Sports – Page 387 – North Platte Post Archive

Postseason Baseball Schedule

Posted on October 28, 2014October 28, 2014

All Times EDT

x-if necessary

LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
(Best-of-7)
American League
Kansas City 4, Baltimore 0

Friday, Oct. 10: Kansas City 8, Baltimore 6, 10 innings

Saturday, Oct. 11: Kansas City 6, Baltimore 4

Monday, Oct. 13: Baltimore at Kansas City, ppd., rain

Tuesday, Oct. 14: Kansas City 2, Baltimore 1

Wednesday, Oct. 15: Kansas City 2, Baltimore 1

National League
San Francisco 4, St. Louis 1

Saturday, Oct. 11: San Francisco 3, St. Louis 0

Sunday, Oct. 12: St. Louis 5, San Francisco 4

Tuesday, Oct. 14: San Francisco 5, St. Louis 4, 10 innings

Wednesday, Oct. 15: San Francisco 6, St. Louis 4

Thursday, Oct. 16: San Francisco 6, St. Louis 3

WORLD SERIES
(Best-of-7)
All games televised by Fox
San Francisco 3, Kansas City 3

Tuesday, Oct. 21: San Francisco 7, Kansas City 1

Wednesday, Oct. 22: Kansas City 7, San Francisco 2

Friday, Oct. 24: Kansas City 3, San Francisco 2

Saturday, Oct. 25: San Francisco 11, Kansas City 4

Sunday, Oct. 26: San Francisco 5, Kansas City 0

Tuesday, Oct. 28: Kansas City 10, San Francisco 0

Wednesday, Oct. 29: San Francisco (Hudson 9-13) at Kansas City (Guthrie 13-11), 8:07 p.m.

Broncos Fan who Disappeared During Game Found Safe

Posted on October 28, 2014

DENVER (AP) — Authorities say a Denver Broncos fan who disappeared during last week’s game has been found safe.

Denver Police Sgt. Steve Warneke says 53-year-old Paul Kitterman was found Tuesday night in Pueblo, about 100 miles south of Denver. Warneke did not have any information about Kitterman’s disappearance but says no charges are expected.

Family and friends of Kitterman had been searching for him since Thursday night’s game against the San Diego Chargers at Sports Authority Field.

Jarod Tonneson told investigators his stepfather had not been seen since he left his seat to meet friends during halftime.

The two went to the game with two of their friends after a day spent working and hunting at another friend’s ranch in Kremmling, a small town in the mountains of northern Colorado.

Mississippi State, Florida State Top Playoff List

Posted on October 28, 2014

Mississippi State, Florida State, Auburn and Mississippi are the top four teams in the first College Football Playoff rankings.

The first of seven Top 25 rankings done by a 12-member selection committee was released Tuesday night. The selection committee will pick the four teams to play in the national semifinals and set the matchups for other four marquee New Year’s Day bowls that are part of the playoff rotation.

Oregon was fifth and Alabama was sixth.

The final rankings will be released Dec. 7, the day after the most of the conference championships are decided.

Huskers Gearing up for Purdue

Posted on October 28, 2014

Lincoln, Neb.- The Nebraska football team continued its preparations for its Saturday afternoon Big Ten West showdown with the Purdue Boilermakers on Tuesday afternoon, as the Huskers practiced for nearly two hours inside of the Hawks Championship Center and outside on the Ed and Joyanne Gass practice fields.

Husker Defensive Coordinator John Papuchis spoke with media members following practice, mentioning that Purdue has been on a roll in recent weeks, after settling on sophomore quarterback Austin Appleby. Appleby replaced Danny Etling who started against Nebraska last season in West Lafayette.

“Since they went to a one quarterback system they have really made some significant strides in their offense in the last three games,” Papuchis said. “They tweaked some things, added a little bit to their package, I think they have been playing really well.”

Purdue also showcases two dynamic running backs, both with an abundance of speed in Akeem Hunt and Raheem Mostert.

“Both backs are pretty dynamic, barely do you ever run into a situation where you have two running backs that are that fast,” he said. “You have to make it that much more imperative to get your gaps down, everyone executing their responsibility and you don’t let a missed gap into a big play.”

Hunt leads the Boilermakers in rushing, with 640 yards on 104 carries, while adding five touchdowns.

NU Offensive Coordinator Tim Beck also spoke with the media after practice, noting that Purdue has definitely improved defensively under second-year Head Coach Darrell Hazell.

“It looks like they have settled defensively, they are big up front, big linebackers and aggressive,” Beck said. “You can see they have settled into what they want to do.”

In last year’s 44-7 win over Purdue, the Huskers were not fazed by some different looks the Boilermakers used on defense. When Beck was asked if he expects the same thing this season, he did not know, but he is confident that the team is prepared for anything.

“I think last year they had some injuries upfront, so I think they had to do that more than they wanted too, I think,” Beck said. “Obviously we are prepared for everything, because the situation—the way that it is, we have to be able to adjust during the game, even this year since they had an extra week to prepare for us.”

The Nebraska football team will continue its preparations for its Saturday afternoon game on Wednesday afternoon. The Huskers Big Ten conference clash against Purdue will be regionally televised on ABC at 2:30 pm (Central), or can be seen nationally on ESPN2.

Royals Top Prospect Zimmer has Shoulder Surgery

Posted on October 28, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Royals pitching prospect Kyle Zimmer had surgery on his shoulder to remove damaged tissue, throwing his status for the start of next season into question.

Tuesday’s surgery was performed by New York Mets medical director Dr. David Altchek in New York.

The Royals had hoped the 23-year-old Zimmer would be able to help them this season, but a series of injuries have curtailed his development. He was shut down in May with a lat injury.

Zimmer, a first-round pick in 2012, made just six appearances at rookie-league Idaho Falls in August and September. He had a 1.93 ERA with five strikeouts in 4 2-3 innings.

He also made three starts in the Arizona Fall League before getting shut down.

Broncos are Unanimous No. 1 in AP Pro32 Rankings

Posted on October 28, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) — Going into Sunday’s highly anticipated matchup against the New England Patriots, Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos are the unanimous choice as the NFL’s top team.

Denver received all 12 first-place votes Tuesday for the AP Pro32 power rankings, which are decided by a media panel that regularly covers the league.

The Broncos are 6-1 and coming off a 35-21 win over the San Diego Chargers on Thursday.

“The most complete team in the game right now,” Newsday’s Bob Glauber said. “Everything’s working on Peyton’s offense, but now the Broncos have the defense to match. Barring a string of key injuries, looks like another run to the Super Bowl.”

Tom Brady threw five touchdown passes and the Patriots (6-2) overwhelmed the Chicago Bears 51-23 on Sunday, helping New England move from No. 8 to No. 3 in the poll.

“The Patriots have won four in a row to seize control of the AFC East,” Rick Gosselin of The Dallas Morning News said.

Sunday’s game will be the 16th time that Manning and Brady will play against each other.

“Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady never gets old,” Foxsports.com’s Alex Marvez said. “Round 16 comes Sunday in Foxborough.”

Brady is 10-5 against Manning, but Manning won the most recent matchup in the AFC title game last season.

Sunday’s game is the first in NFL history where two starting quarterbacks with at least 150 career regular-season wins each will face off. And Brady will be making his 200th career start.

The Arizona Cardinals, coming a 24-20 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, moved from No. 5 to No. 2 in the poll.

“That’s no desert mirage Bruce Arians has artfully crafted in Glendale,” Ira Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune said.

The Cardinals (6-1) have a two-game lead in the NFC West entering Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys (6-2), who dropped from No. 2 to No. 4 after Monday’s 20-17 overtime loss to the Washington Redskins.

The Redskins’ aggressive defense was effective in slowing down the Cowboys, who had their six-game winning streak snapped.

“Cards D will be blitzing after watching Washington,” said Tony Dungy of NBC Sports.

Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo left the game with a back injury before returning late in the loss.

“The Cowboys were due for a rough game, but this one could have big implications with Tony Romo’s injury,” ESPN’s Herm Edwards said.

The Eagles dropped from No. 3 to No. 5 after the loss to the Cardinals.

The Detroit Lions, Indianapolis Colts, San Diego Chargers, Green Bay Packers and the Seattle Seahawks rounded out the top 10.

The Lions (6-2) overcame a 21-0 halftime deficit before rallying for a 22-21 win over the Falcons at Wembley Stadium in London. They lead the Packers by a game in the NFC North.

“(Matthew) Stafford continues to shine minus Calvin Johnson, (Reggie) Bush,” Fox Sports’ John Czarnecki said.

Bailey Calls it a Career after 15 Years in NFL

Posted on October 28, 2014

DENVER (AP) — Champ Bailey has decided to retire after a 15-year NFL career that included 12 Pro Bowl berths, a record for a cornerback.

Bailey’s agent, Jack Reale, said from Atlanta that Bailey had opportunities to play this season but decided to pursue other opportunities.

Those presumably include television.

Bailey spent five years in Washington and 10 in Denver after the Broncos traded running back Clinton Portis to the Redskins for the game’s premiere cover cornerback.

Bailey, 36, was released by the Broncos after the Super Bowl and he signed with the New Orleans Saints. But a left foot injury that sidelined him for all but five games last season continued to bother him during training camp and he was released.

Huskers Looking for More after Breakthrough Season

Posted on October 28, 2014

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — These are heady days for the Nebraska basketball program.

The Cornhuskers are coming off their highest conference finish and first NCAA tournament appearance since 1998, and played to sellout crowds in their first year at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Shavon Shields said when he and his teammates went out to lunch or to the movies during the offseason, well-wishers were quick to slap them on the back and urge them to keep the wins coming.

There’s even a waiting list for season-tickets now — almost unimaginable for a program that hasn’t won a conference championship since 1950.

“I’ve had a blast. That’s what it’s supposed to be like,” third-year coach Tim Miles said of the vibe around his program. “I think it’s earned with these guys. But now staying there and continuing to elevate is sometimes more difficult than the innocent climb to get where they are now.”

All five starters, including Big Ten scoring leader Terran Petteway, return from the team that went 19-13 and won eight of its last nine regular-season games to finish fourth in the conference. Along the way they knocked off two top-10 opponents, Michigan State on the road and Final Four participant Wisconsin at home.

“Preseason hype is always based on the year-before’s performance, and I think our guys finished so strong that naturally they’re going to get attention because we return a large part of our team,” Miles said. “But every year’s different. Last year we got hot. I don’t know that means you’re exactly a good team.

“This year we’re out to prove we can be a good team.”

Shields said he appreciates the excitement surrounding the Huskers. Still, he and his teammates weren’t satisfied with how last season ended because they fell short of their goals — winning a Big Ten regular-season title or a game in the NCAA tournament (they lost 74-60 to Baylor).

“Everybody is kind of hungry to build on some of the good things we did, but we need to push that farther,” Shields said.

Here are some things to watch for the coming season, which begins Nov. 16 against Northern Kentucky:

PROMISING NEWCOMERS: Graduate transfer Moses Abraham and freshmen Tarin Smith and Jake Hammond are in line for significant playing time.

The 6-foot-9, 252-pound Abraham will provide some bulk when Miles wants to go with a big lineup. Abraham blocked 23 shots while averaging 13 minutes a game for Georgetown last season.

Smith was a two-year starter at point guard in coach Bob Hurley’s famed St. Anthony High program in Jersey City, New Jersey, while the 6-foot-10, 230-pound Hammond averaged 26 points and 15 rebounds at Comanche (Okla.) High last season.

PRESEASON RANKING? The Huskers are poised to be ranked in The Associated Press’ preseason Top 25 for the second time, and first since 1992-93. Miles said he would welcome a ranking because it would show prospective recruits his program is recognized nationally.

CHANGING HIS GAME: Miles wants the 6-foot-10 Walter Pitchford to get to the free-throw line more than his average last season of 3.3 times a game. Pitchford is a matchup nightmare because he’s a 41 percent 3-point shooter, but Miles said he also needs the forward to attack the rim and get fouled.

ALL ABOUT DEFENSE: Nebraska became one of the Big Ten’s better defensive teams during conference play, and Miles said that needs to continue. The Huskers were second in field-goal defense and third in scoring defense in Big Ten games.

PETTEWAY THE PRO? Petteway already has drawn the attention of pro scouts and if he has another big year, he could be Nebraska’s first NBA first-round draft pick since Venson Hamilton in 1999.

Petteway, a junior, is scheduled to graduate in May.

“If he’s got a chance to secure his future, I would advise him to do that,” Miles said. “Would I love to keep him here and see what he can do? Absolutely. At the same time, you only get those cracks so many times in life.”

Nebraska Scores Well in GSR Report

Posted on October 28, 2014

Five Nebraska teams achieved perfect scores in the Graduation Success Rate (GSR) report released on Tuesday by the NCAA.

The five Husker teams to earn a perfect 100 percent GSR score include women’s golf, women’s basketball, volleyball, softball and women’s tennis. Those teams all led or tied for the lead in the Big Ten Conference in GSR scores among their respective sports. In fact, the women’s golf, women’s basketball, volleyball and women’s tennis programs have achieved a perfect GSR score each of the 10 years the rate has been computed by the NCAA.

In addition to the five teams achieving a perfect score, the women’s gymnastics, soccer and men’s gymnastics programs each topped the 90 percent score, and 14 of Nebraska’s programs achieved a GSR scores of 80 percent or better. Overall, Nebraska had an all student-athlete GSR score of 83 percent.

The Nebraska football team had a GSR rate of 81 percent which ranked fourth among the 14 Big Ten Conference schools, trailing only Northwestern, Penn State and Rutgers. The 2014 Husker football team has four seniors playing this fall as graduate students with the entire senior class on track to earn their degrees by next spring.

The Graduation Success Rate is an NCAA measurement that, unlike the federally mandated graduation rates, includes transfer data in the calculation. The GSR scores released on Tuesday are based on four classes of scholarship student-athletes who entered college in the fall of 2004 to the fall of 2007.

They allow a six-year window in which the student-athletes can earn their degree. Although GSR scores include student-athletes who transferred to Nebraska, they do not count student-athletes who transferred to another school and were academically eligible at the time of their transfer.

1 Game Likely to Decide B10 East; West is a Mess

Posted on October 28, 2014

Two things are apparent in the Big Ten as November approaches.

The Ohio State-Michigan State game in two weeks will decide the winner of the East Division unless both teams inexplicably hit the skids. The West is a jumbled mess with no clear favorite among the four top contenders.

Ohio State-Michigan State for months has been looked at as the conference’s marquee regular-season game. No. 13 Ohio State hosts Illinois on Saturday. The No. 8 Spartans are off.

Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer said he and his players know the big game is looming. Meyer said some of “luster” will be lost from that game if Ohio State doesn’t win this week. In the West, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa and Wisconsin each have one conference loss.