Darrell Moody: Team tennis event featured players from 3 high schools

Diane Baker Roberts, Hal Wilkins and Justin Clark are trying their best to promote junior tennis in Carson City and outlying areas.

The trio recently put on a team tennis event featuring players from Carson, South Tahoe and Fallon high schools. The team event format will be held every Saturday through May 24 at Centennial Park from noon until 2 p.m.

“I appreciated the 20 players that participated,” said Clark, who runs the Tahoe Tennis Academy. “It was awesome to see the young players making the commitment to themselves and their teammates in the offseason. Tennis is a fall sport, and these kids are getting some spring training in.

“This spring team tennis event is a great start to the season and leads into the summer programs (in early June).”

Clark said there are more spaces available for spring team tennis. Roberts and Wilkins are holding free practices on Mondays and Wednesdays at Carson High. It costs $40 for the team tennis season.

Clark said the summer programs are for all levels of juniors and adults through the Tahoe Tennis Academy and the Carson Tennis Club.

“We typically start kids in organized tennis training when they are 4 or 5, and move up from there,” Clark said. “We are offering three levels of programs at Centennial Park.” Clark said the programs will run Tuesday-Thursday from 8 a.m. to noon for the 5- to 7-year-old beginners, developmental training class for 8- to 12-year-olds and older competitive players from 13-18. The summer programs start on June 9 and run through Aug. 14.

Clark’s academy was established in 1997. He has made South Tahoe High a power.

“I’ve implemented all the programs that I learned from all of my coaches over the years,” Clark said in a press release.

For more information, go to www.justinclark.ustapro.com.

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I admit to a certain amount of bias, but I think the Giants’ acquisition of veteran right-handed pitcher Tim Hudson might be the best offseason move in baseball.

Hudson has been nothing short of spectacular this season, and he handcuffed the Padres in a 3-2 victory. Hudson has four wins in April for the first time in his career, and I see him winning between 14 and 16 games with an ERA between 3.20 and 3.40, which would be awesome. If Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum can revert to previous form, the Giants just might hold off the Dodgers and win the NL West.

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Carson High grads Nick Domitrovich and Brock Pradere grew up next to each other a stone’s throw from Silver Oak Golf Club.

They ended up at different junior colleges.

Pradere, who played second and short at CHS, has found a home at third base for Ohlone College. He hit in the .280s and was an all-league selection as a redshirt freshman.

Domitrovich started his JC career at WNC but ended up at Lassen College. The outfielder, whose average hovered between .280 and .300 all season, also was an all-league selection.

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With the regional baseball and softball playoffs right around the corner, it’s time for my yearly rant about too many teams making the playoffs.

Eight of 12 softball and baseball teams are included, and that’s either two or four too many.

As it stands, there are two softball teams that will make the playoffs with losing records. Those team are Carson and North Valleys, but McQueen and Wooster are nipping at the heels of NV and CHS.

On the baseball side, CHS and Spanish Springs are sitting in the seventh and eight spots, and both are under .500. Wooster is only a game behind Spanish Springs, and North Valleys is behind Wooster.

What’s wrong with six teams? Reno and Galena would get first-round byes in baseball, and Sparks rivals Spanish Springs and Reed in softball.

Or, require teams to finish .500 or above to advance to the postseason.