Patriots’ Lewis to appear at Sea Dogs game
PORTLAND — New England Patriots running back Dion Lewis is scheduled to make an appearance at Hadlock Field at 6 p.m.Tuesday, May 3, when the Portland Sea Dogs host the Binghamton Mets.
Lewis will throw out the ceremonial first pitch and be available to sign free autographs on photos provided by the Sea Dogs for fans from 6 to 7 p.m.
Lewis was signed by the Patriots as a free agent on February 6, 2015. The 25-year-old appeared in seven games this season for the Patriots and gained 234 yards on 49 carries while also catching 36 passes for 388 yards. He combined for four touchdowns before being placed on season-ending injury reserve in November with a knee injury.
The Sea Dogs, the Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, have hosted several Patriots players at Hadlock Field over the past several years including Malcolm Butler (2015), Shane Vereen (2014), Rob Ninkovich (2013), Patrick Chung (2012), Rob Gronkowski (2011), and Steve Grogan (2008).
Ticket info is available online at www.seadogs.com or by calling 207 879-9500.
Ex-NFL star Sharper facing lengthy prison stint in Louisiana
Former NFL star Darren Sharper could be facing up to 20 years in a Louisiana prison after a federal judge in New Orleans accepted his plea deal in a rape case.
U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo accepted the arrangement on Tuesday. She had previously rejected a nine-year proposal related to charges that Sharper drugged and sexually assaulted multiple women.
Sharper, 40, will be sentenced on June 16.
The five-time Pro Bowl safety with the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints has previously been sentenced to nine years in Arizona for similar crimes.
Sharper also awaits sentencing in Los Angeles and Las Vegas for additional crimes.
Sharper played from 1997-2010 and had 63 interceptions, eighth most in NFL history. He ranks second in league history with 11 interception returns for touchdowns.
Providence guard Dunn entering NBA draft
Providence junior guard Kris Dunn has decided to forgo his senior year and will enter the 2016 NBA Draft.
Dunn, who averaged 16.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game this past season, is projected as a top-five pick.
The Friars went 23-10 this past season and lost to North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament second round.
Dodgers’ Ethier breaks right leg
Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier suffered a broken leg that will sideline him for 10 to 14 weeks after he was hit by a pitch last week.
Ethier was struck on the right shin during a spring training game against the Arizona Diamondbacks last Friday. Initial X-rays indicated that no bones were broken, but when soreness persisted, he had a CT scan on Tuesday that showed the tibia fracture.
The injury won’t require surgery, but it’s expected to keep him out until June.
The 33-year-old was slated to be the Dodgers’ everyday left fielder this year. In his absence, the team is likely to turn to Carl Crawford and Scott Van Slyke.
Last season, Ethier batted .294 with 14 home runs and 53 RBIs for the Dodgers.
Wilkins heads college Hall of Fame class
Former Georgia standout Dominique Wilkins, who was later an NBA star, headlines the eight-member National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame class announced Tuesday.
Wilkins starred for the Bulldogs for three seasons and averaged 21.6 points per game. He was the third pick of the 1982 NBA draft and ranks 12th in NBA history with 26,668 career points.
Other players who will be enshrined in the ceremony on Nov. 18 in Kansas City are DePaul’s Mark Aguirre, Kansas State’s Bob Boozer, Illinois State’s Doug Collins, LaSalle’s Lionel Simmons and UCLA’s Jamaal Wilkes.
Coaches Hugh Durham and Mike Montgomery round out the list of inductees. Durham won 634 games in 37 seasons at Florida State, Georgia and Jacksonville, while Montgomery won 676 games in 32 seasons at Montgomery, Stanford and California.