Morning State Sports Briefs: Badgers want to use more running backs against OSU

• University of Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin

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MADISON - University of Wisconsin running backs coach Thomas Hammock says he’d like to use all of his top-three rushers tomorrow, when the Badgers play at Oregon State. But he cannot guarantee that they’ll all play, because it depends on the flow of the game.

Senior Montee Ball had 32 carries in last week’s five-point home win over Northern Iowa, and junior James White carried the ball nine times. Redshirt freshman Melvin Gordon was the odd man out – and he sent Hammock a text message last Saturday saying he needs to work harder in practice. The coach called that a “great sign of maturity.” Head coach Bret Bielema said he knew Gordon was disappointed that he didn’t play against the Panthers – but he said Ball needed some extra work after missing part of Badgers’ preseason camp. And Hammock said Ball looked sharper at practice this week than he did in last week’s game. In Hammock’s words, “He was finishing runs the right way.” The coach also said he wants to see more from White tomorrow. The Badgers take a 1-0 record into Corvallis. Oregon State is making its season debut, after a game in Louisiana last Saturday was washed out due to Hurricane Isaac.

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Former UW-Stevens Point starter Jordan Zimmermann picked up his 10th victory of the year for the Washington Nationals last night. The right-hander from Auburndale struck out nine in seven innings, as the Nats crushed the Chicago Cubs at home, 9-2. Zimmermann gave up both Chicago runs on five hits, to improve his record to 10-8. Both teams emptied their benches in the sixth inning, when Cubs’ reliever Lendy Castillo threw behind Washington’s Bryce Harper. The incident was spurred by Cubs’ bench coach Jamie Quirk, a former Brewers’ catcher. Quirk loudly took exception to the Nationals’ Jayson Werth swinging away on a 3-0 pitch when his team was up by five runs. Quirk and three players were ejected in the aftermath of the skirmish. No punches were thrown.

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The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers stayed alive in the Midwest League playoffs with a 4-0 home win over Burlington last night. Former UW-Milwaukee pitcher Chad Pierce tossed a three-hitter for the Rattlers, with three strikeouts and a pair of walks. Their best-of-three Western Division semi-final series is tied at a game-apiece – and the deciding game will be played tonight near Appleton. The winner will play either Beloit or Clinton in the West Finals. That series is tied at a game apiece, after Beloit lost 7-5 in 10 innings last night. Jabari Blash and Guillermo Pimentel each had RBI singles for Clinton in the 10th frame. The deciding contest is set for tonight in southern Wisconsin. Meanwhile, the Eastern Division Finals are set, after Lake County and Fort Wayne won their first-round series. Fort Wayne crushed Lansing 9-2 for a two-game sweep. And Lake County earned its 2-0 sweep with a 5-4 win over Bowling Green in 10 innings.

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Former Milwaukee Bucks’ coach Don Nelson will be inducted tonight into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall-of-Fame. He set an NBA record with 13-hundred-35 regular season coaching victories in 31 seasons with Milwaukee, Dallas, and Golden State. The 72-year-old Nelson won 540 of those games with the Bucks, whom he led the seven straight division titles in the 1970’s-and-‘80’s. Current Bucks’ assistant coach Sidney Moncrief starred under Nelson in Milwaukee. He said Nelson knew the types of players that would fit his system – and he put a lot of stock into how well a player’s college team had performed. Nelson was a three-time NBA coach-of-the-year. At a news conference yesterday, he thanked former Bucks’ and Warriors’ owner Jim Fitzgerald. Nelson called him quote, “the biggest influence in my life” – and not just in basketball. Fitzgerald died in June.

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Catherine Guido and Breanne Brocker, both of Saint Norbert College, have been named the Midwest Conference volleyball players-of-the-week. Guido, a senior defensive specialist, had 103 digs in 16 sets at the Elmhurst Tournament, and she made the All-Tournament team. Brocker, an outside hitter, hit .330 in leading Saint Norbert to a 4-0 record at Elmhurst. She also had 41 kills and 77 digs. The Midwest Conference also recognized cross country runners Logan Jadin of Saint Norbert and Michelle Matter of Ripon College.

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The WIAC has handed out its first weekly football awards. UW-Oshkosh quarterback Nate Wara was named the offensive player-of-the-week. And two La Crosse players were honored – defensive back Jacob Flegner and punter Christian Hallingstad. Wara, a senior, threw four touchdown passes and ran for two other scores before leaving early in the third quarter of a 47-28 Oshkosh rout of North Central. Flegner, a sophomore DB, intercepted a pass and ran it back 39 yards for a touchdown in La Crosse’s 21-17 upset of then No. 6 ranked North Central. Hallingstad, a senior, averaged 46 yards on nine punts in La Crosse’s victory – and three of them landed within the opponents’ 20-yard-line. Hallingstad also made the national Team-of-the-Week from D3football.com.

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The WIAC also recognized Tony Starnes of Oshkosh and Ryan Reid of Whitewater in men’s soccer – Jenna Kizlik of Stout and Nicole Palmquist of Oshkosh in women’s soccer – Kate Engler of Eau Claire in golf – Sydney Divelbiss of Whitewater in women’s singles’ tennis – and Katie Gillman and Taylor Heine of Eau Claire in doubles’ tennis.

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SCORES

In Wisconsin high school football…

Eau Claire Regis 29, Colby 14

South Milwaukee 56, Cudahy 7

Tags: wisconsin sports, sports, proam, badgers, bucks