The University of Toledo announced Wednesday that it had hired Walter Offutt as a men’s basketball assistant coach for Tod Kowalczyk. Offutt had been an assistant at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga the past two seasons but was a standout player at Ohio University in the same state and conference (Mid-American) as Toledo. He grew up in Indianapolis. “We are excited about the addition of Walter to our coaching staff,” Kowalczyk said in a Rockets release. “I have known Walter for some time and have followed his career closely. As a solid player in the Mid-American Conference, he knows what it takes to be successful in our league. Walter is a rising star and he will impact our program tremendously. He is a tireless and effective recruiter, a defensive-minded coach and someone who will bring a great deal of toughness to our program. The Rockets got better today!”
» Walker Valley High School’s Alex Duke signed Thursday to continue his basketball career at nearby Cleveland State Community College. “We are excited to have Alex in our program,” Cougars coach Lee Cigliano said in a release about the 6-foot guard. “He can shoot and handle the ball well and has a good understanding of the game. I think he has an excellent chance of contributing immediately. In addition, Alex is going to represent the college well off the floor.”
Baseball
» Andrew Cline pitched a nine-inning seven-hitter with seven strikeouts as eighth-seeded Covenant College upset top seed Piedmont 7-2 in the first round of the USA South baseball tournament Thursday at LaGrange, Georgia. Tyler Moore was 3-for-3 and he, Andrew Brock and Joseph Ridenhour each drove in two runs for the Scots (17-20). Brock had two hits, and Brooks DuBose was 2-for-4 and scored twice. Piedmont, ranked 12th in NCAA Division III, is 29-9.
Fishing
» The Bryan College duo of Cole Sands and Conner Dimauro took the first-day lead in the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series tournament on Bull Shoals Lake in Arkansas with a five-fish limit totaling 19 pounds, 4 ounces Friday. A pair from Kansas State led the other 198 boats with 18 pounds. Two other Bryan teams – Griffin Heffington with Mason Cizek and Trevor St. John with Bailey Fain – were 23rd and tied for 26th at 15-2 and 15-0.
Lacrosse
» Sewanee goes into its Southern Athletic Association men’s lacrosse tournament semifinal Friday in Memphis against top-seeded Rhodes with four all-conference first-team players and three Tigers who received honorable mention. The All-SAA first-teamers are Thomas Lynde (23 goals, 26 assists); Hayden Hunt (35 goals, 14 assists); Grant Gilmore (33 ground balls, 16 caused turnovers); and Ryan Stubits (SAA-record 263 face-off wins). Will Pratt (27 goals, 16 assists), Cal Pearce (31 ground balls, 11 caused turnovers) and Ian Marr (26 ground balls, 10 caused turnovers) got honorable mention.
Track & Field
» Lee University had both Gulf South Conference track performers of the week, Charlee Boxall and Christian Noble, plus men’s field honoree Gari Garmendia and women’s freshman of the week Kristen Blevins. At the Georgia Tech Invitational last weekend, Boxall won the women’s 1500-meter run and Noble the men’s 3000 steeplechase in Lee-record times, and Blevins was part of a fourth-place, school-record 4×100 relay performance. Garmendia was fifth in the shot put. Noble’s steeple time is the best in NCAA Division II this season.
» Tennessee Wesleyan’s Dillan Elkins was the Appalachian Athletic Conference men’s track athlete of the week for the third time in a row and the fourth time this outdoor season for his Georgia Tech Invitational victories against NCAA Division I and II runners in the 200-meter dash and 4×100 relay. Both were in NAIA national A-standard times (21.42 and 40.80 seconds). Elkins has been the NAIA national track athlete of the week twice this season.
Softball
» Third-seeded Tennessee Wesleyan lost 2-0 to seventh seed Point (31-17) in the AAC softball tournament Thursday at Kingsport and plays Friday against Reinhardt (29-18), which eliminated Bryan (20-28) with a 7-1 defeat. Hannah O’Shields gave Bryan a short-lived lead with a third-inning home run. For TWU (28-8), pitcher Cheyenne Strong allowed five hits and one earned run and struck out 13 batters. Fourth seed Brenau (33-8) beat top seed Truett McConnell (42-8) 7-1.
» Berry College beat Sewanee 11-0 on Thursday in the SAA tournament at Warner Park in Chattanooga. Abbey Gamble homered and Samantha Crabtree was 3-for-3 and scored two runs for Berry (27-11). The Tigers (3-26) had two hits; they face Millsaps in the losers bracket Friday at 2 p.m. Rhodes downed Millsaps 4-2; Hendrix edged Centre 4-3.
Golf
» Dalton State junior Ben Rebne is the latest Southern States Athletic Conference men’s golfer of the week. Honored for the third time this season, the Heritage High School graduate was the medalist last week in the SSAC tournament with an 8-under-par 208 for 54 holes.