Morning Briefing March 26, 2010
Davis Love III chipped in twice during a five-hole stretch that he played in 6 under early in his round, then finished strong with a 45-foot birdie and an 8-foot par putt for a 6-under 66 and a share of the lead in the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Thursday at Orlando, Fla.
J.B. Holmes played bogey-free and also had a 66.
Na On Min shot a bogey-free 6-under 66 to take a one-shot lead after the first round of the inaugural Kia Classic at La Costa in Carlsbad, Calif., the first U.S. stop on the LPGA Tour this season.
Baseball
Franklin Gutierrez went 3 for 3 with a home run and drove in three runs for Seattle, but the Mariners split squad lost to the Kansas City Royals 8-7 at Surprise, Ariz.
Felix Hernandez struck out seven over five innings in a Seattle Mariners split squad 3-1 loss to the Cleveland Indians at Goodyear, Ariz.
Mariners ace Cliff Lee said he still feels the strain in his abdominal muscle following his second short throwing session on flat ground in three days.
Lee thought he would continue to throw off flat ground every other day for now, but added he doesn’t know for sure the team’s plan for him beyond today.
Phil Hughes was selected as the New York Yankees’ fifth starter, beating out Joba Chamberlain and three others.
Football
Former NFL and Washington State quarterback Ryan Leaf agreed to plead guilty in his Texas drug and burglary case in exchange for 10 years of probation, attorneys in the case said.
FIU running back Kendall Berry was stabbed to death in an on-campus incident late Thursday night, immediately sending shock and grief across the university community and putting police on a search for multiple suspects.
Berry, 22, was stabbed around 9 p.m., said Miami-Dade police Det. Javier Baez. Police were interviewing “several people that observed the incident,” Baez said, though he could not confirm if any suspect was in custody.
FIU’s athletic department did not have further comment, and messages left for athletic director Pete Garcia and football coach Mario Cristobal were not immediately returned.
Basketball
Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt confirmed he turned down a head coaching offer from St. John’s.
New Auburn basketball coach Tony Barbee is pledging to take the program “to heights it’s never been before.”
He was introduced in a news conference beneath the scoreboard at the new $92 million Auburn Arena, which opens next season. Barbee told several dozen fans the Tigers will play an exciting brand of basketball that can thrive in March.
The Tigers gave the former UTEP coach a six-year contract worth $1.5 million annually.
Gonzaga associate head coach Leon Rice accepted the head coaching job at Boise State, multiple sources told ESPN.com.
Rice worked under Gonzaga coach Mark Few for the past 11 seasons. Rice replaces Greg Graham, who was fired on March 12.
Jermaine O’Neal scored 24 and the visiting Miami Heat routed the Chicago Bulls 103-74 in NBA action.
Trail Blazers 101, Mavericks 89: LaMarcus Aldridge scored 20, leading Portland past visiting Dallas.
Clippers 99, Rockets 93: Craig Smith scored 25, leading Los Angeles at Houston.