Sports briefs 4/15/05

Baseball

* 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.

Tennis

* Defending champion Venus Williams lost 7-5, 6-4 to Tatiana Golovin on a blustery day at the Family Circle Cup. Golovin, ranked No. 25 in the world, advanced to play seventh-seeded Nadia Petrova of Russia in today's quarterfinals. Petrova and Justine Henin-Hardenne also won Thursday.

* Defending champion Guillermo Coria, French Open champion Gaston Gaudio and Italy's Filippo Vilandri all advaced to the Monte Carlo Masters quarterfinals on Thursday.

--From wire reports