The Baltimore Sun from Baltimore, Maryland • Page F2

SPORTSTHE SUN FRIDAY 03.02.2007 GOOD MORNING DUKE BASKETBALL FANS Now, what school is it that is not your rival? TELEVISION TODAY TODAY 2 Women's college basketball MarylandACC tournament, 8 Pro basketball HawksWizards, 7 Pro soccer KiXXBlast, 7:35 Horse racing Laurel Park, 12:35 ll HHhISwmi' 1 flHiKlH 7 ''lfT SAT. 3 Men's college basketball N.C. State Women's college basketball MarylandACC tournament, 4:30 (if nec.) Pro hockey lslandersCapitals, 7 Pro soccer CougarsBlast, 735 Horse racing Laurel Park, 12:35 Chris Gomez, who drove in three runs with two hits, is greeted after the Orioles' first homer of 2007. GENE SWEENEY JR. SUN PHOTOGRAPHER O's stumble out of blocks with a spring in their steps SUN.

4 Women's college basketball MarylandACC tournament, 1 (if nec.) Pro basketball WarriorsWizards, 1 Horse racing Laurel Park, 12:35 SCHMUCK MON.5 No major local sporting events planned TUE.6 Pro basketball RaptorsWizards, 7 Pro hockey Capitals Maple Leafs, 730 7 over the past decade, and the only thing I've been using is a delicious combination of Velveeta and Nalley's no-bean chili with my Doritos.) Trachsel doesn't have any head-size issues, which probably was a good thing with all those line drives whizzing by him yesterday. He gave up four hits and three runs in one inning, but on the brighter side this is the time of year to do that. Nobody expects to be sharp the first time out, and Trachsel wasn't the only pitcher to put a crooked number on the scoreboard in the Marlins' 8-6 victory. His regular-season status is not really in question. He was brought in to fill the fourth or fifth slot in the rotation, barring miraculous progress by Benson, who is entering the second week of his shoulder rehab and might not accept divine intervention if it were offered.

The Orioles were just happy a pitcher of Trachsel's ability and experience was still available in the free-agent market during the final days of the offseason. Presumably, Trachsel was just happy that his agent's cell phone didn't drop the call and the $3.1 million offer that came with it. "It's been an interesting 10 days," he said, which left me wondering if we've both been in the same spring training camp. The most interesting thing in yesterday's game was the two-run, walk-off home run that Orioles minor leaguer Freddy Deza surrendered to Marlins first baseman Jason Wood. The alternative was an extra-inning game featuring 18 players who you (and I) have never heard of, so I'm guessing even the Orioles were happy to move on to their post-game wind sprints and the bus ride back to Lauderdale.

Not really. You don't get to this level without being intensely competitive, so the Orioles probably would have preferred to keep playing, but nobody will even remember who won yesterday's game by this time tomorrow except, of course, Deza, and you probably never heard of him either. The Orioles' offensive highlight came from veteran utilityman Chris Gomez, who started at shortstop and launched the first Orioles home run of the year in the fourth inning. He earlier delivered a run-scoring double to open the Grapefruit League season with a three-RBI performance. And you were wondering why Miguel Tejada doesn't like to take days off.

If you're still looking for some deeper meaning from the preseason opener, Jay Gibbons started at first base, where the club hopes he can get comfortable enough to give manager Sam Perlozzo maximum left-handed right-handed roster flexibility. Gibbons' performance was uneventful, which at first base is not a bad thing. He didn't get a ground ball in four innings in the field. He'll start at designated hitter in the Orioles' home opener today at Fort Lauderdale Stadium. I'm pretty sure he won't get any ground balls there either.

peter.schmuckbaltsun.com The Peter Schmuck Show airs on WBAL (1090 AM) at noon on Saturdays. Exhib. baseball PittsburghAtlanta ESPN 1 Men's col. bask. MAAC: Canisius vs.

Saint Peter's MASN 7:30 MAAGIona vs. Rider MASN 10 Worn. col. bask. MAAC: lona vs.

Saint Peter's MASN 9:30 a.m. ACC: N.C. State vs. Florida State CSN 11a.m. MAAC: Canisius vs.

Loyola MASN 11:30 a.m. ACC: Duke vs. Virginia CSN 3 College lacrosse DukeMaryland 2 7:30 Pro basketball AtlantaWashington CSN 7 DetroitMiami ESPN 8 HoustonDenver ESPN 10:30 AtlantaWashington(T) CSN 1:30 a.m. Boxing Friday Night Fights ESPN2 9 Golf Euro. PGA J.

Walker Classic (T) GOLF 9:30 a.m. PGA Honda Classic GOLF 4 PGA Honda Classic GOLF 9:30 RADIO TODAY Men's col. bask. CAA: Towson vs. NC-Wilm.

1090 AM 6 Pro basketball AtlantaWashington 980 AM 7 Pro soccer PhiladelphiaBlast 680 AM 7:35 TELEVISION TOMORROW Exhib. baseball 0riolesWashington MASN 1 0riolesWashington (T) MASN Midnight Men's col. bask. ConnecticutGeorgetown 13, 9 Noon CN8 Noon Florida StateMiami CSN Noon Michigan StateWisconsin ESPN Noon VirginiaWake Forest 54,20,25 1 UCLAWashington 13,9 2 Big South linal ESPN 2 SyracuseVillanova ESPN2 2 CAA: Delaware or N'eastern vs Drexel CN8 2:30 N.C.StateMaryland 2,7 3:30 OhioStateMichigan 13,9 4 Notre DameRutgers ESPN 4 Atlantic Sun linal ESPN2 4 CincinnatiWest Virginia MASN 4 CAA: ODU vs. Towson or NC-Wilm.

CN8 6 Southern linal ESPN2 6 Ohio Valleyfinal ESPN2 8 Texas Techlowa State MASN 8 CAA: G.Mason or JMU vs. Holstra CN8 8:30 PittsburghMarquette ESPN 9 New Mexico StateNevada ESPN2 10 MAAC: Fairfield vs. Loyola MASN 10 Worn. col. bask.

MAACsemilinal MASN 9:30 a.m. ACCsemilinal CSN 2 ACCsemilinal CSN 4:30 Boxing Marquez vs. Vazquez SHOW 9 Cottovs.Urkal HBO 9:45 Golf Euro. PGA J. Walker Classic (T) GOLF 9:30 a.m.

PGA Honda Classic 11,4,8,25 3 Gymnastics Tyson American Cup 11,4,8 1 Pro hockey lslandersWashington CSN 7 lslandersWashington(T) CSN 1:30 a.m. RADIO TOMORROW Men's col. bask. N.C.StateMaryland 1300 AM, 1C57 FM 3:30 College lacrosse Johns Hopkins vs. Princeton 1300 AM Noon Pro hockey lslandersWashington 980 AM 7 Pro soccer CalilorniaBlast 680 AM 7:35 TELEVISION SUNDAY Arena football DallasNew York 2 12:30 Auto racing Busch Series Mexico 200 ESPN2 2 Exhib.

baseball White SoxCubs WGN 3 Men's col. bask. KentuckydFlorida 13,9 Noon Seton HalKMouisville MASN Noon ClemsonVirginia Tech 54,20,25 1 MVC linal 13,9 2 CAAsemilinal CN8 3 Boston CollegeGeorgia Tech CSN 3 DukeNorth Carolina 13,9 4 NECsemilinal MASN 4 CAAsemilinal CN8 5:30 MAACsemilinal MASN 6 MAACsemilinal MASN 8:30 West Coast semilinal ESPN2 9:30 West Coast semilinal ESPN2 11:30 Worn. col. bask.

ACC linal CSN 1 MAAC linal MASN 2 Conference USA linal ESPN2 5:30 SEC linal ESPN2 7:30 Pro basketball Golden StateWashington 50 1 LakersPhoenix 2,7 3:30 Golden StateWashington(T) CSN 7 UtahNew Orleans ESPN 8 Bowling PBA U.S. Open ESPN Noon Golf Euro. PGA J. Walker Classic (T) GOLF 9:30 a.m. PGA Honda Classic 11,4,8,25 3 Pro hockey PhiladelphiaPittsburgh 11,4,8 12:30 Pro lacrosse RochesterPhiladelphia (T) VS.

2:30 RADIO SUNDAY Exhib. baseball MetsOrioles 105.7 FM 1:05 Pro basketball Golden StateWashington 980 AM 1 JUPITER, FLA. The Orioles opened their 2007 exhibition season yesterday at Roger Dean Stadium, and, I've got to tell you, it was great to see Fort Lauderdale on the road jerseys. There I go again, making jokes when I ought to be more supportive of the ballclub, but it's not like anything significant is going to happen in the first preseason game, unless you count Steve Trachsel reaching his pitch limit about halfway through the first inning. Don't misunderstand.

I've really got no bone to pick with Trachsel, who came here on a moment's notice to replace injured starter Kris Benson. If he puts up 15 wins like he did last year for the New York Mets, I don't care if his ERA ends up in a dead heat with Barry Bonds' hat size. (Quick side note: I recently read where the equipment manager of the San Francisco Giants testified that Bonds has gone from a iVt, to a iVi baseball cap since he signed with the Giants 15 years ago, which is supposed to be evidence that he's been using steroids or human growth hormone. I think it's only fair to point out that my hat size has increased from 7 to WED. 7 Pro basketball WizardsHawks, 7 Horse racing Laurel Park, 12:35 THU.8 Men's college basketball MarylandACC tournament, TBA Horse racing Laurel Park, 12:35 Thome says honesty will be his policy on O's RAY FRAGER ON MEDIA TOP-RATED SPORTS Highest-rated sports programming for Baltimore for Feb.

21-27 (ratings measure the percentage of television households watching a program): Program Date Ch. Rating NASCAR 225 45 5.2 State 221 54 4.1 State 225 13 3.7 NASCAR preview 225 45 3.6 Duke-St. John's 225 13 3.1 Poker 224 11 2.8 Louisville-UConn 225 13 2.8 WWERaw-a 226 USA 2.6 PGA 225 11 2.5 WWERaw-b 226 USA 2.4 Smackdown 223 54 2.4 a-9 to 10 p.m. b-10 to 11 p.m. Nielsen ratings courtesy of WBAL-TV in 2006, when 65 were scheduled on Channel 13 and WNUV Channel 54.

Tuna served How many curmudgeonly ex-coaches does a network need? When it comes to ESPN, one more, apparently. Bill Parcells will join the network, mainly as a studio presence for Monday Night Countdown, ESPN announced yesterday. He joins a roster of NFL experts that includes the incumbent curmudgeon, Mike Ditka. Unlike his previous gig at ESPN, as part of Sunday NFL Countdown in 2002, this time Parcells apparently won't be idling his engine before his next coaching job. "I am definitely done with coaching," Parcells, a 19-year head coach with the New York Giants, New England Patriots, New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys, said in a conference call.

I feel like I'm at an age now where it's time to move on." In addition to appearing on SportsCenter, Parcells, 65, will write for ESPN.com and co-host a Friday evening ESPN radio show with Chris Mortensen during football season. The winner is Michael Popovec, a Calvert Hall graduate who has been working at a Salisbury-area radio station, won the competition to become the new evening talk host at all-sports WNST (1570 AM), starting in April. game. His extension of the game goes beyond that day to the next day, next week." Though Thorne is most identified with hockey and baseball, he has called a great range of sports over his 30-year career. So the obvious question which is why I thought to ask it, because it was so obvious is: Which sport is his favorite to announce? "I always say if I had an answer to that, I wouldn't be doing so many games," Thorne said.

Thorne preview You can remind yourself of what Thorne sounds like calling baseball on ESPN today at 1 p.m., when he does the Pittsburgh Pirates-Atlanta Braves exhibition game with John Kruk and Steve Phillips. MASN's first spring training game Orioles vs. Washington Nationals is tomorrow at l. Two more cable systems Millenium in Anne Arundel County and Clearview in Harford County will add MASN before the Orioles start the regular season. (If you're unsure where MASN is in your channel lineup, check its Web site, masn.tv.) Still no deal for Dish Network.

It's too bad MASN is simulcasting only 25 games on an over-the-air station (WJZ Channel 13). According to Nielsen, about 14 percent of the Baltimore market does not receive cable or satellite TV, and those who don't subscribe whether for financial or other reasons will be able to see less than half of the games that were available HE WILL CALL HOMERS, but he won't be one. That's part of the message from Gary Thorne as he moves into his new television assignment with Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, becoming the principal Orioles play-byplay man. "I'm not a homer," he said this week from his Florida home. "It's never It's 'the I'll always be honest about what's going on." Thorne, whose varied sports-casting resume includes 13 years calling New York Mets games, said his approach won't be altered by how the team is performing.

"Any broadcaster wants the team to win," he said. 'The obligations you have as a major league broadcaster don't change. My ups and downs aren't going to be based on how the team does." And how does he think the team will do? "It's no different for Baltimore than it is for everyone else: How's your pitching?" he said. Thorne cited what looks like a strong lineup, but "you're also playing in the toughest division in baseball." Though he said he hadn't seen the Orioles play a lot in recent years, he'll be immediately familiar with his analyst partners. Thorne has been broadcasting games on ESPN with Buck Martinez and has known Jim Palmer since they worked together at ABC in the 1980s.

"Jimmy and I have become friends over the years. I love talking baseball with him, and we stay in touch," Thorne said. Both bring a lot to a telecast, he said. Palmer "sees the game three or four innings ahead. "Obviously, when it comes to the pitching game he has a tremendous understanding of what it takes to be successful." Martinez "has a tremendous passion for the game.

He sees the game as a manager sees the ALL TIMES P.M. UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED balts ray.trager.