State sports briefs

— BASEBALL Travs Hot Stove set

Travs manager Tim Bogar, Los Angeles Angels assistant general manager Scott Servais and former New York Yankees great Bobby Richardson will be guest speakers Jan. 31 at the Arkansas Travelers Hot Stove event at Embassy Suites of Little Rock.

The event begins with a cocktail hour at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 p.m. and the program at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 and can be obtained by calling (501) 661-1555 or e-mailing [email protected].

This will be Bogar’s first season as Travs manager after spending the past three seasons on the Boston Red Sox coaching staff. A nine-year major league veteran, Bogar also spent four seasons as a minor league manager in the Cleveland Indians and Houston Astros organizations.

Servais is in his second season in charge of the Los Angeles Angels’ player development and professional scouting departments. Servais joined the Angels in 2011 after six years as the Texas Rangers’ director of player development.

Richardson was a three-time World Series champion during a career that spanned 12 years with the New York Yankees. From 1955 to 1966, he won five Gold Glove awards as a second baseman and put together one of the all-time great postseason performances during the 1960 World Series against the Pittsburgh Pirates when he became the only player voted World Series MVP from a losing team.

FOOTBALL UCA’s Howard, Woodard honored

Central Arkansas senior Corey Howard was named the Football Championship Subdivision offensive lineman of the year by College Sporting News and redshirt freshman defensive end Jonathan Woodard was named to the College Sports Journal FCS Freshman All-America team.

Howard was the Southland Conference’s offensive lineman of the year and helped the Bears average more than 400 yards of total offense per game in 2012. Woodard was the Southland’s freshman of the year and finished with 36 tackles, including 11 for loss, 7 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries and 2 forced fumbles.

SOFTBALL UCA places six on preseason team

Central Arkansas placed six players on the All-Southland Conference preseason team, which was released Wednesday.

Utility player Melissa Bryant, outfielder Stephanie Lasley and pitcher Kelsie Armstrong are on the first team, while catcher Melanie Bryant, third baseman Tiffany Roby and first baseman Ashley Boswell were named to the second team.

UCA was picked to finish third in the coaches’ poll and second in the sports information directors’ poll. The coaches and sports information directors both picked Sam Houston State to win the conference title.

Sports, Pages 25 on 01/24/2013

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