The field at the Big South Conference’s annual summer golf outing was a bit larger than usual Thursday. The event is generally a precursor to the conference’s football rouser, which is set for Friday afternoon. But with the league celebrating its 25th anniversary this upcoming school season, coaches and administrators from the Big South’s non-football schools (Radford, High Point, Winthrop and UNC Asheville) teed it up at Birkdale Golf Club in Huntersville alongside the usual bunch from the football schools.

Gretna’s Ceseley Haynes was named Group A player of the year and the Hawks’ Ketina Brooks was the state coach of the year, according to a vote of the state’s coaches.

Here’s a quick test. Who’s leading NASCAR’s Nationwide tour at the midpoint of the season? And remember, that’s the country’s second-most-popular motorsports series now.

GREENSBORO, Ga. — Virginia was picked to finish fifth in the ACC’s Coastal Division by the assembled media at the ACC Kickoff on Monday. Cavaliers coach Al Groh was neither surprised nor concerned.
“Our team probably continues to labor to get much respect in this conference,” Groh said.
Despite winning nine games in 2007, tied for second-most in school history, Virginia was hit hard by offseason attrition both expected (Chris Long and Branden Albert heading to the NFL) and unexpected (academic suspensions to starters Jameel Sewell and Chris Cook and the transfer of rising star Jeffrey Fitzgerald).

GREENSBORO, Ga. — Virginia was picked to finish fifth in the ACC’s Coastal Division by the assembled media at the ACC Kickoff on Monday. Cavaliers coach Al Groh was neither surprised nor concerned.
“Our team probably continues to labor to get much respect in this conference,” Groh said.
Despite winning nine games in 2007, tied for second-most in school history, Virginia was hit hard by offseason attrition both expected (Chris Long and Branden Albert heading to the NFL) and unexpected (academic suspensions to starters Jameel Sewell and Chris Cook and the transfer of rising star Jeffrey Fitzgerald).

GREENSBORO, Ga. — The preseason ACC rankings surprised Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer. He didn’t think he’d see the Hokies atop the Coastal Division.
Tech received 58 first-place votes, well ahead of second place North Carolina, which garnered four.
“Well, I’m surprised to be honest with you, that we were picked like that, because we’ve got some work to do. We’ve got some coaching to do,” Beamer said.
The Hokies are coming off an ACC championship season, but they must replace 11 starters and a kicker from that team.

Liberty University rising senior Megan Frazee is preparing for a two-week tour of Northern Africa with a women’s basketball team from Athletes in Action. Frazee and her teammates will depart AIA headquarters, located in her hometown of Xenia, Ohio, on Sunday and return to the U.S. on Aug. 5. While in Africa, the AIA team will play a number of games as well as conduct clinics and spread the gospel.

Top Pirates pitching prospect Brad Lincoln made his much-anticipated home debut for the Hillcats on Wednesday night, but it was left fielder Jared Keel who stole the show.

Seven local squads are taking part in the National Amateur Baseball Federation 17-under World Series, which gets under way today with games being played at nine sites in and around Lynchburg.