Balentine, ex-UA star, dies at 60
Arkansas sports fans remember Charles Balentine for his last act in a famous Razorback basketball victory.
Balentine, receiving a pass from Alvin Robertson, sank a short baseline jumper with four seconds left to beat No. 1 North Carolina 65-64 on Feb. 12, 1984, at Pine Bluff Convention Center. The Razorbacks, then coached by Eddie Sutton, beat a top-ranked team for the first time in program history, one coached by Dean Smith and featuring future pros Michael Jordan and Sam Perkins.
Balentine died Wednesday at age 60, said close friend Dudley Dawson, a team manager for that Arkansas squad and later a sports writer with The Sentinel-Record. Both joined Sutton’s program out of Newport High School, where Dawson, as a point guard, fed his 6-6 teammate with many assists on baskets.
Balentine played 104 games for Arkansas in four seasons, averaging 7.9 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. As a senior, he averaged 12.7 points and 5.6 rebounds.
Balentine received 2013 induction to the UA Sports Hall of Honor. The Sacramento Kings took him in the sixth round of the 1985 NBA Draft.
On what became known as Balentine’s Day in UA sports history, the player’s winning basket against North Carolina came on an NBC national telecast with the network’s No. 1 college-basketball announcers — Dick Enberg, ex-college coach Al McGuire and Billy Packer — calling the action. North Carolina’s Steve Hale missed a baseline jumper after two timeouts on the Tar Heels’ last possession.
MAJESTIC PARK STARTS YOUTH BASEBALL REGISTRATION
Majestic Park opened registration for its fall youth baseball league, the
complex announced Thursday.
After the park had an overflow of players sign up for the spring youth league, Majestic Park General Manager Derek Phillips encouraged players to sign up quickly for the fall youth league.
Majestic Park actually had to cut off registration for the spring league soon after it opened when 634 kids signed up to play spring baseball.
“That’s the maximum number of players we can accommodate on our fields,” Phillips said. “I expect the same thing will happen for the fall league, so those who want their kids to play ball this fall should sign up immediately at our website, www.majesticpark.org.
“Our fall baseball league is for kids in the Hot Springs community ages 5 to 15. Games will begin Sept. 12 and will be played on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings. The season will end Oct. 30. The cost per player is $75.”
Majestic Park had a busy spring and summer.
“We’ve had teams playing constantly from the kids all the way up through college-level teams,” Phillips said. “We couldn’t be more pleased with the way Majestic Park has been accepted by baseball players and fans. We’re happy that baseball has been so popular in Hot Springs, and we hope to keep that enthusiasm going as we move into fall competition.”