The Colorado Rockies have to be thrilled about a momentary respite from interleague play. The Rockies are 1-11 against American League teams this season, but before they conclude their interleague schedule this weekend, they visit the Philadelphia Phillies, with game one of their three-game series tonight. Like the Rockies, the Phillies have underachieved this season, and currently reside in last place in the National League East. But the five-time defending division champions will hope to prolong the Rockies’ struggles as they send star left-hander Cole Hamels to the mound. Fellow southpaw Josh Outman toes the rubber for the Rockies, who have lost ten of their last eleven games to fall a season-high 15 games below the .500 mark. Outman is winless in three starts since joining the Rockies rotation. First pitch in the City of Brotherly Love is set for 6:05.

The North Platte First Nationals take to their home field tonight for a doubleheader against Twin Cities. It’s the first time on the Bill Wood Field turf since splitting a double-dip against Columbus last Thursday evening. The First Nationals are 7-5 at home this season. North Platte defeated Twin Cities in their season opener back on May 19 in Scottsbluff. First pitch for the opening game tonight is scheduled for 5:30.

A winning streak and a title run both came to shocking ends at the College World Series yesterday. The nightcap in Omaha saw two-time defending champ South Carolina lose for the first time in 13 College World Series games. The Gamecocks fell to Arkansas 2-1. The Razorbacks got six stellar innings from Ryne Stanek on the mound, and single runs in the first and fourth innings held up as the Hogs moved into the drivers seat in pool play at 2-0. In the day’s first game, top national seed Florida left the bases loaded in the ninth inning in a stunning 5-4 loss to Kent State, sending the Gators home early. The Golden Flashes took a 5-1 lead after four innings thanks in part to two Florida errors, and hung on in the ninth to stay alive in the tournament. Tonight in Omaha, Florida State and UCLA play an elimination game at 7 PM.

Salary information for the top three assistant coaches on new Nebraska head men’s basketball coach Tim Miles’s staff was released yesterday. Chris Harriman, hired away from St. Louis University, will be the top paid assistant at a salary of $200,000 per year. Ben Johnson will make $185,000 per year, and Craig Smith will pull in $160,000 per year. All three assistants will work under two year contracts, a stipulation written into Miles’ contract.

Park Ridge, Ill. – Michigan State basketball player Draymond Green and Ohio State track athlete Christina Manning were named the Jesse Owens Male and Suzy Favor Female Athletes of the Year, respectively, the conference office announced on Monday. The Big Ten Athletes of the Year are selected by a panel of conference media members from nominations submitted by each institution.

(by Dan Mihalik, Big Ten Conference)

Green is the second Michigan State standout to win the Jesse Owens Male Athlete of the Year honor and first since 2001, when hockey standout Ryan Miller won the award. The senior from Saginaw, Mich., completed a record-setting career for the Spartans after being named NABC Division I National Player Year and a consensus All-American in 2011-12. Green averaged 16.2 points and 10.6 rebounds per game en route to Big Ten Player of the Year accolades, leading the Spartans to a share of the conference championship and a victory over Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament final. He amassed more than 1,000 points and rebounds in his career, only the third Michigan State player in program history to achieve the feat, and ended his career as the Spartans’ all-time leader in boards (1,096). A unanimous All-Big Ten selection, Green was also voted to the conference’s All-Defensive Team and finished the year as the only conference player to rank among the top 10 in scoring (fifth), rebounds (first) and assists (eighth). He capped his career in the NCAA Tournament, where the Spartans earned a No. 1 seed and Green joined Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Oscar Robertson as the only players to record two or more triple-doubles in NCAA Tournament play.

After winning two national championships this past season, Manning completed her Ohio State track career as one of the program’s most decorated athletes. The Waldorf, Md., native leaves the Buckeye program as an 11-time All-American and 10-time Big Ten Champion, while also owning school records in four individual events (60- and 200-meter dash and 60- and 100-meter hurdles) and two relays (4×100-meter and sprint medley). During the indoor campaign, Manning won the 60-meter hurdles national title with the fourth-fastest time in NCAA history. At the Big Ten Indoor Championships, she won conference titles in the hurdles in meet record time and the 60-meter dash in school-record fashion. During the outdoor season, Manning placed first in the 100-meter hurdles at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. In addition, she won the 100-meter dash and 100-meter hurdles titles, and was part of the victorious 4×100-meter relay squad at the Big Ten Championships. She garnered Big Ten Track Athlete of the Year accolades in the indoor and outdoor seasons.  Manning is the third Buckeye to win the Suzy Favor Female Athlete of the Year award, following volleyball’s Laura Davis in 1995 and basketball’s Jessica Davenport in 2007.

The Big Ten Conference has recognized a Jesse Owens Male Athlete of the Year since 1982 when Indiana’s Jim Spivey earned the inaugural award. The following year, a women’s award was created. In 1991-92, as part of the celebration of the 10th anniversary of women’s athletics in the conference, the women’s award was renamed in honor of former Wisconsin track standout and three-time recipient Suzy Favor.

The complete list of 2012 Jesse Owens and Suzy Favor Athlete of the Year nominations, as well as the list of all-time winners for each award, can be found below.

2012 BIG TEN ATHLETE OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

School                                    Male Nominee                                     Female Nominee

Illinois                                     Andrew Riley (track & field)              Colleen Ward (volleyball)  

Indiana                                   Andy Bayer (cross country/track)     Allysa Vavra (swimming)

Iowa                                        Matt McDonough (wrestling)             Jessica Barnett (field hockey)

Michigan                                Kellen Russell (wrestling)                   Felice Mueller (rowing)

Michigan State                      Draymond Green (basketball)           Caroline Powers (golf)

Minnesota                             Tony Nelson (wrestling)                      Ashley Wittman (volleyball)

Nebraska                               Lavonte David (football)           Ashley Miller (track & field)

Northwestern                       John Shurna (basketball)                    Taylor Thornton (lacrosse)

Ohio State                             Zain Shaito (fencing)                            Christina Manning (track & field)

Penn State                             David Taylor (wrestling)                      Maya Hayes (soccer)

Purdue                                   Kevin Plawecki (baseball)                   Ariel Turner (volleyball)

Wisconsin                              Montee Ball (football)                         Brianna Decker (ice hockey)