RSS | 
Twitter
| 
Be a fan!
Briefs
The California University women's basketball team, which is ranked No. 3 in the NCAA Division II USA Today/ESPN preseason poll, got a little stronger Tuesday.
California received word from the NCAA that point guard Crystal Andrews has been granted another season of eligibility. Andrews received the extra season because she sat out a year at Pitt-Johnstown because of injury before transferring to California, where she played the two years.
Andrews averaged 10.1 points per game last season and started 30 of the Vulcans' 34 games. She also led California in assists. Andrews joins Brooque Williams (18.0 ppg) and Kayla Smith (15.2 ppg) as returning starters.
Rate This Story:
1 the lowest - 5 the highest
Current rating:
The Pittsburgh Pirates have purchased the Class-A Florida State League team located in Sarasota, Fla., and are moving it to nearby Bradenton, their longtime spring training site.
The Cincinnati Reds were previously affiliated with Sarasota, but will now operate their high Class-A team in Lynchburg, Va., where a Pirates farm club had been located. The Reds also are shifting spring training from Sarasota to Goodyear, Ariz.
The Sarasota-to-Bradenton franchise shift was approved Tuesday by the Florida State League.
Lights were installed at McKechnie Field in 2007, allowing the Pirates to pursue a full-season farm club for Bradenton. Florida State League teams play a 140-game schedule.
Assault charge dropped against Kurt Angle
A district judge has dropped assault and harassment charges against professional wrestler and Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle.
The 40-year-old wrestler had been accused of attacking his former girlfriend Trenesha Biggers at his suburban Pittsburgh home on Aug. 6. The charges were dropped at Angle's preliminary hearing on Tuesday.
Angle maintains that he never hit Biggers.
On Monday, Angle and Biggers agreed to have no contact with one another. Biggers, also a wrestler, withdrew a protection from abuse complaint against Angle.
Murtaugh on Hall ballot
Billy Martin, Whitey Herzog, Gene Mauch and Danny Murtaugh are among the former managers who will be on the ballot when the Hall of Fame Veterans Committee votes next month.
Tom Kelly, Davey Johnson, Steve O'Neill and Charlie Grimm also are on the 10-man ballot for managers and umpires. The Hall released the names Tuesday.
Doug Harvey and Hank O'Day are the umpires up for consideration.
Judge blocks school from changing nickname
A judge has temporarily blocked higher education officials from changing the University of North Dakota's Fighting Sioux nickname.
The dispute has its origins in the NCAA's August 2005 declaration that the Fighting Sioux nickname and Indian head logo should be abolished.
The judge's ruling came after a lawsuit was filed by eight Spirit Lake Sioux tribal members who support the nickname.
In the NHL
Mikko Koivu scored one goal and assisted on two others in the second period as the Minnesota Wild ended the Toronto Maple Leafs' two-game winning streak with a 5-2 victory Tuesday night.
• Miikka Kiprusoff got his first shutout of the season and Jarome Iginla extended his goal-scoring streak to four games, leading the Calgary Flames to a 1-0 victory over the Montreal Canadiens.
• Jason Spezza scored the winning goal in the shootout for the Ottawa Senators, who twice came from behind to beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-3.
• General managers are keeping those trapezoids behind the nets, and will discuss a potential new rule aimed at reducing hits to the head.
On the first day of the GMs meeting Tuesday, the group decided to stick with the trapezoid rule that limits where goalies can play the puck. The
