Morning State Sports Briefs: Brewers open series in San Francisco

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SAN FRANCISCO - The Milwaukee Brewers will open a three-game series in San Francisco tonight – and both teams have some major injury problems.

The Brewers have decided to go with former Giant Travis Ishikawa at first base, at least for a while. He’s replacing Mat Gamel, who’s about to have surgery on a torn ACL in his right knee suffered on Tuesday night at San Diego. The 28-year-old Ishikawa has two homers and five RBIs in his limited play this season. But he’s only batting .172, partially because he’s 0-6 as a pinch hitter. Ishikawa – a back-up at San Francisco from 2006-through-2010 – says he’ll try to play good defense and get some key hits along the way. Meanwhile, the Giants are without one of their hottest hitters, third baseman Pablo Sandoval. He was put on the 15-day disabled list yesterday, after he broke a bone in his left hand in a loss to Miami on Wednesday night. Sandoval had set a Giants’ record by getting at least one hit in his first 20 games this season. He was batting .316 with five homers and 15 RBIs. Both the Brewers and Giants are teetering below the .500 mark. Milwaukee is 11-14. San Francisco is 12-13. Zack Greinke will start for the Brew Crew tonight against Giants’ ace Tim Lincecum. It’s a late first pitch – 9:15 from the West Coast.

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As expected, the Brewers called up utility infielder Brooks Conrad from Triple-“A” Nashville yesterday to take Mat Gamel’s spot. Conrad’s been hot at the plate, batting .400 for Nashville with five homers and 13 RBI’s. He has homered in each of his last three games and has a 10-game hitting streak. And Conrad started at first base on Wednesday, after the Brewers learned that Gamel might be out for the season with a torn ACL in his right knee. The 32-year-old Conrad has played in over 230 Major League games with Atlanta. He was the last player the Brewers cut at the end of their Spring Training. The Brewers still have to place Conrad on their 40-man roster. They’re expected to do it today, possibly by moving Gamel to the 60-day disabled list.

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Stevens Point native Chris Solinsky has pulled out of the U.S. Olympic track-and-field trials which start June 21st in Eugene, Oregon. The former University of Wisconsin star tore a hamstring last August, and it’s still on the mend. The 27-year-old Solinsky said he was gearing up for this summer’s London Olympics – especially after he failed to make the U.S. team in 2008, after he faltered down the stretch in the five-kilometer run at the U.S. trials. But Solinsky says he will not be deterred – and he figures he has two more chances to make Team USA in 2016 and 2020. Solinsky is the U.S. record-holder in the 10,000-meters. He became the first non-African to run the event in less than 27 minutes at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational in 2010.

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Former University of Wisconsin women’s basketball coach Lisa Stone has been hired as the next head coach at Saint Louis. Media reports said Stone has accepted an offer, but the school has not announced it yet. It was reported earlier this week that Stone was in line for the Billikins’ job. She’ll replace Shimmy Gray-Miller, who was fired in March after Saint Louis went 11-20. Stone was the head coach in Madison for eight years before she was fired in March of 2011. Her teams went 128-119 but only made one NCAA appearance. Stone also coached for a dozen years at UW-Eau Claire.

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A power forward from Milwaukee Riverside High School says he’ll play his college ball at Connecticut this fall. Philip Nolan gave his verbal commitment to the Huskies yesterday. UConn won the national championship a year ago – but they’re not eligible for next year’s NCAA Tournament because of a low Academic Progress Rate. Nolan said that didn’t bother him, and he’s happy to quote, “be part of the UConn family.” He plans to sign a national letter-of-intent next week. Nolan missed his first 12 games last season while trying to get a transfer waiver from the WIAA – and he missed several games due to his grades. He played six games for Milwaukee Riverside, and averaged 17 points and nine rebounds while shooting 63-percent from the floor.

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The Green Bay Gamblers beat Indiana 6-2 at home last night in Game-One of their U.S. junior hockey league semi-final series. Ryan McKay made a career-high 39 saves. The Gamblers were out-shot 41-to-27, but they scored on three-of-their-four power play chances. Alex Broadhurst had one goal and three assists for the Gamblers, who are up one-game-to-none in its best-of-five Clark Cup semi-final. Game-Two is tonight at Green Bay’s Resch Center.

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There were no surprises in the first round of the Northern Athletics Conference softball tournament in Milwaukee. Fourth-seeded Marian crushed Number-five Lakeland 7-1 yesterday, as Emily Jansen belted a pair of home runs. And third-seeded Concordia-Mequon got by Dominican 4-2. Dominican scored twice in the final inning to avoid being shut out. The double-elimination tournament continues today and tomorrow.

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Carroll of Waukesha and Grinnell of Iowa are tied for the lead after Round-One of the Midwest Conference men’s golf tournament in Rockford Illinois. Both teams are at 23-over-par 311. Knox College is three strokes back in third, and Saint Norbert is four off the lead in fourth. Carroll is going for its second straight team title. Last year’s individual champion, Eric Busalacchi of Carroll, is one of five players tied for the first round lead at four-over-76. The others are Cody Neu of Carroll, Bobby Stuebi and Jamie Jang of Knox, and Peter Marsho of Grinnell.

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SCORES

In the Midwest League…

Wisconsin 8, Clinton 2

Beloit 2, Cedar Rapids 1, suspended by rain in the 3rd inning

Quad Cities 3, Burlington 1

Peoria 4, Kane County 3

Lake County 5, Dayton 4 in 10 innings

West Michigan 2, Fort Wayne 1 in 11 innings

South Bend 5, Bowling Green 3

Lansing 6, Great Lakes 5

Tags: wisconsin sports, sports, proam