WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13:
Baseball:  Aurora A’s @ Milbank, 8:00pm
   Watertown @ Volga Cormorants, 8:00pm
   Brookings Bandits @ Brandon, 6:30pm
   Brandon @ Bombers Black (DH), Mickelson Field, 4:00pm
   Bombers Gray @ Madison Gold

Golf:   SDGA-First Dakota National Bank Golf Tour @ Hartford

BULLETS 16’s…The Brookings Bullets 16’s rallied with ten runs in the bottom of the sixth to defeat Pierre White 11-2 Tuesday.
Kyle Krogman drove in three runs, while Jordan Lerdahl, Bryce McMacken and Carter Mahlum each drove in two.  Brookings had just six hits, but benefited from 14 walks.
    The Bullets managed just two hits in a 9-0 loss to Pierre Green.  Graham Protexter had three hits, with Shay Reinke, Cash Anderson and Bo Atkins recording two each.  Atkins drove in two runs.

BASEBALL RANKINGS…The Renner Monarchs and Dell Rapids Mudcats are the top-rated teams this week in the South Dakota amateur baseball rankings.  Renner leads Class A. Dell Rapids is tops in Class B.
    Class A — 1. Renner Monarchs; 2. Brandon Valley; 3. Pierre; 4. Yankton; 5. Vermillion Red Sox and Sioux Falls Saints.
    Class B — 1. Dell Rapids Mudcats; 2. Crofton, Neb.; 3. Salem; 4. Redfield; 5. Garretson; 6. Dimock-Emery; 7. Parkston Mudcats; 8. Canova; 9. Wynot, Neb.; 10. Clark.

SDGA GOLF…The SDGA junior golf tour was in Mitchell Tuesday.  Results of area players:
14-15 Girls: 3. Taylor Bird, Arlington, 99
16-18 Girls: 4. Lauren Fitts, 84
14-15 Boys: Ty Hoglund, Dell Rapids, 85

VLASTUIN…South Dakota State jumper Jared Vlastuin received All-America honorable mention recognition from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association for his performance in the long jump.
    Honors for the season are awarded for performances at the final site of the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships occurring the previous weekend in Des Moines, Iowa.
    Vlastuin placed 18th in the long jump at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championship with a mark of 24 feet, one and one-half inches.

DITTMAN…The new athletic director at Dakota State wants to meet with coaches starting June 22nd – his first day on the job.
    Jeff Dittman says some Trojan programs are prominent nationally, and wants to know how they can stay there.  And he also wants to know what other programs require to get into the national spotlight.  97624   :16   “little bit farther”.
    Dittman says conference affiliation is a front-burner issue.  He says the current independent status puts pressure on student-athletes, and coaches.  97625   :18   “a conference affiliation”.
    Among the options – meeting with schools similar to D-S-U, and perhaps create a new conference.  97626   :27   “with those schools”.
    Dittman says large schools are changing conferences, and some of that transition may filter down to schools like DSU. Down the road, he says he hopes to address some facilities issues.

UND NICKNAME…Voters have approved a measure that lets the University of North Dakota dump its controversial Fighting Sioux nickname.  The vote sends the matter back to the state's Board of Higher Education, which is expected to retire the moniker and American Indian head logo.
    The NCAA has deemed the nickname hostile and abusive and has placed the university under postseason sanctions.
Advocates for retiring the nickname say the issue is hurting the athletic department in recruiting and scheduling. Supporters of the name say coaches and administrators are exaggerating the harmful effects and don't believe the NCAA sanctions are a big deal.
    The group that collected petitions for the ballot measure has said it will pursue another vote in the fall to make Fighting Sioux part of the state constitution.

HARRISBURG…Harrisburg High School will be moving to Class “AA” next year, and will also join the ESD conference. Harrisburg will move the ESD's membership to nine schools, meaning scheduling changes. Huron activities director Terry Rotert says volleyball and girls and boys basketball are sports that need to be looked at.  97621   :25   “to offer”.
    Non-conference scheduling is a big issue.  97622   :35   “postseason changes”.
    Rotert says the ESD wants to help West River schools as much as possible, but there are several things to consider.  97623   :26   “this summer”.
    Harrisburg will remain at Class “A” for the upcoming school year, then become “AA” in all sports in the fall of 2013.

ACADEMIC AWARDS…The state high school activities association has recognized over 300 high school athletic teams and fine arts groups from schools across the state which have achieved the “Academic Achievement Team Award” for the spring season.  Any varsity athletic team or fine arts group achieving a combined grade point average of 3.0 or higher is eligible.  Area winners:
    Arlington:  Boys and girls golf;  boys and girls track
    Brookings:  Large group orchestra, boys and girls track, large group band, yearbook, All-State jazz band, large group chorus,
  girls golf, boys tennis, student council
    Deubrook:  Large group chorus, yearbook, student council, boys and girls track, boys and girls golf, large group band
    Elkton-Lake Benton:  Boys and girls track;  boys and girls golf;  student council
    Estelline:  Boys and girls track;  boys and girls golf;  newspaper, student council, yearbook, large group band, large group
  chorus
    Hamlin:  Boys and girls track;  boys and girls golf;  newspaper, student council, yearbood
    Lake Preston:  Newspaper, yearbook
    Sioux Valley:  Boys and girls track;  girls golf;  student council;  large group band, large group chorus;  yearbook.

AAU SCREENING…The Amateur Athletic Union has announced it will begin mandatory background checks on all staff, coaches and volunteers in September.
    AAU president Louis Stout said Tuesday during a press conference at the organization's national office the screening of more than 100,000 adults who work with youth athletes coincides with the new membership cycle. No one will be exempt from the screening and any questionable information it turns up could disqualify people from participation in AAU programs.
    Everyone involved in programs will also be required to report known or suspected child abuse to law enforcement.
    The moves follow a six-month review by two AAU-commissioned task forces that focused on youth protection and adult volunteering screening. They produced a joint 30-page report with recommendations for changes to AAU's policies, protocols and procedures.

YORI EXTENSION…Nebraska women's basketball coach Connie Yori has received a two-year contract extension through 2017.
    Athletic director Tom Osborne says Yori deserved to be rewarded for a 2011-12 season in which the Cornhuskers went 24-9, including 10-6 in their first year in the Big Ten, and advanced to the championship game of the conference tournament.
    Yori, who earned a base salary of $660,000 last year, will be paid $673,000 in 2012-13.
    The Cornhuskers lost to Kansas in the first round of the NCAA tournament and finished the season ranked No. 22.
    Yori, entering her 11th season at Nebraska, has guided the Huskers to eight postseason tournament appearances and more than 20 wins a season over the past nine years.

CWS REPLAY…A home run wrongly ruled a double at last year's College World Series prompted the NCAA to implement instant replay this year.
     NCAA vice president for football and baseball Dennis Poppe (Pope) said Tuesday that Brian Johnson's deep ball for Florida last year pushed Division I baseball leaders to give umpires the ability to review whether a ball cleared the fence, went foul or if a fan interfered.
    The bad call on Johnson's hit didn't affect the outcome of Florida's 8-4 win over Texas. But Gators coach Kevin O'Sullivan said this week that anything that helps umpires make the right call is a good thing.
    ESPN provides more than a dozen camera angles at the CWS. Only the umpire crew chief decides if review will be used.

NO TIBBETTS TO CHARLOTTE…A person familiar with the situation says the Bobcats have trimmed their coaching search to three — Jerry Sloan, Brian Shaw and Quin Snyder.
    The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the team has not made its list of candidates public.
    ESPN first reported Charlotte had trimmed its original list of candidates from 10 to three.
    Bobcats owner Michael Jordan will meet with Shaw, an assistant with the Indiana Pacers, and Snyder, an assistant with the Los Angeles Lakers, at some point this week. Sloan has already met with Jordan.
    Eliminated from consideration were Orlando assistant coach Patrick Ewing, Charlotte assistant Stephen Silas, ex-Portland coach Nate McMillan, Golden State assistant Michael Malone, Cleveland assistant Nate Tibbetts, Memphis assistant Dave Joerger and St. John's University assistant Mike Dunlap.