Several local boxers will be on the card when Bad Boy Promotions hosts “A Night of Future Champs” at the National Guard armory in Batesville on June 13.
“The plan is to highlight local fighters that are being trained here in Batesville,” a news release from Brandon Foster said.
The local talent includes Brad Welch, Josh Bridges and Hunter Limbaugh, who will fight in exhibition matches. Former Batesville High football star Tyler Osborne as well as Sulphur Rock basketball standout April Ward are also on the card as professionals.

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TAYLOR — The Hillcrest Screamin’ Eagles won and lost in the Class 1A State Tournament over the weekend.
Friday in Magnolia, the Screamin’ Eagles downed the Poyen Indians 5-3 in a first-round game at Southern Arkansas University.
Saturday at Taylor High School, West Side Greers Ferry whipped Hillcrest 17-5 in a run-ruled five innings.
On Friday, Derek Wooten struck out 14 while pitching a complete-game 6-hitter. Wooten walked five.

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HARRISON — The Arkansas Baptist Lady Eagles eliminated the Cave City Cavewomen in the first round of the Class 3A State Tournament here Friday evening.
The game was interrupted in the fifth inning by a tornado warning. About two hours and an inning later, Arkansas Baptist put together enough runs to enforce the 10-run rule and take an 11-1 victory.
“I hated the way it ended, but we had a great season,” Cave City Coach Crystal Bradley said. “We’ve been to four straight state tournaments.”

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Today
High school softball: Class 1A State Tournament in White Hall­ — Hillcrest vs. Lockesburg, noon, Izard County vs. Bradley, 5:15 p.m.; Class 2A State Tournament in Rogers — Midland vs. Benton Harmony Grove, 1:45, Melbourne vs. Decatur, 3:30; Class 3A State Tournament in Harrison — Cave City vs. Arkansas Baptist, 3:30  

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Behind the plate, beside the plate and in the field, Jake Palese and his savvy has always been there for the Pioneers.
“He’s what I call a student of the game,” Batesville Coach Mark Rush said of the Pioneers’ senior catcher. “He’s just real knowledgeable about the game, and not just catching and the other positions he’s played, but the game as a whole. For me, through my eyes, that’s always been there.”

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Arkansas Coach Bobby Petrino said he wants to coach in Atlanta again.
The former Atlanta Falcons coach was the featured speaker Thursday at Batesville High School during the annual Hog Bash celebration.
Prior to taking the coaching job at the University of Arkansas, Petrino coached the Falcons in the Georgia Dome. A trip back to that building for the Southeastern Conference championship is one of Petrino’s goals. He got an even bigger ovation when he listed his next goal — a national championship.

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HEBER SPRINGS — Lacey Foster and Courtney Farrier won individual titles and helped the Southside Junior Lady Southerner track and field team to a second-place finish in the 4A-2 District Meet here Tuesday.
Foster won the 300-meter intermediate hurdles and placed second in the 100 hurdles.
Farrier led a trio of Southside pole vaulters. Following her in second and third, respectively, were Kristina Keeney and Morgan Case.
The Junior Southerners finished last of eight teams.
Here are Southside’s results (distances and times listed for winners):

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PULASKI, Tenn. — The Union Lady Bulldogs put together a 4-run third inning to break a 1-1 tie and that lead held up in a 5-1 victory over the Lyon College Pipers in a quarterfinal softball game Thursday in the TranSouth Athletic Conference Tournament.
Lyon ends its second season with a 21-26 overall record and collected its first TranSouth tournament victory earlier in the day with a 6-2 win over Mid-Continent. Union (26-22) moves on to face top-seeded Martin Methodist in the semifinals today.

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Aaron Farris, a 6-foot-4 power forward-center from Mountain View, has signed a national letter of intent to play basketball for the Lyon Scots, according to a news release from the college.
Farris averaged 20 points and nine rebounds per game as a senior on Mountain View’s Class 3A State Tournament semifinalist team. He is a two time all-state and three time all-district selection. During his senior year, the Yellowjackets were district, regional, Lyon College, and North Arkansas Community College tournament champions. Farris is also a Arkansas Governor’s Scholar.

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PARAGOULD — The Batesville Junior Lady Pioneers defended their 5A-East District track and field championship here Thursday night, and their coach admitted it’s easy to take winning talent for granted.
“You know, when you’ve got kids like Natalie and Logan you walk into a meet knowing that you have so many points,” he said, chuckling. “Then we’ve got somebody like Kassie, who’s going to score big points, though we’ve been using her around soccer all season.”

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The Bateville Lady Pioneers will kick off first among the Guard-circulation area high school teams playing in state tournaments on Friday.
In the Class 5A event at Burns Park in North Little Rock, the Lady Pioneers are scheduled to take on the North Pulaski Lady Falcons beginning at 2 p.m.

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Five Guard-circulation area softball teams qualified for state tournaments and they’re set to begin play Friday.
The Hillcrest Lady Screamin’ Eagles are first up with a Class 1A showdown against the Lockesburg Lady Blue Darters at noon in White Hall, just outside of Pine Bluff.
At the same place at 5:15 p.m., the Izard County Lady Cougars are scheduled to meet the Bradley Lady Bears. Izard County is the second seed from Region 2 while Bradley is third out of Region 4.
Hillcrest finished fourth in its region tournament and Lockesburg is the Region 4 champion.

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