The Times from Shreveport, Louisiana • Page 19

Intense Belle already producing smiles in Baltimore. Page 4C (She Climes -WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 1999 CONTACT DEAN ROCK 459-3295 or sportsthetimes.com muni, iwin, i i I. tMMMtftfffltlTlfil xodus begins with late basketball signing period 0 Several top players two big men in the city this season have committed to sign with Lee College, a Texas junior college. Both are 6-foot-9 and Leaving Louisiana Several top high school basketball players are expected to leave the state to play collegiately: Chris Rogers, BPCC: Committed to Providence. Zach Johnson, Woodlawn: Lee Junior College (Texas).

Shawnson Johnson, Green Oaks: Lee Junior College (Texas). Draper Housley, Coushatta: Texas Arkansas. S. Johnson Z. Johnson Zach Johnson is projected as a forward in college with Shawnson Johnson projected as a center or power forward.

Coushatta's College. Conversely, if Shawn-son Johnson or Zach Johnson become academically eligible they also could sign with Division I programs. The University of Houston is recruiting both. Most of the area schools are expecting a quiet day today. Northwestern State plans to sign Chris Thompson of Bossier Parish Community College.

A 6-7 forward, Thompson averaged 7.4 points per game. He will take one of the Demons' two available scholarships. Northwestern State used a scholarship in the fall on former South wood guard Pooh Davis after he transferred from North Texas. "With two scholarships, you doesn't expect any signees today. But the Tigers continue to recruit guards Torris Bright of Slidell and Derrick Zimmerman of Monroe.

Zimmerman is also being recruited by Louisiana Tech and SEC schools Alabama, Auburn, Arkansas and Mississippi State. Northeast Ixmisiana doesn't expect any signees today for Mike Vining's Indians. NLU signed one player in the fall forward Sidney Williams of Shelton State (Ala.) Community College. The Indians have two scholarships to give and are concentrating on signing a point guard and shooting guard. Louisiana Tech is looking for guard help.

But the Bulldogs aren't expected to have any signees today. The Lady Tech-sters, who signed four players during the early period, won't have any spring signees. Centenary doesn't exjject any signees this week. The Gents are expected to sign two or three players this spring. "We're not going to have anyone on campus until this weekend, so the earliest we could sign someone would be next week," Centenary coach Kevin Johnson said.

One of the few schools expected to be active today is Grambling State. The Tigers are expected to sign two players while the I.ady Tigers are expected to sign four. Housley are' leaving the state. By Scott Ferrell The Times Jhe recent trend of top bas-ketball talent leaving Louisiana doesn't appear to be changing anytime soon. The NCAA late signing period begins today and several top prospects are ready to cross the state line.

Already, Bossier Parish Com- munity College guard Chris Rogers has committed to sign with the Big East Conference's Providence Friars. Woodlawn's Vacjvjohnson and Green Oaks' Shawnson Johnson the top -Nike officials try to get size," first-year NSU coach Mike McConathy said. "If not size, then the best guy available." NSU women's coach James Smith expects to sign one player today. Evangel guard Leteri-cia Dobin, an honorable mention all-city selection, is expected to sign with the Demons. LSU coach John Brady Draper Housely will likely sign with either Texas or Arkansas if he is academically eligible.

If not, he will join the Shreveport contingent and Jonesboro-Hodge's Tony Moore at Lee upbeat 'fJ'4, KIM-- Cf- Coming up WHAT: WPHL semifinals (Shreveport leads 1-0). WHO: Lake Charles at Shreveport. WHEN: Friday, 7:05 p.m. WHERE: Hirsch Coliseum. RADIO: KLKL, 92.1 FM.

Complete WPHL playoff pairings, 6C Next week's tournament hinges on course condition. By Scott Ferrell ''The Times A. day full of sunshine left Nike Shreveport Open officials optimistic about their chances of playing the tournament next week at Southern Trace Country Club. Rain, more than six inches last weekend, left parts of the under water. But tour- nament officials said Tuesday the-flooding wasn't as severe as parlier this year and that none of the greens were damaged.

"We're still on track," tournament spokesman Walt John-' ston said Tuesday afternoon. pump the water off in the, next couple of days. With ,4 aiiy luck will have it all pumped off by the weekend." The fate of the tournament ai6 depends on the crest level of Wallace Lake. The Corps of Engineers earlier predicted a crest at 157 feet, one foot higher than the flood cut-off -point of 156 feet. However, the Corps prediction is just that, a prediction and not a certainty.

Tournament officials said Tuesday they are trying to keep the tournament on schedule and will make a final decision after, the crest of Wallace lake. TJhe Nike Shreveport Open had to reschedule its 1997 tournament after flooding washed out the April event. In 1995, the tournament was shortened from 72 holes to 36 holes because of heavy rains. Shreveport scores three times in final period for 5-4 victory. By Tim Barnes The Times In the do-or-die world of the playoffs it doesn't matter how you do it, as long as you win.

That held true for the Mud-bugs Tuesday night as they came back from a 4-2 deficit after two periods to earn a 5-4 victory and take a 1-0 lead in their besl-of-7 semifinal series with Lake Charles. The win maintains the Bugs' perfect record in the postseason and extends their winning streak at Hirsch Coliseum to 17 games. The teams return to Hirsch Friday night for Game 2 before traveling to Lake Charles Saturday. Three goals in the first nine minutes of the final period, including two from Andrew Power, turned an almost certain defeat into a surprise victory. "In the third period we just went back to playing the kind of hockey that has won us games all season," Mudbugs coach Jean Laforest said.

"It would have been easy to give up but that just shows the kind of character there is on this team." The Mudbugs blasted 10 shots on the Lake Charles goal in the opening 10 minutes of the third period, compared to just 18 in the opening 40 minutes. Jake Deadmarsh scored 20 seconds into the final period with a blue-line rocket into the left corner of the net. Three minutes later Power struck on the power play, See BUGS 6C Jim HudelsonThe Times semifinal playoff game Tuesday night at Hirsch Coliseum. The Mudbugs overcame a two-goal deficit to win 5-4. Shreveport's Christian Lariviere (right) upends Lake Charles' David Barozzino during the first period of their Captains fans may not recognize No.

1 starter Coming up Key dates ahead for the Shreveport dence in his ability. "It helped a bunch, being in that type of situation. There was Captains: TONIGHT: Captains workout at Fair Grounds Field beginning at 6:30. THURSDAY: Captains open Texas League season at Tulsa, 7:35 p.m. TUESDAY: Captains home opener versus Jackson, 7:05 p.m.

a little bit more pressure during spring training, which you usually don't get. I didn't even know I'd be in that type of i I he is a pitcher. Last year was his first full season as a starting pitcher. He pitched primarily out of the bullpen in 1997. Those are his only two seasons of professional pitching because he had been drafted as a shortstop out of State University of New York Stony Brook.

"The move (from shortstop) was definitely the best thing for me," Nathan says. "I'm definitely a pitcher now." His 8-6 record and 3.32 ERA at San Jose last year helped hammer home that point. One hundred eighteen strikeouts in 122 innings at San Jose were just an exclamation point on his budding confidence. "It's like he goes out there better about myself with that pitch." Besides adding a sinking fastball, he has also developed better command of some offspeed pitches. That allows him to mix up his pitches and keep batters off balance.

"He has control of his curve and changeup," Chiaramonte says. "Last year he didn't have a changeup. And against lefties, we kind of struggled because if he didn't get his curveball over all we had was his fastball. "This year he has three really good pitches he can throw for strikes at any point. And I think that's the biggest difference." Nathan is also a more confident pitcher because he knows Double-A to competing for a major league job just seven months after the end of the minor league season? Several things.

Nathan, 24, added to his pitching repertoire in spring training. He always has been a hard thrower with his fastball reaching 94 miles per hour. That's the reason Giants officials considered him enough of a prospect to put him on their 40-man major league roster. Now, Nathan has added a sinking fastball. "I learned how to throw a two-seamer (fastball), with a little sink on it.

Last year, I was probably 90 percent four-seamers, just straight fastballs. It's helped a lot to get early outs. I feel a lot Joe Nathan spent time in big league spring training. By Scott Ferrell The times Shreveport Captains fans won'f recognize their opening night starting pitcher, Joe Nathan. They may remember Nathan as a young right-handed pitcher who struggled with a 1-3 record and 8.80 earned run erage in four starts at Shreveport last season.

They may member a pitcher still trying to gain both experience and confidence at the Double-A level. What they will see, as the 1999 Texas League season opens Thursday night in Tulsa, is someone entirely different. "It's like night and day for him literally. It's that much of a difference," says Captains catcher Giuseppe Chiara-monte, who caught Nathan at Class A San Jose last year. Nathan starts the season as the Captains opening night pitcher after nearly making the San Francisco Giants rotation during spring training.

He competed with Chris Brock, Steve Soderstrom and Miguel Del Toro for the fifth spot in the major league rotation. And while Brock eventually won the job, Nathan earned a greater confi Nathan situation going into spring training," Nathan says. "When that developed, it was good. It got my adrenaline going and it was a great experience." So how did Nathan go from a losing record and high ERA at now and has confidence in the pitches he has," Chiaramonte says. "Even if he gets in trouble, he knows he can go to second or third pitches with the curve-ball and changeup.

He didn't have that confidence in those pitches last year." Akers commands respect with Knights Akers' record Year Team Record Pet. 1975-76 Wyoming 10-13-0 .435 1977-86 Texas 86-31-2 .731 1987 90 Purdue 12-31-1 .284 Career 108-75-3 .589 Masters could produce rivalry Tiger Woods and David Duval have become a game within the game, virtually the only two players anyone is talking about in the largest field the Masters has had in 33 years. The seeds of a great rivalry could be planted this week among the brilliant azaleas and sloping fairways of Augusta National. "Is there a little bit of a rivalry between Tiger and David? Yeah, probably, said defending champion Mark O'Meara. Details, 5C league combine workouts in Little Rock, Ark.

"The first few times I saw him it had been just around the office," Graddick said. "I never really saw him as a coach in his atmosphere. "We're setting up for the combine and he politely asked a bunch of guys if they had worked on the bench press yet. The guys were kind of milling around talking. Then he raised his voice and asked again if anybody had been on the bench press.

"Everybody just stiffened up and then ran over to the bench press. He really flexed his coaching muscles and I saw him in a different light." See AKERS 4C Former Texas coach excited about his first professional football season. By Brian Vernellis The Times Fred Akers has been around football for more than 40 years. He has experienced everything from winning in the Cotton Bowl as a graduate assistant coach, to being named National Coach of the Year, to losing the 1982 national championship on a dropped punt. He's coached at high school and collegiate levels, but never the professional ranks until now.

As the head coach of the Shreveport Knights, he begins a new chapter in his coaching career, one he eagerly anticipates. "I like the idea of more or less being a pioneer and starting off something new," Akers said. "I'm having a heck of a time. Quite honestly, I could have gone to any one of three or four of these teams in this league. I like the fact that the area wants a pro football team, needs one and is hungry for one and so am I.

"I am very excited about the season," Akers added. "We're curious to see how the players will do in game situations where they don't have coaches as security blankets." Michael Graddick, general manager of the Knights, knew he found the right man for the job on the first day of the Amy Beth BennettThe Times Shreveport Knights head coach Fred Akers has coached at three Division I colleges, posting a 108-75-3 record. tt.