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Local Roundup: SoCon announces ESPN3.com deal
SOCON

    SPARTANBURG, S.C. — The Southern Conference announced Monday that it has signed a four-year extension with ESPN3.com to deliver a minimum of 45 live regular season league games and conference championships per year.  The addition of games on ESPN3.com extends ESPN’s current four-year deal with the Southern Conference, which continues through the 2014-2015 season..
    ESPN3.com is currently available in more than 70 million households through computers, tablets and smart phones and in 25 million households via Xbox gaming consoles.
    As part of the agreement, the eight regular season football games that the league produces for public television will be made available through ESPN3.com. Additionally, eight regular season men’s basketball games along with the men’s and women’s basketball tournament semifinals and the championship game of the women’s basketball tournament will be delivered live.  The men’s basketball tournament championship game is already slated to be televised by either ESPN or ESPN2.
    The Southern Conference will also produce at least 25 events that will be exclusive to ESPN3.com.  Regular season games from football, basketball, baseball, softball, men’s soccer, women’s soccer and volleyball selected by the conference office and ESPN will be shown in addition to conference championship events.

134 Eagles make honor roll
SPARTANBURG, S.C. —Georgia Southern placed 134 student-athletes on the Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll for the 2010-11 academic year, as announced by the conference office on Monday.
    All 15 GSU sports were represented, with football boasting the most student-athletes on the list with 18. Swimming and diving was strongly represented with 17 honorees.
    The academic honor roll consists of student-athletes who participated in varsity sports at member institutions and posted a 3.0 grade point average or higher. They must have passed at least 24 hours in two semesters of classes or its equivalent for other academic calendars.
    Five Georgia Southern student-athletes posted a perfect 4.0 grade point average for the academic year including Moriah Bellissimo (Volleyball), Caroline Bevillard (Swimming & Diving), Sara Curry (Cross Country/Track & Field), Sebastien Felt (Men’s Tennis) and Brittani Martin (Cross Country/Track & Field).

GSU/'Bama game time set
The kickoff time for Georgia Southern's game against Alabama has been set for a 2 p.m. est start and it will air on Pay-Per-View inside the state of Alabama and on ESPN Game Plan outside the state. The other 10 Georgia Southern games' start times have already been released.

SBCPRD baseball and softball Tryouts
    The Statesboro-Bulloch County Parks and Recreation Department is committed to providing various levels of programming to meet the needs of the young athlete! For those wanting more competitive play in baseball and softball, the department has formed Around the Horn teams.
    Around the Horn team tryouts will be held on Saturday, Aug. 20 at Mill Creek Regional Park. There is no fee to tryout. However, the season participation fee is $400 once an athlete has been placed on the roster. 
    These competitive teams will travel to nearby tournaments that are USSSA sanctioned.
    Baseball teams are available for ages 10, 11,12,13 and 14 and under. Tryouts for the 10 & under division are at 1 pm on Mill Creek Field 8. The 11 & under division tryouts are at 1 pm and 12 & under division tryouts are at 2:30 pm on Mill Creek Field 9. Divisions 13 & under and 14 & under are at 2:30 pm on Mill Creek Field 6.
    The makeup tryout date for baseball will be on September 3 at the same times and locations.
    Softball teams are available for ages 12, 14, and 16 & under.  Tryouts for the 12 & under division tryouts are on Saturday, September 3 at 10am on Mill Creek Field 3. Tryouts for 14 & under and 16 & under are on September 3 at 11 am on Mill Creek Field 3.
    Around the Horn teams provide the youth in Bulloch County and surrounding areas the opportunity to participate in more competitive play in addition to regular league play in the spring.                For more information call Dadrian Cosby and Mitch Stafford at (912) 764-5637 or visit www.bullochrec.com.

Bus trips planned for GSU opener
    Georgia Southern football fans can now ride to Birmingham together when the Eagles open the 2011 season against Samford on Sept. 3rd.    
    Contact the Georgia Southern Athletic Foundation at (912) 478-5520 for more information. The GSAF is sponsoring a “Caravan to Birmingham” to watch the Eagles take on the Bulldogs at Seibert Stadium.
A bus will depart on game day from both Statesboro and Atlanta and will depart the stadium 30 minutes following the game. Fans making the trek from Statesboro will stay at the Marriott in Birmingham on Saturday night and then leave for home on Sunday morning. Please see the attached pdf for itinerary and prices.