BASEBALL
The Norfolk Tides announced that Marty Miller, Christy Mathewson and Marvin Astor “Towny” Townsend are being inducted into the Tidewater Baseball Shrine, which recognizes players and executives who have significantly contributed to Tidewater-area baseball.
The Tides will induct the members between games of their 5:35 p.m. doubleheader Friday against Jacksonville at Harbor Park. Miller is expected to attend, while Townsend’s family will accept his award for him.
Miller, Norfolk State’s first NCAA College Division All-American player, served in the Army during the Vietnam War and played pro baseball in the early 1970s before becoming Norfolk State’s head coach in ’73. He led the Spartans to 712 wins in his 32-plus-year career before promoted to athletic director in 2005, and NSU’s baseball facility is named for him.
Mathewson in 1936 became one of the first five inductees to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, after posting 373 victories in the major leagues.
Before doing so, he signed at age 19 in 1900 with a team called the Norfolk Phenoms and developed under coach John Francis “Phenomenal” Smith. Mathewson was 18-2 with a league-leading 121 strikeouts in 1900 before being promoted by the New York Giants.
Townsend is called the founding father of AAU baseball in Virginia. After playing in college for Campbell and in the Boston Red Sox minor league chain, he coached at Virginia Wesleyan and his alma mater, Lake Taylor, before guiding Greenbrier Christian to four consecutive league championships, plus a state title in 2001. Meanwhile, he founded the Virginia Blasters in 1992 for ages 10-15.
Dodgers’ Taylor on injured list
Los Angeles Dodgers utility player Chris Taylor, a former Cox High and Virginia star, was placed on the injured list because of a left groin strain.
Yard Gnomes end Pilots’ winning streak at four
The Peninsula Pilots (32-12), tuning up for the Coastal Plain League playoffs Sunday, ended a four-game winning streak by losing 7-5 Wednesday night to the Greenville Yard Gnomes (12-33) at War Memorial Stadium in Hampton.
The game was delayed for almost an hour because the Yard Gnomes were stuck in traffic, but they won as all nine of their starters had a hit. JC Vanek doubled, walked three times, scored twice, stole two bases and drove in a run. Winner Reece Tarini held the Pilots to one hit in six innings.
The Pilots had six hits; Trey Morgan, Grayson Fitzwater and Aaron Manias had a hit and scored a run. Their scheduled game at Wilson on Thursday night was canceled because of weather, but they’ll return to War Memorial Stadium at 7 Friday night against Tri-City and close the regular season Saturday at Morehead City.
Tribe hires pitching coach
New William & Mary coach Rob McCoy announced the hiring of Brad Mincey as the Tribe’s pitching coach. Mincey, a former pitcher for East Carolina and in the Miami Marlins’ organization, spent the last three seasons as Longwood’s pitching coach and recruiting coordinator.
GOLF
Rain hampers Eastern Amateur
Rain in Portsmouth kept much of the 67th Eastern Amateur’s second round from being played Thursday at Elizabeth Manor Golf & Country Club.
Play is set to resume at 8 a.m. Friday. UNC Greensboro’s Branden Boyce led at 7 under par through 15 holes, with N.C. State’s Cade McLaughlin at 6 under through 13. Former New Kent High and Christopher Newport star Robb Kinder, through 10 holes, was tied with Kentucky’s Oakley Gee, through 16, at 5 under. Gee led after the first round.
Great Bridge High graduate Trey Marrion, soon to play for Illinois, was through 11 holes and tied at 4 under, along with TCU commit Charlie Wylie and Andres Barraza from Bucknell.
The low 60 players and ties will begin the third round Friday afternoon with the anticipation of getting back on schedule for the Saturday final round.
SOCCER
Lionsbridge home for national quarterfinal
Lionsbridge FC is back in the same scenario that sent the Lions to the USL League Two national championship match last season. If they win two more home games in Newport News, they’ll be in the final with a chance to gain their first national title.
At 4:30 p.m. Friday at Christopher Newport’s TowneBank Stadium, Corpus Christi FC of Texas will face Asheville City SC of North Carolina for the Southern Conference championship in a national quarterfinal. Lionsbridge (15-1-4) will follow against the Seacoast United Phantoms of Epping, New Hampshire, for the Eastern Conference crown.
Friday’s winners will return to TowneBank Stadium for a 7 p.m. Sunday national semifinal of a bracket that began with 35 teams.
Before the playoffs began, the USL power rankings placed Asheville first, Seacoast second, Corpus Christi ninth and Lionsbridge 10th.
AUTO RACING
Langley to double up Saturday on Virginia Racers
Because of past rainouts, the Virginia Racers will compete in twin 35-lap events Saturday night at Langley Speedway in Hampton.
The card also will include two Modified 30-lap races, plus a Bandolero 15, Legends 25, Grand Stock 40 and UCAR 25.
LITTLE LEAGUE
Fleet Park Seniors take second in region
Fleet Park finished second in the Senior League Southeast Region championship tournament at Safety Harbor, Florida.
The state champion Norfolk team won four of its six games, losing twice to eventual region champion Irmo, South Carolina, but beating its other opponents.
Fleet Park began the modified double-elimination tournament with a 6-1 loss to Irmo, then bounced back to win a series of elimination games: 5-4 against Lexington, Tennessee; 6-2 versus tourney host West Pasco of New Port Richey, Florida; 6-0 against Georgia representative East Marietta National and 10-3 against Haines City, Florida.
That set up a one-game final against Irmo, which the South Carolinians won 10-0 to advance to the Senior League World Series and end Fleet Park’s season.
HOCKEY
Admirals bring back Iverson
The Norfolk Admirals re-signed forward Keegan Iverson for the 2024-25 season. The Minneapolis native had six goals, five assists and a career-high 169 penalty minutes for them last season. Coach Jeff Carr called Iverson “a major piece of our leadership group” in a team release.
BASKETBALL
7 Cities Pro-Am tourney bracket set
Six teams are in the bracket for the Hampton Roads 7 Cities Pro-Am Basketball League’s one-day championship tournament Sunday at Norview High in Norfolk.
The first round will feature NewRunz against ECG at 11 a.m., followed by Team Brown against Harvey Lindsay at 12:30.
In the semifinals, First Class Real Estate will meet Sunday’s first victor at 1:45 p.m., followed by the Tidewater Wildcats against Sunday’s second winner at 3. The championship game is planned for 4:15.
NBA
Ex-UVA stars gain spots next season
Former Virginia Cavaliers forward Anthony Gill re-signed with the Washington Wizards for a fifth year. He averaged 3.8 points per game in 50 contests last season.
Ex-UVA center Jay Huff signed a two-way deal with the Memphis Grizzlies. He has played 31 regular-season NBA games over three seasons with the Lakers, Washington and Denver, averaging 2.4 points, 1.2 rebounds and 5.3 minutes per game.
With the G League’s Grand Rapids Gold last season, the 7-foot-1 Huff averaged 19.1 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.6 blocks and 2.0 assists in 18 games, shooting 57.3% from the field, including 39% from beyond the arc.
COLLEGE WOMEN’S LACROSSE
CNU’s Winters becomes three-time VaSID Player of Year
Christopher Newport’s Kelsey Winters was named the state College Division Player of the Year by the Virginia Sports Information Directors. She became the first player ever to win that award three times, as well as the first CNU athlete in any sport to be a five-time all-state first-teamer.
Fellow Captains Julia Iapicca, Emma Jackson and Brookelyn Morrison joined Winters on the first team. CNU’s Syd Guidi and Madi Rozgonyi made the second team.
Washington and Lee provided Coach of the Year Maddie Coleman and Defensive Player of the Year Eugenie Rovegno, and the Rookie of the Year was Roanoke’s Maddie McDonald.
COLLEGE MEN’S BASKETBALL
Lincoln names former N.C. State player as coach
Lincoln University, a CIAA school in Pennsylvania, named former N.C. State standout player Julius Hodge its head coach. He had been an Arkansas Little Rock assistant for the last three years.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
VMI picked seventh in SoCon
VMI was predicted to finish seventh in the nine-team Southern Conference, with Chattanooga labeled the favorite and Furman picked second.
Running back Hunter Rice, offensive lineman Tyriq Poindexter and defensive lineman Dorien Starnes were the Keydets on the preseason all-conference first team. VMI linebacker Eric Rankin and return specialist Ivan Thorpe were on the second team.
MORE COLLEGES
Va. Wesleyan hires cross country/track director
Virginia Wesleyan named Stephen Register its director of cross country and track and field. He had been the head track and field/cross country coach at Concordia University in Austin, Texas.
