Cumberland’s Mike Mandarino earned All-League honors in the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League this summer after batting .308 with 26 RBIs and tossing 44 innings on the mound for the Southern Maryland Nationals.

Mandarino was selected to the midseason All-Star Team in the league as well. The Massapequa, N.Y., native recorded eight doubles and five home runs with 13 walks and 25 runs scored in 34 contests at the plate.

On the mound he posted a 3-3 record with a 3.07 earned-run-average in nine games with seven starts, striking out 34. The Nationals finished the regular season 24-16 overall, tied for the second in the nine-team league, before dropping two straight contests in the league championship series.

More information on the league may be found at http://calripkenleague.org/view/calripkenleague/home-page.

Mt. Juliet High School senior quarterback Caleb Chowbay has been named the Music City Star Game-Day Express Player of the Week in Wilson County for Week Zero.

Chowbay completed 9-of-13 passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns in Mt. Juliet’s 38-13 victory over Lebanon. Chowbay is coached by Roger Perry.

Honorable mentions for Week Zero are Watertown’s Brannon Hill, Wilson Central’s Brandon Mallory and Lebanon High School’s Patrick Maynard.

Each week during the high school football season, the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) recognizes a football player of the week among the four public high schools in Wilson County:  Lebanon High School, Mt. Juliet High School, Watertown High School and Wilson Central High School. 

Game-Day Express, the RTA’s Music City Star train service to Riverfront Station for Tennessee NFL home games at L.P. Field, will operate again for the 2011 season and begin with the Sept. 18 game against the Baltimore Ravens.

New this year, customers can receive a 20 percent savings on Game-Day Express tickets if they purchase single-game tickets online at musiccitystar.org between Aug. 1 and Sept. 11.  During this time, tickets are available online for $12 instead of the regular $15 advance purchase price. Cost is $20 for a game-day purchase on the train.

The RTA will run one Music City Star train on game days.  Parking is free at all of the outlying stations.  Please note that regular weekday Music City Star tickets are not valid on the Game-Day Express train.

For noon games, the Music City Star operates the schedule listed below:

• Depart from Lebanon Station   10 a.m.
• Depart from Martha Station   10:15 a.m.
• Depart from Mt. Juliet Station  10:25 a.m.
• Depart from Hermitage Station  10:35 a.m.
• Depart from Donelson Station  10:50 a.m.
• Arrive at Riverfront Station   11 a.m.

The return train to Lebanon leaves Riverfront Station 45 minutes after the game.

Passengers are welcome to tailgate at the outlying train stations prior to the game and also tailgate on the train.  In addition, they may bring small coolers onboard and leave them on the train upon arrival at Riverfront Station.

Prep football in Wilson County kicked off Friday night in a big way with all six local teams seeing action.

Mt. Juliet High rolled up nearly 500 yards in total offense in a 38-13 victory over Lebanon in front of a large crowd at Nokes-Lasater Field. Senior QB Caleb Chowby paced MJ with a 9-of-13 passing effort for 187 yards and two touchdowns. Lebanon's Patrick Maynard rushed 12 times for 100 yards and a touchdown in the loss.

Gallatin pushed across a third quarter touchdown to break a 14-all deadlock at halftime to win at Wilson Central. Wildcat fullback Brandon Mallory rushed 12 times for 58 yards and a TD. The Wildcats turned the ball over three times and had two punts blocked.

Friendship Christian saw visiting Donelson Christian ring up 20 points in a span of 1:42 in the fourth quarter in a 28-20 loss to the Wildcats. Dekolas Reeves ran for 92 yards on 13 carries while DCA quarterback Kyle Kennedy completed 19-of-34 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown.

Watertown blitzed Cannoun County 41-0 at Robinson Stadium. The Purple Tigers got a pair of first half touchdowns from Brannon Hill and soph QB Ty Jobe hurled a 41-yard touchdown pass to Josiah Smith just before intermission

Community High of Bedford County rolled over Mt. Juliet Christian Academy 34-7 at Suey Field. Noah Wilson rushed for 76 yards on 11 carries and a fourth quarter TD for the Saints.

Other scores from around Middle Tennessee: Beech 17, Portland 7; BGA 29, Smyrna 26; Blackman 14, Independence 9; Dekalb County 26, Warren County 7; Dickson County 28, Creek Wood 7; Glencliff 22, Sycamore 14; Hendersonville 43, Station Camp 36; Lincoln County 27, Giles County 14; Macon County 35, Jo Byrns 7; red Boiling Springs 47, Pickett County 13; Smith County 41, White County 14;

Next week: Lebanon at Franklin County; Mt. Juliet at McGavock; Mt. Juliet Christian at Red Boiling Springs; LaVergne at Wilson Central; Friendship at White House-Heritage; Watertown is idle.

By TOMMY BRYAN
Change is pretty constant in the world of collegiate baseball. So as Cumberland bids a fond farewell to All-America pitcher Will Locante, the Bulldogs are welcoming a former Vanderbilt  player into the fold.

Sam Lind, a  slugging  infielder from Hartford, South Dakota, will enroll at CU next week and be eligible immediately.

The Arizona Community College Player of the Year in 2010 at Central Arizona Junior College, Lind had trouble breaking into Vanderbilt’s everyday lineup last season.

“Sam is an outstanding hitter,” said CU coach Woody Hunt, “but remember Vanderbilt went to the College World Series. “It was tough for him to settle in to a regular role. He can play several positions and shows a lot of ability as a hitter.”

Lind, a lefty swinger, will certainly come to love the friendly right field porch at Ernest L. Stockton Field.

By TOMMY BRYAN
Cumberland University's Will Locante agreed to terms with the Arizona Diamondbacks Monday, ending his collegiate baseball career.

Locante, a lefthanded pitcher from Memphis, was selected by the Diamondbacks in the 11th round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft in June, the Bulldogs' highest draft choice since 2006.

Locante flew to Phoenix Tuesday morning for a physical examination and will be most likely assigned to a short-season rookie league team.

"The Diamondbacks are a great organization, full of awesome coaches and instructors," Locante said. "Without the support of my parents, my girlfriend, and many others this would've been a much more stressful couple of months".

Locante was named Honorable MentionAll-America by the NAIA after registering an 8-2 record with a 2.11 ERA in 81.0 innings of work. The lefty posted 118 strikeouts and a .179 opponent batting average in 13 starts with eightcomplete gamesand a pair of shutouts.

Locante ranked second in the country in strikeouts per nine innings (13.11) and third in total strikeouts as well as seventh in opponent batting average and eighth in hits allowed per nine innings (5.67). He was selected 334th overall and is the highest drafted player for the Cumberland program since Aaron Solomon was taken 321st in the 11th round by the Seattle Mariners in 2006.

Chris Smith in 2001 (1st round,Baltimore Orioles, seventh overall selection) is the highest drafted player in program history, while Bud Willis (4th round,Kansas City Royals, 72nd overall, 1986), Greg Strickland (11th round, Atlanta Braves, 352nd overall, 1997) and Solomon are the only other players taken in the Top 11 rounds.

Luis Martinez (12th round,San Diego Padres, 387th overall, 2007) and Lance McClain (12th round,Boston Red Sox, 382nd overall, 2008) were the last Bulldog players selected in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.