Craig Gentry has been called up to the Texas Rangers today, the first day rosters expand to 40 players.  Here’s the UA release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2009 –  

 

ARKANSAS BASEBALL

Gentry Gets September Call Up From Rangers

 

            FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Former Razorback outfielder Craig Gentry became the second Razorback baseball player to get his name called to the manager’s office this season as he was promoted to the Texas Rangers late Monday.

            Gentry, a Razorback during the 2005-06 seasons, was a force for the Rangers’ double-A affiliate Frisco RoughRiders this season, earning several accolades from the team and league.  In 127 games this season for the Roghriders, Gentry was batting .303, ninth in the Texas League, with 155 hits, 21 doubles, seven triples and eight home runs with 53 RBI and 100 runs scored.  The swift-footed centerfielder also stole 49 bases this year, tops in the league, while getting caught just six times for an 89-percent success rate.  Gentry was an All-Star in the Texas League this season and in July was named the Rangers’ minor league defender of the month after committing just two errors in 22 games. At the time he had also been credited with five outfield assists.

            A 10^th-round selection of the Texas Rangers in the 2006 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, Gentry batted .318 in 97 games as a Razorback, scoring 73 runs and driving in 41 more.  He was 34-42 in stolen base attempts and boasted a .402 on-base percentage.

            Gentry’s promotion to the Rangers makes him the fourth former Razorback to be currently playing in Major League Baseball.  Gentry joins right-handed pitcher Jess Todd (Cleveland Indians) who was promoted earlier this year, Cliff Lee (Philadelphia Phillies) and Erik Hinske (New York Yankees).

            For more information regarding Razorback baseball or University of Arkansas athletics, please visit ArkansasRazorbacks.com.

 

The Arkansas high school football season kicked off last night.  Adam has a report from the LR Central/Fayetteville game at War Memorial Stadium in the first game of the Arkansas High School Kickoff Classic.  CAC held off PB Dollarway in the nightcap.

 Monticello and Star City both came out winner last night in the Simmons First/Hootens.com Kickoff Week opener.  That series continues today in Van Buren with 2 games.

Rich Rodriguez swears his Michigan program does things by the book.

Brett Favre and the Vikings took out my Houston Texans in last night’s pre-season affair.  Favre looked pretty good as a game manager for Minnesota.

Venus struggled but survived in her opening round match at the U.S. Open.  Serena, Federer, Roddick, and Blake all advanced as well.

The Chicago White Sox dumped some veterans yesterday, sending Jim Thome to the Dodgers and Jose Contreras to the Rockies.

Ricky Rubio has officially spurned the Minnesota Timberwolves.

ESPN’s Erin Andrews opens up to Oprah.

The Little Rock Touchdown Club got fired up by Arkansas Head Coach Bobby Petrino yesterday. 

The Game Week depth chart was released Monday, and several young men are still fighting for playing time as preparation begins for Missouri State.

The Petrinos focused on team chemistry during the offseason, and it appears to be paying off.

An attempted robbery gone bad has left Alabama defensive starter Brandon Deaderick with a gunshot wound to his forearm.  The injury is not considered life-threatening.  No word yet on when he can return to football activities.

Derek Dooley will have a homecoming of sorts when he leads his Louisiana Tech Bulldogs into Auburn this weekend.

Caleb King returned to the field for Georgia.

Mississippi’s head football coach believes his team is ready for the season opener.

History will be made when Mississippi State and Jackson State meet on the field this weekend.

Everyone at Tennessee is trying to talk themseves  into believing that playing so many freshmen is a good idea.

Kentucky coach Rich Brooks is ready for some football.

Sophomore Larry Smith will start at quarterback for Vanderbilt this weekend against Western Carolina.

UF coaches are “worried” about Charleston Southern’s defense.  Ha!

LSU swears it is not overlooking Washington, despite their 14 consecutive losses.

This practice report does nothing to change my mind about South Carolina being the biggest mess in the SEC at the start of the season.