The Pac-12 Conference announced Wednesday that two University of Colorado football games this season will air on Fox Sports Net: the Rocky Mountain Showdown matching CU and Colorado State and the Buffs’ first game against Utah since 1962.
The CU-CSU game Sept. 17 at Invesco Field at Mile High will kick off at 11:30 a.m. Root Sports is the FSN affiliate in the region and has no conflict with its Rockies obligations as Colorado plays National League West rival San Francisco that night.
The Utah game Nov. 25, the day after Thanksgiving, will kick off at 1:30 p.m. in Salt Lake City.
Bird named Gatorade baseball player of the year.
Greg Bird of Grandview High School is the Gatorade baseball player of the year.
The 6-foot-4, 205-pound senior catcher posted a .553 batting average, 38 RBIs, 32 runs scored and 12 home runs this season, leading the Wolves (16-5) to the Class 5A district finals.
A returning Under Armour and Collegiate Baseball All-American, Bird had a 1.468 slugging percentage and a .744 on-base percentage.
Bird had a 3.75 grade-point average. In addition to donating his time as a youth baseball instructor, he has volunteered on behalf of Cerebral Palsy of Colorado, Sports Made Possible and Ronald McDonald House Charities.
“He’s the best player in the state, hands down,” said Scott Bullock, coach of perennial powerhouse Rocky Mountain of Fort Collins. “Offensively, he could be the best hitter ever from the state of Colorado. He’s got power from foul pole to foul pole. His numbers were off the charts as a sophomore and junior, and this year nobody wanted to pitch to him. He’s the real deal. He’s a big-time offensive player and a good catcher too.”
Bird has signed a national letter of intent to play baseball at Arkansas.
Former Ralston Valley player Hayes honored.
Tarleton State junior shortstop Travis Hayes was named to the NCAA Division II All-America team.
Hayes, a member of Ralston Valley High School’s 2008 Class 4A state championship team, led the Texans, from Stephenville, with a .410 average and hit seven home runs, drove in 24 runs and scored 32 runs.
Golfers Williams, Forbes lead at Charlie Coe.
Charles Williams of Houston and Chris Forbes of Katy, Texas, took the lead in the Mid-Am division at the 22nd annual Charlie Coe Invitational at Castle Pines Golf Club with an opening-round, 7-under-par 65.
Williams and Forbes had a one-shot lead over defending champions Jim Strickland and Warren Vickers, both of Scottsdale, Ariz.; Jeff Knox of Augusta, Ga., and Jack Larkin, of Atlanta; and Denny Pelle of Phoenix and Jeff Fujimoto of Scottsdale, Ariz.
In the Senior-Am division, Denny Alexander of Fort Worth, Texas, and Gary Hardin of La Quinta, Calif., fired an 8-under 64 to lead Jim Crane and Hunter Nelson of Houston by one shot.
John Pigg of Austin, Texas, and Eddie Lyons of Shreveport, La., and Mike Rice and Jerry Hudgins of Houston and Kingwood, Texas, are another shot back at 66.
Former Highlands Ranch star Unger shines on and off football field in Tanzania.
Former Highlands Ranch High School standout Robby Unger has been in Tanzania for over a week with the Drake University football team. The team played an all-star team from the Conadeip Conference in Mexico in the Global Kilimanjaro Bowl organized by Global Football.
Drake won 17-7, and Unger recovered an important fumble as Conadeip was threatening to score.
It was the first football game involving a college team played in Africa.
Besides playing in the game, players from Drake and Conadeip helped out at an orphanage and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.
