Stacy Lewis says she's excited to play in front of hometown
crowd
ROGERS, Ark. (AP) - Former Lady Razorback golfer Stacy Lewis says she's excited that she'll get to play in front of a hometown crowd this weekend in the LPGA's P&G Beauty Northwest Arkansas tournament at Rogers' Pinnacle Country Club. Last weekend, Lewis finished third in the U.S. Women's Open in her first outing as a professional golfer. Lewis played in the Northwest Arkansas event last year as an amateur, and led the tournament after 18 holes, when it was called on account of rain. This week, she shot a 65 in a practice round on the course the Arkansas team has used as its home course.

More pro-am play today in advance of first round of tournament
ROGERS, Ark. (AP) - The pro-am action continues today at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers in the runup to the weekend's LPGA tournament, the P&G Beauty Northwest Arkansas Championship. A team led by pro Jane Park won first place in yesterday's pro-am play with a score of 54. Other members of that team were Andy Sidorakis, Corbin Wallace, Tim Stubblefield and Jay Burkhardt. Each of the amateurs on the winning team got a prize of a Callaway Hyper X driver.

Arkansas linebacker faces felony charge
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) - Arkansas linebacker Wendel Davis faces a felony criminal mischief charge after police say he used his fist to break the windshield of a car that bumped his scooter. The 19-year-old Davis, of Sweeny, Texas, is scheduled to appear before a judge July 30th over the charge, stemming from an altercation Tuesday afternoon. If convicted, Davis could face up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. A university police spokesman says Davis' fist put dents into the car and broke its windshield. Davis was released without bond pending his court hearing. Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said in a statement that he was aware of the incident and would act once he had "all of the facts regarding the situation." The arrest was the third this spring involving a member of the Arkansas defensive backfield.

Tennessee player signs to play at Lyon
BATESVILLE, Ark. (AP) - Lyon College has recruited a third baseman from Tennessee. Robert Haggerty, a 5-11, 170-pound player from Clarksville, Tennessee, has signed a letter of intent to play for coach Kirk Kelley's Scots. Haggerty hit .381 as a junior at Kenwood High. Kelley said that, for a youngster, Haggerty has a lot of baseball savvy, and he should be a great addition to the Scots' program.
 

 Police: Ark. player breaks windshield with hand
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) - University of Arkansas police say a motorist has a broken windshield and Arkansas backup linebacker Wendel Davis has an injured hand. They say those were the two major effects yesterday after a non-injury accident that was followed by Davis dismounting from his motor scooter and pounding on the windshield of the car that bumped his vehicle. Gary Crain, public information officer for the University of Arkansas Police Department, said Davis was taken to Washington Regional Medical Center after he injured his hand when he punched the car. The Morning News newspaper of  springdale reported that Crain said Davis was stopped at an intersection when his scooter was bumped from behind by another motorist in a car. Crain said there was no real damage or injury, but Davis got off his scooter and pounded the car to the extent that he injured his hand. Crain said Davis caused dents to the car and broke its windshield. University police are investigating the incident.
---(dash)---
Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said in a statement released through the university that he was aware of the incident, and would act appropriately once he had all of the facts regarding the situation. The incident was the third this spring involving a member of the Arkansas defensive backfield. On Sunday, linebacker Freddy Burton was charged with drunken driving after an early morning arrest by university police. Linebacker Freddie Fairchild was dismissed from the team June 11th following his arrest in March on misdemeanor charges of battery and false imprisonment.

Arkansas State hires Raffo from Miss. St. to coach Red Wolves
baseball
JONESBORO, Ark. (AP) - Arkansas State has hired Tommy Raffo, an assistant at Mississippi State for 15 years, to be the head coach of the Red Wolves baseball team. Raffo will replace Keith Kessinger, who last month turned down a one-year contract extension. Arkansas State finished the 2007-08 season with a 20-34-1 record and was last in the Sun Belt Conference at 8-21-1. In six years, Kessinger was 151-178-1, but the team never won a
postseason game, losing eight times in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament. Raffo says he felt the time had arrived to change the fortunes of the ASU team. At Mississippi State, Raffo served as the recruiting coordinator for the Bulldog baseball program, landing 10 straight recruiting classes ranked in the top 33 nationally by Collegiate Baseball. Raffo, an Orange Park, Florida, native, played college ball at Mississippi State, where he obtained a business degree in 1990. He was co-captain of the 1990 Mississippi State team that advanced to the College World Series. He was a two-time Academic All-American and a three-time Academic All-SEC selection. He was named first-team All-SEC in 1989 and 1990.

Naturals win, Travelers lose, moving Nats out of cellar
UNDATED (AP) - The Northwest Arkansas Naturals and the Arkansas Travelers are no longer tied in the cellar of the Texas League's North Division standings. Last night at North Little Rock, the Travelers got blown away by the Frisco RoughRiders, 10-1. Meanwhile, at Corpus Christi, Texas, the Naturals edged the Hooks 6-5 to complete a three-game sweep --a major reversal of the Naturals' three losses in a row to San Antonio to start the second half of the season. That all leaves the Naturals at 5-and-7, a game and a half behind Springfield and Tulsa, tied for the division lead, while the Travelers are now 4-and-8, two-and-a-half games behind the leaders.

Lewis starts over in quest for a card
BETHESDA, Md. (AP) - The $162,487 that former Lady Razorback golfer Stacy Lewis got for finishing third at the U.S. Women's Open counts for nothing toward her efforts to get her LPGA card. Lewis is trying to earn enough money to get her LPGA Tour card without going to qualifying school. But the LPGA doesn't count winnings from the U.S. Women's Open toward the total -- because the LPGA has no role in the tournament. So Lewis has to win enough in six LPGA tournaments she can enter with sponsors' exemptions to put her high enough on the money list to be able to play in all LPGA events next year.