Alexandria native scores OVC honor

If anybody saw Allie Barker hit in high school, you had the feeling that it was only a matter of time before her bat went wild in college.

This weekend it did, in a big way.

Barker, a 5-foot-8-inch native of Alexandria, hit .308 with a pair of homers, 6 RBI and two runs scored in helping guide the Gamecocks (2-2) to a pair of splits at the Hampton Inn Bama Bash in Tuscaloosa.

The junior hit the first grand slam of her career in the season opener against Purdue. So added a solo homer later in the weekend.

Barker and the Gamecocks will make their home debut on Tuesday, when they host UAB in a doubleheader at 4 p.m. at University Field. Admission is free for all fans.

Walk D overseas

Looks like former Jacksonville State standout basketball player Walker Russell Jr. (that's him pictured right) is heading to Spain.

According to the Journal Gazette in Fort Wayne, Ind., the guard has left the NBA's Developmental League (NBDL) to pursue the European dream.

He didn't get Walk D on the phone, but you can read the story here.

This all comes on the heels of this ... After two impressive performances this week, Fort Wayne Mad Ants' forward Sammy Mejia and point guard Walker Russell Jr. were named to the 2008 NBA D-League Showcase Honorable Mention Team.

In our quest to keep you, the reader, informed, I continued to search the internet for information. I found a Web site that had a story, only problem was it was in Spanish. I don't speak Spanish too well, despite spending the better half of my college career trying to learn it.

However, Google.com does this thing where it automatically translates the article for you. Below is the translation:

Walker Russell Jr arrives at MMT Students from the airborne magnetic detection Ants de Fort Wayne, equipment of the league of development of the NBA, the NBDL.

With this equipment it has divided equally 14.5 points, 2.8 bounces and 4.8 attendances by party. Russell Jr, bases of 1´83 been born the 6 of October of 1982, had begun the season forming part of the group of the New York Knicks of the NBA after to have convinced in the summer league, but it did not materialize in this tax exemption. One formed in the University of Jacksonville State, that disputes in Division I of the NCAA, the American university league.

In this equipment it played four seasons good level, something that the fact that demonstrates it continues being the player of Jacksonville State with more points (1.182), attendances (590), better percentage of shots free (84,2%) and divided played like titling (83) since they play in that category. After being chosen by any tax exemption of the NBA in draft of 2006 it did not prove in the leagues of summer of this league to obtain his first professional contract in the equipment Fort Worth Flyers of the NBDL, with which it divided equally 5.6 points and 3.6 attendances in 15 parties.

From there, that same campaign, marched to a destiny so little habitual as the Czech Republic, enlisting itself in the rows of the CEZ Nymburk, the present champion of the Czech league.

Walker Russell Jr is son of the player of the same name that played in the NBA in years 80 in the rows of equipment like Detroit Pistons, with Adrian Dantley, John Salley, Thomas, Dumars, Laimbeer... in which was the famous roots of "the Bad Boys".

In fact it even conserves good relation with Isiah Thomas, to whom it helps in the workings of ojeador for the New York Knicks. After passing the pertinent medical examination with the medical services of MMT Students, Walker Russell Jr will be to disposition of Velimir Perasovic to train with its companions and power to make debut if it needs in the party of the next Sunday before AXA FC Barcelona.