Former FIU shortstop Garrett Wittels tripled in his first Triple A at-bat last night for the Memphis Redbirds (St. Louis Cardinals, Triple A team). Wittels pinch-hit in the ninth inning of a 12-6 win against the Albuquerque Isotopes and tripled to right field driving in two runs.
Wittels moved up the Cardinals minor league organization this week going from the Quad Cities River Bandits (A ball) to the Springfield Cardinals (Double A) to Memphis.
Congrats to former FIU left-hander Phil Haig on being named the pitching coach at Sam Houston State. Haig was a volunteer assistant coach at SHSU last season.
BLUE DEVILS IN THE DETAILS
Duke is changing its practice approach when it opens camp later this summer. The Blue Devils will stress
individual teaching instead of concentrating on team drills, schemes and scrimmaging early in camp. Duke coach David Cutcliffe said his team won’t begin game preparations for FIU until the Wednesday before game week.
CLICK HERE for the story from an ESPN blog. The Panthers open the season at Duke on Sept. 1.
PREZ AT THE CASTLE
FIU President Mark Rosenberg will talk FIU sports on Jerry Del Castillo's (Jerry of the Castle) sports radio show on Saturday at 1 p.m. on 710 AM on your radio dial. Jerry of the Castle was the original and still the best play-by-play radio voice of FIU football when the program started 10 years ago in 2002. JDC did play-by-play for FIU from 2002 through 2008.
N.E. PATRIOTS OWNER DATING FORMER FIU DANCER
According to the Boston Herald, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft is dating a former FIU dancer. The Herald has a story and photo (right) of Kraft with Ricki Noel Lander, who has a dance degree from FIU. Lander has also appeared in the movie "Iron Man" and in the HBO series, "True Blood". I'm checking with my Dazzler friends to find out if Lander is a former Dazzler.
