The Coffee County Lady Raider volleyball team will host a scrimmage play day on Wednesday at the Joe Frank Patch Memorial Gym.  Ten teams in all will be in action beginning at 9 AM.  Action will take place on all 3 courts so spectators are encouraged to bring their own lawn chair.

Coffee County will take on Oakland at 9 AM.  They will follow that up with a noon match against LEAD Academy out of Nashville.  The Lady Raiders will close out play with a 3 PM match against former district rival Lawrence County.

New Motlow Lady Bucks basketball coach LaTanya Collins

LaTanya Collins has been hired as the new head coach of the Motlow State Community College women’s basketball program effective July 17, according to Scott Shasteen, Motlow athletics director.

Collins was recently promoted to associate head coach at Coppin State University in Baltimore, where she spent the previous season as an assistant coach. Despite the promotion at Coppin State, Collins was one of 68 applicants to apply for the open position at Motlow and was selected from a group of seven finalists.

“LaTanya has significant experience coaching on both the high school and the college level,” said Shasteen. “She has displayed a strong ability to recruit and mentor student-athletes throughout her career, and she will be an exciting addition to the winning culture we are building in the Motlow athletics department. The College family, as well as our surrounding communities, will enjoy her enthusiasm and her ability to lead young women towards a better life. That’s what we are about at Motlow; providing opportunities for young people to improve their lives.”

Prior to Collins’ season at Coppin State, she spent two years as an assistant to the head coach/director of student-athlete development at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg from 2014-16.

Before Virginia Tech, she was the head girls basketball coach at Saint Gertrude High School in Richmond, Virginia (2013-14) and Atlee High School in Hanover, Virginia (2011-13). She served as an assistant coach at Radford University in Radford, Virginia, during the 2009-10 season, assisting with recruiting, coaching post and guard players, and supervising camps.

Collins also brings head coaching experience to Motlow. She guided the women’s basketball program at Southern Vermont College in 2005-06, and at St. Augustine’s University in 2006-07. After inheriting a squad at St. Augustine’s that had finished 6-22 the previous season, she helped turn the program around, winning 18 games the next season and recording the second-highest team grade point average in the conference.

She began her coaching career on the high school level at Charles City (Va.) High School in 2000. Previously that year she earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from Virginia State University in St. Petersburg, Virginia. She earned her master’s degree in 2015 from California University of Pennsylvania.

Collins replaces former Lady Bucks’ head coach Bart Walker, who resigned in April to become head coach at Northwest Florida State College. Motlow finished the 2016-17 season with a 27-6 record, tied for the most wins in school history, and advanced to the national women’s tournament for the first time in program history.

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.

Kurt Suzuki hit two of the Braves’ four homers and drove in three runs, lifting the Braves to an 8-3 win over the D-backs on Tuesday night at Chase Field.

Suzuki’s first homer, a two-run shot in the seventh inning off reliever J.J. Hoover (1-1), broke a 2-2 tie. The veteran catcher added his 10th home run of the season in the eighth. Johan Camargo followed with another homer to give the Braves more insurance.
“It’s always nice helping the team win,” said Suzuki, who has tallied two of his four career multi-homer games this month. “It was a good team win. [Mike] Foltynewicz pitched great, and we had good at-bats up and down the lineup. It was a much-needed win against a good team.”
Foltynewicz (9-5) allowed a pair of runs over six innings, striking out nine. The Braves have won 12 of the past 14 games he has started, including each of the past nine.
“He’s growing up,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said of Foltynewicz, who has a 2.95 ERA over his past seven starts. “He’s figured some of this out. That’s not to say he’s not going to have a bad outing every now and then. He’s just trusting his stuff. The upside on this kid is really, really good.”
D-backs starter Taijuan Walker took a no-decision, allowing two runs (one earned) in six innings. He also contributed to the offense with his first career homer, a solo shot in the fifth.
“Things kind of unraveled on us in that seventh inning, unfortunately,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said. “I thought before that we got a very well-pitched game from Taijuan — six strong innings, got nicked up here and there, but for the most part, was executing a great game plan.”
The D-backs tied it at 2 in the sixth when J.D. Martinez beat out an infield single and Chris Owings drove him in with a double. One out later, Brandon Drury was hit by a pitch, and it looked like the D-backs might have a chance to break the game open. However, Foltynewicz concluded an 11-pitch battle against pinch-hitter Ketel Marte with an elusive slider. He ended his 119-pitch night by registering 99 mph twice while recording a threat-ending strikeout of David Peralta.
“It was a good battle [against Marte],” Foltynewicz said. “I left quite a few pitches over the plate, and he just seemed to miss them. He was ready for the fastball most of the time, and then I threw a pretty good slider. I knew it was going to be a strike. I just wanted him to put it in play, and he swung right over it. … It was a very long and stressful inning.”
With the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh, D-backs reliever Andrew Chafin uncorked a pitch in the dirt that catcher Chris Iannetta blocked nicely. Iannetta tried to catch Sean Rodriguez straying too far off third on the play, but the throw got by Jake Lamb and into left field, allowing two runs to score and giving the Braves a 6-2 lead.
“I think the big moment in this game was the transition from the sixth to the seventh,” Lovullo said. “We made a little bit of noise, looked like we were going to break the game open and their starter, Foltynewicz, stood on his stuff, got through the inning and gave his team a boost. And obviously the breakdown in a couple of areas hurt us in the top of the seventh inning.”
Aaron Blair will take the mound to make his season debut in Wednesday’s series finale, which is scheduled for 2:40 p.m. CT. Blair was a highly regarded prospect when the D-backs traded him after the 2015 season. But after struggling in 15 starts with Atlanta last year, he has spent this season with Triple-A Gwinnett.

The Nashville Sounds launched four home runs and returned home with an emphatic 10-4 win over the Las Vegas 51s in front of 8,187 fans at First Tennessee Park Tuesday night.
Mark Canha drilled a pair of home runs, his 10th and 11th of the season for Nashville to lead the charge. Matt Olson added his 20th of the season and Renato Nunez added to his Minor League lead with his 26th of the year.
It was Olson’s two-run shot in the first that started the barrage. Franklin Barreto started the home half of the frame with a base hit up the middle. Olson followed with a towering blast to right-center off Donovan Hand to give the Sounds a 2-0 lead.
Canha joined the party in the third when he started the inning with his 100th career homer to give the Sounds a 3-0 lead. The offense carried on when Beau Taylor doubled and Yairo Munoz knocked him in with a single. Nunez added a sacrifice fly to cap the three-run inning.
The trouble for Hand continued in the fourth when Nunez drilled an opposite-field solo blast. The shot to right-center made it a 6-0 game. Jaff Decker followed with a double, Chris Carter drew a walk, and Canha drilled a three-run homer to deep left field to give the Sounds a 9-0 lead.
Barreto added an RBI single in the five-run fourth inning that capped the Sounds’ scoring for the night.
It was more than enough run support for right-hander Jharel Cotton. Working on a Major League rehab assignment, Cotton shut out the 51s over six brilliant innings. He allowed only two hits and matched a season-high nine strikeouts.
Cotton allowed a single in the first to Neil Walker, and yielded a double in the third to Phillip Evans. He retired the final 10 batters he faced in his third win of the year with the Sounds.
Las Vegas made noise in the later innings with a single tally in the seventh and three in the eighth to make it a 10-4 game.
Canha’s two-homer game was part of his perfect 5-for-5 night at the plate. In addition to the home runs, he singled in the third, doubled in the sixth, and singled in the eighth. The five-hit game tied a single-game franchise record most recently done by Bruce Maxwell last year.
Four other Sounds had multi-hit games including a 3-for-5 night from Barreto.
Game two of the four-game series is set for Wednesday night at First Tennessee Park. Right-hander Jesse Hahn (0-0, 6.23) starts for Nashville against right-hander Wilfredo Boscan (4-9, 5.07) for Las Vegas. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

The Nashville Sounds Baseball Club returns home Tuesday, July 25 to open an eight-game homestand at First Tennessee Park.

The Sounds welcome the Las Vegas 51s – the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets – for a four-game series from July 25-28. The second half of the homestand features a four-game set against the Salt Lake Bees – the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim from July 29-August 1.

Below is a preview for each game of the homestand:

Tuesday, July 25 vs. Las Vegas – 7:05 p.m.

Gates open at 3:00 p.m. for pre-game concert area; full ballpark opens at 6:00 p.m.
Pre-game performance by country music stars Michael Ray and Chris Lane at the Guitar Scoreboard Plaza as part of a taping for “CMT Hot 20 Countdown.” Ray begins the show at 4:00 and Lane follows at 5:00.
Tuesday Night Live – Join us for Nash-Vegas Night as we pay tribute to The King – Elvis.

Wednesday, July 26 vs. Las Vegas – 7:05 p.m.

Gates open at 6:00 p.m.
College Night – University of Tennessee/Nashville Sounds hat giveaway to the first 1,000 fans presented by First Tennessee.
Seniors (60 and older) receive discounted Corner or Select tickets – subject to availability.

Thursday, July 27 vs. Las Vegas – 7:05 p.m.

Gates open at 6:00 p.m.
Throwback Thursday presented by Budweiser – the Sounds will wear throwback jerseys to commemorate the team’s original uniform style from 1978. Fans can purchase Coca-Cola fountain soda and Budweiser draft beer specials for $2.

Friday, July 28 vs. Las Vegas – 7:05 p.m.

Gates open at 6:00 p.m.
FOX17 post-game fireworks presented by Koorsen Fire & Security. Enjoy the fireworks with a custom 2005 playlist to commemorate that season’s Nashville Sounds Pacific Coast League Championship.

Saturday, July 29 vs. Salt Lake – 7:05 p.m.

Gates open at 6:00 p.m.
Enjoy Saturday at the Park with visits to The Band Box and our family-friendly Fun Zone in the right field corner.
Boy Scouts of America Night at First Tennessee Park. Bring your troop or pack to the game and enjoy discounted tickets. Call a Sounds group sales rep for tickets.

Sunday, July 30 vs. Salt Lake – 6:35 p.m.

Gates open at 5:00 p.m.
Back to School Night – Gear up for school with a special Sounds Backpack Giveaway presented by First Tennessee to the first 1,000 fans.
Faith and Family Night presented by Trevecca Nazarene University & WAY-FM – Join the Sounds for a night of worship and baseball with player testimony. Aaron Shust performs a pre-game concert at the guitar scoreboard plaza with gates opening for the festivities at 5:00.
As part of Faith and Family Night First Tennessee Park, the Sounds have partnered with Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls and WAY-FM for their summer shoe drive. Boxes will be placed around the ballpark for fans to donate new shoes (sizes youth 1-adult 12).
Pre-game autograph session with select Sounds players from 5:35-5:50. In addition, the Sounds promo team will host the coloring station for children to color baseball posters and sign up for on-field games.
Military Sunday presented by Piedmont Natural Gas and Tennessee 811- The Sounds extend their military appreciation with special military green jerseys and discounted Corner or General Admission tickets for active and veteran men, women and families – subject to availability.
Booster’s Kids Club Day – Kids Club members are invited to join us for our annual Booster’s Kids Club Day presented by First Tennessee. Members and their families can take advantage of discounted corner seat tickets among other benefits.
Post-Game Kids (ages 12 & under) Run the Bases presented by First Tennessee.

Monday, July 31 vs. Salt Lake – 7:05 p.m.

Gates open at 6:00 p.m.
Buck Showalter Bobblehead Giveaway presented by Middle Tennessee Hyundai Dealers to the first 2,000 fans.

Tuesday, August 1 vs. Salt Lake – 12:05 p.m.

Gates open at 11:00 a.m.
Tuesday Night Live – Game Show Mania. Join us for an early start as we put a Sounds spin on game shows throughout the afternoon.
The Nashville Sounds have partnered with the following media outlets – Mondays: 96.3 JACKfm, Tuesdays: The Tennessean and NASH-FM 103.3, Wednesdays: 102.5 The Game, Thursdays: iHeartMedia, Fridays: FOX17, and Sundays: WSMV-TV Channel 4.

The 2017 season is the Sounds’ 40th in franchise history and their third as the Oakland Athletics’ top affiliate. Single-game tickets are available now by calling (615) 690-4487 or by visiting www.nashvillesounds.com.