FanFare 3/27/03

Briefly

Baseball

The Padres released right-hander Francisco Cordova on Wednesday and added lefty Mike Matthews to their battered bullpen, claiming him off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers. The Padres also placed left-hander Kevin Walker and right-handers Jay Witasick and Kevin Jarvis on the 15-day disabled list. They join slugger Phil Nevin and closer Trevor Hoffman, who are also on the 15-day DL.

Basketball

Alonzo Mourning intends to play basketball next season, as long as his body cooperates. Mourning, who was forced to miss the 2002-2003 NBA season with a kidney ailment, was in Chicago to speak with hospital patients as part of an educational campaign called Rebound from Anemia.

Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich knew what he had to do, for himself and the team: He is taking an indefinite leave to treat his bladder cancer. The 54-year-old coach broke the news to his players Wednesday in an emotional team meeting.

High schools

A high school baseball player's death this week was apparently caused by a heart condition, a coroner announced. Perry County (Ill.)Coroner Paul Searby said preliminary findings of an autopsy conducted revealed that Scott Rosenberger suffered from a type of heart condition called cardiomyopathy. Searby said he was waiting for toxicological and microscopic tests conducted during the autopsy. The 17-year-old senior had just finished running sprints Monday with other members of the Elverado High School baseball team and was starting to participate in drills when he collapsed. He was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital that evening.

Tennis

Jennifer Capriati rallied to earn a berth in the semifinals defeating Meghann Shaughnessy in the Nasdaq-100 Open, 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4. She put away a volley on match point, happily hopped up and down and then leaned on the net cord, exhausted after the 2 1/2-hour endurance test. In today's semifinals, the No. 6-seeded Capriati will play No. 12 Chanda Rubin, who upset No. 4 Justine Henin-Hardenne 6-3, 6-2. Rubin moved into the top 10 last week for the first time since October 1996. On the men's side, No. 5 Carlos Moya earned his first semifinal berth at Key Biscayne, winning the final five points to edge American wild-card entrant Robby Ginepri 6-7 (5), 6-3, 7-6 (4).

Verbatim

Mark Mulder of the Oakland Athletics, telling Fox Sports Net why pitchers are such good golfers: "We have too much time on our hands. We pitch once every five days. What else are we supposed to do?"

Corpulent golfer John Daly, telling Fox Sports Net why he gives EA Sports' latest version of the "Tiger Woods PGA Tour" game a thumbs-up: "I look a hell of a lot skinnier in that video game."

Area digest

Hills leads super pro class at Sikeston

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Linda Hills of Fremont, Mo., finished at 121 mph in 5.28 seconds to win the super pro class event Saturday at the Sikeston Drag Strip. Donald Cutsinger of Calvert City, Ky., was second.

Steve Pearson of St. Charles, Mo., won in the pro class (94.28 mph, 6.898 ET) over Blake Jones of Caledonia, Mo. (100.89, 6.724).

David Leonard of Sikeston topped the ET class (53.04, 11.293) over Donnie Mayfield of Dexter, Mo. (78.12, 9.079).

On the air

Figure skatingWorld Championships, 8 p.m., WSIL

GolfThe Players Championship, 11 a.m., ESPN

Kraft Nabisco Championship, 4 p.m., ESPN2

College men's basketballNCAA tournament, Kentucky vs. Wisconsin, 6 p.m., KFVS, KGIR-1220

NCAA tournament, Kansas vs. Duke, 9 p.m., KFVS, KGIR-1220

NBA

Minnesota at Orlando, 6:30 p.m., TNT

L.A. Clippers at Sacramento, 9 p.m., TNT

NHL

Florida at St. Louis, 7 p.m., Fox-Midwest

Boston at Philadelphia or Los Angeles at Colorado, 7 p.m.,

ESPN

Tennis

NASDAQ-100, noon; 8 p.m., same-day tape, ESPN2

CHARTER CABLE KEY:CNBC (ch. 53), ESPN (42), ESPN2 (43), Lifetime (49)Fox-Midwest (45), Fox-Central (352), Fox-Pacific (353), Fox-Sunshine (351), Fox-World (350), FX(50), Golf Channel (46), KBSI (9), KFVS (7), MSNBC (55), Outdoors (38), Outdoor Life Network (74), Oxygen (75), Speed Channel (44), TNT (48), WDKA (17), WPSD (6), WQWQ (33), WSIL (3). Listings and times are provided by the networks and individual stations and are subject to change.

Area events

High school baseballAdvance at Meadow Heights, 4 p.m.

Woodland at Kelly, 4 p.m.

Zalma at Oak Ridge, 4 p.m.

High school girls' swimmingNerinx Hall at Central, 4 p.m.

High school golfNotre Dame Quad, 3:30 p.m.

Perryville at Festus, 3:30 p.m.

High school softballWoodland at Scott City, 4 p.m.

Advance at Meadow Heights, 4 p.m.

High school track & fieldNotre Dame at Poplar Bluff, 4 p.m.

Chaffee Meet, 4 p.m.