Former Red Bank High School standout Hunter Adkins from Signal Mountain has agreed to terms on a free-agent contract with the Oakland Athletics and will fly to Arizona on Monday to finalize arrangements and join the organization’s AZL Athletics in the rookie Arizona League. Adkins was drafted in the 18th round by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2012 but came back for his senior season at Middle Tennessee State and had his best year with a 4.31 earned run average. He was particularly strong early in the spring with eight innings of shutout pitching against Ball State and a one-run eight-inning performance against Auburn. “My excitement easily outweighs me being nervous,” he told the Times Free Press on Saturday. “I’m definitely ready to go get started, trying to move up. I absolutely could not have made it this far without the help of all my coaches and my family through the years. I’m thankful and pumped to start my pro career.” Fellow MTSU right-hander Daniel Palo was drafted in the 27th round and signed with the Colorado Rockies.
Golf
• The 81st annual Tennessee Women’s Amateur Championship golf tournament will run Monday through Friday at Vanderbilt Legends Club at Franklin. It has 89 entrants, the most since the 2008 tournament at The Honors Course. Both the championship division — with 62 entered — and the flighted division will have 36 holes of stroke-play qualifying before match play begins, the championship contenders covering about 6,000 yards and the other flights going about 5,400. One of the favorites will be 2011 winner Kendall Martindale, a rising junior at Vanderbilt and a semifinalist in the Women’s Amateur last year. Reigning Senior Amateur player of the year Jean Roise of Crossville also is in the field.
• Rocky Face, Ga., residents Tucker Snipes and Ethan Hayes are among the 90 young golfers set to play Monday at the University of Georgia Golf Course for four spots and two alternate positions in the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship. The USGA national event is set for July 22-27 in Truckee, Calif. Monday’s qualifier is scheduled for 36 holes.
Track & Field