LOCAL SPORTS IN BRIEF
BY SPORTS EDITOR MITCH LUCAS
SOFTBALL

KHS finishes season tonight

The Kilgore High School Lady Bulldogs softball team will finish the 2008 season tonight at home at Stream-Flo Field against Hallsville. First-pitch will be at 6 p.m., preceded by a brief senior night ceremony honoring the Lady 'Dogs' only senior, shortstop Whitney Brown.

Kilgore is rebuilding this year after several years at or right at the top of the district, and has just one win in District 12- 4A this season. The Lady Bulldogs face a tremendous challenge tonight. Hallsville is going to finish as the district champion, and is unbeaten - 13-0 - in district play this year.

BASEBALL

Kilgore, Hallsville meet tonight

There are only three games left in the regular season, and it's likely the Kilgore High School Bulldogs will need to win two of them to make the UIL Class 4A playoffs for the sixth straight season.

The end-of-season run starts tonight, with Kilgore hosting Hallsville, a 6 p.m. start at Driller Park. Nacogdoches leads District 12-4A, and Hallsville is in second place. Only the top three teams from the district will make the playoffs, and currently, Kilgore is tied with Marshall for that third spot (both teams are 6-5), with Henderson just one game back. Marshall has to face Nac tonight, and Henderson faces Jacksonville.

Coach Jeff Blackstone's Diamond 'Dogs will visit Henderson on Tuesday, then finish the regular season with a potentially huge game at home against Marshall next Friday. It could be that if Marshall and Kilgore are tied headed into that final game, then its winner makes the playoffs.

Showcase in Texarkana June 10

The Pro-Day East Texas High School Baseball Showcase will take place on Tuesday, June 10 at Pleasant Grove High School in Texarkana, from 8:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.

The Showcase is an opportunity for high school players (in ninth through 12th grades) to show their talents in front of professional scouts and collegiate coaches. The players will be evaluated in all areas: hitting, fielding, arm strength, arm accuracy, running, base running and pitching. These evaluation cards will be kept on file to monitor a player's progress throughout their high school career. Pro-Day will also send these evaluations to three colleges of the players' choice.

The Pro-Day caravan will be in a 14-state area this year with the top 100 overall players from these showcases being selected to attend the Best of the Best Showcase later this fall in Orange Beach, Ala.

Since 1989, Pro-Day Professional Baseball Camps has taught thousands of players from all ages on all phases of the game. The camp has produced hundreds of college players and numerous professional players.

Six current and recent major league players have participated in Pro-Day. These players include Torii Hunter (Anaheim Angels), Dmitri Young (Washington Nationals), T.J. Mathews (Houston Astros), Rigo Beltran (Baltimore Orioles), Billy Sadler (San Francisco Giants) and Doug Creek (Toronto Blue Jays) along with hundreds of others that have been associated with professional baseball on various levels.

To register, go to pro-daybaseball.com, or to highschoolshowcases. com . Sign-up early - the showcase is limited. Participants may register online or you may print out an application from the website and send check or money order to: Pro-Day Baseball, P.O. Box 333, Orange Beach, AL 36561. For additional information, you may call: (251) 980- 2300.

GOLF

Rotary tourney at Meadowbrook on May 5

The annual Kilgore Rotary Golf Tournament is scheduled for Monday, May 5 at Meadowbrook Country Club. Lunch will be served in the dining room at 11 a.m. and tee off with a shotgun start will be at noon.

The two-person tournament includes six holes of best ball (play your own ball and record the best score of the pair on the scorecard), six holes of scramble (play the better of the two shots all the way to the hole) and six holes of modified alternate shot (both players tee off and then alternate until the ball is holed).

This potpourri format has been extremely popular over the past 10 or so years, making the Rotary golf tournament one that everyone wants to play.

The entry fee is $75 per player or $150 per team. The fee includes lunch and drinks on the course as well as green fee and cart. Cash prizes will be paid to first, second and third place in low gross and low net categories. All players must submit a handicap when making their entry for the tournament.

For more information or to enter the tournament, contact Greg Collins at (903) 988-3413. Tournament entries will be accepted until Friday, May 3. The proceeds from the tournament go to the many Kilgore Rotary Club charitable activities during the year.

FOOTBALL

Kilgore College to host youth camp in June

For youngsters with dreams of playing competitive football, the Kilgore College Rangers will host a football skills camp for ages 7-15 from June 9-13. Run by the KC coaching staff, the camp is "non-contact" and participants will be taught the fundamentals of the game and given instruction in all phases of football.

"This is a great opportunity for kids to come out and get a great instruction of the game," said J.J. Eckert, KC's head football coach and camp director. "Last year, we had a great turnout and are hoping for an even better one this year."

Players will be divided into groups according to age and position, allowing individual skills to be taught. Each camper will receive a camp certificate and awards will be given out daily. Emphasis for younger campers is basic skills development and intermediate skills for older campers to prepare them for competition.

"By exposing our campers to proper techniques and skills, we hope to instill a burning desire to become great football players," Eckert said. "And we'll definitely have lots of fun in the process."

Cost is $100 and will include instruction, all-you can eat meals, a souvenir KC football and camp certificate. Camp will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day and will be held on the KC campus.

To register for the camp, visit kilgore.edu/rangerfb.asp and download the camp flyer. Fill out the bottom portion and mail to: Kilgore College c/o J.J. Eckert, 1100 Broadway, Kilgore, TX; 75662.

A deposit of $50 is required to reserve a spot and is nonrefundable after June 1. The remaining $50 must be paid at time of registration. Registration is from 7 a.m. until 9 a.m. the first day of the camp (June 9) in the Masters Gymnasium lobby. Limited spaces are available.

For more information, call Chris Craddock, KC's sports information coordinator, at (903) 983-8181.

SPECIAL OLYMPICS

SOT to host Spring Games

Special Olympics Texas (Area 7) will host the 2008 Spring Games competition today and Saturday at Abe Martin Stadium in Lufkin. The cycling competition was to be be held today at the school and the track and field events will be held Saturday.

The general public is encouraged to come out on Saturday for the opening ceremonies (to begin at 8:45 a.m.) and stay for the competition. Four hundred Special Olympics athletes from 22 delegations in the East Texas area will be competing.

For more information on the event contact Courtnee Garcia at (936) 639-1755.