YSU

YSU
Baseball
YOUNGSTOWN -- The start of Youngstown State's three-game baseball series against East Tennessee State was moved up to Friday.
The teams will play a doubleheader Friday beginning at 1 p.m. with the series finale Saturday at 1 p.m.
ETSU is 4-5 and YSU is 0-0.
LOCAL
Clarett in court,pleads not guilty
COLUMBUS -- Former Ohio State tailback Maurice Clarett pleaded not guilty to robbery charges alleging he flashed a gun at two people behind a bar early on New Year's Day and took a cell phone, a court clerk said Wednesday.
Clarett entered his plea Tuesday at the court clerk's office in order to avoid the news media at an arraignment that had been scheduled for Friday in Franklin County Common Pleas Court, his attorney, William Settina, said. Settina had the option to bring Clarett in anytime before Friday, he said.
Gun class
MERCER, Pa. -- A Redding reloading clinic for reloading rifle and pistol ammunition will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Mercer East End Fire Department, Wilson Avenue. The cost will be $4 and includes lunch, special pricing and prizes. For details, call the sponsor Twig's Reloading Den, 8388 Sharon-Mercer Road at (724) 662-3357.
Mineral Ridge coaches
MINERAL RIDGE -- The Weathersfield Local School board has named the following to supplemental contracts: Brenda Mele, seventh and eighth grade girls track coach; Jennifer Stith and Kelly Hontula, seventh and eighth grade girls track coaches; Matt Blair and Dan Miller, seventh and eighth grade boys track coaches, and Barry Vingle, assistant varsity baseball coach.
Pirates tickets
PITTSBURGH -- Individual game tickets for the 2006 Pirates home schedule go on sale March 4 at 10 a.m. at PNC Park by telephone or on the Internet via www.pirates.com.
Fans can purchase tickets in person at the PNC Park Main Box Office located on the corner of Federal and General Robinson Streets, by telephone at 1-800-BUY-BUCS or online at www.pirates.com.
College roundup
*GREENVILLE, Pa. -- Thiel freshman Dorran Coley will compete in the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships March 10-11 at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn.
Coley won the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 7.57 at last weekend's Kent State Tune Up meet, setting a school record and registering the second-fastest time in Div. III this season.
*BETHANY, W.Va. -- Bethany's Matt and Mike Drahos will be featured in the "Faces in the Crowd" section of this week‚s issue of Sports Illustrated, which hits newsstands today.
The Drahos brothers are recognized for having scored their 1,500th career points just 22 days apart.
*GREENVILLE, Pa. -- Defending Presidents' Athletic Conference champion Thiel released its 2006 football schedule.
Thiel opens at Geneva Sept. 2 at Geneva, then visits Alfred (N.Y.) Sept. 9 and plays host to Albion (Mich.) Sept. 16.
The Tomcats PAC schedule is at Thomas More Sept. 23, at Bethany Sept. 30, home to Washington & amp; Jefferson Oct. 7, at Grove City Oct. 14, and home to Waynesburg Oct. 21 and Westminster Nov. 4.
Thiel concludes its season at home against Carnegie Mellon Nov. 11.
*BETHANY, W.Va. -- Bethany College named Joseph M. Kurey as director of athletics, effective immediately.
Kurey, who has been affiliated with Bethany for more than 45 years, has been senior vice president and treasurer.
Mercer Raceway
MERCER, Pa. -- Mercer Raceway Park has scheduled four major events along with three additional $800 to-win races and a double feature night as part of its 2006 schedule.
Opening night is March 25. The entire schedule will be released in the next couple weeks and will be available at www.mercerracewaypark.com.
NATION
NBA trade
NEW YORK -- Steve Francis was traded Wednesday from the Orlando Magic to the last-place New York Knicks, who hope that pairing him in the backcourt with Stephon Marbury will help turn around the team's dismal season.
The Knicks sent Penny Hardaway and Trevor Ariza to Orlando.
Minor league umpsto work WBC
NEW YORK -- While many of the best players are getting ready for the first World Baseball Classic, it appears the top umpires won't be calling the tournament.
Talks between Major League Baseball and its umpires' union broke down Wednesday. The commissioner's office also has been negotiating with the Association of Minor League Umpires, and minor league umps are likely to officiate the 16-nation tournament, which runs from March 3-20.
"As of today's date, at this point it does not appear that major league umpires will be working the World Cup," World Umpires Association president John Hirschbeck, who resides in Poland, said.
Gene Orza, the MLBPA's chief operating officer, said 22-24 minor league umpires would be used along with about eight international umpires. The major league umpires were seeking more money than WBC organizers were willing to pay.
Vindicator staff/wire reports