ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Free agent safety Jim Leonhard practiced Tuesday for the first time since undergoing a right knee operation in December.

The Broncos removed him from their PUP list and placed him on their 90-man roster. He participated in drills with other defensive backs but was held out of team drills.

Leonhard said he hopes he can practice in team portions when the Broncos (No. 10 in the AP Pro32) return from a day off Thursday. He also said he’d like to play in one of Denver’s final two preseason games, but he’s sure the training staff will “protect me from myself” and take things slowly.

Leonhard is a seven-year veteran who spent the past three seasons as a fan favorite with the New York Jets following stints in Buffalo and Baltimore.

Lincoln – The Nebraska women’s basketball team added the final piece to its non-conference scheduling puzzle on Tuesday with the announcement of Pittsburg State as the Huskers’ first exhibition opponent for the 2012-13 season.

The Huskers, who return four starters from a team that went 24-9 overall and advanced to the 2012 NCAA Tournament, will take on the Gorillas at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Monday, Oct. 29 at 7:05 p.m.

The game will mark the earliest tip-off date for the Huskers in history – one day earlier than Nebraska’s 86-55 win over Pittsburg State on Oct. 30, 2011. The Huskers will be facing the Gorillas to open exhibition play for the fourth straight year.

NU’s exhibition opener with Pittsburg State will be the first of 19 home dates for the Huskers in their final season at the Devaney Center before moving into the new Pinnacle Bank Arena in 2013-14. The Huskers had previously announced a home exhibition date against Nebraska-Kearney on Sunday, Nov. 4, at 2:05 p.m. Nebraska will tip off the regular season against North Carolina A&T at the Devaney Center on Friday, Nov. 9 at 2:05 p.m.

Nebraska’s game with North Carolina A&T will be the first of nine regular-season non-conference home dates, including battles with ACC powers Maryland (Nov. 28) and Florida State (Dec. 8), and 2012 Atlantic-10 Conference runner-up Temple (Nov. 11). The Huskers will also face Summit League runner-up Oral Roberts at the Devaney Center on Dec. 20.

NU’s home Big Ten schedule has not yet been announced, but the Huskers will play home games against defending Big Ten champions Penn State and Purdue, along with 2012 NCAA Tournament qualifiers Iowa, Ohio State and Michigan State. The Huskers will also face Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota in Big Ten Conference home action.

The game between the Huskers and Gorillas will give Nebraska fans their first look at Coach Connie Yori’s 2012-13 Huskers. Returning honorable-mention All-American Jordan Hooper returns to lead the Huskers after capturing first-team All-Big Ten honors as a sophomore in 2011-12. Hooper, an Alliance, Neb., native averaged 18.9 points and a Big Ten-best 9.3 rebounds per game. Hooper earned mention on both the Wade and Naismith National Player-of-the-Year watch lists in 2011-12.

Although last year’s result between Nebraska and Pittsburg State was lopsided, the NCAA Division II Gorillas went on to their most successful season in school history. Pittsburg State opened the season with a school-record 14-game winning streak and finished with a 27-6 overall record under Lane Lord. Not only did PSU win the first NCAA Tournament game in program history, the Gorillas notched three NCAA wins to advance to its first-ever Elite Eight. Pittsburg state ended its season with a narrow 61-58 loss to Shaw in the quarterfinals in San Antonio, Texas.

Lord’s 2012-13 Gorillas will have to replace five seniors from last year’s club but will feature returning All-American Lizzy Jeronimus. The 5-11 guard led the Gorillas with 15.8 points per game, while also leading the team in assists (2.9 apg) and ranking second on the team in rebounding (6.8 rpg) and steals (1.0 spg).

Nebraska’s first meeting with Pittsburg State on the exhibition court came on Nov. 3, 2009, when the best Husker team in history worked its way to a 68-54 win. PSU was one of only three teams in 18 games to play the eventual NCAA Sweet Sixteen Huskers within 14 points at the Devaney Center in 2009-10. The following year, Nebraska worked its way to a 78-60 win on Oct. 31, 2010 against the Gorillas in another entertaining exhibition opener.

— Jeff Griesch, Nebraska Sports Information

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Creighton officials have announced plans to build a men’s basketball practice facility on the east side of its downtown Omaha campus.

The university said in a statement Tuesday that the proposed building would house men’s basketball offices and practice courts, strength-and-conditioning facilities for all student-athletes and the Academic Learning Center.

The project will be paid for by a group of donors.

Officials are considering a new use for the Vinardi Center, the longtime headquarters for the basketball team.

Two site locations near the Ryan Center are being considered for the new facility. Creighton’s Board of Trustees must approve the proposal before the design and construction phases begin.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) – The Jacksonville Jaguars are going to be England’s team. The NFL and the Jags announced Tuesday the team will play one home game in London for four years in a row.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and team owner Shad Khan made a joint announcement about the move in Jacksonville. The small-market franchise will play four games at Wembley Stadium, one every season beginning in 2013.

Khan has made it clear he wants to play games overseas in hopes of increasing the team’s brand globally.

The NFL has played an annual London game since 2007. New England and St. Louis play at Wembley later this year.

The Rams had been scheduled to play in London in 2013 and 2014, but they pulled out last week, citing a need to focus on lease negotiations and ease fan discontent.

PITTSBURGH (AP) – Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison remains optimistic his aching left knee will be ready in time for the season opener against Denver.

Harrison had a minor procedure on the knee last week and hasn’t practiced at all during training camp. He was activated from the physically unable to perform list before Sunday’s preseason game against Indianapolis but did not dress.

The 34-year-old Harrison said Tuesday he tried to play through some discomfort during minicamp but the knee flared up whenever he would try to cut. Though the four-time Pro Bowler has spent nine seasons with the Steelers, he believes he needs to practice at least a few times before being OK’d to play.

Harrison added he’s been impressed with how second-year linebacker Chris Carter has played in his absence.

NEW YORK (AP) – Major League Baseball has banned Melky Cabrera associate Juan Nunez from all team clubhouses.

MLB executive vice president Rob Manfred notified teams of the action Tuesday in a memorandum to club presidents, chief executive officers and general managers.

Nunez, a consultant for Cabrera’s agents, took responsibility for fabricating a website that the San Francisco Giants All-Star outfielder was relying on to challenge a positive drug test. Cabrera dropped his grievance last week and was suspended for 50 games.

Manfred says, “Commissioner (Bud) Selig has directed that all major league clubs are prohibited from granting Juan Carlos Nunez access to their clubhouses or other non-public areas,” according to the memo, obtained by The Associated Press.

The memo was first reported by ESPN.com.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Toronto at Detroit 6:05 p.m.
Kansas City at Tampa Bay 6:10 p.m.
L.A. Angels at Boston 6:10 p.m.
Baltimore at Texas 7:05 p.m.
N-Y Yankees at Chi White Sox 7:10 p.m.
Minnesota at Oakland 9:05 p.m.
Cleveland at Seattle 9:10 p.m.

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Atlanta at Washington 6:05 p.m.
Cincinnati at Philadelphia 6:05 p.m.
Colorado at N-Y Mets 6:10 p.m. (LISTEN LIVE on ESPN Radio 1410)
Chi Cubs at Milwaukee 7:10 p.m.
Houston at St. Louis 7:15 p.m.
Miami at Arizona 8:40 p.m.
Pittsburgh at San Diego 9:05 p.m.
San Francisco at L.A. Dodgers 9:10 p.m.

Rays stay hot, Giants take over NL West lead

UNDATED (AP) – The Tampa Bay Rays continue to slice into the New York Yankees’ lead in the American League East.

The Rays picked up their fifth straight win as Jeremy Hellickson allowed a run and six hits in seven innings of a 5-1 win over Kansas City. Hellickson improved to 8-8 by winning at home for the first time in eight home starts since May 16.

Desmond Jennings, Jose Labaton and Elliot Johnson each had two hits and an RBI as Tampa Bay won for the 12th time in 14 games to pull within four games of the Yankees. The Rays also lead the wild-card race by two games over Baltimore and 2 1/2 over Oakland.

The Chicago White Sox did the Rays a favor by downing the Yankees 9-6. Alexei Ramirez hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the seventh, one inning before Adam Dunn smacked his major league-leading 36th home run.

Dewayne Wise and Gordon Beckham also went deep as the Central Division-leading White Sox moved two games ahead of Detroit.

Ryan Dempster allowed a run and four hits in eight innings of the Rangers’ 5-1 win over the Orioles. David Murphy had a pair of RBI singles to back Dempster’s best start since joining Texas from the Cubs last month.

Oakland is still six games in back of the West-leading Texas Rangers following Minnesota’s 7-2 triumph over the Athletics. Joe Mauer and Josh Willingham each had three hits and two RBIs for the Twins, who kept the A’s a half-game behind Baltimore in the battle for the final AL wild-card berth.

Michael Saunders belted a pair of two-run homers as Seattle topped Cleveland 5-3. Saunders’ second round-tripper snapped a 3-3 tie in the seventh.

Over to the National League, where the San Francisco Giants have regained a half-game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the West. Madison Bumgarner struck out 10 while allowing four hits in eight shutout innings of the Giants’ 2-1 win over the Dodgers. Pedro Sandoval provided the San Francisco runs with a sacrifice fly and a single.

The Giants were within one out of a shutout until Hanley Ramirez homered.

The Washington Nationals increased their lead in the East to six games over the second-place Atlanta Braves. Second baseman Dan Uggla (UHG’-luh) bobbled Chad Tracy’s grounder, allowing Danny Espinosa to score the winning run in the 13th inning of Washington’s 5-4 verdict over the Braves. It was the first run for the Nationals since Ian Desmond’s two-run homer gave them a 4-1 lead in the first inning.

Jason Heyward tied the game with a two-run homer in the fifth after his RBI single opened the scoring, but the Braves dropped their third in a row.

The Phillies slowed down the Reds’ charge toward the Central Division crown. John Mayberry hit a two-run homer and had three RBIs as Philadelphia ripped Cincinnati 12-5. Domonic Brown supplied a two-run double while the Phils were scoring four times in the fifth to take a 7-5 lead.

Ryan Howard and Eric Kratz added solo homers to support a shaky Roy Halladay, who gave up five runs and 10 hits in seven innings.

A former Red helped Cincinnati keep its six-game lead over Pittsburgh. Edinson Volquez fanned 10 while allowing a run and five hits over 6 2/3 innings to pitch San Diego past the Pirates 3-1. Will Venable supplied a pair of RBI singles for the Padres.

Elsewhere on the senior circuit, Giancarlo Stanton homered twice and Jose Reyes had four hits as Florida hammered Arizona 12-3. Stanton and Justin Ruggiano hit back-to-back blasts during the Marlins’ nine-run fourth inning.

Jonathan Lucroy homered twice and had four RBIs in Milwaukee’s 9-4 win over the Chicago Cubs. Lucroy’s second blast came in an eight-run fifth that put the Brewers ahead 9-3.

Augusta National admits women as members

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) – Augusta National’s membership is about to include females for the first time since the club was founded 80 years ago.

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and South Carolina financier Darla Moore will be presented with the club’s iconic green jackets when the new season opens in October. Augusta has been under pressure for years to admit a woman as a member. Club chairman Billy Payne calls the admission of Rice and Moore a “joyous occasion.”

The move likely ends the debate that intensified in 2002 when Martha Burke of the National Council of Women’s Organizations urged the club to admit women. Former club chairman Hootie Johnson stood his ground, even at the cost of losing Masters television sponsors for two years.

Dolphins, Titans pick quarterbacks

UNDATED (AP) – The Miami Dolphins and Tennessee Titans have announced their NFL season-opening starting quarterbacks, and they aren’t the men who had the job last year.

Dolphins coach Joe Philbin has chosen rookie Ryan Tannehill over Matt Moore, who started the team’s final 12 games last season. Tannehill was drafted with the eighth overall pick out of Texas A&M and becomes the first rookie to quarterback Miami’s season opener.

Jake Locker has won the competition to become Tennessee’s starting quarterback, beating out veteran Matt Hasselbeck. Coach Mike Munchak says Locker’s time is now in giving the Titans their best chance to win the AFC South.

Also in the NFL, Eagles quarterback Michael Vick suffered a rib injury while being leveled on a pass play in the first quarter of Monday’s game against New England. Vick went to the locker room for X-rays on his ribs after being knocked down by Patriots linebacker Jermaine Cunningham. Officials say the X-rays were negative.

The NFL has suspended Kansas City All-Pro linebacker Tamba Hali (TAHM’-buh HAH’-lee) for the season-opener against Atlanta for violating its policy on substance abuse. Hali went to his first Pro Bowl last season after recording 12 sacks.

Saints linebackers Curtis Lofton and David Hawthorne are injured, and it’s not clear if either will be ready for the season opener against Washington. Lofton is out with a high ankle sprain and Hawthorne with torn cartilage in his knee.

Colts receiver Austin Collie could return to the football field later this week after being diagnosed with yet another concussion. The fourth-year player was injured in the first quarter of Sunday night’s 26-24 loss at Pittsburgh after taking a blow to the head from Steelers linebacker Larry Foote.

Linebacker Shawne Merriman has been cut by the Buffalo Bills. The one-time star pass-rusher was trying to continue his career with the Bills after season-ending surgery in November to repair a partially torn right Achilles tendon that had nagged him for much of the previous two seasons.

Washington Redskins linebacker Brian Orakpo (oh-RAK’-poh) and strong safety Brandon Meriweather will only miss the final two preseason games with injuries. Orakpo has damaged some scar tissue in his left shoulder, and Meriweather has a swollen and sore left knee.

Kansas City Pro Bowl receiver Dwayne Bowe was on the field with the rest of his teammates for the first time since signing his franchise tender last week. That keeps alive the possibility that he could play in the Chiefs’ preseason game Friday night against Seattle.

A person familiar with the situation says the Jacksonville Jaguars are going to play multiple home games in London beginning in 2013. New owner Shad Khan has made it clear he wants to play games overseas in hopes of increasing the team’s brand globally.

Authorities say Junior Seau (SAY’-ow) had no alcohol or illegal drugs in his system when he shot himself in the chest at his home in May. The San Diego County medical examiner’s office on Monday released the full autopsy results for the 43-year-old former NFL linebacker, saying he used a .357-caliber unregistered revolver to kill himself.

The Rocket signs to play minor league ball

HOUSTON (AP) – Former Major League ace Rogers Clemens has signed with the Sugar Land Skeeters of the independent Atlantic League and is expected to start for them on Saturday at home against Bridgeport. The 50-year-old right-hander was acquitted in June of charges he lied to Congress when he denied using performance-enhancing drugs.

Clemens hasn’t played for a team since pitching for the Yankees in 2007. His agent, Randy Hendricks, says the pitcher’s “fastball was clocked at 87 mph.”

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Tampa Bay 5, Kansas City 1
Texas 5, Baltimore 1
Chicago White Sox 9, N.Y. Yankees 6
Minnesota 7, Oakland 2
Seattle 5, Cleveland 3

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Washington 5, Atlanta 4, 13 innings
Philadelphia 12, Cincinnati 5
Colorado 3, N.Y. Mets 1
Milwaukee 9, Chicago Cubs 5
Miami 12, Arizona 3
San Diego 3, Pittsburgh 1
San Francisco 2, L.A. Dodgers 1

The Colorado Rockies opened their seven game road trip on a high note, beating the New York Mets 3-1 last night. An injury-depleted Rockies lineup struggled for offense against New York’s All-Star starting pitcher R.A. Dickey, with a solo home run by Tyler Colvin accounting for the only run for the Rockies through seven innings. But starter Alex White and a pair of relievers kept the Mets to just one run as the game entered the eighth. In that frame, Jonathan Herrera led off with a hit and eventually scored on a passed ball to put the Rockies in front. Ramon Hernandez’s RBI single in the ninth provided insurance. Rex Brothers earned his team-best seventh win in relief, and Rafael Betancourt finished the game for his 24^th save. The Rockies and Mets play game two of their four game set in Queens tonight. ESPN Radio 1410 has the action, with pregame coverage at 5:30 and the first pitch at 6:10.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos’ beleaguered defense got a boost Monday with the return of safety Quinton Carter, cornerback Tracy Porter and rookie linebacker Danny Trevathan.

Trevathan (ankle) had been out since Aug. 9, Porter (illness) since Aug. 14 and Carter since July 27, when he popped his right hamstring, which led doctors to discover he needed arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.

The second-year safety said he hurt his left knee in a game against New England on Dec. 18 but even though it grew more and more painful, MRIs hid the injury until last month.

Carter participated in individual drills but was held out of team drills. He said he felt better than he has in eight months and hopes to play Sunday against San Francisco.

A former Omaha Central basketball star is officially a Husker. Deverell Biggs has fulfilled his academic requirements and will start classes in Lincoln today. The junior college transfer, who was one of new head coach Tim Miles’ first signings this spring, completed work on his associates degree this summer at Central Community College in Columbus. Biggs is likely to redshirt this season. He’ll have two years of eligibility for the Huskers.

The Husker women’s basketball program has steered a top recruit away from a Big Ten rival. Allie Havers, a 6’5” forward from Mattawan, Michigan, had been committed to the Wolverines but began looking elsewhere when their coach left. She recently committed to the Huskers 2013 recruiting class. Havers averaged nearly 18 points and 12 rebounds per game in her junior season and is ranked a top-10 player in the region by the Girls Midwest Recruiting Report.

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) — The kids from Kearney, Neb., have earned the state’s first-ever win at the Little League World Series.

The Midwest champs muscled up at the plate Monday to beat Germany’s Ramstein Air Base 17-1. Jared Wagner went 3 for 4 with five RBIs in the game delayed by rain.

Nebraska scored 15 runs in the second. The boys were relegated to the consolation round after losing their first two games of the double-elimination tournament. Friends and family are planning a big celebration back home in Kearney.

Tyler Woodberry had a hit and RBI for winless Germany. The players’ parents serve or work at the U.S. military installation overseas.

The Ramstein bunch plans to stay the rest of the week and attend a Yankees game in New York next week.

The Brady Eagles head into the 2012 football season with their fourth head coach in the last five years. New sideline boss Andy Seamann takes the reins of a program looking to make a fourth straight playoff appearance. Hear about his plans for this season and for the opener against Maxwell Friday in this week’s Brady Eagle Sports Update!

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – A Nebraska horse trainer has been suspended and fined $1,500 pending an investigation of a horse that tested positive for a powerful stimulant called “frog juice” that is barred from use in the United States.

The Lincoln Journal Star reports that a urine sample showed a horse named Cheatin’ Cowboy may have had dermorphin in his system when he finished second at a race July 15 at Horsemen’s Park in Omaha.

Dermorphin is produced naturally as a skin secretion in certain species of South American frogs, but it also can be produced synthetically.

The trainer, Kim Veerhusen, could not be reached to comment. The executive director of the Nebraska Racing Commission, Tom Sage, confirmed its investigation but declined to make any other comments.

NEW YORK (AP) – A federal judge in Austin, Texas, has thrown out Lance Armstrong’s lawsuit against the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, an attempt to stop the drug case against the seven-time Tour de France winner.

Armstrong has repeatedly denied doping. His lawsuit claimed USADA lacked jurisdiction and that its arbitration process violates his constitutional rights.

U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks dismissed the lawsuit, allowing the case to proceed. Armstrong can appeal in federal court, go ahead with USADA’s arbitration or accept its sanctions.

Penalties could include a lifetime ban from the sport and loss of his titles.

USADA says Armstrong took steroids and blood boosters to win the Tour de France every year from 1999 to 2005.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The NFL has suspended Kansas City All-Pro linebacker Tamba Hali for the season-opener against Atlanta for violating its policy on substance abuse.

The league announced the suspension Monday without disclosing details. Hali will miss the Sept. 9 game against the Falcons and be fined an additional game check.

Hali is a rising star who went to his first Pro Bowl last season along with fellow Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson. Hali had 12 sacks while Johnson set a franchise record with 131 tackles.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) – Augusta National Golf Club, the home of the Masters, is welcoming two women to its ranks of membership. Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and South Carolina financier Darla Moore will be the first women to wear the fabled green jacket when the new season opens in October.

The 80-year old club, which is private, has been under fire for years to admit a woman as a member.

Augusta National chairman Billy Payne calls the admission of Rice and Moore a “joyous occasion.”

The move likely ends the debate that intensified in 2002 when Martha Burke of the National Council of Women’s Organizations urged the club to admit women. Former club chairman Hootie Johnson stood his ground, even at the cost of losing Masters television sponsors for two years.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Kansas City at Tampa Bay 6:10 p.m.
Baltimore at Texas 7:05 p.m.
N-Y Yankees at Chi White Sox 7:10 p.m.
Minnesota at Oakland 9:05 p.m.
Cleveland at Seattle 9:10 p.m.

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Atlanta at Washington 6:05 p.m.
Cincinnati at Philadelphia 6:05 p.m.
Colorado at N-Y Mets 6:10 p.m. (LISTEN LIVE on ESPN Radio 1410)
Chi Cubs at Milwaukee 7:10 p.m.
Miami at Arizona 8:40 p.m.
Pittsburgh at San Diego 9:05 p.m.
San Francisco at L.A. Dodgers 9:10 p.m.

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE PRESEASON
Philadelphia at New England 7:00 p.m.