Posted: Friday, July 13, 2012 7:01 pm

Briefly


West Tenn. champs
raising region funds

The West Tennessee 12U state champion baseball team is currently raising money for its trip to Virginia to play in the Southeast Regional Tournament.
Anyone wishing to make a donation can call John King at 592-8302.
A home run derby fund raiser is scheduled for Saturday during the 13-15 district tournament at Graham Park in Union City. Entry is $5 per person for 10 balls and then $1 for each additional ball.
The derby will be divided into 13U, 14-16 and adult divisions.

Vandy’s Williams
now has AD title

NASHVILLE (AP) — Vanderbilt has named David Williams as athletic director and will hire people to take over some of Williams’ other jobs so he can focus on sports.
Chancellor Nick Zeppos announced the new title Thursday at a news conference.
Vandy, the SEC’s only private university, restructured athletics in 2003 under former chancellor Gordon Gee and merged the athletics department with the rest of the school. Williams has overseen athletics since shortly after the department was merged, but he also has worked as Vanderbilt’s general counsel and university secretary while also holding the title of vice chancellor for university affairs and athletics.
Vanderbilt will fill the jobs of general counsel and university secretary. Williams will remain a faculty member at Vanderbilt’s law school.

Bama, LSU players
top All-SEC list

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Alabama and LSU are in a dead heat once again.
The defending national champion Crimson Tide and reigning Southeastern Conference champ Tigers each placed 11 players on the preseason Coaches All-SEC teams. The league released the teams on Thursday.
The Tigers have a league-high seven first-team picks. That’s three more than Alabama, which beat LSU to claim the national title. That includes four on the defensive side, led by Heisman Trophy finalist Tyrann Mathieu and fellow defensive back Eric Reid. Linemen Sam Montgomery and Barkevious Mingo are also projected to earn first-team honors.
Arkansas is third with 10 total players selected. The Razorbacks’ four first-team picks include quarterback Tyler Wilson.
The first-teamers also include Alabama’s Outland Trophy-winning offensive lineman Barrett Jones, who is moving from left tackle to center.

Diamond to director
for Carolina coach

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A person familiar with the move says the Gamecocks’ two-time national champion baseball coach Ray Tanner will be South Carolina’s next athletic director.
Tanner is expected to be introduced today, the person told The Associated Press Thursday on condition of anonymity because the school has not publicly announced the hire.
Tanner replaces Eric Hyman, who resigned two weeks ago to become athletic director at Texas A&M.
Tanner won the College World Series in 2010 and 2011.
The Gamecocks were runner-up to Arizona in Omaha, Neb., last month.
The baseball coach position is expected to be filled by Tanner’s top assistant, Chad Holbrook.
Tanner has been a former assistant AD at North Carolina State while serving as the Wolfpack’s baseball coach.

Published in The Messenger 7.13.12