Chattanooga welterweight DeMarcus Rogers will give extra meaning to his boxing nickname "All Business" tonight at the Chattanooga Convention Center. He will be competing in the main event against a veteran of more than 30 pro fights, John Willoughby of Selma, Ala., and the entire card is a production of Rogers' Grind Nation Promotions. It will include heavyweight Brandon Spencer against Melvin Patterson as well as New York bantamweight Cheyanne Rivera and two 2-0 fighters from North Carolina, Stevie Massey and LaVonte Early. Grind Nation's Tay "Hollywood" Jones will be trying to be 2-0. Rogers, a former Central High football standout and Westside Knockouts boxer, registered three consecutive knockout wins in 2016 but had shoulder surgery in October. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the boxing starts at 7. Ringside tickets at $60 and general admission at $20 will be available at the door.
Baseball
- Reigning Gulf South Conference player of the week Geremy Walton was 3-for-4 with two home runs and all three RBIs as Lee won 3-2 Friday in the opener of a weekend baseball series at St. Leo. The Flames (4-1) won behind pitchers Jumpei Akanuma, Jay Prior and Kit Larson. Nathan Wierzgac also was 3-for-4.
- Cleveland State opened its baseball season Friday with a 14-7 win at Gordon State. The Cougars totaled 20 hits with three each from Jordan Ransom, Sean McDermott, Devin Gardner and Hagan Kennedy and two plus two RBIs apiece from John Hennen and John Sharpe. Kennedy homered and drove in four runs, while Ransom tripled, doubled and scored three times.
- Tennessee Wesleyan's Adrian Gonzalez singled in Edwin Bonilla for a 4-3 lead in the top of the ninth inning Friday at Auburn-Montgomery, and the Bulldogs made that hold up for an NAIA victory that leveled their record at 2-2. Bonilla was 3-for-5 with two RBIs and Cody Erickson homered and doubled for TWU. Ryan Phillips got the pitching win in relief of Chris Washington, and Daniel Tolano entered with runners on third and first with two outs and got a strikeout for the save.
- The Bryan College baseball team won 5-2 and lost 11-1 to visiting Missouri Baptist and now is 3-3.
- Covenant College got its first win in four baseball games this season Friday, 7-2 over visiting Emory & Henry, as Alex Kerr went 3-for-3, Devin Cerrato hit a two-run homer and Matt Reitz and Kyle Phillips pitched a combined four-hitter. Reitz allowed one hit and struck out six in his six innings.
Basketball
- Led by a school-record 39 points from sophomore Darius Fugh, Georgia Northwestern beat visiting Hiwassee 78-67 in men's basketball Thursday night. Fugh, already the Bobcats' career scoring leader, was 9-of-11 on 2-point shots, 4-of-8 on 3s and 9-of-10 on free throws and also grabbed nine rebounds. Alec Rattanaxay had 13 points, six assists and four steals and Patrick Simmons also had 13 points with four 3s for GNTC (11-10). NaeQuon Newman and Kobe Clisby each scored 18 for Hiwassee, Toure Fudge adding 15.
- Sewanee won 82-70 in Southern Athletic Association men's basketball Friday at Hendrix as Adrian Thomas had 24 points and 12 rebounds, Jorden Williams scored 17, Brody Stone had 13 rebounds and six assists with 12 points and Hunter Buescher had 12 points and five assists. Sara Dyslin had 21 points and nine rebounds as the Hendrix women won 67-52. Hannah McCormack led Sewanee with 13 points and eight rebounds.
- Despite a game-high 20 points from Aleigha Williams, including four 3s, Covenant lost 81-59 in USA South women's basketball at Piedmont.
Softball
- Macy Bryant had a three-run homer and another RBI in a 7-6 win over Spartanburg Methodist and two hits and a run scored in a 5-2 loss to East Georgia State as Cleveland State began its softball season Friday at Cartersville, Ga. Carly Frost doubled twice and scored twice and winning pitcher Kaley Cagle had two hits and two RBIs against Spartanburg, when Erin Hollis got the save. Rachael Goodson was 2-for-3 in the loss.