Sports briefs
Keller to start opener
Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton handed Mitch Keller the opening day assignment.
Shelton broke the news to the 26-year-old right-hander Wednesday that he’ll get the nod when Pittsburgh begins the season at Cincinnati on March 30.
In a video posted on the Pirates’ Twitter feed, Shelton and Keller sat down in the manager’s office and began discussing the right-hander’s side session.
Shelton asked how many pitches he threw.
“Twenty or so. I didn’t really count,” Keller said.
“How many do you think you’ll throw on the 30th?” Shelton asked.
“I have no idea. What’s the 30th?” the pitcher replied.
“Opening day,” Shelton said.
“Ha ha!” Keller said, taking a moment to let it sink in. “Come on! Oh my god, dude!”
Keller is the seventh different opening day starter for the Pirates in the last seven years, including JT Brubaker last season.
The Pirates lost to the Toronto Blue Jays 7-1 Wednesday in Dunedin, Fla.
The Pirates fell behind 4-0 before scoring in the seventh inning when Travis Swaggerty’s single drove home Connor Joe, who had doubled.
Brubaker gave up four hits and four runs in 4 1/3 innings.
In the NBA
The NBA suspended Memphis Grizzilies guard Ja Morant eight games without pay on Wednesday after determining that his displaying a firearm at a club in suburban Denver earlier this month was “conduct detrimental to the league.”
Morant will miss his sixth game when the Grizzlies play in Miami on Wednesday night. He will miss the next two games and be eligible to return Monday when Memphis plays Dallas.
In college basketball
Ansley Almonor scored 23 points and Fairleigh Dickinson beat Texas Southern 84-61 Wednesday night to earn its first NCAA Tournament win in four seasons.
The Knights held a 14-2 lead after a 12-0 run in the opening 3:29 and didn’t never gave up the lead. Grant Singleton scored seven points during a 19-6 run in which the Knights led by as many as 18 points at the end of the first half.
Fairleigh Dickinson advanced play top-seeded Purdue in Columbus, Ohio, Friday.
Bally Sports owner goes bankrupt
Diamond Sports Group, the largest owner of regional sports networks, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Tuesday. The move came after it missed a $140 million interest payment last month.
Diamond owns 19 networks under the Bally Sports banner. Those networks have the rights to 42 professional teams – 14 baseball, 16 NBA and 12 NHL.
The company said that it expects to continue to operate and that coverage of games should not be affected.
College baseball
Washington & Jefferson scored early and often in a Presidents’ Athletic Conference-opening sweep of visiting Geneva on Wednesday at Ross Memorial Park. The Presidents won a 14-1 seven-inning opener before adding a 10-0 shutout in the second game.
The sweep improves W&J to 7-2 overall and 2-0 in the PAC.
Joe Lehnerhit a three-run homer to give W&J a 4-0 lead in the first inning of the opener. Evan Sante also had a three-run homer.
The Presidents tallied 10 more runs on 12 hits in the nightcap. W&J tacked on two more home runs.
That was plenty of support for Tyler Horvat, who tossed a complete game one-hit shutout. Horvat struck out eight and issued no walks as he improved to 3-1 this season. Horvat allowed only two baserunners.
Trevor Dean and Luke Virag homered for the Presidents.