Cannon Nelson Sports

Markell Carter: Draft pick Carter agrees on 4-year deal

admin — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 15:26:27 +0000

Sixth-round draft choice Markell Carter, an outside linebacker/rush end from Central Arkansas, has agreed to terms on a four-year deal, agent Alvin Nelson of Cannon and Nelson Sports said Wednesday.

Nelson did not reveal terms of the deal. The slot in which Carter was drafted had a $2.19 million total allocation.

“We’re excited for Markell to live out his childhood dream and hopefully go in and help continue the success of the Patriots,” Nelson said.

Read Full Story

Bawcom Promoted to Rancho Cucamonga

admin — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 16:38:58 +0000

MIDLAND, Mich. – Loons right-handed pitcher Logan Bawcom has been promoted by the Dodgers to the High-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. Righty Scott McGough has been added to the roster from Ogden.

Bawcom did not allow a run in his last eight appearances (10 2/3 IP) and had an overall scoreless streak of 11 1/3 innings. He allowed one earned run in his last 16 appearances (18 2/3 IP, 0.48 ERA). Overall, Bawcom was 4-1 with a 2.78 ERA and 14 saves. In 45 1/3 innings, Bawcom struck out 56.

Patterson Red Hot in Loons Loss

admin — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 18:49:04 +0000

MIDLAND, MI – After a one-hour and 36-minute rain delay prior to first pitch, the Loons were unable to come away on top, losing 1-0 to the Burlington Bees Tuesday night despite a nine-inning two-hit pitching performance by starter Red Patterson.

The game’s only run came through in the top of the tenth inning as Burlington’s Josh Whitaker and Douglas Landaeta hit back-to-back singles before Yordy Cabrera grounded the ball to Loons shortstop Christian Lara, who flipped it to second for the first out. Then, trying to turn two to end the inning, Casio Grider chucked the ball towards first and past Chris Jacobs to allow the winning run in on the throwing error.

Though the Loons were unable to come away with the win, falling to 27-25 on the season, starting right-hander Red Patterson dominated Burlington over nine innings for a career night.

Read the rest of the story…

Los Angeles Dodgers prospect Logan Bawcom picks up confidence

admin — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 18:46:43 +0000

MIDLAND — Logan Bawcom watched patiently as Shawn Tolleson racked up save after save, giving the Great Lakes Loons the confidence of an automatic win every time he closed a game.

His patience paid off when Tolleson was promoted and the Loons went looking for another closer. In stepped Bawcom, who earned his 11th save of the season Saturday, closing out the Loons’ 7-6 win over Lansing.

Bawcom has converted 11 of 12 save opportunities.

Read the rest of the story…

Getting To Know The 2011 Sounds: Pitcher Daniel Meadows

admin — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 16:21:58 +0000

Taken from: Nashville Sounds

Name: Daniel Stuart Meadows

Nickname: Thunder Dan

Position: Left-Handed Pitcher

Hometown: Katy, Texas

Resides: Katy, Texas

School: Temple College Leopards

Sunflower Seeds or Bubblegum: Seeds

Favorite Music: Randy Rogers Band, Wade Bowen, and Garth Brooks

Music On My iPod: Country and Gangster Rap

Favorite Movies: Crazy Heart and Bull Durham

Favorite Actor: Jeff Bridges

What’s on TV: 16 & Pregnant, Criminal Minds, and Versus.

Favorite Food: Mexican

Favorite Cereal Cinnamon Toast Crunch

Favorite Restaurant: Pappasito’s Cantina

Favorite Cartoon as a Kid: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Favorite Professional Athletes Growing Up: Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio

Favorite Current Athlete In Another Sport: Andre Johnson

Most Memorable Baseball Moment: Getting drafted by Brewers in 2008

My Welcome to Professional Baseball Moment was: Having to pay clubhouse dues

My First Car was a: 1998 Ford F-150

My Dream Car is a: Cadillac Escalade

I Currently Drive a: 2007 Ford F-150

I’m Afraid of: Whales

My Favorite Place To Visit In Nashville: Country Music Hall of Fame

Favorite Ice Cream: Cookies & Cream

Last Book I Read: Getting To Heaven by Don Piper

Most Influential in Getting Me to Where I am Today: My Parents

Person Who Taught Me The Most: My Dad

Favorite MLB Team Milwaukee Brewers

Who Would Portray Me in a Movie About My Life: Matt Damon

Bookmarks: ESPN and Facebook

Funniest Teammate: Erick Almonte

My Dream Date: My Wife

Pregame Rituals and Superstitions: Pregame shower

If I Wasn’t Playing Baseball, I would be: Finishing school

Person I Would Like to Meet Outside of the Baseball World: George Strait

Favorite Original Nintendo Game: Duck Hunt

One Thing I Can’t Live Without: My wife

My hidden talent is: Hat tricks

Best Advice I Would Offer Kids Who Want To Play Professional Ball: Stay true to yourself and strong in your faith.

Most Underrated Baseball Skill Kids Should Learn: Throw off-speed pitches for strikes

My First Job and How Much I was Paid: Made minimum wage at Cold Stone Creamery

Best Prank I’ve Played On Someone: I put Icy Hot in someone’s shower shoes

Offseason Activities to Relax: Go fishing, hanging out with my wife and friends

If I Could Face Any Batter, it would be: Albert Pujols

Most Famous Person in my Cell Phone is: Lucas Luetge

Six LSU football players selected in 2011 NFL draft

admin — Sun, 01 May 2011 14:51:31 +0000

BATON ROUGE – Pep Levingston waited his turn and found his reward Saturday.

Levingston sat watching the entire NFL draft from his family’s home in Ruston, waiting for his name to be called. The Seattle Seahawks did the honors, making him the second player picked in the seventh round, and the 205th choice overall.

“It was rough,” Levingston said. “It’s one of those things where you’ve got to be patient. The whole time you’re thinking, ‘That’s it.’ It’s a nerve-wracking thing, but I’m blessed to be going to a good organization.”

The Seahawks’ selection of Levingston was the last of six LSU players being chosen by teams. It’s the fifth time in six years that at least that many Tigers have been selected.

Levingston, who is 6 foot 4 and 292 pounds, is listed as a defensive end and could serve as a backup for Seahawks end Red Bryant. Levingston played end at LSU until moving to tackle last season and projects as a five-technique end in the Seahawks’ 3-4 defense.

Is defensive end Markell Carter comfortable making the switch to outside linebacker?

admin — Sun, 01 May 2011 14:44:02 +0000

Sixth round pick Markell Carter sounds like he’s up for the challenge. The 6-4, 248-pound college defensive end, taken with the 194th pick, will switch to outside linebacker in the Patriots 3-4 defense.

Carter, who was visited by the Pats, and broke down film with the coaches, knew that move would likely be in the cards, so he instead of playing with his hand in the dirt, he’s been working on his pass rushing moves from a stand up starting position.

”It was something I started working on the week after the season ended – all of the stuff that I was kind of uncomfortable with at the beginning,” Carter said during a conference call with the media yesterday. ”That’s pretty much worked out. I worked on it for the past two and a half or three months really hard – two to three times a day, so just the repetition of working on my drops and getting into the film room and watching film of some of the good guys actually doing it and things like that and just trying to adapt my game to the way that they kind of do things.”

”I think I’ll be able to pick it up really easy just because I plan on going in there and working really, really hard,” Carter went on. ”I feel like hard work and determination will pretty much get you anywhere you need to be in life. I’m just going to go in there with that attitude and an open-minded attitude, ready to take coaching and ready to learn and get better.”

Carter, who played at Central Arkansas, indicated he’s been watching films of some noted pass rushers, and not just ones who play in a 3-4, just to try and get some pointers.

NFL draft: Seahawks draft LSU DE Lazarius ‘Pep’ Levingston in 7th round

admin — Sun, 01 May 2011 14:37:57 +0000

RENTON — With their first of their two seventh-round picks, the Seattle Seahawks opted for the guy with one of the cooler names in the draft: Lazarius Cortez ‘Pep’ Levingston, a defensive end from LSU.

My guess is that most people call him Pep.

Levingston played defensive end for three years before moving to defensive tackle as a senior. He most likely projects as a five-technique lineman in a 3-4 defense.

He had 70 career tackles and 15.5 tackles for loss, but didn’t record a sack in either of his last two seasons and had just three during his LSU career. Levingston’s NFL Combine profile described him as a likely rookie free agent prospect.

Read article: NFL draft: Seahawks draft LSU DE Lazarius ‘Pep’ Levingston in 7th round

MARKELL CARTER: ‘I AM VERY HAPPY THAT [THE PATRIOTS] CHOSE ME

admin — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 14:46:31 +0000

FOXBORO — Patriots’ sixth-round draft pick Markell Carter held a conference call with the New England media Saturday afternoon. Here are some of the highlights of that Q&A:

What was your reaction to getting drafted by the Patriots? Was it a surprise that it was them? Kind of take us through it a little bit.
They were one of the teams that came and worked me out, so it wasn’t really a thing where I was too surprised. But I wouldn’t say I expected them to pick me. I would say I am very happy that they chose me. I don’t think there’s a better organization that I could have gotten picked by.

You said they did work you out before?
Yes, sir.

Did you get an idea of what they liked from your game?
We actually sat down and we watched a couple of games of mine and went over some big board stuff on the chalkboard and formations and things like that. I had a brief overview of the positive things I did and the negative things I did, but there was no indication of ‘Yeah, we’re going to pick you’ or anything like that.

Read the interview: MARKELL CARTER: ‘I AM VERY HAPPY THAT [THE PATRIOTS] CHOSE ME

Patriots Draft UCA’s Carter

admin — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 14:41:24 +0000

CONWAY, Ark. _ For the third time in the past five years, a University of Central Arkansas defensive end had his named called at the NFL Draft.

Markell Carter joined former Bears Jacob Ford and Larry Hart as an NFL draftee on Saturday when he was taken with the 194th pick of the sixth round by the three-time Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. Carter, a 6-foot-3 1/2, 240-pounder from Bartlesville, Okla., was the first player chosen from the Southland Conference in the 2011 draft.

“They came and worked me out and I got on the board and talked football with them,’ said Carter, who was a two-time All-Southland Conference selection and a two-year starter at UCA. “The workout actually went really, really well. Then I woke up this morning and told my roommate, ‘I hope New England picks me up.’ That’s where I really wanted to be, and it worked out.

“There’s really not a better place to go if you want to elevate your game.’

UCA head coach Clint Conque said Carter is as deserving as anyone because of his character and work ethic.

Read article: Patriots Draft UCA’s Carter