Sports briefs 4/16/05

Baseball

* The Boston Red Sox promised more signs and more security on Friday to remind fans not to interfere with play, hoping to avoid another scuffle like the one between New York Yankees star Gary Sheffield and a fan in the right-field corner at Fenway Park.

The confrontation came in Boston's 8-5 win over New York on Thursday night while Sheffield was fielding Jason Varitek's two-run triple in front of the 3-foot high barrier. The fan reached over the wall, and Sheffield said he was hit in the face.

Sheffield shoved the fan before throwing the ball back to the infield. He then moved toward the fan before a security guard got between them. The fan was ejected from the ballpark but not arrested.

Major league baseball officials said they were investigating, and a decision on whether to discipline Sheffield was not expected immediately.

* Outfielder Magglio Ordonez, who signed a five-year, $75 million contract with the Detroit Tigers in the offseason, will undergo hernia surgery and miss at least 4-6 weeks.

Ordonez, who missed all but 52 games with the Chicago White Sox last season because of a knee injury, has been ailing most of the spring.

* A 72-year-old baseball fan is suing after he was blinded in one eye by a foul ball during a minor league game. Ronald Young of Dunedin, Fla., was hit behind the dugout near first base as he made his way down a walkway in the second inning of game last May 26 between the Tampa Yankees and Palm Beach Cardinals in Dunedin. Young was flown to a St. Petersburg hospital and underwent surgery. Yankees batter Ben Julianel, who hit the foul, later autographed a bat for Young. The lawsuit was filed against the Yankees, Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, which operates the park, the city of Dunedin and the Florida State League.

* The St. Paul Saints will be up and at 'em at dawn on Mother's Day. The Northern League team, known for its odd promotions, plans to host the Sioux Falls Canaries in an exhibition game May 8 at Midway Stadium. Game time is 5:30 a.m., the earliest start for a professional baseball game, according to the club. A portion of ticket proceeds will go to two charities. Fans attending the afternoon game May 7, will be allowed to stay overnight in the stadium parking lot and sleep on the field. The team said the early start will allow fans to spend more time with their mothers.

Basketball

* All-America point guard Chris Paul will give up his final two years of eligibility at Wake Forest and enter the NBA draft. As a sophomore, Paul was the leading vote-getter on The Associated Press preseason All-America team, and he was named to the first team after the season. He averaged 15.3 points and 6.6 assists for the Demon Deacons (27-6), who set a school record for victories.

Colleges

* Ohio State defensive coordinator Mark Snyder has been named head football coach at Marshall University, interim President Michael Farrell announced Thursday. Farrell said Snyder was the unanimous choice of a committee tasked with finding a replacement for Bob Pruett, who retired in March after nine seasons. Snyder lettered one season at Marshall in 1987. He still holds the school record for interceptions in a season with 10.

College

* Murray State has signed three players, including a pair of twins who led Clinton County to the Kentucky high school state girls basketball championship game.

Joining the Racers next season will be Amber Guffey, a 5-foot-8 point guard who scored more than 2,600 career points, and Paige Guffey, a 5-foot-8 shooting guard who scored more than 3,100 career points.

The Guffeys, who each made The Associated Press' first-team All-State list, are the only teammates in state history to finish with more than 2,500 career points each. Also signing with the Racers was Erica Gordain, a 6-foot center from Elkton. Gordain is transferring to Murray State from Imperial Valley (Calif.) Community College, where she averaged 16.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game last season.

Tennis

Justine Henin-Hardenne advanced to the semifinals of the Family Circle Cup on Friday when top-ranked Lindsay Davenport was forced to retire in the third set of their match with a pulled muscle.

Henin-Hardenne, who spent most of last season ranked No. 1, won 3-6, 6-3, 1-0.

Henin-Hardenne will face Tatiana Golovin in today's semifinals.

In the other semifinal, second-seeded Elena Dementieva, who beat Katarina Srebotnik 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, will face the winner of the match between Patty Schnyder and 15-year-old Nicole Vaidisova.