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News Nuggets, 06.14.05
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

Booster gets jail time in Means recruiting case

MEMPHIS — A former Alabama football booster convicted of bribing a high school coach to get a top recruit to sign with the Crimson Tide was sentenced Monday to six months in prison.

Logan Young, 64, also was sentenced to six months home confinement after his release from prison and then two years' supervised release.

U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Breen allowed Young to remain free pending appeal. Prosecutors asked for a sentence of two years to 30 months in prison. Young sought probation, house arrest and public service.

Young already has been ordered to pay $96,100 in restitution for structuring bank withdrawals to hide a crime.

Young said he believes his lawyers have a good chance of overturning his conviction at the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Former high school coach Lynn Lang testified against Young, saying Young paid $150,000 to get defensive lineman Albert Means to sign with Alabama five years ago.

Young was convicted under federal law of money laundering and racketeering conspiracy. The underlying offense, however, was a violation of state law, bribing a public servant.

Young's lawyers said he needs a kidney transplant and could not get proper medical care in prison. Before sentencing, Young asked the judge, ``I beg you to let me ... continue to get my transplant, hopefully within the next six months.''

Lang testified at Young's trial that other universities, including Georgia, Kentucky, Arkansas, Memphis, Mississippi, Michigan State and Tennessee, offered him money or jobs to get Means.

No charges were filed against anyone with those schools. Three former coaches, Rip Scherer of Memphis, Jim Donnan of Georgia and Ivy Williams, an Alabama assistant, testified Lang was lying.

Means' recruitment became part of an NCAA investigation that led to sanctions against Alabama in 2002, costing the Crimson Tide scholarships and bowl appearances.

Lang, the former head coach at Trezevant High in Memphis, lost his job because of the recruiting scandal and now lives in Michigan.

He testified against Young while waiting to be sentenced on a guilty plea to crossing state lines as part of a racketeering conspiracy. Prosecutors supported Lang's request to avoid prison and he was sentenced to two years probation and 500 hours of community service.

Means transferred to Memphis after one season at Alabama and finished his college eligibility last season.

CWS preview: Tulane draws Beavers in game 1

The College World Series is practically an annual destination for Texas and Arizona State. For most of the other six teams in college baseball's championship round, Omaha is largely unfamiliar territory.

Oregon State, the No. 8 national seed, is making its second trip to the round of eight — and first since 1952. The Beavers (46-10), 0-2 all-time in College World Series games, will take on top-seeded Tulane (55-10) on Saturday.

The Green Wave have also been to the series just once before, in 2001, when they went 1-2.

Baylor (44-22), the No. 4 seed, is headed to the round of eight for the first time since 1978. The Bears also made the trip in 1977, but are 0-4 in College World Series play. They'll try to get their first win Saturday when they take on frequent Omaha visitor and fellow Big 12 school, Texas.

The Longhorns (51-16) are making their record 32nd College World Series appearance, fifth in six years and fourth in a row. They have 73 wins in the CWS, one off Southern California's record. Texas, the No. 5 seed, is the only school returning to Omaha from last year's field.

Tennessee, which upset No. 2 seed Georgia Tech in the super regionals, will take on Florida in the CWS opener on Friday. The Volunteers (46-19) are making just their fourth appearance, and first since 2001, when they ousted host East Carolina in the Kinston regional to punch their tickets to Omaha.

The Gators (45-20), the No. 7 seed, are in Omaha for the fifth time overall, but first since 1998.

Local favorite Nebraska (56-13) is making its third trip overall — all in the past five years — but first since 2002. The Cornhuskers, the No. 3 seed, will take Arizona State (39-23) on Friday.

The Sun Devils upset defending national champion Cal State Fullerton in the super regionals to assume the No. 6 seed. Arizona State is making its 19th appearance, tied for fourth-most with Oklahoma State, and first since losing to USC in the championship game in 1998.

The winners of each bracket — Tulane, Oregon State, Texas and Baylor in one; and Tennessee, Florida, Arizona State and Nebraska in the other — will play in a best-of-three championship series beginning June 25.

This year's College Word Series is the first since 1996, and only the ninth overall, that a school from California was not among the final eight teams.

Wave still No. 1 in pre-CWS Baseball News poll

Through NCAA Super Regionals; Released 06.13.05.
(View previous rankings)

COLLEGIATE BASEBALL TOP 30

TUCSON — The top 25 teams in the 2005 Collegiate Baseball Newspaper (BaseballNews.com) poll with records and previous rankings (voting by coaches, sports writers and sports information directors):

[Conference USA teams — including future members — and Carolinas teams are in bold; East Carolina opponents are in red.]

 1. Tulane 55-10 487 1
 2. Oregon State 46-10 483 3
 3. Nebraska 56-13 481 4
 4. Baylor 44-22 479 6
 5. Texas 51-16 476 7
 6. Florida 45-20 474 8
 7. Tennessee 46-19 473 10
 8. Arizona State 39-23 470 17
 9. Cal State Fullerton 46-18 469 2
10. Georgia Tech 45-19 468 5
11. Mississippi 48-20 466 9
12. Arizona 39-21 465 11
13. Clemson 43-23 462 12
14. Miami (FL) 41-19-1 458 13
15. Florida State 53-20 456 14
16. Rice 45-19 451 15
17. Southern Cal 41-22 449 16
18. Long Beach State 37-22 443 18
19. Louisiana State 40-22 440 19
20. Alabama 40-23 438 20
21. North Carolina 41-19-1 436 21
22. Coll. of Charleston 48-15 434 22
23. Pepperdine 41-23 431 23
24. UL-Lafayette 48-19 429 24
25. Coastal Carolina 50-16 427 25
26. South Carolina 41-23 425 26
27. Wichita State 51-24 423 27
28. Creighton 48-17 420 28
29. Texas Christian 41-20 417 29
30. St. John’s 41-18 415 30

News Nuggets are compiled periodically based on material supplied by staff members; data published by ECU, Conference USA and its member schools; and reports from Associated Press and other sources. Copyright 2005 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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