Maui gets pro baseball team

By Fred Guzman

MauiNow.com

Details regarding a Valley Isle team in the independent Golden Baseball League will be unveiled today during a press conference at the County Building featuring Maui Mayor Chamaine Tavares.

Plans call for the new local team to play 44 home games at Iron Maehara Stadium, with former major-leaguer Cory Snyder serving as the team’s manager.

The Maui Stingrays were the league-leader in attendance during all five seasons of their involvement in Hawaii Winter Baseball from 1993 to 1997.

LOCAL GOLF: Kirk Nelson, a Makena Golf Course professional, won the senior title at the Hawaii State Open on Sunday, closing with a 2-over-par 74 for a 10-under total of 206 and two-shot win over Dave Eichelberger, winner of four PGA Tour events and six on the Champions Tour, including the U.S. Senior Open in 1999,

PREP HOOPS: Based on the results of the Baldwin Invitational, we should be in for a closely-contested MIL boys basketball season.

The host Bears and Seabury Hall both finished with 2-1 marks in the four-team, round-robin event, with Seabury edging the Bears and narrowly beating Kamehameha-Maui before suffering a loss to Kohala on the closing night of the tournament. The Warriors also dropped a close decision to Baldwin.

The Lahainaluna tournaments for boys and girls continues at the Lahaina Civic. In addition to the host Lunas, the field will feature the defending state D-II champion Molokai girls and Big Island girls powerhouse Konawaena, as well as visiting California teams from Crescenta Valley, Redondo Beach, Chino, Richmond, Colony and Marin Catholic.

PRO FOOTBALL: Indianapolis remains as the NFL’s only remaining unbeaten team, improving to 14-0 with a close win over Jacksonville. But the Saints are no longer marching to perfection after suffering a 24-17 home loss to the desperate Dallas Cowboys. On a Sunday filled with exciting finishes and surprising results, Tennessee topped Miami in overtime … Oakland stunned Denver on the road … San Diego won a thriller versus the grieving Cincinnati Bengals. … Pittsburgh beat Gree Bay on a touchdown pass by Ben Roethlisberger on the final play of the game … and Carolina spanked high-flying Minnesota. On Monday, the New York Giants stayed alive in the post-season hunt by with a 45-12 road rout of Washingon.