Central Georgia Sports ReportComment

Thursday's Report: FPD's Johnson, Bacon, Bud Dupree, Gage Harrelson, GMC JC, Middle Georgia State; Braves, Tech AD, Falcons; NBA finals, MLB, NHL, WCWS thriller, Super Regionals, golf

Central Georgia Sports ReportComment
Thursday's Report: FPD's Johnson, Bacon, Bud Dupree, Gage Harrelson, GMC JC, Middle Georgia State; Braves, Tech AD, Falcons; NBA finals, MLB, NHL, WCWS thriller, Super Regionals, golf

📰S📰C📰O📰R📰E📰B📰O📰A📰R📰D
⚾⚾⚾Baseball⚾⚾⚾
⚾⚾⚾Coastal Plain⚾⚾⚾

Florence 3, Macon 1

          The Bacon scored in the eighth to prevent a shutout.

Pro
⚾⚾⚾MLB⚾⚾⚾

Arizona 2, Atlanta 1 

📰C📰O📰V📰E📰R📰A📰G📰E📰

Around/About Central Georgia

FPD’s Johnson takes top Georgia honor

          Junior Keon Johnson has been on the radar of major colleges and the pros for a few years now.

          For a reason.

          The latest addition to the Johnson resume is a mighty impressive one, the Gatorade Georgia Player of the Year.

          His selection breaks a long drought for Central Georgia, dating back to long before he was born. The last area player picked was Warner Robins’ Mark Johnson in 1993, right after a pair of Jones County standouts, Willie Greene in 1989 and Rondell White in 1990.

          And he joins a list that includes Kumar Rocker, Clint Frazier, Matt Olson, Buster Posey, Jeff Francoeur, and Adam Wainwright, among others.

          “FPD’s entire athletic department, and in particular our baseball program, celebrate this prestigious achievement for Keon,” head coach Greg Moore said ina  school release. “His enthusiasm, hard work, and deep loyalty to being a better baseball player and teammate is an example for all.”

          The 6-2, 190-pound shortstop and occasional relief pitcher led FPD to its second straight GIAA Class 4A championship trip and runner-up finish.

          The District 6 top player batted .524 with 10 home runs, 67 runs, 47 RBI and a .643 on-base percentage through 35 games from the leadoff spot, adding 25 steals on 31 tries.

          “Keon Johnson is a true student of the game,” said Jason Godbee, head coach at Bulloch and former FPD staffer, in a Gatorade release. “He approaches baseball with humility and passion, constantly absorbing knowledge to elevate not only his own performance, but also that of his teammates. He shares what he learns freely and enthusiastically, helping create a stronger, more cohesive team.”

          The Vanderbilt commit has a 3.40 GPA.

GMC JC in second at national tournament

          Led by a below-par round by Ross Tetrault, GMC JC is second in the NJCAA Division III national golf championship.

          Tetrault shot a second-round 71 to jump into third place, while Brady Wentz is four shots behind him with a 147.

          GMC is 18 shots behind Sandhills Community College.

          The tournament is in Chautaugua N.Y.

Alumni Update

Houston County grad Harrelson lighting it up at Florida State

Wilkinson County grad and Macon businessman Dupree signs extension with Chargers

Middle Georgia State pair tapped

          Two Middle Georgia State softball players earned NAIA All-America honors, Emily Proctor on the second team and Madison Cosgrove on the third team.

Around/About Georgia

Kelly outduels Sale and Diamondbacks hold off Braves

Sale, Braves gift wheelchairs to local ALS patients for Lou Gehrig Day

Outgoing Tech AD talks up Michigan State’s status

Palumbo to serve as Tech’s interim AD

Robinson has sights set on explosive 2025 season

Falcons mailbag

NBA/Men’s Basketball

Gilgeous-Alexander and Haliburton took roads less traveled to stardom in the NBA Finals

Knicks shed stability of Thibodeau era by seeking a new coach after they had gotten good

Carlisle has always had to take the winding road to NBA success

Pacers, Thunder got to the NBA Finals fueled by doubters. A title will give 1 team the last laugh

Baseball/MLB

MLB sees double-digit viewership increases in US and Japan

Trump’s support of Rose among the voices Manfred listened to in ruling MLB ban ended with death

Angels P Anderson gets into shouting match with Red Sox coaches 2 days after rough start

Phillies C Realmuto leaves game after being hit in area of protective cup by foul tip

Kirk has winning hit in ninth inning as Blue Jays beat Phillies

Pirates rookie Burrows shuts down Astros to pick up first win as a starter

Guardians score 3 in 1st inning to back Ortiz in win at Yankee Stadium

NHL/Hockey

Draisaitl scores in OT, Oilers beat the Panthers in overtime in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final

Bettman says NHL-NHLPA talks on a new CBA are ‘in really good shape’

Lightning’s Kucherov wins the Ted Lindsay Award as the NHL’s most outstanding player

 

Women’s College World Series

Atwood’s hit on intentional walk attempt gives Texas a 2-1 win over Texas Tech in WCWS finals opener

Oklahoma's Gasso calls out NCAA over WCWS format: 'Unfair for the athletes'

College Baseball/Super Regionals

Friday
12 p.m., ESPN2, Arizona (42-18) at No. 5 North Carolina (45-13)
3 p.m., ESPN2, Miami (FL) (34-25) at Louisville (38-21)
6 p.m., ESPN2, No. 9 Florida St. (41-14) at No. 8 Oregon St. (45-13-1)
9 p.m., ESPN 2, No. 13 Coastal Carolina (51-11) at No. 4 Auburn (41-18)
Saturday
1 p.m., ESPNU, Murray St. (42-14) at Duke (40-19)
2 p.m., ESPN, West Virginia (44-14) at No. 6 LSU (46-15)
5 p.m., ESPN, No. 14 Tennessee (46-17) at No. 3 Arkansas (46-13)
7 p.m, ESPNU, UTSA (47-13) at No. 15 UCLA (45-16)