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.