The Times from Shreveport, Louisiana • Page 21

Ryan Hamilton's hot hitting has Bulldogs surging. Page 3C (She Qfime CONTACT SCOTT FERRELL 459-3299 or sferrellgannett.com FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2005 STOATS Today's Lineup Tell us your favorite LSU tries to shake up wild SEC West uiii.i.l.i.jujgB in a town with better traf fic flow in Fayetteville, against No. 11 Arkansas (31-8). LSU opens a three-game series at 7:05 tonight. Sunday's the season, and the standings are barely clearer than when league play began on March 18.

Each team has 15 league games left with the By Glenn Guilbeau gguilbeaugannett.cbm 1 BATON ROUGE The Southeastern Conference West looks a little like Airline Highway, or College Drive, or Perkins Road here in the Capital Cily. There is heavy traffic and little movement. leads the way with a mark by one game over Arkansas and Auburn, which are each 8-7. Then there's Mississippi State at 7-7, and Ole Miss and LSU tied for last at 7-8, but only two games out. "It's a mess," said LSU coach Smoke Laval, whose team at least gets to play this weekend reached the College World Series last season, and found itself in first place at 3-0.

Then the Tigers lost three straight SEC series, including a sweep by South Carolina in Baton Rouge, before beating Ole Miss two out of three last weekend. 'Teams in this league just beat each other up," Harris said. "No matter what team you play or where, they're going to give you a run for your money." Alabama coach Jim Wells has not seen the West like tliis since he left Northwestern State to become Alabama's coach after the 1994 season. See SEC 3C eight-team SEC Tournament starting May 25 in Birmingham, Ala. LSU and Ole Miss are tied for eighth overall at 7-8 with Vanderbilt from the East.

"Every game's a must-win," LSU slugger Clay Harris said. "We're in last place, but we're two 1:05 p.m. game will be televised throughout Louisiana on the Cox cable channels. "It's going to come down to somebody getting a key injury," Laval said. "It's been some-tliing.

South Carolina comes in and sweeps us at home, then they almost get swept at LSU at Arkansas Today, 7 p.m. TV: None Radio: 1130 AM Special to The Times out of first. LSU started die SEC season with a three-game sweep at Georgia, which home (by fourth-place Vanderbilt)." The SEC is at the midpoint of Send an e-mail to shreveportsportsgannett.com telling us your favorite baseball movie. On Monday, we'll reveal our picks and yours. rices force High gas Cowboys out to address defense rnri AP Singh goes low at Shell Houston Open Vijay Singh celebrated being elected into the World Golf Hall of Fame by firing a first-round 64 to take a one-stroke lead over a pair of players at the Shell Houston Open, 2C Arena Football WINGS INSIDER: Can team end slide? Will two new quarterbacks be enough for the Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings to end a three-game slide? 2C NBA Several superstars left to watch playoffs Kobe Bryant, LeBron James By Brian Vernellis bvernellisgannett.com The Dallas Cowboys' concerns about tliis weekend's NFL Draft may not be a question of whom they take widi tiieir two first-round picks, but which defensive scheme they will implement for next season.

Ihe Cowboys have been bouncing back and fortii about tiieir plans to go from a 4-3 to a 3-4. Deciding on what scheme tiiey run can help diem determine what type of player to go after. "One of die reasons diat you would go to a 34 is it is hard and Kevin Garnett have one thing in common they will all be watching the 2005 NBA Playoffs, which begin Saturday, from their respective homes after their teams to find diose defensive ends diat can stand up and hold die point and be a good run defender as well as give you some failed to advance, 5C Prep Softball North DeSoto reaches 2A tourney Senior Jana Henderson threw a two-hit shutout as the Lady Griffins defeated Jonesboro-Hodge, 4-0, in Class 2A, 2C Prep Track and Field Minden's Carey shines Greg PearsonIhe Times James Erwin (left) and Leslie Robertson pull up in front of a gas pump at the Stoner Marina to pick up passengers Monday morning. Local anglers say they're being more frugal at 1-4A meet Sprinter Demetric Carey won three events and added a relay victory Tips to save on gas on the water Keep engine tuned up. Don't run your boat with a wide-open throttle.

Get on plane a little faster and stay on it good. Get rid of excess weight in boat. Cruise versus stopping and starting. Source: Mark McCrocklm. Shreveport Power Squadron Carey initely" affected lus driving habits.

"I've reduced my speed by about 10 miles per hour and I don't All up my boat any more," Simmons said. "I try to get two or three trips off one tank. I also go to the lake fishes professionally on the CITGO Bassmaster Tour and guides visitors on area fisheries, said that his gasoline costs have risen about $400 per month over the past couple of months. "A lot of it depends on what part of the country we're fishing in," Humphreys said. "It seems the prices are higher in Florida.

I figure it costs me about $10 more per day to guide than See GAS 2C By Jimmy Watson jimwatsongannett.com With gasoline prices standing steadily above $2 per gallon, outdoor recreational enthusiasts across the area are changing the way they pursue their activities to stem the bleeding from their wallets. Shreveporter Aaron Simmons, who, fishes on the Reeves Marine Tournament Trail, as well as in local club events, said the prices have "def as the Crimson Tide claimed pressure as a Jones pass rusher." Dallas owner Jerry Jones said. "Many teams have sixmt a lot of picks trying to get diose guys." They do have one luxury. They have two first-round picks at No. 1 1 and No.

20, tiianks to a trade they made with Buffalo at die 2004 draft. One area they need to address is defensive end with die departure of Marcellus Wiley. Wiley was signed as a free agent before die 2004 season to help widi die pass rush. He didn't help and die Cowboys had no problem letting liim sign elsewhere. "A guy like Shawne Merrinian would be a great pick for diem," said Chris Landry, pro scout and Fox Sports analyst.

"(He) could really play in some schemes outside linebacker and rush end. That's a strong possibility. "I wouldn't rule out a corner if one of the top two is still tiiere, but I diink that's what tiiey're looking for is certainly help on die defensive line." Dallas' main goal this draft is to find players with enough versatility to bounce between schemes. The Cowboys have a new-chief scout in Jeff Ireland. Former scouting director Larry Lacewell retired in January and Jones promoted Ireland to vice president of pro and college scouting.

See COWBOYS 2C Simmons Scores early and stay late." Minden's Homer Humphreys, who PREP SOFTBALL Denham Springs5 North DeSoto 4 Huntington 2 J-Hodge 0 AMERICAN LEAGUE The Times 4 New York 3 Toronto Chicago Detroit New LadyTechsters staff is Long on character a. ,1 Jimmy Watson J- Minnesota 10 Tamoa Bay 3 K.C. 9 (10) Texas 2 Boston 1 Baltimore 0 NATIONAL LEAGUE Pittsburgh 4 St. Louis 4 Cincinnati 2 Chicago 0 Atlanta 2 New York 10 Washington 1 Florida 1 Philadelphia 6 Houston 8 Colorado 3 Milwaukee 7 Index af2 notes 2C Golf 2C College baseball 3C College basketball 3C Major League Baseball 4C Scoreboard 5C Briefs 5C NBA 5C pitfall of hiring a prep coach widi a player diat he'd like to recruit Instead, he chose to go witi a group of hard-working, like-minded individuals who are strong on character and each of whom will likely be Division I head coaches at some point in the future. In short, they're the type individuals that any mom or dad in America would like to entrust their daughters to.

We're sure that melding the group won't come without some tips and downs, but that's to be expected. But hat Lady Techsters fans can exiled out of Hall, Crenshaw and die Stoehrs is a film-worthy effort that should make diem proud in die long run. right to the Techsters program in a position diat has been vacant since Barmore retired diree years ago. Anodier plus with die new staff is dieir ties to Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas, die Techsters' primary recruiting base. Crenshaw and Long grew up in Mississippi, lassiter was raised in Arkansas and she and Scott have spent the last few years on the Arkansas-Little Rock staff.

Scott is a former assistant coach at the University of North Texas. If Long does nearly as well recruiting players as he did recruiting coaches, he's in for a long and successful tenure in Ruston. He avoided die potential shaw, die only staff member diat he wasn't familiar widi. They're a young staff and tlieyll learn widi experience, but I'm very impressed widi die quality of the people Chris has on his staff." Crenshaw is just die second minority female coach in die 27-year liistory of die Lady Techsters program. Hiring die budding star was essendal to bringing more credibility to a program that fans hope can stay among the nation's elite.

Added as director of basketball operations was Scott Stoelir, a former college fullbacklinebacker, who once scored a 32 on liis ACT. He brings organizational skills and a tenacity to get die job done If the Sundance Film Festival folks decide to put together a movie about constructing a potentially successful assistant basketball coaching staff, they might want to call new Lady Techsters coach Chris Long for some script evaluations. With die addition of Brooke Lassiter Stoehr, and her husband, Scott, on Thursday, Long completed liis first staff. Wluie Long and his staff will have to prove themselves on the recruiting trail and on die basketball court tliis till, on paper it ap)ears dial Long has completed a slam dunk. Not bad for the 5-foot-8 son of a high school basketball coach.

The staff has a few intriguing features including two former Cowboys' needs COLUMNIST C. jimwatsonigaiinett.com Lady Techsters point guards in Stoehr and Katie (Cocliran) Hall. That was enough to get former Lady Techsters coach Leon Barmore fired up. "I always said tliat my jwuit guards were smarter, and certainly better looking, Uian me, so I believe that was a good move," said Barmore, who spent about 30 minutes on Wednesday widi Joni Cren High: DE. OLB.

S. DT. I ri i iitM Moderate: a WR.CB.DT. Sjr ILB. RB.

TE. Low: QB. FB. G. C.

daiwa save fox SAVt $ZOr www.bossierpower.com 901 Meadowview Drive (318)747-6611.