Calif. Team Wins Little League World Series

Mounting debt triggers stunning move

(NEWSER) - In a shocking cost-cutting move, UC-Berkeley has dumped its baseball, gymnastics, lacrosse, and rugby teams. Rugby, the most successful team in the history of the university, will be turned into a club team, while the others will be completely eliminated. The rugby and baseball teams have existed at Berkeley for more than a century. "Everyone deeply regrets the human toll these decisions take," said Chancellor Robert Birgeneau. This "will result in a sustainable, financially responsible" sports department, he added. Berkeley's sports department was struggling under millions of dollars of debt at a time when the state is facing its worst financial crisis in history. More»

Eri Yoshida, Japan's first pro woman player, comes to US

(NEWSER) - Eri Yoshida, Japan’s first female pro baseball player, has signed to pitch for a minor league club in California. The 18-year-old knuckleballer will play for the independent Chico Outlaws, though the team stresses that she’ll have to earn her roster spot in spring training, the Enterprise-Record reports. “It’s important that we don’t cross the line to being a circus,” the team’s president said. “We don’t want to bring her on if she can’t compete.” More»

(NEWSER) - Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart was killed in a car crash early this morning, the Los Angeles Times reports. Hours after the 22-year-old rookie delivered six shutout innings against Oakland, his car was sideswiped by a minivan running a red light. Two others in Adenhart’s vehicle were dead at the scene, and another died later at a hospital. The driver of the minivan fled on foot, but was picked up after a police search. Today's game has been postponed, the AP adds. More»

(AP) - Hawaii's mini-mashers got a little help from Mexico's miscues to win a fourth straight Little League World Series title for the United States. Tanner Tokunaga smacked two homers and Iolana Akau added a solo blast as the boys from Waipahu, Hawaii, defeated Matamoros, Mexico, 12-3, to take the biggest prize in youth sports. More»

(NEWSER) - Two men named Barry—a $126-million pitcher (Zito) and an embattled slugger gunning for the home-run record (Bonds)-—went out with a whimper as the Giants lost to the Padres, 7-0. Soft-spoken ace Jake Peavy was the hero of the afternoon, with six scoreless innings. More»