briefs
At The Meadows
New Evidence stalked Stride Of Pride from the pocket before using the Lightning Lane to perfection to complete the 6-1 upset in Friday’s $18,000 Preferred Pace at The Meadows.
Stride Of Pride had plenty of pace left turning for home but couldn’t match the 27.3 final panel of New Evidence, who prevailed in 1:52.2 over a “good” surface for Aaron Merriman. Dapper Dude also shot the Lightning Lane for second, 1-3/4 lengths back, while Stride Of Pride saved show. Herman Hagerman trains the 6-year-old Western Terror-Bouncing Hanover gelding, who lifted his career earnings to $122,630, for Northwind Farm.
Cal baseball picked 5th
The California University baseball team was picked to finish fifth in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West standings in the preseason poll released by the league office on Friday.
Two-time, defending-PSAC Champion Seton Hill was selected the preseason favorite in the PSAC West with five first-place votes after a 34-win campaign last season. Mercyhurst received the remaining three first-place votes and was picked second in the league poll. Slippery Rock and Gannon were picked third and fourth, respectively, followed by the Vulcans in fifth.
Millersville was the preseason favorite in the PSAC East with four first-place votes after winning a league-high 37 wins during the 2018 campaign. West Chester earned the remaining four first-place votes after making its fourth-straight trip to the NCAA Playoffs.
Cal posted a 26-20 overall record last year and finished fifth in the PSAC West standings to miss the league tournament for just the fourth time in 18 seasons.
Cal starts the season in two weeks with a doubleheader against Wheeling Jesuit on Feb. 16 in Wild Things Park.
Wade Wilson dies
Wade Wilson, the quarterback who led the Minnesota Vikings to an NFC championship game and coached the position with the Dallas Cowboys for more than a decade, died on his 60th birthday Friday.
Wilson died at his home in the Dallas suburb of Coppell. Police said a 911 call was made from Wilson’s home, where the caller said Wilson was unresponsive and CPR was in progress. Emergency personnel determined upon arrival that Wilson was dead.
Police said there was no indication of foul play and that the death was under investigation.
“Wade was a cherished and valued member of our organization as a player, a coach and a wonderful friend,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. “This is a sad day for all members of the Cowboys family as we have lost a truly great man.”
Wilson played for five NFL teams from 1981-98. He played 10 seasons for the Vikings, leading them to the NFC title game during the 1987 season. They lost to 17-10 to the Washington Redskins, who went on to win the Super Bowl. Minnesota made the playoffs the next two seasons, as well.
Wilson also played for the Atlanta Falcons (1992), New Orleans Saints (1993-94), Cowboys (1995-97) and Oakland Raiders (1998). Wilson was Troy Aikman’s backup when the Cowboys won their last Super Bowl title during the 1995 season.
Wilson began his coaching career as the Cowboys quarterback coach from 2000-02, and returned to that role from 2007-17. He coached with the Chicago Bears from 2004-06.
The Cowboys didn’t renew Wilson’s contract after the 2017 season.
Wilson was replaced by Kellen Moore, who also took over as the position coach for the quarterback he played behind – Dak Prescott.
Moore was promoted to offensive coordinator this week after one season as the QB coach.
A native of Greenville, Texas, Wilson was an eighth-round draft pick by the Vikings in 1981 out of East Texas State (now Texas A&M-Commerce) and made 48 of his 69 career starts for them. He threw for 17,283 yards.