COLLEGES

Maine bids to host hockey regionals in Portland

The University of Maine and the Maine Sports Commission have partnered to submit a bid to the NCAA to host the East Regional hockey tournament in 2019, 2020 and 2021, according to WCSH-TV.

The event would be held at Cross Insurance Arena in Portland.

Maine hasn’t hosted an NCAA hockey tournament game since the regional format was introduced in 1992, but the university previously announced its interest in submitting a bid when it hosted the Ice Breaker tournament in Portland last October.

Cross Insurance Arena already is scheduled to host the America East women’s basketball tournament in 2017 and 2018.

BASEBALL: Southern Maine Community College has hired Gray native Jordan Yanni as its head coach.

Yanni had been serving as the assistant varsity coach at Windham High.

He played college baseball at West Virginia Wesleyan and Southern Maine.

FOOTBALL: Mississippi running back Jordan Wilkins has been ruled ineligible for the upcoming season because he has not met NCAA standards for progress toward a degree.

MEDIA

WEEI: John Dennis, co-host of the popular Dennis and Callahan morning show, is leaving the program because of health reasons, the station said in a press release Thursday evening.

Dennis, who has hosted the show since 1997, was advised by doctors to reduce his workload, according to the statement. He will remain with the station in a part-time role.

His longtime partner, Gerry Callahan, will continue co-hosting the show with Kirk Minihane, who has been a part of the show since 2013.

BASEBALL

LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES: Joaquin Tejada allowed one hit and struck out nine in 41/3 innings, Carlos Gonzalez had three RBI and Panama beat Mexico 10-2 in the opening game at South Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

• Ryan Harlost had three hits, four RBI and pitched five scoreless innings to help New York beat Rhode Island 7-2.

• Clayton Campbell pitched five scoreless innings and had one RBI to help Australia beat Italy 3-1.

• Robert Carroll hit a walk-off, two-run double with two outs in the sixth and Tennessee rallied past Oregon 3-2.

GOLF

PGA: Rested after finishing fifth in the Rio Olympics, Rafa Cabrera Bello shot a 7-under 63 in the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield in Greensboro, North Carolina, for a share of the first-round lead with Kevin Na.

EUROPEAN TOUR: Ryan Evans birdied the 18th hole for a 6-under 66 and a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Czech Masters in Vysoky Ujezd.

U.S. AMATEUR: Michigan sophomore Nick Carlson won two matches on the 19th hole at Oakland Hills to advance to the quarterfinals in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

TENNIS

WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN: Rafael Nadal showed the rust from his layoff with a wrist injury, losing 6-1, 6-3 to Croatia’s Borna Coric at Mason, Ohio.

The 19-year-old Coric reached the quarterfinals of a Masters tournament for the first time.

hockey

NHL: College free agent defenseman John Gilmour agreed to a contract with the New York Rangers. Gilmour had nine goals and 14 assists last season at Providence.

– From staff and news services