Terriers quintet sidelined, but will play in Saladino

By JOEY KNIGHT
Published March 13, 2007

TAMPA - Five Hillsborough baseball players have received five-day suspensions for a violation of school policy but will be eligible for the opening round of this weekend's Saladino Tournament, Terriers athletic director Bertha Baker said Monday.

Baker would not reveal the players' names nor the nature of the infractions but said they weren't baseball-related. "(The suspensions) were for disciplinary reasons through our student-affairs office," Baker said.

The players will miss tonight's game at Jefferson and Thursday's home game against Blake. Both are Class 5A, District 10 contests.

Hillsborough first-year coach Ken White deferred all questions to his administration, but did say "things are fine" and no one has been dismissed from the team.

The suspensions represent the second negative incident involving Hillsborough (7-3) in a week. Pitcher Joey Delgado was ejected from a March 6 game at Plant when umpires ruled he threw at a hitter, and assistant Bryan Burgess later was tossed from the same game for arguing with an umpire.

Denarvise Thornton, the Florida High School Athletic Association's senior director of officials, said his office doesn't reveal penalties leveled against individuals, but FHSAA bylaws call for a mandatory suspension of seven days - but not less than two games - for both.

[Last modified March 13, 2007, 00:19:25]