Red Sox’s Mookie Betts bounces from baseball to bowling

Mike Organ | USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee

As a center fielder for the Boston Red Sox, former Overton star Mookie Bettshas plenty of statistical data — batting average, RBIs, strikeouts, steals and fielding percentage — to tell him how well he is performing.

As a bowler, he relies on a simpler method.

“Once baseball season ends, I come home and my mom can beat me in bowling for about two weeks,” Betts said. “Then once I get two weeks of practice in, she can’t hang with me anymore. As long as I can beat my mom, everything is good.”

Betts and his mother, Diana Benedict, might have an intense rivalry, but they’ve also teamed up to sponsor a local bowling tournament, which began Saturday and wraps up Dec. 12.

It’s called the Celebrity Bowling Classic and takes place at Donelson Strike and Spare. Former Titans safety George Wilson is also bowling.

Proceeds from the tournament, which is full, go to charity.

Betts knew in high school he probably would become a professional athlete. He just wasn’t sure whether it would be in baseball or bowling.

He also played basketball at Overton but was more of a standout in baseball. He hit .509 with 39 RBIs and 29 stolen bases while leading the Bobcats to a 31-5 record as a senior.

As a bowler, he was The Tennessean Bowler of the Year in 2010 after posting a 221.4 average and leading the Bobcats to a 16-3 record and the state quarterfinals.

After playing in 52 games for the Red Sox in 2014, Betts became an everyday player in 2015. He posted a .291 batting average with 18 home runs, 77 RBIs, 92 runs scored and 21 stolen bases.

Playing pro baseball naturally has taken a toll on Betts’ bowling because he has far less spare time during the season.

But his game has come back quickly. He rolled a 300 last week at Donelson Strike and Spare while practicing for the Celebrity Classic.

“I think that was my fourth 300 game,” said Betts, who bowled two perfect games in high school. “I’m pretty close to being as good as I was before I started playing pro ball. I’m about as good as I’m going to get right now. I just need more practice. My focus is in so many different places with having to get ready for my profession. Even though we’re not in season, I’m still lifting weights and hitting and all of those different kind of things.”

Betts, who won his first bowling tournament at age 8 in Murfreesboro, still manages to spend a lot of time on the lanes this time of the year.

He practices every other day and also fills in each week for players in some of the local leagues in which his mom plays. He also participates in several tournaments.

The day after the Celebrity Classic, Betts will participate in the biggest bowling event of his life, the Professional Bowlers Association World Series of Bowling VII in Reno, Nev.

He will compete against more than 200 of the best bowlers in the world. The top 24 advance to single-elimination match play, and the top six to the finals Dec. 17, which will be televised live on ESPN (6 p.m.).

“I am really excited about that,” Betts said. “It’s going to be a big challenge, but I’m looking forward to it.”

Ex-Tech assistant leads Edmonton to CFL title

Former Tennessee Tech assistant coach Chris Jones led Edmonton to the Canadian Football League’s Grey Cup title, 26-20 over Ottawa on Sunday.

Jones was a graduate assistant at Tech (1995-96) and then the defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator (1999-2001). He also was the defensive line coach at UT Martin (1998).

This was his second year with the Eskimos.

Edmonton’s offensive coordinator is former Oakland High and Middle Tennessee State standout lineman Stephen McAdoo.

McAdoo also coached tight ends at MTSU (1996-98) and offensive line/tight ends at Tennessee Tech (1992-95, 1999-2002).

Former MTSU grad assistant now Cubs hitting instructor

Former Middle Tennessee State graduate assistant coach Andy Haines was hired this week as the Chicago Cubs’ minor-league hitting instructor.

He spent the past two seasons as manager of the Triple-A New Orleans Zephyrs in the Pacific Coast League.

In his new role, Haines will supervise eight hitting coaches in Chicago’s system.

Titans will recognize former Vandy shortstop Swanson

Former Vanderbilt standout shortstop Dansby Swanson will serve as the 12th Titan Sword of Honor for Sunday’s game at Nissan Stadium against Jacksonville.

Swanson, the No. 1 pick in the 2015 draft, signed a $6.5 million contract with Arizona.

The 12th Man is the Titans’ way of honoring a person with ties to Tennessee at each home game.

Author to sign new Predators book

Justin Bradford will sign his recently released book “Nashville Predators: The Making of Smashville” during the team’s game Thursday against the Blackhawks at Bridgestone Arena.

Bradford also will have a signing 1-2 p.m. Dec. 12 at Barnes & Noble in Brentwood.

Former Pearl-Cohn kicker named to All-SWAC team

Former Pearl-Cohn kicker Ryan Deising, now a senior at Jackson State, made the All-Southwestern Athletic Conference first team and earned the Jackson (Miss.) Touchdown Club Senior Most Valuable Player Award.

Deising set several school records, including most field goals in a season (18), career field goals (53), longest field goal (50 yards) and career extra points (125) .

Goodpasture sixth-grader returning to Augusta

For the third consecutive year, Kynadie Adams from Gallatin has qualified for the Drive, Chip & Putt Championship for junior golfers at Augusta National Golf Club.

Adams, 11, a sixth-grader at Goodpasture Christian School, made it to the finals of the tournament last year and the second round in 2014.

The tournament is April 3, 2016, and will be broadcast on the Golf Channel.

Titans TV ratings make big jump vs. Raiders

The Titans game last Sunday against the Raiders at Nissan Stadium earned a 24.0 local television rating.

That was the highest rating for a Titans game since Week 3 (Sept. 27) when Indianapolis won 35-33 at Nissan Stadium.

It was 3.8 points higher than the previous week against Jacksonville.

Former Vandy pitcher Minor now a free agent

Former Forrest High and Vanderbilt left-handed pitcher Mike Minor, 27, became an unrestricted free agent after being non-tendered by the Atlanta Braves before the deadline Wednesday.

Minor has struggled to pitch effectively over the past two seasons after being at the top of the Braves rotation in 2013.

He had a 4.77 ERA in 145-1/3 innings in 2014 and then missed the 2015 season after undergoing shoulder surgery.

Baseball coach’s son signs with Belmont

If the name of Belmont’s latest baseball signee, Logan Jarvis, sounds familiar, it should.

He is the son of Bruins coach Dave Jarvis.

Logan is a senior infielder/outfielder at Franklin. He batted .348 as a junior last season.

Basketball court to be named in honor of Shelton

A ceremony will take place at 6 p.m. Friday to name the basketball court at M.L. King Magnet School in honor of two-time state champion boys coach James “Doc” Shelton.

Shelton led M.L. King to the Class A championship in 1991 and the Class AA title in 1996.

The Royals made it to the state tournament seven times under Shelton, who retired in 2014 after 26 years as a head coach in Metro and went into full-time ministry at Progressive Church in Murfreesboro.

Ex-Commodore named associate AD at Columbia

Former Vanderbilt defensive back Anthony Azama is the new senior associate athletic director for external operations at Columbia University.

Azama played at Vanderbilt from 1994-97.

He spent the past nine years at Miami (Ohio) University as assistant athletic director for marketing sales and licensing and also as director of marketing and sales.

Longtime coach Spears now teaching phys ed

Longtime Metro football coach Bubba Spears has come out of retirement and is working on a 120-day contract at DuPont Tyler Middle School.

Spears, 58, is teaching physical education.

The former Stratford quarterback actually did his student teaching in 1979 at DuPont, which at the time was a high school.

He went on to spend 34 years coaching at Stratford, Antioch, McGavock, Hunters Lane, East Nashville and Hillwood before retiring in 2013.

Holt promoted again at Austin Peay

Cheryl Holt, who has coached four sports at Austin Peay, was promoted from assistant athletics director to associate athletics director Friday.

Holt coached volleyball (1982-2004), tennis (1983-1985) and softball (1987-1987). She also has served as a women’s basketball assistant.

In 2010, the Governors’ softball field was renamed in Holt’s honor.

She became senior women's administrator in 1997 and assistant athletics director in 2003.

Military appreciation night at Trevecca

Trevecca will trade in its purple for red, white and blue Thursday when the Trojans play Saint Joseph’s College.

It will be Military Appreciation Night, and all fans are encouraged to wear red, white and blue for the 7 p.m. tipoff.

Military personnel and their families will be admitted free.

Members from the Tennessee Army National Guard will present the colors, and Nashville recording artists Exit 219 will perform the national anthem.

Mary “MC” Potts, a soldier in the 129th Army Band, will sing “God Bless America” at halftime.

If you have an item for Midstate Chatter, contact Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 and on Twitter @MikeOrganWriter.

SPORTS ON NASHVILLE TV

The top five local ratings for sporting events on television for Nov. 23-29.

1. NFL: Raiders-Titans, 24.0 rating

2. NFL: Steelers-Seahawks, 19.5 rating

3. NFL: Panthers-Cowboys, 15.9 rating

4. NFL: Patriots-Broncos, 15.5 rating

5. NFL: Bears-Packers, 14.7 rating

SEC Network ratings are not available. Each rating point is equal to 9,902 Nashville homes.

Source: Mark Binda, WTVF-5 program & research director