The Coffee County Fastpitch Association begins the final 2 weeks of signups this Saturday at the Ada Wright Center.  The fastpitch softball league will hold signups from 9 AM to 2 PM on Saturday, February 18^th and Saturday, February 25^th.  The league is open to kids ages 4 to 14 in 4 separate age divisions.  Cost to participate is $40 per child with a sibling discount available.  If you need more information, contact Matt Asher at 931-588-9919 or Renee Asher at 931-581-3668.  You can also get more information by visiting the league’s Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/CoffeeCountyFastPitchAssociation

Opening ceremonies and the opening day parade will be held on April 8^th.

The Motlow State Bucks can clinch at least a tie for the regular season Tennessee Community College Athletic Association (TCCAA) championship Wednesday night when Southwest Tennessee visits Copperweld Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

The Bucks (22-4, 11-3) saw their 15-game winning streak come to an end Friday when they traveled to Walters State and dropped a 75-57 decision. Motlow bounced back on Saturday, beating Roane State 71-60 in Harriman.

The Bucks are two games ahead of Southwest Tennessee (16-7, 9-5), last year’s regular season and tournament champion, with four games remaining. A win by Motlow Wednesday night would leave the Bucks with a three-game lead with three games to play, and with a sweep of the Saluqis the Bucks would own the head-to-head tiebreaker.

The TCCAA regular season champion clinches an automatic berth to the National Junior College Athletic Association Tournament (NJCAA), beginning March 20 in Hutchinson, Kansas. The TCCAA Tournament champion also clinches a berth in the national tournament. If the same team wins both the regular season and the tournament, then the conference tournament runner-up will advance to the national tournament. The Motlow men’s basketball program has made one previous national tournament appearance, winning one game and losing one in March, 2013.

The Bucks were off target shooting the ball Friday night in Morristown against Walters State. The Senators led 32-20 at the half and kept a comfortable lead throughout the second stanza. Motlow shot only 37.3 percent from the field, including 6-27 three-pointers.

Isaiah Hart led the Bucks with 15 points and added five steals. Damarcus Williams scored 13 and added eight rebounds. Rashawn Fredericks scored 10 points with 10 rebounds, Javion Hamlet had eight points and eight assists, and Kevonte Corley scored three with 10 rebounds.

Motlow looked and played much more like it has all season on Saturday, leading the Raiders 40-28 at the half and shooting 52.8 percent from the field.

Fredericks, who is making a serious case for conference Player of the Year, was spectacular with 23 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots. Hart scored 17, including three 3-pointers, and Hamlet scored 16 points with eight assists. Aleks Zecevic added eight points and six rebounds, and Corley scored five while pulling down 10 rebounds. Jalen Bell added nine rebounds and scored a bucket.

Visit the official website of Motlow Athletics at MotlowSports.com for rosters, schedules, stats and more. Interact with Motlow Athletics on social media at MotlowSports.

Former Cincinnati Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips (4) is acquired by the Atlanta Braves on Sunday. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

After recently becoming more concerned about the lingering effects a Jan. 28 auto accident had on Sean Rodriguez’s left shoulder, the Braves acted quickly to acquire Brandon Phillips from the Reds in exchange for two Minor League pitchers.

The Braves announced the trade on Sunday afternoon, about 48 hours after they learned Rodriguez might miss a significant portion of the upcoming season.
That prompted the Braves to revisit previous talks with the Reds, who had spent more than a year attempting to trade Phillips. The 15-year veteran had used his trade-veto privilege to nix at least three other deals, including one that would have brought him to Atlanta in November.
Because the two teams had previously talked this winter, they were able to quickly complete the deal. The Reds will pay all but $1 million of the $14 million Phillips is owed as he enters the final year of his contract. In exchange, they will receive left-hander Andrew McKirahan and right-hander Carlos Portuondo, Minor League relievers who might have been released by the Braves by the end of Spring Training.
“We feel like we’ve gotten a really good player in Brandon Phillips,” Braves general manager John Coppolella said. “He solidifies our team and our lineup. We’re very excited to give Brandon a chance to come back to his hometown and to be a part of our lineup and our infield this year. This deal made a lot of sense for us.”
Phillips will now have a chance to serve as the Braves’ primary second baseman and play in front of many friends and family members. The 35-year-old, three-time All-Star graduated from suburban Atlanta’s Redan High School.
Phillips vetoed trades to the Nationals and D-backs last year, as well as at least one potential deal with the Braves in November, a short time before the Braves gave Rodriguez a two-year deal with the expectation that he would serve as their primary second baseman. That deal was completed to allow Ozzie Albies — the No. 2 second baseman in the Minors, according to MLBPipeline.com — to develop until he’s Major League ready.
As recently as Friday morning, the Braves were anticipating Rodriguez would be ready at the start of Spring Training. Rodriguez did not require hospitalization after he and his family were involved in a car crash that resulted in the death of a man who had stolen a police car in Miami two weeks ago. But lingering discomfort in Rodriguez’s shoulder led to surgery, and the Braves decided to revive their pursuit of Phillips.
The Braves have never given players a no-trade clause, and Phillips lost his full-trade veto privilege when this deal was made. But the Braves have to honor his contract’s limited no-trade clause — Phillips can block a trade to 12 teams — and they have guaranteed he would receive a $500,000 bonus if he is traded this year.
“Sean is going to be out for a while,” Coppolella said. “We’re not sure for how long. Our focus is on Sean and his family. Whenever he returns is secondary to the his health and his family’s health. Our primary concern is for their well being.”
Before finalizing this trade, the Braves had some concerns about a left hand injury Phillips suffered during the final week of last season. But they opted to take a chance on the possibility he will remain healthy.
Phillips batted .291 with 11 homers and a .736 OPS last year. The four-time Gold Glove Award winner and three-time All-Star finished the season strong, hitting .344 with an .844 OPS over his final 63 games.
While Phillips may serve as Atlanta’s primary second baseman, Jace Peterson will also see time at the position. Peterson’s ability to play each of the infield and outfield positions will compensate for some of the versatility that the Braves would lose with Rodriguez on the shelf.
Unlikely to experience a significant change in fantasy value as a result of this deal, the veteran Phillips remains a late-round mixed-league option given his ability to contribute double-digit totals in homers and swipes. In the bigger picture, the three-time All-Star will help lengthen a fairly formidable lineup with a handful of mixed-league assets — such as Ender Inciarte, Freddie Freeman, Matt Kemp and Dansby Swanson.
The trade’s biggest fantasy winner appears to be former Atlanta farmhand Jose Peraza, who will likely assume Cincy’s newly vacant second-base spot. After batting .324 with 21 steals across 256 plate appearances with the Reds last season, the 22-year-old speedster should be taken near the 100th pick in 2017 mixed-league drafts.