Sports

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - North Carolina has suspended leading scorer P.J. Hairston indefinitely after the guard was cited for reckless driving.

Top-seeded North Carolina is still alive at the College World Series after shutting out North Carolina State Thursday night, 7-0.  After losing to the Wolfpack last Sunday, the Heels bounced back to beat their rival's ace pitcher.

As Tar Heel and Wolfpack supporters mixed in with the fans who entered the the stadium behind home plate, they immediately felt the 22 mile-an-hour breeze in their face.  Tar Heels coach Mike Fox also noticed it.

"Yeah, you can see the flags.  There was no doubt it was going to be a pitcher’s night," Fox said.

UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State will both try to avoid elimination tonight when they meet in the College World Series.

This is the fifth match-up of the season between these two rivals and the stakes don’t get much higher. UNC and State split a pair of regular season match-ups. The Tar Heels then won a classic 18-inning affair last month during the ACC Tournament. And the Wolfpack got the latest laugh with an 8-1 victory in the College World Series this past weekend.

Another rivalry game between North Carolina and North Carolina State is on the horizon at the College World Series in Omaha.  This time, the loser will go home.  

No team has been hotter down the stretch than North Carolina State. UCLA’s 2-1 victory over the Wolfpack on Tuesday was only the fifth loss for State since March 31, and no one except for Florida State and the North Carolina Tar Heels had beaten the Pack.  So Wolfpack coach Elliott Avent was in no mood to talk about the Tar Heel rematch Thursday night.

North Carolina and N.C. State have played each other 285 times in baseball, but they met for their first College World Series matchup Sunday with the Wolfpack coming out on top.

This marks the sixth time in eight years the Tar Heels have earned a trip to Omaha. As the top-seeded team in the championship, the only thing missing from their point of view is a national championship.

NC State's Wolfpack has had the entire season to prepare for its World Series shot this weekend, but when they arrived at the hotel in Omaha this week, a couple players managed to get in a last minute pickup game with a Little League team on the lawn of their hotel.  NC State communications caught players Logan Ratledge and Jake Armstrong on film batting with an 11-and-under team from Colorado Thursday afternoon. Nearby hotel and car windows were spared –they used a wiffle ball.

NC State is going to its first College World Series since 1968.  The Wolfpack beat Rice in 17 innings last night, 5-4.  Brett Williams drove in the go-ahead run with a RBI double. 

The game was the longest Super Regional in NCAA history.  Coach Elliot Avent says it's fulfilling for his team to break the streak of 45 years without a World Series appearance.

The Carolina Hurricanes have spent 15 years in the same uniform, but next season that all changes. Today the PNC arena, the team unveiled a new design for its home and road dress. While the signature red and white colors and the identifying logo remain the same, the style is cleaner and more modern.

Thousands of people are expected to line the streets of Raleigh on Sunday for the state's first-ever officially sanctioned Ironman 70.3. It's half the distance of the traditional Ironman. Heat may be a factor as more than 2,700 athletes begin the race with a 1.2 mile swim in Jordan Lake,  hop on their bikes for a 56 mile ride through the trails of Chatham County and then finish out the race on foot with a half marathon.

The NCAA baseball tournament gets underway this weekend with games in Raleigh and Chapel Hill.  NC State hosts a regional with a game against Binghamton tomorrow night at seven.  UNC Chapel Hill is the number one overall seed and will also host a regional tomorrow night.  The Tar Heels face Canisius at 6:00.  Coach Mike Fox says fans have a big role to play in his team's success.

The Duke men's lacrosse team overcame an early deficit to beat Syracuse 16-10 for its second national title.  The Blue Devils began Monday's game by missing their first 11 shots on goal.  That allowed the Orange to race out to a 5-nothing lead into the second quarter. 

Duke head coach John Danowski said he felt the pressure of the game was a factor.

Charlotte's NBA franchise has begun the journey toward re-embracing the past.  Bobcats owner Michael Jordan announced Tuesday that his team is on its way to being known as the Charlotte Hornets.

Jordan said he has informed the league of his decision and feels the NBA's Board of Governors will approve the name change when they convene in July.  He says this is only the first step.

Eleven new members are set to join the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.  Thursday night's induction ceremony and banquet marks the museum's 50th anniversary. 

Hall of Fame executive director Don Fish says the class of 2013 includes hockey legend Ron Francis, who retired a year before the Carolina Hurricanes won their first and only championship.

"It changed the face of sports in North Carolina," Fish says.

Stand up paddleboarding (SUP) involves a surfboard, a paddle, and lots of abdominal strength. And in the world of sports, it’s catching on fast. That might not be too surprising, since it often involves bathing suits and sunny beaches, too.  Starting today, SUP athletes from around the world will compete in the third annual Carolina Cup at Wrightsville Beach.

The Duke women's basketball team has made it to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament.  The Blue Devils defeated Nebraska last night, 53-45, despite shooting just 33 percent from the field. Coach Joanne McCallie says her team offset that by holding Nebraska to just 30 percent.

“We play very good defense and we did today,” said McCallie.  “I think that was the difference for our team.  Some of the stops we made, I thought, were very critical.  To hold a Nebraska team to 45 points, that's a very good thing for us to do.”

Men's Tournament

No. 2 seed Duke heads to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament after defeating Creighton, 66-50. North Carolina exits the tournament at the hands of the Kansas Jayhawks for the second straight year.

North Carolina A&T has its first ever NCAA Tournament victory.  The Aggies narrowly defeated Liberty University, 73-72, last night to advance.  A last-second shot by Liberty missed as time expired to preserve the A&T win. 

Before last night, the Aggies had never won in nine trips to the tournament.  Head coach Cy Alexander said his team didn't fold under pressure.

"I thought our young men showed a lot of resilience because Liberty didn't back down and we would go up a little bit and they would keep coming back," Alexander said.

You don’t have to be a basketball fan to participate in this March Madness bracket, just a public radio listener. Southern California public radio station KPCC has created an alternative competition pitting 32 public radio shows against one another. Listeners can vote for their favorites on their website.

NC A&T will tip it off against Liberty tonight in Dayton, OH as part of the First Four. The Aggies surprised everyone last week when they seized the MEAC championship in a 57-54 win against Morgan state.

Last year Norfolk State represented the MEAC in the NCAA Tournament. As a 15-seed the Spartans defeated 2-seed, Missouri, 86-84. It is one of only six upsets where a 15-seed knocked off a 2-seed. With a victory tonight, North Carolina A&T would meet 1-seed Louisville on Thursday. A 16-seed has never beaten a one-seed.

N.C. State moves to Friday's quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament after a strong victory in the opening round. 

The Wolfpack took down Virginia Tech Thursday afternoon, 80-63. N.C. State took control after going on an 11-0 run in the second half.  Coach Mark Gottfried says guard Lorenzo Brown shut down Virginia Tech's Erick Green, the leading scorer in the nation.

"Lorenzo made his mind up he was going to do a good job on him and I thought he did," Gottfried said.