Colleges

Bowden eyes improvement in running game; reserve RB leaves

By wire services
Published March 14, 2006

TALLAHASSEE - As the Florida State Seminoles got back to the field for practice Monday, coach Bobby Bowden made it clear that efforts this spring will be directed more toward the running game.

"We have got to run the ball," Bowden said. "And you can't run the ball if the offensive line is not there."

Bowden said sophomore running back Lamar Louis had left the program and has decided to transfer to a Division I-AA program.

FLORIDA: Florida coach Urban Meyer said he will not suspend players Kenneth Tookes, Andre Caldwell and Reggie Lewis for their roles in a gun incident last month, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

BASEBALL: Florida State's Tyler Chambliss was named Atlantic Coast Conference pitcher of the week. He struck out 15 in a 6-2 complete game win over Maryland on Saturday. Also, the Seminoles rose to No.1 in the Collegiate Baseball weekly poll, passing ACC rival Georgia Tech. ... Saint Leo (18-6) gave up a 7-3 lead in the final two innings and lost to visiting UMass-Lowell 8-7. Also, Lions second baseman Eric Mesa was named Sunshine State Conference player of the week.

SOFTBALL: FSU scored twice in the seventh to defeat visiting North Carolina in the ACC opener for both. Natasha Jacob drove in the winning run with a single, scoring BillieAnne Gay. Winning pitcher Tiffany McDonald gave up a run in the first then retired 20 of the last 24 batters she faced. ... Carson-Newman swept a doubleheader against host Eckerd, winning 8-3 and 12-0. Janielle Sedoris had a two-run double for the Tritons (6-12) in the opener.

TENNIS: The host South Florida men (2-5) defeated UCF 6-1 to break a four-match losing streak. Dirk Britzen, Freddy Barton, Marc Jaeger and Dillon Brozyna won in straight sets for the Bulls. Brock Sakey won for UCF (7-5) at No.4 singles. Britzen and Barton also teamed to win at No.1 doubles. ... Eckerd (12-1) routed visiting Bryant without losing a set, and dropped only two games combined in three pro-set doubles matches. Sebastian Niedermayer won 6-1, 6-4 at No.1 singles.

GOLF: The FSU men tied for fourth at the Hackler Invitational in Murrells Inlet, S.C. The Seminoles were led by freshman Nicholas Smith (77-219), who tied for 11th. East Tennessee State (867) took the team title; North Florida was 10th. ... USF shot 307-286 at the USA Spring Classic in Mobile, Ala., and was tied for eighth after two rounds. Mississippi (566) led, 27 shots ahead of USF. Tyler Hitchcock (78-69) and Greg O'Mahony (74-73) were tied for 23rd for the Bulls.

[Last modified March 14, 2006, 08:56:30]