RACERS PICKED TO WIN OVC FOOTBALL TITLE
Murray State has been picked the preseason football favorites in the Ohio Valley Conference for the 2021 season. The Racers picked up seven of a possible 14 first-place votes in a poll of league head coaches and communications directors. It marks only the third time the Racers have been tabbed the preseason favorites and first time since 1996. Murray State totaled 64 points to finish just ahead of Austin Peay and Southeast Missouri, who tied for second-place with 60 points. UT Martin was tabbed fourtH followed by Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech, and Eastern Illinois. The Racers open the season September 2 when they host Mississippi Valley State.
TEN RACERS NAMED TO PRE-SEASON ALL-OVC TEAM
Austin Peay quarterback Draylen Ellis and Austin Peay nickelback Kordell Jackson were named the OVC Preseason Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year in a vote of by the league’s head football coaches and communications directors. Murray State led the way with 10 preseason selections. Racers making the preseason offensive team included Preston Rice, LaMartez Brooks, Jacob Bell, Levi Nesler, and Jacob Vance. Making the preseason defensive team were Ethan Edmonson, Scotty Humpich, Eric Samuta, and Marcis Floyd. Punt Returner Malik Honeycutt made the team as a specialist.
RACER FINISH STRONG AT RAIN SHORTENED COBB CHAMPIONSHIP
Murray State men’s golf senior Quinn Eaton and incoming freshman, Kamaren Cunningham, led the Racers over the weekend at the 85th Irvin Cobb Championship at Paxton Park Golf Course in Paducah. Eaton and Cunningham each carded a first round 3-under 68 to finish in a tie for third place in the field of 64 amateur players. Sunday’s final round was rained out for just the fourth time in event history to make the event decided on Saturday’s first round scores. Other current Racers and finishes included Tyler Powell in ninth place with a score of 74 and Tyler Abernathy in 18th place with an 84.
CARDINALS DOWN CUBS
Jake Woodford fired five-and-two-thirds innings of one run ball in the Cardinals 8-3 win over the Cubs at Busch Stadium. Dylan Carlson homered and drove in four and Paul Goldschmidt went deep for St. Louis, which won its third straight. Alec Mills got the loss, surrendering five runs over four frames. Patrick Wisdom left the yard for Chicago, which has dropped two straight. Game 2 of the series airs tonight at 6:20 on WNBS.
SEC MEDIA DAY FEATURES CATS AND VOLS
The Kentucky Wildcats will field questions at SEC Football Media Days in Hoover, Alabama. UK head coach Mark Stoops will speak to the media today. He’ll be joined by offensive lineman Darian Kinnard, and defensive lineman Josh Paschal at the event, which ends on Thursday. The Wildcats will open their season on Saturday, September 4th at home against Louisiana-Monroe. The Volunteers will field questions today at SEC Football Media Days in Hoover, Alabama. New UT head coach Josh Heupel will be at the main podium this morning at 11:30 Eastern Time. Heupel will be joined by redshirt senior wide receiver Velus Jones, Jr., and senior defensive back Alonte Taylor. The event will wrap up on Thursday.
MTSU VISITING WITH SUPPORTERS
Middle Tennessee State coaches are set to hit the road in the Mid-State to gain support for their teams. Both head football coach Rick Stockstill and basketball coach Nick McDevitt will be part of the Blue Raider Blitz. They’ll visit Middle Tennessee cities tomorrow and Thursday and again on July 28th and 29th. Mt. Juliet, Shelbyville, Franklin, Nashville, Columbia, Smyrna and Murfreesboro will all get visits.
NATIONAL SPORTS BRIEFS
The Bucks will look to claim their second championship in franchise history when they host the Suns for Game Six of the NBA Finals in Milwaukee tonight. It would be 50 years apart for the Bucks, who claimed their first title in 1971. Milwaukee is on the brink of a championship following three straight wins and a 3-2 series lead. The Suns are hoping to force a Game Seven on the road. Devin Booker is the first player in history to scored 40-plus points in back-to-back NBA Finals games and lose both. A loss would cement the Suns with the most NBA Finals appearances of any active franchise without a championship.
Zach LaVine is not traveling with the U.S. Men’s Basketball National Team after entering the health and safety protocols on Monday. LaVine is the third player to leave the team, after Bradley Beal and Jerami Grant each entered the protocols in the past week. Team USA put out a statement that it hopes LaVine can rejoin the team in Japan later this week. The guard was the team’s third-leading scorer through the four exhibition games they played.
A prospect for the Nashville Predators is making history for an announcement off the ice. Luke Prokop is the first active player under NHL contract to come out as gay. The 19-year-old said on Instagram, “I could not be happier with my decision to come out.” He said he has dreamed of being an NHL player since he was a kid. Prokop thanked family, friends, and agents in his post.
The NHL is expected to take a break during the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing when the schedule is announced later this week. The break in the schedule will reportedly last from February 5th through the 27th of next year so the professional hockey players can compete. The NHL All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas is expected to be the last event before the Olympic break midway through the season. The finalized schedule will be out Thursday.
Luis Rojas is being suspended for two games for his “excessive” argument with the umpires during Sunday’s come-from-behind win against the Pirates in Pittsburgh. The Mets manager was tossed following a bizarre play when starter Taijuan Walker swiped his glove at a ball he thought to be foul. Three Pirate runners would score on the play. Rojas came out and was demonstrative with the umpires, leading to his third ejection of the season. He served the first game of the suspension Monday night and will serve the second game Tuesday night while the team’s in Cincinnati.
MONDAY’S SCOREBOARD
MLB National League
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Washington Nationals 18, Miami Marlins 1
New York Mets 15, Cincinnati Reds 11 (F/11)
St. Louis Cardinals 8, Chicago Cubs 3
Arizona Diamondbacks 4, Pittsburgh Pirates 2
San Francisco Giants 7, Los Angeles Dodgers 2
San Diego Padres at Atlanta Braves (Postponed)
MLB American League
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Minnesota Twins 3, Chicago White Sox 2 (F/8)
Boston Red Sox 13, Toronto Blue Jays 4 (at Buffalo, NY)
Baltimore Orioles 6, Tampa Bay Rays 1
Detroit Tigers 14, Texas Rangers 0
Houston Astros 4, Cleveland Indians 3
Chicago White Sox 5, Minnesota Twins 3 (F/7)
Oakland Athletics 4, Los Angeles Angels 1
MLB Interleague
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No Games Scheduled
NBA Playoffs
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No Game Scheduled
WNBA
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No Games Scheduled (Olympic Break)
TUESDAY’S SCHEDULE (All Times Are Eastern)
MLB National League
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7:05 p.m. – Miami Marlins at Washington Nationals
7:10 p.m. – New York Mets at Cincinnati Reds
7:20 p.m. – San Diego Padres at Atlanta Braves
8:15 p.m. – Chicago Cubs at St. Louis Cardinals
9:40 p.m. – Pittsburgh Pirates at Arizona Diamondbacks
10:10 p.m. – San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers
MLB American League
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3:37 p.m. – Los Angeles Angels at Oakland Athletics
7:07 p.m. – Boston Red Sox at Toronto Blue Jays (at Buffalo, NY)
7:10 p.m. – Baltimore Orioles at Tampa Bay Rays
7:10 p.m. – Texas Rangers at Detroit Tigers
8:10 p.m. – Cleveland Indians at Houston Astros
8:10 p.m. – Minnesota Twins at Chicago White Sox
MLB Interleague
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4:10 p.m. – Kansas City Royals at Milwaukee Brewers
7:05 p.m. – Philadelphia Phillies at New York Yankees
8:40 p.m. – Seattle Mariners at Colorado Rockies
NBA Playoffs
——-
9:00 p.m. – Phoenix Suns at Milwaukee Bucks
(Bucks lead best-of-seven NBA Finals, 3-2)
WNBA
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No Games Scheduled (Olympic Break)
