansky can be reached at
jbagriansky@scoreatl.com.
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BRAYDEN SCHENN …
Schenn, another center from the WHL,
is one of the bigger, more physical players
coming out of the draft this season. At 6-0,
he already weighs in at just under 200
pounds and could add more with an NHL
weight training program. Schenn used his
size to his advantage in the WHL by pushing
around smaller players to create open ice.
Schenn has average to above average ratings
in all categories across the board. He skates
smoothly and passes the puck extremely
well. As a left-handed shooter, he can be difficult to defend in open ice when covered by
less talented defenseman. However, Schenn
is likely to return to his WHL team in 2009,
as the Brandon Wheat Kings are slotted to
host the 2010 Memorial Cup, a big tournament in Canada.
MAGNUS PAAJARVI-SVENSSON …
Paajarvi-Svensson is a Swedish forward
who has little numbers to back the talent that
most scouts see in him. He has bounced
around multiple teams, but at age 18 he has
set a handful of records for being the
youngest player in certain leagues. At age 16,
he became the youngest player to compete in
the World Junior Championship since Sidney
Crosby in 2004. He also follows Jason
Spezza, Janne Niinimaa, Eric Lindros,
Robert Reichel and Wayne Gretzky as the
only 16-year-olds to compete in the tournament. He has lots of talent offensively, and a
very solid shot with great accuracy.
Boral
can
be
reached
at
jboral@scoreatl.com
MAY 2 7 -JUNE 2 , 2009
SCORE ATLANTA I 15
Hoops team adds scorer; softball makes CWS
oth university teams that participate on a
diamond-shaped playing surface are gunB
ning for a national championship. The soft-
ball team is headed to its first ever Women’s
College World Series thanks to sweeping
Ohio State 2-0 in a best-of-three series last
weekend in Athens. The Bulldogs (44-10)
will take on Washington (46-11) in their
opening game in Oklahoma City on
Thursday at 1 p.m. on ESPN. The format of
the series will follow the format of the men’s
College World Series, with bracket play consisting of double elimination and a threegame series between the two bracket winners
determining the champion. Georgia is one of
three SEC teams in the field, joining perennial power Alabama and top-ranked Florida.
Washington is one of three Pac-10 teams in
the field, as the Huskies are joined by
Arizona and Arizona State. Michigan and
Missouri round out the eight clubs. The
Women’s College World Series runs from
Thursday to June 3. Each game will be televised on ESPN or ESPN2.
The baseball team (37-22) is a little farther away from winning the ultimate prize.
The Bulldogs start play in the NCAA
Regionals this week, as they are coming off a
2-2 showing in last week’s SEC Tournament.
The No. 2-seeded Bulldogs will travel to No.
1 seed Florida State and will begin play by
meeting No. 2 seed Ohio State. Marist is the
region’s No. 4 seed.
NEW ADDITION …
The men’s basketball program will get a
boost for the 2010-2011 season as Tennessee
State guard Gerald Robinson Jr. announced
he is transferring to Georgia. The 6-foot-1
Robinson, who led the Tigers in scoring at
17.8 points a game this past season, will
have to sit out next season due to NCAA
transfer rules and will have two years of eligibility remaining. He has a respectable 45.2
career field goal percentage despite being
the top scoring option for a middling Ohio
Valley Conference team. Robinson also
sports a career average of 21.3 points per
game in three outings against SEC schools
and an average of 20 points in two games
against Georgia Tech. With the addition of
Robinson, the Bulldogs’ future backcourt is
looking to be a versatile one, as he will eventually join incoming freshmen DeMario
Mayfield and Vincent Williams. All three
players can be described as scorers who have
the ability to distribute the ball, meaning
they will fit in nicely with rising sophomore
point guard Dustin Ware.
MORE SEASON FINALES …
The women’s tennis team lost in the
NCAA Semifinals, 5-2, to eventual national
champion Duke back on May 18. Freshman
Chelsey Gullickson advanced to the semifinals of the national singles tournament,
where she lost to Miami’s Laura Vallverdu.
… The women’s golf team finished 15th at
the NCAA Championships in Owings Mill,
Md., last week. Marta Silva Zamora led
Georgia with a 12-over 300, as Arizona State
took home the title. … The men’s golf team
will start play in the NCAA Championships
on Wednesday in Toledo, Oh. The four-day
event will conclude on Saturday. … The
track and field team will participate in the
NCAA East Regional in Greensboro, N.C.,
on Friday and Saturday. The NCAA
Championships start June 10.
Butler
can
be
reached
at
jbutler@scoreatl.com.
Baseball set to host regional; softball falls
disappointing week on the diamond history finally came to end last weekend.
ended on a positive note for the Georgia Georgia Tech was swept in two straight
A
Tech baseball team, as the Jackets were games by visiting Washington in the Atlanta
picked on Sunday evening to host one of the
16 NCAA Tournament regionals.
Tech got into the field of 64 as an atlarge selection after dropping its first two
games at last weekend’s ACC Tournament,
suffering swift elimination. In the opening
game of round-robin group play, Miami used
a seven-run sixth inning to seize an 8-6 victory. The Jackets were knocked out of title contention the next day when they fell to Boston
College, 7-3.
Despite the setbacks, Georgia Tech capitalized on a chance to end the tournament
with some momentum. With top-seeded
Florida State having already clinched a spot
in the championship thanks to wins over
Boston College and Miami, Tech pounded the
Seminoles 9-2 in a round-robin finale. Right
fielder Luke Murton connected on a threerun homer and starter Brandon Cumpton
allowed just one run in five-plus innings.
The impressive performance gives the
Jackets something to build on heading into
this weekend’s NCAA Tournament, which
they will kick off by facing crosstown rival
Georgia State. Elon and Southern Miss are
the other two visitors. “We are excited to have
the opportunity to host a regional this season,” said head coach Danny Hall. “I want to
congratulate our players on earning that for
our team, and I'm looking forward to having
a lot of Georgia Tech fans out at Russ
Chandler Stadium this weekend.”
SOFTBALL BOUNCED …
The softball team’s best season in school
Super Regional to end its incredible season
with a record of 46-15. Ranked 13th in the
nation, Tech fell 7-1 to its third-ranked opponent in Saturday’s regional opener.
Washington finished off the Jackets on
Sunday with a 7-0 victory, ending the
Jackets’ season as well as the illustrious
career of senior Whitney Haller. The ACC’s
all-time leader in home runs and RBIs,
Haller became the second Georgia Tech player to be named all-conference four straight
years. The Huskies, meanwhile, move on to
the College World Series and will kick off
their bid for a national championship on
Thursday against No. 6 Georgia.
GOLF AT NAT’L CHAMPIONSHIPS …
The golf team was announced as the No.
10 seed for this week’s NCAA Division I
Championship, which got underway at the
Inverness Club in Toledo, Oh., on Tuesday.
Tech qualified by finishing in a tie for third at
the NCAA Central Golf Regional in Bowling
Green, Ky., two weeks ago. … Guillermo
Gomez, the No. 1 player on the men’s tennis
team and the No. 11 player in the nation, lost
in the second round of the NCAA Singles
Championships last Thursday in College
Station, Tex. … Amanda McDowell, the 2008
national champion in women’s singles, lost in
the second round in her bid to defend the title.
Senior Christy Striplin also advanced to the
round of 32 before being eliminated.
at
Dimon
can
be
reached
rdimon@scoreatl.com.
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Get In The Game!
16 I SCORE ATLANTA
Medlen rocked in debut; Braves sweep Jays KSU athletes rack up postseason awards
he 2009 baseball season was a good one
the top 10 of the standings and had a KSUand gave nearly as strong a performance.
Braves began interleague play
T
for the Owls, as the squad finished 30-22
leading four top-20 finishes. Arana led KSU
week after splitting a four-game
ThelastAtlanta
Lowe pitched 7.1 innings to get the win as the
and second in the Atlantic Sun Conference. It
in stroke average (77.2) and winning perseries with the Colorado Rockies. The Braves
bats appeared to finally show up in games
two and three of the series as the Braves put
up eight runs in the second game and 12 in
the third. The fourth game, however, found
the Braves again popless as Kris Medlen lost
his major league debut, pitching three-plus
innings and allowing five runs. The Atlanta
offense was able to muster just four hits, two
from Jeff Francoeur. The 23-year-old Medlen
also allowed five walks, half of what he has
surrendered in 37-plus innings at Gwinnett
this season. His numbers with the G-Braves
included 44 strikeouts to just 10 walks.
Medlen is expected to pitch against San
Francisco this week.
Toronto visited Turner Field in a
rematch of the 1992 World Series. In game
one, Roy Halladay and Kenshin Kawakami
went scoreless inning for scoreless inning
through seven. Halladay was taken out of the
game for a pinch hitter, while Kawakami
closed the door on the Blue Jays. In the bottom of the eighth, the Braves finally got on
the board with a Matt Diaz pinch-hit double
followed by a Casey Kotchman RBI sacrifice
fly. Mike Gonzalez came on and picked up
the save, his seventh of the season.
Kawakami earned the win to improve to 3-5
on the season.
In game two, Derek Lowe went to the hill
Braves took out the Blue Jays, 4-3. Kelly
Johnson contributed a home run and
Kotchman hit a two-run double. Lowe even
provided an RBI himself in the contest. Rafael
Soriano picked up the save after Gonzalez
loaded the bases in the ninth. The Braves completed an impressive sweep of the Blue Jays
on Sunday with a 10-2 thrashing. Brian
McCann hit two home runs in the contest, and
Johnson ended up just a triple short of the
cycle in the blowout win. The win pushed the
team’s record to 23-20 on the year.
READYING FOR A RETURN …
Tom Glavine pitched for Class AAA
Gwinnett on Saturday as he continues to
make his way back from a shoulder injury
that ended his 2008 season. Glavine threw 56
pitches over three innings, allowing three
runs and one walk. Glavine struck out one in
his appearance.
Chipper Jones missed game one of the
Toronto series with an injured big toe. Jones
suffered the injury running the bases in the
series finale of the Colorado series. In game
three of that series, Chipper Jones recorded
his 1,000th career hit at Turner Field. Just
one game prior, Rockies first baseman Todd
Helton notched his 2,000th career hit.
Proctor
can
be
reached
at
fproctor@scoreatl.com
was also a great season for a quartet of individual players. Three pitchers and one position player were given all-A-Sun honors for
their efforts this season. The foursome
includes Chad Jenkins, Kenny Faulk, Kyle
Heckathorn and Jace Whitmer.
Jenkins, a right-handed starting pitcher,
was unanimously voted to the A-Sun's first
team and was named A-Sun Pitcher of the
Year. Jenkins finished the season leading the
A-Sun in wins (eight), ERA (2.54), and
innings pitched (92).
Joining him on the first team was Faulk,
a left-handed pitcher, who had seven wins,
four saves and an ERA of 3.16 in 26 appearances. Faulk also racked up 56 strikeouts in
42.2 inning and held opponents to a teamlow 2.08 batting average.
Junior's Kyle Heckathorn and Jace
Whitmer were named to the A-Sun second
team. Heckathorn, a starting pitcher, had
four wins, a 3.44 ERA, and struck out 98 batters on the season. Heckathorn, from
Ringgold, was also named National Player of
the Week for his KSU-record-setting 15strikeout game versus North Florida.
Catcher Jace Whitmer was the first Owl
to ever hit 10 home runs in a season. Whitmer
also led the team in slugging percentage
(.603), total bases (109), and RBIs (51).
In other news, Kennesaw State freshman golfer Patricia Arana was named to the
Atlantic Sun All-Freshman team. Arana, a
native of Barcelona, Spain, twice finished in
centage (.736). She is the first Owl honored
by the A-Sun in golf since the Owls moved to
the conference in 2005.
FUNDRAISING EVENT A SUCCESS …
The 15th Annual Dot Martin
Scholarship Classic, one of the primary
fundraisers for KSU athletics, raised a
record-setting $46,000 to help fund studentathlete scholarships. More than 130 players
participated in the golf tournament at the
BridgeMill Athletic Club. Foursome Spencer
Askew, David Booth, Jim Askew and Sean
Webb won the event in record-tying fashion,
shooting 22-under for a round score of 50.
Papa John’s held the second and third spots
with the team of Adam Waddell, Mike King,
Phil Hoddy and Jim Kemp placing second
and Mike Rozier, Chris Locher, Mike
Metsey and Joe Summerour taking third.
The tournament has seen substantial
growth the last five years, earning over
$170,000 during that span. The annual tournament is named after longtime KSU supporter Dorothy “Dot” Martin, who co-founded the KSU booster club and the KSU
Scholarship Golf Classic, which was
renamed in her honor after her death in 1999.
Next year’s tournament is scheduled for May
17. For more information feel free to contact
George Olney at 770-499-3459 or dotmartin@kennesaw.edu. Or check out the
website at www.kennesaw.edu/dotmartin.
Edwards
can
be
jedwards@scoreatl.com.
reached
at
Baseball team makes history, earns NCAA bid with conference championship
we beat a Top 25 team in George Mason, and
anybody. We knew that we wanted to come
got on the board in the second inning on
laying in the CAA tournament champiwe beat UNC Wilmington in the winner’s
and win this tournament, not just make it.
Bradley Logan’s solo home run. After falling
onship game for the first time in school
P
bracket on their home field, and then we beat
“This is more than a team,” continued
behind 8-3 at the end of four innings,
history, Georgia State rallied from a five-run
deficit to come back and beat UNC
Wilmington in a slugfest, 12-10, at Brooks
Field in Wilmington, N.C. Georgia State
earns its first conference title and the
Colonial Athletic Association’s automatic
bid to the NCAA baseball tournament. The
No. 4-seeded Panthers will play in the
Georgia Tech regional and will meet the
Jackets in the opening game. “I told the players before the game, there are very few times
in life where you get the opportunity to be
the first at something,” said head coach Greg
Frady. “A small window will open up, and if
you run through that window, people will
never forget you. Today our boys made history. They are champions. It feels great to
bring the first baseball championship to our
university, and to play in an NCAA Regional
will be a lifetime experience for these guys.”
The Panthers were down 2-0 early but
Georgia State’s bats got hot and the Panthers
scored four runs in the fifth. Three runs
scored on consecutive singles by Marc
Mimeault, Brandon Williams and Carl
Moniz. The Panthers then added four more in
the sixth inning to take their first lead of the
game, one they would not relinquish. Justin
Malone came on in relief to close UNCW
out. Panther infielder Bradley Logan, who
hit four home runs during the tournament,
one in each game, was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. Logan has
been in CAA tournament play before, in his
freshman season, but he sensed a different
attitude about this 2009 team. “We talked
about changing the atmosphere around
Georgia State baseball,” said Logan. “In the
past, it’s been, ‘Let’s make the [CAA] tournament.’ This year we have an older, experienced group, and we knew that we could beat
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Logan. “We’re always together, even off the
field, and the bonds grow. I try to set an
example. I try to bring energy every day, and
I try to be a leader.”
During the course of the four-day tournament, Georgia State beat Northeastern 65, UNC Wilmington 8-5, and George Mason
9-3, leading up to the title game. There were
many big hits in those games including
Derek Simmons’s game-winning hit that
scored Michael McCree in the ninth to beat
the Huskies in the opener and Marc
Mimeault’s two-RBI single in the ninth in
Thursday’s win over UNCW. There were also
outstanding pitching performances from
Aidan Francis, Will Campbell, Ryan Moore
and Justin Malone. “We did a great job of
navigating our way through this tournament,” Frady said. “It’s a tough tournament.
We can be extremely proud of the fact that
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Wilmington again on their home field in the
championship game.”
LEAGUE RECOGNITION …
Five Panthers earned all-conference
honors, which were announced at the CAA
Baseball Championship Banquet. Simmons
earned All-CAA first-team honors.
Mimeault and Moore were named to the AllCAA second team and Francis and Brandon
Williams were named to the All-CAA third
team. … Follow the Panthers online at
www.georgiastatesports.com. For ticket
information call 1-866-GA-STATE.
Dave Cohen is in his 26th season as the
“Voice of Georgia State Basketball and
Baseball on WRAS-FM (88.5) and works on
the football radio crew at Furman University
in Greenville, S.C.
MAY 2 7 -JUNE 2 , 2009
SCORE ATLANTA I 17
New and improved Dream hits practice court; webcast, TV slate announced
he Dream returned to practice last week,
and the squad bore little resemblance to
last year’s expansion team that went 4-30
during the season, with just five returning
players on the entire roster.
“I don’t know exactly what they’re saying about us behind closed doors,” said head
coach and general manager Marynell
Meadors, “but the rumor mill I’m hearing is
that [everyone thinks] you better be ready for
Atlanta, because they have arrived.”
Expectations are high amongst the
players as well.
“Our attitude is different,” said point
guard Ivory Latta. “I expect us to do great.
The depth is amazing.”
Among those new players is forward
Chamique Holdsclaw, one of the better known
T
players in the game, whom the Dream signed
last offseason. Holdsclaw returns to the team
after two seasons away from the WNBA. She
abruptly “retired” from the league in the middle of the 2007 season, temporarily ending a
career marred by off-the-court issues.
But she did spend time in Europe, so it’s
not as if Holdsclaw has been out of the game
altogether. And she thinks she’s better than ever.
“Everyone knows I can score,” said
Holdsclaw, the all-time leading scorer at the
University of Tennessee, “but I think playing
in Europe I really developed other areas of
my game. I just want to go out there and be
that all-around player. I want to be able to
walk off the court every night and say I had
fun, and we worked hard. You can’t just work
hard and be miserable, you’ve got to enjoy it.”
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WATCH ONLINE …
Although the Dream didn’t renew their
contract with CSS and won’t be shown on
local TV this year, fans will still be able to
check out Marynell Meadors’ team online, as
the team will webcast 32 games live via the
team’s website at www.atlantadream.net.
“We believe this innovative approach
will broaden the fan base for the WNBA and
the Dream as we allow our fans who cannot
always make it to our games in person to follow the Dream wherever we play,” said
Dream president and COO Bill Bolen. “The
accessibility of our players in the community and with our fans has always been a hallmark of the WNBA, and this new initiative
continues that theme by allowing our fans to
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stay connected no matter where they are
around the country.”
The first webcast will take place for the
team’s home opener on June 6 at 7 p.m., a
home matchup against the Indiana Fever.
“The DreamNation spreads across the
entire Southeast and beyond, and we are
excited to bring the games to our fans via
LiveAccess,” Bolen said.
The league also announced its national
television schedule, which does include an
Atlanta Dream game on June 30 at home
against the Minnesota Lynx. The Aug. 1
game with the New York Liberty will be televised nationally on NBA TV.
Bagriansky can be reached at
jbagriansky@scoreatl.com.
Get In The Game!
18 I SCORE ATLANTA
BASKETBALL
Club Sport, "Where Atlanta Comes To Play!" Registration
Ongoing - Men's League plays on Sunday evenings at
the Brookhaven Boys & Girls Club. For more info or to
register visit www.usclubsport.com
Marist War Eagle Boys Basketball Camp. Ages 7-15 day
sessions, July 6-10 and July 13-17. Evening sessions
ages 12-17, July 6-9 and July 13-16. Contact Marist
head coach Greg McClaire at 770-936-6412 for more
information.
Collegiate Prep Basketball Academy_Boys/Girls
Camp. June 15-19, 2009 (grades 1-6), 8:00am3:00pm; Crabapple First Baptist Church_Premier Boys
Camp July 20-24, 2009 (ages 9-16), 8:00am-3:00pm;
St. Francis Middle School - Roswell_Premier Girls
Camp July 13-17, 2009 (ages 9-16), 8:00am-3:00pm;
Mount Pisgah Christian School-Johns Creek_Contact
678.778.9027 email: admin@collegiateprep.com,
website: collgiateprep.com.
Top of the Key. Ongoing. Personal basketball lessons
with Olympian Debbie Miller-Palmore, boys and girls
ages 8-18. For information call 770-465-1502.
Southern Xposure. Ongoing. Cobb County Christian
School - Marietta. AAU and YBOA tryouts for 9-andunder and 8-and-under teams. For information call
404-447-3992 or email pharper333@yahoo.com.
Peach State Basketball. Ongoing. Basketball skill devel
opment training for college caliber high school players
throughout the off-season. Players can use these ses
sions to continue improving all year long. Contact
Brandon Clay at 404-422-3946 or visit www.peach
statehoops.com for more information.
Suwanee Sports Academy. Ongoing. Basketball training
and development for boy and girls grades K-12. Rising
Stars, Future Stars, Suwanee Basketball League, On
Court Player Development, nationally-recognized yearround comprehensive player development program.
For more information contact Mike Brown at 678-5410176 or visit www.ssasports.com.
Mark Price Shooting Lab. Ongoing: Personalized profes
sional shooting instruction through one-on-one coach
ing and state-of-the-art technology at Suwanee Sports
Academy. For more information, contact Mike Brown
at 678-541-0176 or visit www.ssasports.com.
SSA’s On Court. Check out Suwanee Sports
Academy’s On Court, the nation’s premier off-season
development program at the nation’s premier basket
ball training facility right here in Gwinnett County! For
more information, contact Michael Brown at 678-5410176 or visit www.ssasports.com.
Open Recreational Basketball. GSL -- Georgia Sports
Leagues. Georgia’s Best Sports Leagues. Registration
ongoing. We offer “Top Gun,” “B,” “C”and Co-Ed styles
of play around Atlanta. We play ALL year round. For
more information please contact (678)799-0159 or email
mark@georgiasportsleagues.org.Visit www.georgiasport
sleagues.org.
Just Skills Of Atlanta. 8-week basketball fundamentals
program for boys and girls ages 5 to 17 at Bogan Park in
Buford and Lenora Park in Snellville. Spring programs
start the week of March 24th, Summer programs start
the week of June 3rd, Fall programs start the week of
August 11th. Please visit www.justskillsofatlanta.com for
more information or call 770-296-2580. Sessions are fill
ing up now for spring, summer and fall. Ask about our
free introduction day to see what Just Skills Of Atlanta
is all about.
Basketball Clinics and Summer Camps. Ongoing. See
website for details. All-Tournament Players Park
Marietta, GA. www.alltournamentplayerspark.com.
BASEBALL
Braves. May 27 at San Francisco 10:15 PM. May 28 at
Arizona 9:40 PM. May 29 at Arizona 9:40 PM. May 30
at Arizona 4:10 PM. May 31 at Arizona 4:10 PM. June
2 vs. Chicago Cubs 7 PM. June 3 vs. Chicago Cubs 7
PM. June 4 vs. Chicago Cubs 7 PM. June 5 vs.
Milwaukee 7:30 PM. June 6 vs. Milwaukee 7 PM. June
7 vs. Milwaukee 1:30 PM. June 8 vs. Pittsburgh 7 PM.
June 9 vs. Pittsburgh 7 PM.
Gwinnett Braves. May 27 vs. Indianapolis 7 PM. May 28 vs.
Indianapolis 2 PM. May 29 at Syracuse 7 PM. May 30 at
Syracuse 7 PM. May 31 at Syracuse 5 PM. June 1 at
Syracuse 7 PM. June 2 at Rochester 7:05 PM. June 3 at
Rochester 7:05 PM. June 4 at Rochester 7:05 PM. June 6
vs. Columbus 7 PM. June 7 vs. Columbus 2 PM. June 8
vs. Columbus 7 PM. June 9 vs. Columbus 7 PM.
Prospect Watch. Ongoing - Buckhead. Baseball pitching
and hitting lessons by a former college and minor
league coach. For information call 404-869-7966 or
visit www.eteamz.com/tryouts.
Adult Baseball League Metro Atlanta. Ongoing. MSBL
18+, 28+, 38+, and 48+. Sunday League contact
info is 770.785.2588, e-mail info@AtlantaMSBL.com.
MSBL 18+ Saturday League contact info is 770-4368114, e-mail AtlantaMABL@aol.com. MSBL 18+
Midweek Wood bat league contact info is 770-4368114, e-mail AtlantaMABL@aol.com. MSBL 18+
Fall League contact info is 770-436-8114, e-mail
AtlantaMABL@aol.com. For more information
about our Atlanta Adult Baseball League, please
visit our website at www.AtlantaMSBL.com.
TNT Sports. Ongoing. Baseball pitching and hitting lessons
by Rob Blair, former college coach, Snellville.To set up
a free pitching or hitting analysis call 678-344-5876.
Jack City Baseball. Ongoing. Baseball pitching and hitting.
Instruction with former pro Keith Whitner. 18-y looking
for high school players. The new location is inside
Velocity Sports in North Gwinnett. For more informa
tion call 770-633-0948 or visit jackcity.net.
Baseball & Softball Clinics and Summer Camps Ongoing.
See website for details. All-Tournament Players Park
Marietta, GA. www.alltournamentplayerspark.com.
FOOTBALL
Club Sport, "Where Atlanta Comes To Play!" Registration
Ongoing for Men's & Coed Flag Football Multiple locations
throughout the Metro Area For more info or to register
visit www.usclubsport.com
NAFFA Screen Flag Football Nationals. Saturday &
Sunday June 6/7, 2009 Top teams from across the
country will compete for cash prizes. Men's, Women's
& Coed Divisions. For more info or to register visit
www.usclubsport.com
Topps Matt Ryan Youth Football Clinic. Features instruc
tion by Matt Ryan, Justin Blalock and Sam Baker of the
Atlanta Falcons. Boys and girls ages 7-14, non-con
tact. June 6. 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Centennial
High School. Visit www.mattryanclinic.com or call 513793-CAMP for more information.
Georgia Mustangs Football Tryouts. 2008 Southeastern
Division Champs. AAA Minor League Football team.
Tryouts May 9 at 8 a.m to 2 p.m. at Oglethorpe
University. Website is www.gamustangsfootball.com.
SCM Group Camp. High school and youth camp at
Oglethorpe University. June 15-19 for high school and
July 6-10 for youth ages 7-13 weeklong day camp.
Website is www.scmgroup-inc.com. Endorsed by current
and former NFL players from the Atlanta chapter of NFLPA.
Collins Hill Athletic Association. Ongoing. Accepting
applications for qualified coaches in all age groups. For
information email Craig Deneau at deneauc@charter.net
Grayson Athletic Association. Ongoing. Football coaches
needed for eighth grade and all age groups. For infor
mation call Duane Davis at 678-300-0282 or visit
www.gaasports.org.
Flag Football. GSL -- Georgia Sports Leagues. Georgia’s
Largest Flag League. Registration ongoing. We offer 7Man, 8-man, Youth and Co-Ed styles of play around
Atlanta. We play ALL year round. For information
please contact (678)799-0159 or email mark@geor
giasportsleagues.org.Visit www.georgiasportsleagues.org.
Georgia Force Home School High School Football
Program. If you are a home school student or a stu
dent that attends a Christian school in the Gwinnett or
Hall county region and would like to participate in high
school football, please contact Scott Willis at 770-5311499 ext 401 or email at appstmtn@aol.com The
Georgia Force High School football program partici
pates in the GFL (Georgia Football League) and is
accepting players from the ages of 13-18 years old.
We currently offer a JV and Varsity program. For more
information, please go to our web site at www.forcehigh
schoolfooball.com.
Arena Indoor Football. Ongoing. Youth and Adult Leagues.
Youth 7 vs. 7; Adult 6 vs. 6. For information, call 678714-7454 or e-mail info.indoor@atlantasilverbacks.com.
www.atlantasilverbacks.com/indoor.
Capitol City Officials Association. CCOA is accepting
ongoing registration for the upcoming GHSA High
School season in football. We hold weekly training
meetings. For more information, contact Irvin Seabrook
at 404-957-3331 or e-mail Irv_Seabrook@yahoo.com.
HOCKEY
Peachtree Booster Club. Ongoing - Pickneyville Roller
Hockey Rink. Fees: $95 for 12-game season, $30 outof-county fee. For information visit www.pbsports.org.
SOCCER
Club Sport, "Where Atlanta Comes To Play!" Registration
Ongoing for Coed Soccer 8v8. League games on
Saturday at Mercer U - Atlanta Campus. For more info or
to register visit www.usclubsport.com
Challenged Soccer. Ongoing. For mentally and physically
disabled youngsters. For information call Ken Higgins
at 770-985-0434.
Fair Play Sports Center. Ongoing on Saturdays. Indoor
soccer for ages 4-7. 30- to 60-minute classes. For
information call 770-831-3210.
Hall of Fame soccer clinics. Ongoing on Fridays Clarkston Community Center. For under-6 through
under-12 players. Fees: Free. For information call 404508-1050 or visit www.clarkstoncommunitycenter.org.
5:30-7 PM.
Competitive Amateur Soccer in Atlanta For more
information, visit www.majesticsoccer.com.
TENNIS
Technique Clinics. Ongoing - Bitsy Grant Tennis Center.
Tuesdays (serve/volley) and Saturdays (forehand/back
hand). Fees: $18. For information call 404-790-4772
or email jimhines01@yahoo.com. 2 PM on Saturdays,
6:30PM on Tuesdays.
Tennis camps for kids. Ongoing weekly. Lost Mountain
Tennis Center. For information call 770-528-8525.
LACROSSE
Lacrosse. Ongoing. Registration for 1st-8th grades. For
information call 404-216-5870, email jasona@bagat
awaylacrosse.com or visit www.bagatawaylacrosse.com.
PlayLaxGwinnett. Ongoing. Players, coaches, referees
needed for play at Gwinnett Sports Center. For
information call Chris Chico at or 678-429-0094 or
email chris@kicks-sticks.com.
Double Stixx Lacrosse. Ongoing - Leagues, Travel Teams
and Tournaments for youth, high school and adult’s
boys and girls. More information about the best
lacrosse programs in Georgia can be found at
www.doblestixxlacrosse.com or by contacting Chris
Smith at chris@doublestixxlacrosse.com or 404-550-5322.
RUNNING
CAMPS
Nike Basketball Camps. Camps located in Snellville,
Roswell, Kennesaw, Oxford and 0894-4297 to find out
which dates suit your campers best.
Georgia Tech MaChelle Joseph Basketball Camp. Ages
range from 7-17. Day camps, overnight camps and
team camps available. Visit www.ramblinwreck.com or
call 404-894-4297 to find out which dates suit your
campers best.
Harlem Legends. The Harlem Legends have scheduled
their 2008 Shoot for the Stars Basketball & Physical
Fitness Camps. The "Shoot for the Stars Youth
Basketball Camps and Clinics" are a unique form of
learning experiences geared towards young basketball
players of all skill levels. There are two Gwinnett
County camps this year. Please visit our website
(www.harlemlegends.com) or call 404-837-6719 for
additional camps.
VOLLEYBALL
Club Sport, "Where Atlanta Comes To Play!"
Registration Ongoing for Sand & Indoor Leagues and
Tournaments League games played every day and
night at the Brookhaven Boys and Girls Club
For more info or to register visit www.usclubsport.com
Gwinnett Sports Center. Registration ongoing. For
information call Jerry Robison at 678-491-0203
or visit www.gscfun.com.
Suwanee Sports Academy. Ongoing. Volleyball training
and development for boys and girls grades 3-12.
VolleySkills, VolleyStars, VolleyTraining, and OnCourt
Player Development, a year-round comprehensive
player development program. For more information,
contact Mary Carnell at 770-614-6686 x108 or visit
www.ssasports.com.
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Atlanta School of Gymnastics in Lawrenceville.
Ongoing. Classes for tots through teens. Cheerleading
classes for ages 5 and older. For information call 770277-9434.
The Little Gym of Snellville. Ongoing. Noncompetitive
gymnastics and motor-skills development classes
and camps. For ages 10 months-12 years. For
information call 770-982-0901 or visit
www.tlgsnellvillega.com.
SWIMMING & DIVING
Swimming lessons. Ongoing - Alpharetta City Pool -
Jeff Gordon Racing School. May 29-30 at Atlanta
Motor Speedway.
SCCA National. May 30-31 at Road Atlanta.
Thursday Thunder. June 4 at Atlanta Motor Speedway
Friday Night Drags and Show-N-Shine. June 5 at
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Alpharetta, Ga. - 1825 Old Milton Parkway. For
information call 678-297-6107.
Gwinnett Aquatics. Ongoing - 2800 Quinberry Drive and
Bethany Church Road. For ages 5-18. Swim team and
lessons available. For information call 770-972-4055.
Senior Water-Exercise class. Ongoing - Mountain Park
pool - Lilburn, Ga. Fees: $1 per class. For information
call 770-546-4650. 10-10:50 AM.
SwimAtlanta Sugarloaf at Kid’s Village. Ongoing. Swim
team, lessons, lap swimming, master’s program,
water aerobics and scuba available. For information
call 678-442-7946.
YOUTH REGISTRATION
SCM Group Camp. High school and youth camp at
Oglethorpe University. June 15-19 for high school and
July 6-10 for youth ages 7-13 weeklong day camp.
Website is www.scmgroup-inc.com. Endorsed by cur
rent and former NFL players from the Atlanta chapter
of NFLPA.
Soccer-Soccer Alley. Ongoing - 3265 Roswell RoadAtlanta. For information call 404-266-0762 or visit
www.starsoccerclub.com.
Tucker Youth Soccer. Ongoing - 2803 Henderson Road
Tucker, Ga. For information call 770-414-0538 or
visit www.tysa.com.
Track and Field - Peachtree City Flash Youth Track
Team registration. Ongoing - Riley Field -Peachtree
City, Ga. For ages 6-14. For information call 770-6313552 or email ptcflash@bellsouth.net.
Gymnastics - Georgia Gymnastics Academy. Ongoing.
For registration in Lawrenceville call 770-962-5867; in
Suwanee call 770-945-3424.
Gym Elite. Ongoing. Registration for ages 2 and older.
Cheerleading for ages 6 and older. For information
call 770-242-0678.
Youth Soccer Training. Ongoing. Start age 3 and up. For
information, call 678-714-7454 or e-mail
info.indoor@atlantasilverbacks.com.
www.atlantasilverbacks.com/indoor.
Flag Footall. GSL -- Georgia Sports Leagues. Georgia's
Best Sports Leagues. Registration ongoing. We offer
Youth Flag Football for ages (6-8) and (9-12) year
olds for both Boys & Girls. Games are played in the
Chamblee, Doraville, Dunwoody area. Next season
starts in February. For more information please con
tact (678)799-0159 or email mark@georgiasport
sleagues.org. Visit www.georgiasportsleagues.org
Atlanta Junior Golf. Boys and girls, ages 7-18, can
enjoy summer and fall tournaments throughout
Metro Atlanta and Middle and North Georgia (from
Dalton to Macon and from Carrollton to Athens) in
one the nation’s premier junior golf associations.
All skill levels are welcome, from beginner to expe
rienced players, with more than 8,000 rounds of
golf available during the summer program alone.
For more information, log on 770.850.9040.
Corpus Christi Youth Basketball League. Registration
is now underway for our 29th season! Boys and girls
ages 5 through 14, any skill level, are welcome. Cost:
$90 per child/$85 for siblings. Fee includes uniforms,
field trips, skills clinics, 9 games and more! Register
while space is still available Saturdays October 11 &
18, 2008, 10 AM to 12 PM. Location: Corpus Christi
Church Sports Arena, 600 Mountain View Drive,
Stone Mountain, GA 30083. For info, call 770-4690395, email ccybl1@gmail.com, or visit the league’s
website (www.ccybl.net).
Sports Tykes Summer Camps. Ages 4-7 June, July,
August. All-Tournament Players Park Marietta, GA.
www.alltournamentplayerspark.com.
SOFTBALL
Possum Trot 10K/Fun Run. May 30. Roswell, 7 AM.
770-992-2055.
3rd Annual SweetH2O 50K. May 30. Lithia Springs,
7:30 AM. 404-587-9628.
Peachtree Jr. 3K, Atlanta. May 30. Piedmont Park.
www.atlantatrackclub.org.
Buzzard Blast 5K Run/Walk & 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk.
May 30. Louisville, 8 AM. 478-625-7084.
Race for Champions 5K. May 30. Atlanta, 8 AM.
770-518-8002.
Mountain Ranger Run 5K/15K. May 30. Dahlonega,
7:30 AM. 678-795-0115.
Sweet Tomatoes Stomp 4M. May 30. Kennesaw,
7:30 PM. 678-895-2631.
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VolleyStars. Beginning February 7 @ Suwanee Sports
Academy for girls & boys grades 6-8 teaches individual
skill development and team concepts through instruction
and game play. For more information, contact Christy
Howard at 770-614-6686 x106 or visit www.ssasports.com.
Volleyball Clinic. Ages: 5th-8th Grade Date: Sunday May
3rd, 10th, 17th and 31st www.alltournamentplayerspark.com
Middle and High School Girls Camps, Clinics & Classes.
June 29-July 2 9am-12pm All-Tournament Players
Park Marietta, GA. www.alltournamentplayerspark.com.
Club Sport, "Where Atlanta Comes To Play!" Registration
Ongoing for Men's & Coed Leagues League games
played at multiple locations throughout the Metro Area.
For more info or to register visit www.usclubsport.com
AYSA Spring Season. Ongoing - North Park - Cogburn and
Bethany - Alpharetta. Fees: If Alpharetta Residential
Property Tax IS NOT PAID at the primary residence of
the player, then the Non-City Resident Fee must be paid.
After Jan. 13, $10 late fee is charged.
Senior Softball League. Ongoing - Best Friend Park,
Jimmy Carter Blvd., Norcross, GA. All Skill levels
welcomed. Men age 45+ and women age 40+.
Open practice on Saturdays and games on Tuesdays,
Wednesdays, or Thursdays. For information call Gary
Mastrodonato at 770-266-7042 or visit
www.atlantaseniorsoftball.com.
Open Recreational Softball. GSL -- Georgia Sports Leagues.
Georgia’s Best SportsLeagues.Registration ongoing. We
offer "Men's" and "Co-Ed" styles of play in
Doraville/Dunwoody area. Monday, Wednesday &
Sunday league play available. Next season stars in
February. We play ALL year round. For more information
please contact (678)799-0159 or email mark@geor
giasportsleagues.org. Visit www.georgiasport sleagues.org.
Capitol City Officials Association. CCOA is accepting
ongoing registration for the upcoming GHSA High
School season in fast-pitchsoftball. We hold weekly
training meetings. For more information, contact Irvin
Seabrook at 404-957-3331 or e-mail
Irv_Seabrook@yahoo.com.
K-Club Classic – D1 Fastpitch Softball. February 20-22.
Kennesaw State, Memphis, Buffalo, Miami, Drexel
and Iowa are schedule to participate. Entry fee $300.
All Tournament Players Park, 3910 Canton Hwy
Marietta, GA 30066. Register at www.alltournament
playerspark.com or (678) 384-6500.
Baseball & Softball Clinics and Summer Camps Ongoing.
See website for details. All-Tournament Players Park
Marietta, GA. www.alltournamentplayerspark.com.
GYMNASTICS
Gymnastics Classes at Gymnastics AcademyofAtlanta.
Ongoing - 3126 Cobb Parkway Kennesaw, Ga. For
information call 770-975-8337 or visit
www.gymnasticsacademyofatlanta.com.
Gymnastics Classes at Gwinnett Gymnastics Center
Ongoing - 927 Killian Hill Road Lilburn, Ga. For infor
mation call 770-921-5630.
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RACING
OFFICIATING
Club Sport, "Where Atlanta Comes To Play!" Flag Football,
Softball, Soccer, Basketball, Volleyball. Earn money offi
ciating. Training provided. For more info email
atlanta@usclubsport.com or visit
www.usclubsport.com.
Basketball - Duluth basketball association.
Ongoing. Looking for youth officials with training
provided. For information call Barry Sullivan at
770-623-1750.
Football - Lanier Football Officials Association. Ongoing.
GHSA member accepting applications with weekly
training meetings. For information call Tom Tipton at
770-967-3197, ext. 239 or visit www.lanierofficials.org.
Metro Atlanta Wrestling Officials Association. Ongoing.
Needs officials. For information call Bud Hennebaul at
770-338-0705 or email BudHen27@aol.com.
9RCorp Sports Officials. Ongoing. Provider of sports
officials for multiple sports including basketball, flag
football, & softball. Looking for additional officials. For
information call Dennis Reagan at 404-213-0588 or
email 9rcorp@150mail.com.
Georgia Lacrosse Officials Association. Needs youth
and High School officials for 2008-2009 season.
Training and mentoring provided for free. Great way to
earn some extra money and get some fun aerobic
exercise. For more information, visit
www.GALAXREF.com or call Jim Westbrook at
770-753-9059.
ATLANTA SPORTS COUNCIL
Chick-Fil-A Bowl. Dec. 31, 2009. Georgia Dome. For
tickets, call 404-444-4444.
To reach the Atlanta Sports Council call 404-586-8510
or visit www.atlantasportscouncil.com.
MISC
Club Sport, "Where Atlanta Comes To Play!" Cornhole
Leagues Ongoing! For more info email atlanta@usclub
sport.com or visit www.usclubsport.com.
Senior Horseshoe Pitching League. Ongoing - Gwinnett
Senior Center - Bethesda Park. Includes instructional
coaching. Games will be played under NHPA rules. For
men and women seniors. Meets Tuesdays. For informa
tion call 770-972-2434. 10 AM.
Pool Tournament. Every Monday - Ongoing - Motorheads
Bar ‘n’ Grill - Henry County. Cost: No cover. For infor
mation call 770-898-0008 or visit www.motorheads
barandgrill.com. 7 p.m.
Pool Tournament. Nightly - Ongoing - Sean Patrick’s Bar
& Grill - Buckhead. Fees: No cover. For information
call 770-650-5723. 8 PM.
East Cobb Bass Club. Ongoing - Ryan's Family Steakhouse
- Canton Road - Marietta, Ga. Boaters and nonboaters
welcome. Meets the first Tuesdayof each month. For
information call 770-364-3036 or email
noeyf@aol.com. 7 PM.
Cohutta chapter of Trout Unlimited. Ongoing - Delkwood
Bar and Grill. Meets the fourth Thursday of each
month. For information call 770-425-5364 or email
sonnysjm@cs.com. 6:30 PM.
GEORGIA BIKES! Membership. Ongoing. The effectiveness
of GEORGIA BIKES! is dependent on volunteers, suppor
ters, and members, like you, who are willing to make a
and Club/Small Business: $100.
Condor Handball Organization. The Condors feature current
Men’s National Team members and past National Team
members and Olympians as well as the greatest American
to ever play the sport, Darrick Heath. We have weekly
leagues and training opportunities for men, women, and
youth. For more information, contact Jeb Bell at hand
ball@equipmentcontrols.com.
Performance Training Inc. at Suwanee Sport
Academy. Ongoing. Offers speed, agility, and quick
ness training for athletes across multiple sports.
For moreinformation, contact Dustin Wolf at 770614-6686 x121 or visit www.ssasports.com.
Suwanee Sports Academy. Pre-K Athletics for 2, 3 and 4
year-olds introduces the basic skills needed to play
basketball, soccer, and t-ball. Also, there is a unique
after school program that provides students with a
weekly sports curriculum along with the after school
classroom setting. For more information, call 770614-6686 or visit www.ssaports.com.
Club Sport. Club Sport opens registration for summer
leagues on May 1st with league play beginning in
June. Club Sport is Atlanta's recreational sports
and social group with over 10,000 participants
each year on 1200 teams in 120 leagues. Each
season Club Sport offers leagues in flag football,
softball, soccer, sand and indoor volleyball, basket
ball and more. Club Sport is where Atlanta comes
to play! For more information about Club Sport,
upcoming events, photos or interviews with the
owner, please contact Rich Alvarez at 678-9940793 ext. 818 or visit www.usclubsport.com.
Stout Irish Sports Pub Events and Specials. Monday:
Dart League and Free Pool from 11 p.m.-close;
Tuesday: Texas Hold 'em; Wednesday: Trivia Night
and Free Pool from 11pm-close; Thursday: College
Night with DJ All Night; Friday: Happy Hour Food
Specials; Saturday: Game Day all day long on Stout's
big screen plasma TVs; Sunday: Game Day all day
long on Stout's big screen plasma TVs. Miller High
Life Beers are always $1. Beer Club:Guests join for
$120 and receive a prestigious Stout Club Mug
engraved with their name on it.Each visit over the
course of the year, members enjoy their first beer of
choice on the house. For more, call 404.869.1151 or
email www.stoutirish pub.com.
Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame. June 6 at Emory Conference
Center. The new inductees are: Olympic Medalist,
Edith McGuire Duvall; NBA Great, Walt "Clyde" Frazier;
Legendary Georgia Tech Football Coach, John
Heisman; High School Coaching Pioneer, Calvin
"Monk" Jones; Georgia Tech Two Time All-American,
Roger Kaiser; and the Braves Broadcast team of Skip
Caray and Pete Van Wieren. Tickets to the event are
$100. Individuals can make a reservation by calling
Bev Bennett at 770-394-3359. Find more information
at www.AtlantaSportsHallofFame.org.
MAY 2 7 -JUNE 2 , 2009
SCORE ATLANTA I 19
Braves’ AAA club showcase for top talent
he future moved about eight hours closer
to Atlanta over the offseason when the
Atlanta Braves’ AAA affiliate moved from
Richmond to Gwinnett County before the
2009 season. Fans of minor league baseball
used to have to drive to Rome or Myrtle
Beach to catch a glimpse of the Braves
farmhands, but now those seeking the future
need only to travel to the Lawrenceville area.
This season, fans heading to out to
watch the G-Braves have been treated to several big-time performances from big-time
players. Kris Medlen, Tommy Hanson, Brian
McCann, Clint Sammons, Brandon Jones,
Jo-Jo Reyes, Charlie Morton and Jorge
Campillo have all suited up for Gwinnett this
season and most have either worn an Atlanta
jersey in the past or will in the near future.
Future Hall of Famer Tom Glavine will also
suit up for Gwinnett later this month. Even
though the G-Braves are hovering around the
.500 mark record-wise, the talent is really
something to behold.
out early in his Atlanta debut last Thursday,
but the future is bright for this rising star.
Fans of offense haven’t been disappointed
passing through the turnstiles at the new stadium, either. Four of the regular starters have at
least a .303 average on the season. Diory
Hernandez leads the team with a .355 average,
but he might soon be in an Atlanta uniform
due to recent injuries. Hernandez plays second
base, and his quick swing led to 154 hits last
season and has so far netted him 39 this year.
J.C. Holt and Brooks Conrad are two
more names that fans should remember, as
both are putting up monster years. Add in the
contributions from Jones, Sammons,
Barbaro Canizares, Gregor Blanco and Van
Pope, and this team has some serious offensive capabilities. Fans were also treated to
McCann’s rehab stint earlier this season, as
he played for the first time with his new
glasses. The three-time all-star was 1-for-3
with an RBI double and a walk.
WHERE THE FUTURE PLAYS …
Like all minor league teams, Gwinnett
offers more to its fans than just the chance to
see future major leaguers and current major
leaguers on rehab assignments. Traditionally,
the marketing staffs of minor league teams
go to great lengths to get fans into the stadium and Gwinnett will be no different this
season. While Ted Williams Popsicle Night
and Divorce Night are not on the schedule,
Beach Day, Christmas in July and Totally 80s
are game themes that Gwinnett fans can
enjoy. Recently, younger fans were treated to
a visit from the Zooperstars, a group of animalistic baseball superstars including Harry
Canary, Nolan Rhino, Ken Giraffey Jr.,
Derek Cheetah, Clammy Sosa and Cow
Ripken Jr. Later this season the G-Braves’
mascot Chopper will attempt to break the
world record for most hugs in one hour on
the National Hug Holiday. Chopper will also
be bringing his mascot friends out for
Mascot Night, and the San Diego Chicken
will be on hand to entertain fans. The best
promotion of the year might be “I hate to
admit it, but I like it” Night, which will feature bad music and bad food but good times.
Minor league baseball has made it home
to the Gwinnett area, and fans looking for a
fun family experience are in for a treat as
they watch the future right now.
Proctor
can
be
reached
at
fproctor@scoreatl.com.
T
Hanson burned up the minors last season and then became the first pitcher ever to
claim MVP honors in the Arizona Fall
League. The big righty impressed during
spring training and has not disappointed thus
far in Class AAA action. Hanson currently
leads the International League with 64 strikeouts and has a .90 WHIP. Though his record
stands at 2-3, his ERA registers at 1.70,
meaning he isn’t getting much run support.
Hanson dominates hitters on the minor
league level and it is only a matter of time
before he is promoted to the parent club
about 35 minutes down I-85.
When the big club needed another starter
recently and dipped into the Gwinnett roster
to fill the spot, some eyebrows were raised
when Hanson didn’t get the call and Medlen
did. The doubters, however, should soon
begin to believe. Medlen led the club with a
5-0 record and an IL-best ERA of 1.19. The
former
shortstop-turned-reliever-turnedstarter had thrown 21 straight scoreless
innings with Gwinnett through last week.
Medlen’s WHIP in AAA is even better than
Hanson’s at .80, and he has 44 strikeouts so
far this season in IL action. Though his future
with Atlanta may not be as a starter, he is certainly providing Gwinnett fans with plenty of
excitement and plenty of zeros on the scoreboard during his turns. Medlen was knocked
SAID ON THE AIR
“I can't explain it, but
whatever it was, it's
unacceptable.”
- Atlanta Braves rookie pitcher
Kris Medlen on his wild fourth
inning in a 9-0 loss to Colorado;
Medlen walked two, threw a wild
pitch and hit a batter in the inning
ADVERTISING INDEX
KEEPIN’ AN EYE ON
Hawks beat writer Sekou Smith
looked at the five most prevalent names
that mock drafts are linking to Atlanta for
the June 25 NBA Draft and North
Carolina point guard Ty Lawson made the
list. Smith says Lawson’s lack of size
concerns some teams, meaning he could
be available when the Hawks draft at 19.
To put it bluntly, if Lawson is available
when Atlanta picks, we will drive to
Secaucus, N.J., and pick him up.
AJC columnist Jeff Schultz reported
on John Smoltz’s rehab start at Class A
Augusta and, like many in Atlanta, criticized the Braves for allowing the future
Hall of Famer to leave for Boston.
However, the Braves made the right decision here. While it might not be surprising to see Smoltz come back and pitch in
the Majors, it would not be surprising to
see him return to the disabled list some
time afterwards as well.
FUN FOR ALL …
MEDIA
HALL OF FAME
Fox color analyst Brian Billick
talked last week about Michael Vick’s
possible return to the NFL on 790 The
Zone’s Mayhem in the AM. “There are
some legitimate questions as to how
good of a quarterback is Michael Vick.
… Certainly a dynamic athlete, but that
style of play has yet to win a championship.” The former Baltimore Ravens
head coach brings up a good point. Any
team that brings Vick in will have to in
part commit to his playing style. How
many teams will be willing to do so?
CHECK OUT THE HIGH SCHOOL SCOREBOARD
AT SCOREATL.COM
Tuesday:
North River Tavern
Atlanta (770) 552-8784
The Grove Restaurant & Bar
Decatur (404) 321-4420
StarTime Entertainment
Roswell (770) 993-5411
30
CENT
WINGS
Jeffrey’s
SportsBar & Grill
Alpharetta(770) 346-0807
Ribs, ETC.,
Buckhead (404) 843-8200
Frankie’s at the Prado
S. Springs (404)843-9444
Neighbor’s Pub
VA-Highlands (404)872-5440
Wednesday:
WWW.THETRIVIAZONE.COM at J.R. Crickets in
Smyrna every
Wednesday night
Round up your friends for a night of FUN, FACTS,
(Dine-In Only)
and FREEBIES! Join Trivia Zone Team each week
for your chance to WIN!
Call your favorite location for start time and details!
W
W
W .
Beef O'Brady's
Suwanee (770) 886-8221
S
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790 The Zone ....................1, 4, 8
Aqua Blue ................................17
Atlanta Braves ..........................2
Atlanta Dream ..................15, 17
Atlanta Hall of Fame................10
AVP ........................1, Back Page
BP Sports ..................................9
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta ..13
Cigar Merchant........................17
Club Sports................................2
Executive Financial ................17
F.A.A.M. ....................................8
GEICO ........................................1
Georgia State ..........................16
Hooters....................................11
Instant Imprints ......................17
Man’s Best Friend ..................12
Mikael’s Auto Spa ....................3
North River Tavern ....................5
Play It Again Sammy ..............14
Rhodes Bakery ........................14
Ron Veal Football Camp ..........19
Score Recruiting......................12
SCM Group ................................7
TGS..........................................14
The Blade Show ........................4
Trivia Zone ..............................19
Wild Bills ..................................3
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Bradley's American Cafe
Marietta (770) 321-0108
Montana’s Bar & Grill
Marietta (770) 998-1314
Alpharetta (678) 366-8928
Dark Horse Tavern
VA-Highlands (404)873-3607
J.R. Crickets
Smyrna (678) 305-0225
Thursday:
Frankie’s at the Prado
S. Springs (404)843-9444
North River Tavern
Atlanta (770) 552-8784
StarTime Entertainment
Roswell (770) 993-5411
Buffalo’s Café
Jonesboro (770) 998-1314
WoW Café and Wingery
Athens (706) 543-5510
Friday:
Ameribistro
Smyrna (770) 437-0272
Sunday:
Montana’s Bar & Grill
Marietta (770) 998-1314
Alpharetta (678) 366-8928
North River Tavern
Atlanta (770) 552-8784