3 Redbirds, ex-Tiger chosen for AAA All-Star Game
This year’s AAA all-star baseball game will have a strong Memphis Redbirds — and city of Memphis — presence. Redbirds players
and have been named to the Pacific Coast League All-Star team that will take on the International League AllStars on July 11 in Columbus, Ohio.
Hudson was the leading vote-getter and will start the game, becoming the fifth pitcher in Redbirds history to do so. Entering Thursday’s start at Colorado Springs, he was leading the PCL in victories (10), ERA (2.04) and innings pitched (88.1). In nine starts since the beginning of May, he is 7-2 with a sparkling 1.19 ERA.
Poncedeleon was 6-3 with a 2.75 ERA through his first 14 starts while striking out 83 in 72 innings. Wisdom — who was named to last year’s postseason PCL All-Star team and was also MVP of the playoffs — was batting .300 with 12 homers and 48 RBI through his first 73 games.
Former Bartlett High and University of Memphis infielder will represent the International League after a terrific first half for the Syracuse Chiefs.
The 27-year-old is batting .303 for the Washington Nationals’ top minorleague team, with 19 doubles, three homers and 31 RBIs in 56 games. Wilson also leads the Chiefs in on-base percentage (.364) and slugging percentage (.453)
It’s the second career all-star selection for Wilson, who was a Class A Midwest League all-star in 2013 while in the Cardinals organization.
This year’s game will be televised by the MLB Network.
Dakota Hudson, Daniel Poncedeleon Patrick Wisdom One Mustang honored, one finds her school
Chalk up another honor for
Kemp. Jacob Wilson
The Houston High senior has been named Gatorade Tennessee girls soccer player of the year for the 2017-18 season. Kemp, who will play at Memphis, led the Mustangs to a 25-0-0 record, a AAA state championship and a USA TODAY national championship with 20 goals and 19 assists.
The midfielder was also an All-South Region and All-American choice by the United Soccer Coaches Association and was named player of the year at The Commercial Appeal’s Sports Awards on June 5.
Defender who was a player of the year finalist, has committed
Cara Young, Jenna
to play at Arkansas. She originally announced for LSU.
The senior was also named to AllSouth Region and All-America teams and anchored a Mustangs defense that allowed just nine goals in 25 matches.
King, Chiozza in NBA Summer League
Two former Memphis high school basketball stars who went unpicked in the recent NBA Draft will have a chance to prove that they belong.
East alum White Station standout will play for the Los Angeles Lakers and Washington Wizards, respectively, when the league’s 82-game summer season gets under way Friday in Las Vegas.
After stints at Memphis and Alabama, King had a terrific senior season at Middle Tennessee State, averaging
Nick King Chris Chiozza
and former 21.2 points and 8.2 rebounds while being named Conference USA Player of the Year. Chiozza wrapped up his career at Florida by averaging 11.1 points, 6.1 assists and 4.6 rebounds while earning first-team All-SEC mention.
Thornberry earns All-America mention again
Ole Miss golfer has been named to the PING All-America second team. He was a first-team selection after winning the NCAA championship in 2017.
Currently the second-ranked amateur in the world, the former DeSoto Central standout won four tournaments this season, extending his school record to 11. He also led the Rebels to an appearance in the NCAA Tournament and joins
and as the only two-time All-Americans in Ole Miss history.
Darren Cole Former Owl Williams shines at nationals
After some bad luck at the previous two USATF Outdoor Nationals,
looked more like his old self at last week’s meet in Des Moines, Iowa.
Williams — the former Commercial Appeal athlete of the year from MUS who now attends Stanford — placed third in the decathlon with a total of 7,848 points. It comes after the Pac-12 champion recorded a no-height in the pole vault, one of his strongest events, in 2016 and a withdrawal because of injury last year.
Former Mississippi State star
Williams Braden Thornberry Dave Peege Harrison Erica Bougard
won the heptathlon with a total of 6,347 points. Bougard, who was born in Memphis and raised in Byhalia, Miss., finished first in the 100 hurdles, high jump, 200 and 800.
University of Memphis discus thrower ended his career with a sixth-place finish and a school record. The NCAA champion produced a long throw of 207-1 to surpass the mark of 204-0 he set at the Mt. SAC Relays in April.
Luke Vaughn Redbirds Thursday home games on TV
If you’re unable to get to AutoZone Park to see the Memphis Redbirds this summer, you now have a few more chances.
The AAA affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals has announced that this season’s remaining Thursday home games will be televised on WMC-TV’s Bounce channel.
That includes games against Omaha (July 5); Iowa (July 19); Sacramento (Aug. 2) and New Orleans again (Aug. 16). Longtime Redbirds announcer
will be on the call and all games begin at 7 p.m.
“After the success of the Memorial Day weekend telecast of the Shelby County Sherrif’s-Memphis Police Department softball game and that night’s Redbirds game on Bounce, it made perfect sense to find more games to put on the channel,” said the team’s president and general manager.
CBU athletes score academic honors
Two local CBU athletes — former Houston softball standout and Arlington track and field athlete
— have been named to the Academic All-Gulf South Conference team.
Cotter, a former all-metro selection, graduated in just three years with a degree in English for Corporate Communications while earning a 3.91 grade-point average. She led the Bucs in victories, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, home runs and slugging percentage and earned the school’s outstanding female student-athlete award.
Pinarski finished second in the 1,500 at the GSC championship meet and third in the 3,000 steeplechase. He was a three-time all-conference choice and graduated with a 3.65 GPA in accounting.
Sunday Sports Brunch is a weekly look at movers, shakers and newsmakers on the Memphis sports scene, from youth level to the pros. If you have an item of interest, please contact John Varlas at john.varlas@commercialappeal.com.
Nic Pinarski Craig Unger, Jenna Cotter