briefly feb21

Baseball

Professional baseball could return to Hannibal, Mo., this summer for the first time since the early 1950s if a Chicago-based entrepreneur has his way. Bill Larsen is commissioner and chief operating officer of the Great Lakes Professional Baseball League. Larsen is putting together a new Class-A level league of teams that would have no affiliation with major league teams. Larsen has had discussions with about two dozen communities in Missouri, Iowa, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin and Tennessee for the league, which will field eight to 10 teams. Two other Missouri communities -- Sikeston and Farmington -- are also being looked at, Larsen said.

The man who ran onto the field at a Chicago White Sox game with his son and attacked Royals coach Tom Gamboa has tested positive for drug use, court records show, and prosecutors said they intend to ask a judge to imprison him. William Ligue Jr., 35, of Alsip was sentenced in August to 2 1/2 years of probation for two counts of aggravated battery in the September 2002 attack.

College

Brian Cabral took over as interim head football coach at Colorado on Friday, pending the outcome of an investigation into a recruiting scandal that includes allegations of rape. Cabral replaces Gary Barnett, who was placed on paid leave Wednesday night.

Golf

Mike Weir birdied five of his last seven holes for a 7-under 64 that gave him a tie for the lead with Shigeki Maruyama, a share of the 36-hole record at the Nissan Open and hopes of becoming the first back-to-back winner at Riviera since Ben Hogan. None of that seemed to matter to a gallery gone gaga over John Daly. Coming off a stunning victory last week at Torrey Pines -- his first on the PGA Tour in nine years -- Daly played even better in his round of 64 that left him only two shots out of the lead. Tiger Woods shot a 66 and didn't make up any ground, heading into the weekend eight shots behind the leaders.

Tom Kite shot an 8-under-par 63 for a one-shot lead after the opening round of the Champions Tour's Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am at the TPC of Tampa Bay. Kite carded eight bridies in a bogey-free trip over the 6,783-yard course. Larry Nelson and Mike McCullough were a shot off the lead.

Motorsports

Ryan Newman, who led NASCAR's elite series with 11 poles last season, earned the top starting spot for Sunday's Subway 400 at North Carolina Speedway with a lap of 156.475 mph. Jamie McMurray qualified second in a Dodge with a lap of 155.379 around the 1.017-mile oval, and rookie Kasey Kahne was third in an Intrepid.

-- From wire reports