July 2008 – The Ticket

The U.S. Olympic Baseball Team will play four games in the Triangle prior to its departure for the Beijing Olympic Games in August. On Aug. 1, the team will play at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary. The team then moves to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park on Aug. 2 for a three-game series. All games will be played against the Canadian Olympic Baseball Team.

The U.S. Olympic team will be managed by Bob Watson, general manager of the 1996 world champion New York Yankees, and Davey Johnson, manager of the 1986 world champion New York Mets. Watson and Johnson put together the team’s 24-man roster.

Since major league players are not allowed to compete, USA Baseball had to receive permission from major league clubs to use minor league prospects. The team includes outfielder Matt LaPorta from the Cleveland Indians, right-handed pitcher Jake Arrieta from the Baltimore Orioles, and left-handed pitcher Clayton Richard, currently playing for the Charlotte Knights in the Chicago White Sox farm system.

The U.S. Olympic Baseball Team and the International Baseball Federation are under intense pressure to perform well at the Olympics. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) voted baseball out of the Olympic Games in 2012 to make room for other sports. In order for baseball to be reinstated in the 2016 Olympic Games, this tournament must impress members of the IOC. Baseball has been a part of the Olympic Games since 1992. The U.S. won its first and only gold medal in 2000 and a bronze in 1996.

For more information or to purchase your tickets, visit www.usabaseball.com.

Raleigh hosted the 2008 US Youth Soccer Region III Championships in June. More than 180 boys’ and girls’ teams, ages 14-19, from 11 southeastern states competed for a spot in the US Youth National Championships. The Triangle had four teams advance to the final round of the tournament, and one local team advanced to the national championships.

In the Under-16 Boys division, the Triangle United Gold team made their debut at the tournament—and surprised many with their success. In the game that would determine their destiny for the national championship, Triangle United fell behind early. Their opponent, Lonestar 92B Red of Texas, took an early lead with back-to-back goals, but Triangle United regrouped quickly and ended the half down by a goal.

Captain Glen Alan Long boosted the team’s confidence when he scored two goals within minutes of each other to give the team a 3-2 advantage. Triangle United’s penalty kick goal sealed the deal with 30 seconds left in the game.

One other team from North Carolina, SCSA Gold in the Under-14 Boys division, joined Triangle United as the only teams from outside of Texas to advance to nationals. With its win, Triangle United headed to the National Championships in Little Rock, Ark., in July where they finished 2-0-1.

The US Youth Soccer National Championship Series provides more than 10,000 teams from the US Youth Soccer’s 55 state associations the opportunity to showcase their abilities against the best in the nation—while emphasizing teamwork, discipline and fair play.

The yearlong competition begins with more than 185,000 players in the US Youth Soccer State Championships. These champions, along with wildcard teams selected through US Soccer Regional Leagues, advance to compete in one of the four US Youth Soccer Regional Championships.

Youth Soccer Photo Credit: Beth Harvey

In July, the Carolina Mudcats hosted the 2008 Southern League All-Star Game at Five County Stadium in Zebulon, N.C.

The afternoon began with a luncheon featuring the All-Star Game players and coaches. Players were recognized for their work during the first half of the season. Keynote speaker Jack McKeon follow the awards presentations. McKeon managed the 2003 Florida Marlins, who went from a below .500 record to World Series champions.

Before the All-Star Game, the Mudcats hosted the Miracle League All-Star Game featuring children from the Miracle League of the Triangle. Each child’s picture was shown on the big screen, along with nicknames and their very own walk-up music. During the Miracle League game, the North and South divisions tied 14-14. The score would not be the same for the Southern League All-Star game.

The first inning of the game set the tone, with the North dominating in hitting. John Raynor, a Carolina Mudcat, doubled off the second pitch and was able to score on the next pitch, when Huntsville Stars Alcides Escobar singled. After the first inning, the score was 2-0 in favor of the North. Yet, the South rallied and scored one run, to edge closer to the North until the bottom of the fifth inning.

Carolina Mudcats Chris Coghlan hit a three-run homer over the right field wall, driving in Huntsville’s Michael Brantley and Escobar, who had each singled to start the inning. In the bottom of the sixth, Tennessee Smokies right fielder Doug Deeds hit a solo home run to earn the last and final run for either team—making the final score of the game 6-1 in favor of the North.

Coghlan’s three-run homer earned him the Most Valuable Player award for the night. Chattanooga Lookout pitcher Ben Jukich received the Pitcher of the Game award for his domination of pitching in the first inning. Jukich worked quickly in the first inning, getting two groundouts and a flyout in six pitches to retire the side.

The evening ended with a post-game fireworks show and an after-party for the players, families and sponsors. Congratulations to the Carolina Mudcats staff for hosting a very successful All-Star game!

All-Star Game Photo Credit Staff Photos by Nikolaus Johnson-Carolina Mudcats

You may see some familiar faces while watching the Olympic Games this summer. The Triangle region has several former and current athletes competing for gold in their respective sports. NBC will broadcast the 2008 Olympic games August 8-24. For complete Olympic coverage, visit www.nbcolympics.com.

Track & Field:
Four former Tar Heels will compete in the Olympic Games in August. Alice Schmidt will compete in the 800-meter race, and Erin Donohue will compete in the 1,500-meter race against Duke alumna Shannon Rowbury. Also, Shalane Flanagan, a returning Olympian, will compete in the 5,000-meter and 10,000-meter races. Flanagan represented the U.S. for the first time in the 5,000-meter race at the 2004 Games in Athens. Fellow UNC alumna Blake Russell finished third at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials – Women’s Marathon and earned her spot at the Games.

Hurdler Bershawn Jackson, a former Saint Augustine’s College athlete, earned a spot on the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team in the 400-meter hurdles. Jackson crossed the finish line first in the U.S. Olympic Trials – Track & Field finals with a time of 48.17 seconds.

High jumper Jesse Williams, a former Broughton High School state champion, began his collegiate career at N.C. State before transferring to the University of Southern California. During the U.S. Olympic Trials – Track & Field, Williams’ leap of 7 feet 6 1/2 inches in the high jump could not be beaten and earned him a spot on the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team.

Swimming
Former N.C. State standout Cullen Jones, who was the first African-American male to break a world record in swimming, made the Olympic Team after placing third in the 100-meter freestyle event at the U.S. Olympic Trials – Swimming. Jones will compete in the Olympic Games on the 4-by-100 meter relay team. Erika Stewart, a Durham Jordan graduate, is also heading to the Olympic Games. Stewart, who has dual citizenship, earned a place on Colombia’s team with a 200-meter individual medley time of 2 minutes 19.57 seconds.

Field Hockey
Six UNC field hockey players will compete in the Olympic Games. Tar Heel alumnae Kate Barber, Rachel Dawson, Jesse Gey, Carrie Lingo, and Amy Tran, and rising sophomore Katelyn Falgowski are among the 16 who earned a spot on the roster. Falgowski is the only player on the roster who is still competing in college. Also joining the roster are Wake Forest’s Lauren Crandall and Kelly Doton. Each of these athletes helped the U.S. squad earn their first bid to the Olympic Games since 1996 by winning an Olympic Qualifier in Russia.

Soccer
The U.S. Women’s Olympic Soccer Team includes three former Tar Heels and one current standout. Tar Heel alumnae include Heather O’Reilly, Lindsay Tarpley, Kacey White and Lori Chalupny, and current Tar Heel Tobin Heath. The USA will open the Olympic Games against Norway on Aug. 6.

Triangle Athletes Photo Credit: NCAA