When a team loses six players to the pro baseball draft — four in the top 10 rounds — and among them is a left-handed ace who passes up his junior year to sign a contract, the likelihood of a breakthrough season seems slim.
One year after Kent State suffered that very fate, however, here are the Golden Flashes, in the NCAA super regional round for the first time in school history, and coming to Eugene this weekend to play Oregon for a spot in the College World Series.
Twelve months removed from a “heartbreaking” loss to Texas in the Golden Flashes’ 11th regional appearance, and from losing their top two starters plus their closer to the draft, Kent State beat Kentucky twice and Purdue once to win a regional last week. The Golden Flashes open a three-game series against Oregon on Saturday at 8 p.m. in PK Park.
“When we lost last year in the regional final, it was heartbreaking,” Kent State coach Scott Stricklin said. “It was really tough. It’s been a long year thinking about it.
“If you were to ask me last year which team would have a chance to make a super regional, every one of us I think would have said that team. But that just speaks volumes about the kids we have — blue-collar, hard-working kids who have exceeded expectations.”
Kent State’s 2011 staff ace, Andrew Chafin, was selected with a compensatory first-round pick in last year’s pro draft. Closer Kyle McMillen was taken in the fourth round, and 2011 Mid-American Conference pitcher of the year Kyle Hallock went in the 10th round.
And yet, starting pitching has improbably been Kent State’s strength this season. David Starn, a seventh-round pick in this year’s draft, will start Saturday against the Ducks, putting on the line a 10-3 record and 2.01 ERA, with 118 strikeouts in 107 2/3 innings.
As a third-year starter, Starn was the sure thing this season. More surprising have been contributions from Kent State’s other two starters. Ryan Bores (9-2, 3.29), a junior college transfer who passed up a pro contract after being drafted last season, will start Sunday’s second game, and Virginia transfer Tyler Skulina (11-2, 3.84) would start game three Monday, if Oregon and Kent State split the first two.
“We lost a lot of impact arms off last year’s team,” Stricklin said. “That was the big question mark coming in — could we have guys fill those shoes? And Ryan Bores and Tyler Skulina have been outstanding.”
No more so than in the regional round. Starn started the opener against Kentucky, which lasted an incredible 21 innings, severely stressing each team’s bullpen. Bores responded by throwing a complete game in the win over Purdue, and Skulina lasted seven innings to win his school-record 11th game in the regional final against Kentucky.
David Lyon, a four-year starter at catcher for Kent State, said the three starters present three vastly different styles. Starn is a lefty who relies on off-speed stuff, Bores uses on his sinker and slider to get groundball outs, and Skulina is the power arm of the group.
“Going from a soft lefty to a sinker-slider guy that’s at 91 (mph) with a lot of sink, to a guy that’s 6-5, 250 pounds and runs it up there at 96, that’s a big change,” Lyon said.
Stricklin calls Lyon “as good a defensive catcher as there is.” In a rare responsibility for this level, Lyon calls pitches himself in most situations, rather than the coaching staff.
“It is unique in the college game, but that’s the kind of leader he is,” Stricklin said. “He’s just outstanding.”
Kent State’s leadership as a whole was tested this season, Stricklin said, when the Golden Flashes played less than inspired baseball from the start. They still looked like a strong candidate to win their conference, but at the midway point there were few signs this would be the Kent State to break through in the postseason.
The low point came at Bowling Green in mid-April, when the Golden Flashes dropped two of three, their first MAC defeats of the season, to a team without a strong recent tradition. Since then, they’ve won 24 of 26, including a national-best 20 straight entering this weekend’s super regional.
“Our seniors really took over the team, made sure our guys were doing the little things in practice,” Stricklin said. “And we’ve just been really sharp and played good baseball ever since.”
This weekend, that streak will go against an Oregon team that also swept through its regional in impressive fashion.
“I feel good about where our team is, but going all the way across the country to play a top-five team that’s competed at such a high level in the Pac-12, it’s a tough challenge,” Stricklin said. “But we’ve got good baseball players who play hard and play with confidence. We’ll be ready to play.”
Said Lyon: “We’re 54 outs away from Omaha. It’s crazy to say that. I think everyone wants to get to Omaha so bad, we’re going to be playing our hearts out. Even if we end up on the losing end, we’re going to leave everything on the field.”
Source: www.registerguard.com
Sussex skies light up as the Jubilee beacons blaze - The Argus.co.uk
Sussex skies light up as the Jubilee beacons blaze
10:06am Wednesday 6th June 2012 in News By Bill Gardner
Night skies glowed as dozens of Jubilee beacons were set ablaze across Sussex.
Thousands of people flocked to watch the fires on Monday night which formed part of a ‘chain of light’ to celebrate 60 years of the Queen’s reign.
In Brighton and Hove, a trio of fiery beacons were lit in Rottingdean, on Hove promenade and on Brighton seafront.
The fires were lit by the mayor of Brighton and Hove, Bill Randall, council leader Jason Kitcat and the Royal British Legion.
Near the Palace Pier, crowds danced to music from brass band Fanfara and steel band Euphoria.
Dozens of other fires were lit across the county.
In East Hoathly, a 30ft wooden sculpture of Britannia complete with trident, shield and helmet was set ablaze. Sculptor Keith Pettit took three weeks and three lorry loads of scrap wood to make the female warrior before it was burned to the ground.
The beacon at Shoreham Fort took a while to get going despite the efforts of East Worthing and Shoreham MP Tim Loughton.
After the event, Mr Loughton joked on social networking website Twitter: “We got the beacon alight eventually – aided by a Calor Gas blowtorch – but it was worth it.”
In Bognor, a Royal British Legion brass band played as a beacon was lit on the Place St Maur. Sky lanterns were released into the sky along with 60 helium dove balloons.
Scouts and Guides led the celebrations in Littlehampton with a colourful procession along the seafront led by a marching band.
Afterwards the mayor of Littlehampton, Alan Gammon, lit the flame, helped by the winner of a children’s fancy dress contest held in Mewsbrook Park.
Revellers in Seaford were treated to a hi-tech laser show at Seaford Head before the traditional beacon was lit by laser from the ancient Martello Tower above Seaford Museum.
Source: www.theargus.co.uk
London 2012 - No risks for hockey coach - Yahoo! Eurosport
Great Britain hockey coach Danny Kerry insists he is taking no risks with his injury-hit women's squad in the build-up to the London 2012 Olympics.
Kerry was without star striker Alex Danson, penalty corner specialist Crista Cullen, captain Kate Walsh and Sarah Thomas, as his team were beaten 3-1 by South Africa at the Investec London Cup in Chiswick.
Danson and Cullen were both injured at the recent Olympic test event while Walsh is on antibiotics after picking up an infection and Thomas is recovering from turning her ankle two weeks ago.
So after South Africa raced into a 2-0 first half lead, courtesy of strikes from Sulette Damons and Bernadette Coston, it was always going to be tough for the world number four side.
Bernadette Coston increased the visitors' advantage after the break and Susie Gilbert didn't get the hosts on the scoresheet until five minutes from time.
“Missing 25 per cent of your Olympic squad is a tough ask," said Kerry.
"We’ve got some reasonable depth but if you take Kate Walsh, Crista Cullen, Alex Danson and Sarah Thomas out of any squad, and those four players would get on most Olympic teams, if not all, it's a big ask.
"Crista and Alex look like they’re getting held back a little. Alex, if she had her way, she’d be playing, and if there were an Olympic Games now, chances are she could be playing.
"Crista warmed up and she’s now allowed to do multi-directional stuff and again if this were the Games, she'd probably be out there but there’s no point in taking that risk here.
"Sarah is a little bit further behind in her rehab. She went over on her ankle about two weeks ago but we’re very optimistic she’ll be fine for the Olympics
"Kate is on antibiotics, we may see her here this week and we may not, but we don’t want to take a risk.”
But despite the high-profile absentees, Kerry was still disappointed with the result against a team ranked eight places below them in the world standings.
"I’m very annoyed at losing 3-1 but look behind the score line and the reality was they knew how to defend and when they had their chances they took them," he added.
"However, we’ve still played enough hockey in the South Africa circle to draw the game."
Source: uk.eurosport.yahoo.com
London Irish reconsider their priorities - Reading Evening Post
London Irish reconsider their priorities
By Alan ManicomJune 06, 2012
London Irish are considering prioritising the Aviva Premiership over both cup competitions next season.
Exiles failed to qualify for the Heineken Cup and will instead go straight into Europe’s second-tier competition the Amlin Cup, while the club traditionally use the Anglo-Welsh LV= Cup to rest first-teamers and develop younger players in the squad.
Director of rugby Brian Smith has already consulted with the board and plans to speak his players when they return to pre-season training later this month.
He said: “As a club we all need to agree the philosophy.
“We can go one of two ways. We can say we’re going all out to win any competition we’re involved in or we may decide to prioritise the league in front of the LV= Cup and Amlin Cup.
“Those decisions need to be taken in consultation with the players and the board.
“I’ve got my views but I want to seek counsel before making a call on how we go about it.
“There is certainly a lot of merit in both models.
“Philosophically whenever you’re in a competition you would want to win it.
“But you’ve got to find out whether you’ve got the resources to fight on more than one front.”
Source: www.getreading.co.uk
Business travel key to Cape Town to London flights - Independent Online
More business travellers are needed to increase the economic viability of flights between the city and London, Cape Town Tourism said on Wednesday.
“The business traveller is a major contributor to covering flight expenses, which points to a need to work hard on forging stronger business ties in addition to the leisure market,” CEO Mariëtte Du Toit-Helmbold said.
“Airlines must make economic sense. When a flight is cancelled this is the reason. Decreased business travel, as a result of troubled economies, continues to plague key source markets.”
She said more energy would be directed to making Cape Town a competitive and year-round business tourism destination.
Marketing would need to be consolidated between different spheres of government, agencies and the private sector.
SA Airways announced on Tuesday that it would scrap its 20-year direct route between Cape Town and London from August 15. Instead, passengers would have to catch a flight from Johannesburg.
It cited declining passenger numbers to the United Kingdom and increasing airport taxes in that country as some of the reasons for ending the route.
SAA planned to re-deploy some of it planes to its growing Accra, Mumbai and Perth routes and add Abidjan to the network.
Du Toit-Helmbold said SAA had confirmed it would continue to use Cape Town as a draw card in its marketing promotions and campaigns.
Wesgro, the official marketing, investment and trade promotion agency for the province, said the Cape Town-London route still held strong economic value.
“International airlines identified this and are increasing their capacity during peak season,” Wesgro CEO Nils Flaatten said.
“Many business and leisure travellers from the United States are using London as a connecting flight into Cape Town and we are at risk of losing these visitors, as the travelling time has been extended even further.”
He called for an urgent national debate on flights into Cape Town and other regional airports. - Sapa
Source: www.iol.co.za
London Luxury-Home Price Gains Slow After Property-Tax Increase - Businessweek
Luxury-home prices in central London rose the least in nine months in May, after the British government increased a tax on purchases of 2 million pounds ($3.1 million) or more, Knight Frank LLP said.
Values of houses and apartments costing an average of 3.7 million pounds climbed 10.7 percent from a year earlier, the London-based broker said in a report today. That was the smallest gain since August 2011. Prices rose 0.7 percent from April, bolstered by buyers from mainland Europe.
Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne raised the tax, known as stamp duty, to 7 percent from 5 percent in March. The threshold for the new tax rate is now the average asking price of a home in Kensington and Chelsea, one of London’s most affluent neighborhoods, property-listings website Rightmove Plc said when the government announced the change.
“The market has absorbed the 7 percent duty rate fairly well,” Liam Bailey, head of residential research for Knight Frank, said in the report. Prices for homes valued at more than 2 million pounds rose 1.6 percent in the past two months, while those for all luxury properties gained 2.7 percent, he said.
Europe’s debt crisis has prompted overseas investors to acquire real estate in London to preserve their wealth. Luxury- property prices in the city have increased about 12 percent since the market’s peak in 2008, including 4.7 percent this year, as a scarcity of homes for sale drove up values.
German Buyers
“We are now seeing a noticeable uptick in interest from France, Italy, Spain and even German-based purchasers,” Bailey said in the report. That contributed to the 19th monthly price increase in a row.
The crisis, now in its third year, threatens to destroy Europe’s 17-nation currency union as Greece contemplates exiting the euro and Spain sees its bond yields rise and banking industry falter. The euro zone’s collapse could cause prime central London property values to fall as much as 50 percent, Development Securities Plc (DSC) said in a May 31 report, as capital flows out of the city to less expensive markets.
“The ‘safe-haven’ effect has clearly played its role in attracting foreign money into London’s most desirable post codes,” Chief Executive Officer Michael Marx said in the report. “However, the property industry knows -- perhaps better than most -- that nothing goes on forever.”
Foreign Residents
Foreign buyers accounted for about 60 percent of home purchases in London’s most expensive districts in the four years through 2011, according to London-based Development Securities. As a result, more than half of the residents of Kensington and Chelsea and the City of Westminster are from outside the U.K.
House prices across the country rose in May for the first time in three months as a lack of homes for sale supported values, Nationwide Building Society said May 31. Values gained 0.3 percent from April and fell an annual 0.7 percent to an average of 166,022 pounds.
Knight Frank compiles its luxury-homes index from its own appraisal values of a sample of the same properties in the 13 most expensive neighborhoods of central London, including Belgravia and Knightsbridge.
To contact the reporter on this story: Chris Spillane in London at cspillane3@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Andrew Blackman at ablackman@bloomberg.net.
Source: www.businessweek.com
London 2012 live on YouTube, including in Malaysia - The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, June 6 — The London 2012 Olympic Games will be available over YouTube from 10 livestreams in Malaysia and another 63 territories worldwide, offering some 2,200 hours of high-definition (HD) television coverage free of charge, Google Malaysia said today.
The live coverage is available at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) channel on YouTube (http://youtube.com/olympic).
“Viewers from these territories will be able to watch the streams on the IOC’s YouTube channel, accessible online or via Internet-enabled devices like smart devices/mobile phones and other YouTube-enabled devices,” Google Malaysia said in a statement. YouTube is part of Google.The statement said the IOC’s live streaming on its YouTube channel will consist of 11 different simultaneous high-definition broadcasts, all with English language commentary.
“There will be 10 live feeds from London 2012, running 9am to 11pm (London time) (on some days, these will start early or finish later depending on competition schedule), plus a 24-hour broadcast of the Olympic News Channel, which includes summaries of the latest results, general reports on different events, and interviews with athletes,” it said.
Google Malaysia also said fans will also have access to highlights and full events — all organised by the day, medal event, or the sport. The IOC channel will also feature historic content from past Olympic Games.
“From baseball to cricket to martial arts, YouTube has become a global hub for live sports. There is no sporting event, however, more exciting or iconic than the Summer Olympics, and we are thrilled to work with the IOC to bring live coverage of these truly international Games to even more people around the world.
“The IOC is making the most of our platform by offering fans 11 different livestreams on their channel, which can be viewed on desktops, mobile phones, and Internet-connected devices. We hope sports fans enjoy finding the exact event they want to see as well as checking daily highlights whenever they want to see them,” said Claude Ruibal, YouTube Head of Sport Content Partnerships.
The live-streaming on the IOC’s YouTube channel will provide exclusive digital access to the London 2012 Olympic Games in territories where digital broadcast rights have not been acquired by the IOC’s broadcast partners such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Brunei, Bhutan, Cambodia, East Timor, India, Indonesia, Iran, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.
Source: www.themalaysianinsider.com
Cost of Bank Holiday police operations in Brighton could top £1million - thisissussex.co.uk
Sussex Police prepared for two major demonstrations this weekend and were patrolling the streets in Brighton & Hove with a big presence.
On Saturday, around 70 nationalists drawn from an unofficial group called 'Casuals United' were drinking around the town in small groups. It is reported that they gathered to show a response after the 'March for England' demonstration that went through the city in April was met by a large anti-fascist protest response.
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Sussex Police covered two demonstrations in Brighton City Centre over the weekend
Anti-fascists were again mobilised to meet the nationalists on Saturday but there were less than 100 people involved on either side, though there were minor clashes close to the seafront and near the Old Steine.
The police had feared hundreds of supporters of the English Defence League (EDL) would come to Brighton which, in turn, would mobilise more anti-fascist protestors to combat them. In the event few people were involved and the police have been criticised for wasting taxpayers' money.
The costs will be amplified because of overtime payments to officers as it was a Bank Holiday weekend. Some officers who were drafted in were "stood down" from duty when it became apparent that the demonstrations were low-key and not likely to require such a heavy police presence.
However, Chief Superintendent Graham Bartlett said: "Very often police resources deter people from doing things. I'm not saying that's the case here – we don't know what we've deterred."
Both sides said the police had over-reacted and had too many officers dealing with a minor incident. It is believed that the number of officers deployed on Saturday was close to being the highest ever seen on the city's streets in one day. Police were also patrolling the area near the train station covering revellers attending the second of Fatboy Slims gigs at the Amex Stadium.
An anti-Jubilee street party took place in the city centre organised by Brighton Uncut was another focal point of activity but no major incidents were reported from it.
In total 18 people were arrested on Saturday for a variety of offences and 30 nationalists were marched by police to the train station.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Sussex Police deployed around 100 officers to counter an anti-arms protest march against EDO. Further officers were held in reserve. Officers were bought in from neighbouring police forces from Surrey and Hampshire.
Sussex Police said they could not confirm the cost of the weekend's operations but tweeted about the costs that they had "Said we'd happily share both when we have them, but not happy to share inaccurate estimates or comment on speculated figures."
Chief Superintendent Graham Bartlett said: "We have had an incredibly busy weekend.
"That has meant there has been very little disruption in the city.
"The resources for big events are based on very careful threat assessments and understanding of what's required to keep people safe.
Source: www.thisissussex.co.uk
London 2012: Team GB athletes will learn anthem - head coach - BBC News
British athletes will definitely know the words to the national anthem before the London Games, says UK Athletics head coach Charles van Commenee.
The Dutchman believes the step is necessary to head off potential criticism over "plastic Brits" - or athletes who have switched allegiance to represent Team GB at the Olympics.
"They know the words, or they will," said Van Commenee.
"If they don't, somebody will make an issue of it."
Asked if it should matter whether athletes know the words to the national anthem, he added: "That's a different question.
"I'm not going to rehearse everybody because we have 90 athletes, but people that matter... let's say the relevant ones, the ones on your radar (will rehearse the anthem)."
Van Commenee's choice of United States-born Tiffany Porter as team captain for the World Indoor Championships in March sparked the "Plastic Brits" row after she declined to sing God Save the Queen at a news conference ahead of that meeting.
Porter, who qualifies for Britain through her London-born mother and has held a British passport since birth, said she knew the words but questioned her singing ability.
Charles van Commenee“This is nothing compared to what football managers have to go through, but at least it tells me that athletics is worth talking about”
"I do know the first lines," she said at the time. "I know the whole of God Save the Queen."
Van Commenee, who insists he would only know the first two lines of his own national anthem, believes the "Plastic Brits" row is not important in the scheme of things.
"I know in Olympic year all sorts of rubbish comes up," he said.
The 53-year-old claims he had far more important matters to deal with when he was technical director of the Dutch Olympic Committee for the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
"In the lead up to Beijing, there were lots of issues around Taiwan, Tibet, smog, human rights, not having the ability to express yourself in public, child labour," he said. "All these things had to be addressed by me.
"The issues I deal with now are partly not serious, but it comes with the job. This is nothing compared to what football managers have to go through, but at least it tells me that athletics is worth talking about.
"When you are in the spotlight then yes, you get issues to talk about."
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Labour MP: Jubilee stewards left by roadside at 3am in London - ITV
Arrived in London 3am, left by roadside, eventually taken to London Bridge to 'sleep' but had to start work 5am/5.30am.
From @KerryMP on Twitter:Source: www.itv.com
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