Published: April 14, 2008 11:39 pm            

Ramblin' Reck: Barmes keeps scrapping his way into Rockies’ lineup

TERRE HAUTE — Baseball rates the top spot in this space for the second week in a row, but it’s because of the weekend enjoyed by two players with Valley ties.

Former Indiana State player Clint Barmes got his first start at shortstop for Colorado on Sunday and responded big time as the Rockies ended Arizona’s eight-game winning streak with a 13-5 victory.

Barmes hit from the No. 2 slot in the lineup and was 3 for 6 with a homer, drove in four runs and scored twice. He started in place of Troy Tulowitzki, who is off to a slow start for the Rockies.

In the college ranks, former Terre Haute North standout Josh Phegley was 9 for 16 in a four-game series for Indiana against Iowa.

He had his third five-hit day Friday, going 5 for 6, scoring three runs and driving in three runs as well as stealing a base. He was 4 for 6 in Saturday’s twinbill with two homers, seven RBIs and a double.

At the University of Dayton, West Vigo grad Ryan Nevill continues to play well for the 18-15 Flyers. He is batting .268 with six doubles and 15 RBIs.

• • •

• Coaches named — Four colleges named new men’s basketball coaches last week. Assistants from Hoosier colleges got three of the jobs and a former player was named at an Indiana school.

Jim Molinari was named as the new cage boss at Western Illinois. He had great success at Northern Illinois and Bradley in 14 seasons as a head coach, then was an assistant and interim coach at Minnesota. He was an assistant at Ball State last year.

Former Hanover player Jon Miller is the new coach at his alma mater. He formerly was an assistant at DePauw and Hanover and was the head coach at Defiance the past five seasons. He earned his master’s degree at ISU.

Ray McCallum will be a head coach again, being hired by Detroit. He was the coach at Ball State and Houston before joining Kelvin Sampson for stints at Oklahoma and IU.

Notre Dame aide Gene Cross is the new coach at Toledo.

In the prep ranks. Ron Whiteman is the new football coach at South Vermillion. He is a Purdue graduate and has been coaching and teaching in the Lafayette area.

Phil Leonard resigned as boys basketball coach at Fountain Central. He had a 24-62 record in four seasons.

Bryan Graham is the new girls basketball coach at Triton Central. He succeeds Larry Pringle, who compiled a 373-154 record in 25 years and had been a non-teaching coach at the school since 2003.

Randy Males stepped down as boys basketball coach at Beech Grove but will continue to teach at the school. He had a 106-121 record in nine years after going 2-38 the first two years.

• • •

• Tom-Cattin’ It — Vigo County boys golf teams will meet in the county match today at Rea Park. Terre Haute North and South will be back at the course for the South Invite on Saturday.

South was ranked 20th in the state poll last week.

Play is slated Saturday and Sunday in the Rea Park two-man best-ball event. The Forest Park two-man scramble is April 25-26.

• IndyCar Series driver Graham Rahal will be on Dave Letterman’s show Wednesday night.

• Sports Illustrated ranks Purdue No. 4 in an early 2008-09 men’s basketball poll.

• Ron Felling will conduct his annual shooting basketball camp June 2-5 at Lawrenceville, Ill., where he coached the Indians to state titles.

• The New York Mets lost their baseball home opener to Philadelphia in their final year in Shea Stadium. Jamie Moyer was the winning pitcher for the Phils and is slightly older than the stadium.



Tom Reck may be contacted by telephone at (812) 232-3231, by e-mail at treck@ma.rr.com or by mail at 4276 South 5th Street, Terre Haute, IN 47802.

        

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