Dayton Daily News from Dayton, Ohio • 43

SECTION CLASSIFIED, 6C I Jobs Cars and trucks Homesapartments Items for sale TO CONTACT US: CUSTOMER SERVICE: 222-5700. SPORTS PHONE; 225-2250. SPORTS FAX; 225-7352. SPORTS E-MAIL sportscoxohio.com POSTAL ADDRESS: 45 S. Ludlow Dayton, Ohio 45402.

LINEBACKER FIELD The Bengals will be able to get a top-notch LB, if they want to go that way Inside, 3D Majerus, Noll to be in Middletown Rick Majerus, the coach who led the University of Utah to the NCAA basketball title game, and former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Chuck Noll will be keynote speakers for the 1998 Pigskin-Roundball Spectacular May 6 at the Manchester Inn in Middletown. Ex-UD basketball coach Don Donoher will introduce Majerus. Ritter Collett, Dayton Daily News sports editor emeritus, will introduce Noll, a UD alum. Tickets for the 6:30 p.m. dinner are $60.

Tickets for a private reception with Majerus and Noll, to begin at 4:30 p.m., are $100. For information, call Mark Kerns at 420-4500 or 424-6746. Dayton Daily News TODAY ON TV PRO BASKETBALL (10:30 p.m., TNT): Utah at Phoenix. INSIDE Digest, 2 Scoreboard, 2 1 1 Football, 3 4y Pro baseball4- Auto racing, Preps, golf, College sports, 8 i INTERNET UPDATES Visit our online partner at www.activedayton.com FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 1998 COMMENTARY Iff mi mm UD assistant to be named head coach at Coastal Carolina? You've got your shot to resuond 1111 i INSIDE: Steve Alford says he's been contacted by Clemson, 8D Dayton staff. 7 Strickland's hiring comes at a time when Purnell is under consideration for the head coaching position at Clemson.

Purnell said Thursday that he would have no further comment on the Clemson situation. ls. The previous coach, Russ Bergman, was there 19 years. He took CC to the NCAA tourney in 1991 and '93. Coastal Carolina is located in Conway, S.C., seven miles from Myrtle Beach.

The school has an enrollment of 4,600 and an loses two seniors but has 12 players returning, including seven scholarship juniors. "I'm ecstatic," Strickland said Thursday night. "I think it's a diamond in the rough. It's got a lot ofpotential." Strickland got the nod over finalists Steve Shirena, associate head coach at Davidson; Dudley Bradley, head coach at Brevard Junior College; and Jim Harrick assistant at Valparaiso. A former University of Pittsburgh player, Strickland was an assistant at VMI (1988-91) and Old Dominion (1991-94) before joining Oliver Purnell's By Bucky Albers DAYTON DAILY NEWS Pete Strickland, assistant basketball coach at the University of Dayton for four years, has been hired as head coach at Coastal Carolina University.

The announcement will be made today. Strickland, 40, succeeds Michael Hopkins, who resigned March 27 after the Chanticleers finished 8-19 overall and 4-8 in the Big South In three previous seasons, Hopkins' teams had records of 6-20, 5-21 and Il Keith Brumbaugh of Brookville has been reading our sports section for more than four decades. A short story in last Friday's edition prompted the retired NCR inventory mnnncrpr tn rail mp Pete Strickland gymnasium. Strickland inherits a team that CONTACT Bucky Albers at 225-2412 or e-: mail buckyalberscoxohio.com In the upper left-hand Dwayne corner ot the main sports page, a space we call "the ear," there was a story Bray AREA SIGNINGS UD RUGBY TEAM Locals sign about how Americans sup port restoring Pete Rose's baseball eligibility by a 3-1 margin. It was news the 58-year-old Brumbaugh wanted to hear.

"I think this is long overdue' I've wanted Rose in the Hall for a long time," he said. Everyday we get dozens of calls from sports readers like Brumbaugh. They are passionate about sports and want to speak out on certain issues, such as the Rose baseball banishment or the interest being shown in Oliver Purnell, the marketable University of Dayton basketball coach who has been considered for other coaching jobs. want to give those readers a place to speak their mind. We want them to have a forum to discuss important, and even not-so-important, sports stories.

From the pros and colleges to the preps and sandlots. 1 H'hat is why we are starting a sports speak-up feature. It will begin appearing in the Sun dotted line Springfield South's i Williams and Waynesville's 1. Smith stay in the region, j'jn i. -art? By Ron Jackson DAYTON DAILY NEWS Camee Williams of Sorinefield day paper in the next couple of South and Shannon Smith of Wa'yries: ville had opportunities to continue their athletic careers in warm- weather climates, but decided to s.tay in the Midwest.

Williams, the Willcats outstanding high jumper and long jumper, signed a national letter of intent with the University of Illinois in Chamnaien after being wooed by UCLA. UNLV. I PH- -'-r-'H. How to contact us FOR sports SPEAK UP: Call then 2453 and leave your brief I (no more than, 60 please) comments. Or you can e-mail us at sportscoxohio.com FOR LETTERS TO THE SPORTS EDITOR: bend submissions (no more than 200 words) to: Sports Letters, Dayton Daily News, P.O.

Box 1287, Dayton, Ohio Our fax is (937) 225-7352. You can take part in it by calling, writing or e-mailing us with your comments. Our Op-Ed and Neighbors sections do this, and it is one of our most popular features with readers. One other change to report. Beginning today, you will find a new and improved Scoreboard on' page 2D.

We have added a daily calendar that allows you Miami (Fla.) and North Carolina. Smith, an all-state golfer, will mt attend Bowling Green State Univet-J sity after giving consideration to Methodist College in Fayetteville, N.C. Wednesday, the first day of the spring singing period, marked a good day for area girls. WALLV NELSONDAYTON DAILY NEWS Teammates surround Shane Stackurski (on the ground) in a scrum during a recent practice. Dayton club going strong Fast-pitch Softball standout Maria Barhorst of Tippecanoe is headed to Wright State University.

Last spring the versatile Williams single-handedly carried the Wildcats to a runner-up finish in the state Division I girls track meet, scoring 34 points. She won the high jump (5-9) won the long jump, (19-9'A) and took second in the 300-meter hurdles (43.13) and third in the 100 hurdles (14.32). Guiding her fortunes at Illinois will be coach Gary Winckler, who has produced nine Olympians, including 1996 Olympic bronze medal winner and Meadowdale graduate Tonja Buford-Bailey. "When Tonja came here they told her, 'You can't develop into an Olym-; pian there because of the Midwest Rugby Tournament WHEN: Saturday, games at 1 and 3 p.m.; Sunday at noon. WHERE: Eastwood Metro Park (Directions: Rt.

4 North, exit Harshman, right on Harshman, second park entrance on right.) ADMISSION: Free. men and boys through a rutted field at Eastwood Metro Park during a practice session. "We put signs up and organized a club. I ended up playing the sport for 22 years." Borgerding became a geography teacher at Stebbins High School, and when he felt he watoo old to continue playing, he stayed in the rugby game on the coaching side. "We do a lot of technique work here," said Borgerding, who runs two practices a week after work.

"This is SEE RUGBY8D Bob Borgerding's team will go for the Midwest title this weekend. ByMarcKatz DAYTON DAILY NEWS i Thirty years ago, Bob Borgerding was an injured University of Dayton football player looking for something he could play. His grandfather, then living in the United States, was from Scotland, and sent Borgerding a rule book on Winckler said. "Well, she changed that opinion. I feel Camee will make af great impact on our program because' SEE SIGNINGS6D rugby, and a ball.

"You ought to give this a try," he said. "We started a UD club with that," Borgerding said recently as he ran 25 td glance at the seven-day schedule of teams popular with local fans. We have also given a makeover to the TVradio listings. iWhat's the reason for the additions and other changes? We are constantly reinventing ourselves aS attempt to deliver a comprehensive and provocative daily sport section. I Vhich brings me back to Mr.

Brumbaugh. jk said he enjoys reading our sports news. Herpes think we should be using our pen to aKtthe campaign to get Rose reinstated to Major League Baseball so Rose would be eligible for induction into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. (the Dayton Daily News') Hal McCoy as president of the baseball writers, with WLW in Cincinnati and with you, Hal's boss, why doesn't somebody get going and shepherd this thing?" Brumbaugh said. needs to get done not by some little guy like me out here in Brookville, Ohio, 45309.

It ain't gonna work. "It's going to take somebody big like the Ddvton Dail'News, yourself, Hal McCoy. Arid get WLW in Cincinnati behind it. Chris Collinsworth, Andy Furman, Bill Cunningham. Talk to (CEO Randy) Michaels, the guy who runs Jacor down there.

"An organized effort needs to take place, ana let's get this man in the Hall where he belongs so he can go into a ballpark with his head hung high. The man has suffered long enough. He doesn't do drugs, he doesn't smoke. Pete belongs in there and we need to get him up there with the rest of the Reds with Bench and George Foster. With the rest of these guys on an even keel.

But it's going to take an effort, Dwayne." What do you think? Call sports speak-up and let us know. ASTROS 7, REDS 4 Cincinnati loses an ugly one (' I 1 NEXT GAME: 7:05 p.m. today; New York Mets at Cincinnati Reds; 1 Radio: WHIO (1290) INSIDE: Sean Casey rejoins team, box score, how the runs scored, 5D INTERNET: Visit our online partner at www.ActiveDayton. comsportsbaseball Misplays and miscues against the Astros help drop the Reds below .500. i By Hal McCoy DAYTON DAILY NEWS CINCINNATI On the ugly scale, this one shattered the mirror.

The Cincinnati Reds, also known this rainy night in Cinergy field as the Cincinnati Ugly Ducklings, played as if baseball is a foreign subject to them. They dropped a 7-4 decision to the Houston Astros in front of 14,596 fans who spent most of the night shaking their heads at the way the Red3 showed them how the game is not supposed to be played. doubt. "We didn't help ourselves and we got beat." So what made this a night not to remember? Count 'em up. The Astros stole six bases, mostly because the pitchers Ignored their presence on the basepaths.

The Ignominy of it was that catcher Brad Ausmus stole one, pitcher Mike Hampton stole one and backup shortstop Tim Bogar stole one the first for each. Craig Biggio also swiped third and Jeff Bagwell stole two, his fifth and sixth of the season. Dmitri Young, playing out of position, fielded right field as if he feared SEE REDS5D The Reds flopped back one-game below .500 (7-8) and slipped into fifth place in the National League Central, 2V4 games behind division-leading Milwaukee. "Wasn't one of our better nights," manager Jack McKeon said, more than giving his team the benefit of all DWAYNE BRAY Is sports editor of the Dayton Dally Newa. Contact him at 225-2478 or mail him at dwaynebraycoxohlo.com INTERNET Visit our online partner at www.ActlveDayton.comsports MARVIN DAILY NEWS Bret Boone doubles in a run in the 2nd inning Thursday..