Matt Adams, who batted .300 with 32 home runs and 101 RBI in Class AA Springfield last season, has been selected as the St. Louis Cardinals' 2011 Minor League Player of the Year.

Adams, a former Slippery Rock University student and standout baseball player, also was the 2011 Texas League Player of the Year.

Adams, a left-handed-hitting first baseman, set Springfield frachise records in home runs and RBI. He was one of only two players in all of the minor leagues to post a .300 average with more than 30 home runs and 100 RBI.

SLIPPERY ROCK — Brandon Watters, a junior free safety, led a group of three Slippery Rock University football players on the All-Super Region team, which was announced Wednesday.Watters earned first-team honors.As a first-teamer, Watters is eligible for All-American honors.Junior center Austin Fedell and sophomore punter James McCombie were selected to the second team.

SLIPPERY ROCK — Slippery Rock University women's soccer standout Emer Flatley was named to the honorable mention team of the NCAA Division II All-American team Tuesday.Flatley, a junior from Galway, Ireland, anchored a defense for The Rock that put together a streak of 11 shutouts this season. That stretch was the fifth-best in Division II women's soccer history.Flatley also had three assists this season.

ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Anaheim Ducks fired coach Randy Carlyle and hired former Washington coach Bruce Boudreau, who was dismissed by the Capitals just two days earlier.The Ducks made the abrupt move after beating Montreal 4-1 for the club's third victory in 19 games, snapping a seven-game skid.

NEW YORK — NBA teams began talking to agents as the lockout inched closer to its end, and basketball moved back into focus.Dwight Howard and Chris Paul were linked to trade speculation, while free agents such as Tyson Chandler and Nene also were in the news.The league hopes to open training camps and free agency by Dec. 9, leaving both sides scrambling to get business finished in time.The lawsuits have been settled, contingent upon the ratification of a new collective bargaining agreement by Dec. 9.<B></B>