YSU

YSU
Baseball
STRUTHERS -- Akron scored seven runs in the final two innings to overcome a three-run deficit in an 8-4 victory over Youngstown State Wednesday at Cene Park.
YSU pitchers Chris Dennis, Andy Svitak and Josh Wells held the Zips without a hit for the first four innings, and Erich Diedrich's three-run homer in the fourth put the Penguins ahead 3-0.
Kevin Libeg suffered the loss, allowing seven runs in 1 1/3 innings of relief.
Diedrich's homer was his eighth of the season and first since April 12.
The Penguins (17-24) open a three-game series with Butler Saturday at 1 p.m. at Eastwood Field.
Men's basketball
YOUNGSTOWN -- Coach Jerry Slocum has signed Illinois all-state selection Vance Cooksey to a letter of intent.
Cooksey, a 5-foot-11 point guard, had a stellar career at Marian Catholic High School in Chicago.
As a senior, he averaged 20.1 points, 4.5 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game while earning third-team all-state honors by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association.
Bowling roundup
*Nancy Delmark's 652 was best among Class C (60-64) bowlers, while Hazel Price's 670 topped Class B (65-69). Doris Jones rolled 657 in Class A (70-76) and Carmel Ferry had 630 to win Class AA (77-plus).
In addition to first-place money, each champion will receive a plaque and a paid entry into the 2007 YWBA senior tournament.
*AUSTINTOWN -- The annual meeting of the United States Bowling Congress' Youngstown youth association will be May 18 at Wedgewood Lanes.
All sanctioned youth over the age of 14 are invited, along with parents, coaches, proprietors and youth board members. A current sanction card is necessary for attendance.
The agenda at the event at 7:30 p.m. will include voting for officers and directors of the youth board.
REGION
Mickelson returningto Muirfield Village
DUBLIN -- Masters champion Phil Mickelson will make his first appearance at the Memorial Tournament in four years.
The tournament announced Wednesday that Mickelson has confirmed he will play the Memorial, scheduled for June 1-4 at Muirfield Village Golf Club. Bart Bryant is the defending champion.
Mickelson, winner of the last two major championships, has never finished higher than a tie for ninth in seven trips to the Memorial.
The tournament has granted exemptions to 1998 Masters and British Open winner Mark O'Meara, two-time PGA Championship winner Nick Price and Kevin Hall, a deaf player who won medalist honors by a record 11 strokes at the 2004 Big Ten tournament while playing for Ohio State.
NATION
USC backup QBSanchez arrested
LOS ANGELES -- Southern California backup quarterback Mark Sanchez was arrested Wednesday after a female student reported to police that she had been sexually assaulted by him earlier in the day, police said.
Sanchez, 19, was arrested around 4 p.m. just north of campus and was being booked for investigation of sexual assault, police Officer Jason Lee said.
No other details were immediately available.
Report: Nash to win second MVP award
PHOENIX -- Steve Nash will be named the NBA's most valuable player for the second year in a row, The Arizona Republic reported Wednesday.
The newspaper cited a league source familiar with the voting, but said the official announcement may not come for two weeks.
The NBA did not comment on the report, posted on the Republic's Web site Wednesday.
The Phoenix Suns playmaker would become the 10th player to win the award in consecutive seasons.
BCS eases accessfor at-large teams
PHOENIX -- The Bowl Championship Series on Wednesday lowered the bar for at-large qualifiers.
Instead of having to finish in the top 12 of the final BCS standings, teams finishing in the top 14 will now be eligible for one of the lucrative postseason berths. The change reflects the addition of a fifth BCS bowl, which means there will be 10 BCS slots instead of eight next season.
Any Division I-A team is eligible for at-large consideration. The BCS did not change its automatic qualifiers -- the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the final standings; the champions of the Big East, Big Ten, Southeastern, Pac-10, Big 12 and Atlantic Coast Conferences; Notre Dame if it finishes in the top eight; and a non-BCS team that finishes in the top 12, or in the top 16 if they're ahead of a BCS champion.
Vindicator staff/wire reports