BRADENTON, Fla.— Just hours before a scheduled arbitration hearing today, the Pittsburgh Pirates signed outfielder Nate McLouth to a three-year contract, with a club option for a fourth.

Financial details were not immediately available.

McLouth is in Phoenix, where his arbitration hearing was scheduled to be held. He is expected to return to Pirate City tonight.

Today is the Pirates' first full-squad workout. McLouth was the last unsigned player in Pirates camp.

Last season, he hit .276 with 26 home runs and 94 RBI, was named to the All-Star team and won a Gold Glove in center field.

SLIPPERY ROCK — The Slippery Rock High girls basketball team will take on Corry at 8 p.m. Saturday in the first round of the District 10 Class AAA playoffs at Slippery Rock University's Morrow Field House.The Rockets (16-6) finished second in Region 5. Corry (12-10) finished third in Region 6.

SLIPPERY ROCK — The Slippery Rock University women's basketball team will join a group of 1,500 women's college basketball programs nationwide participating in the 2009 Women's Basketball Coaches Association Pink Zone initiative.The Rock's Pink Zone event to benefit the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund will be held Wednesday at Morrow Field House as part of a basketball doubleheader with Lock Haven.The Rock women's team will wear pink shoelaces and pink T-shirts during the pregame warmup.The first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive a free pink wristband and fans are urged to wear pink to the game to show their support for breast cancer survivors and awareness programs.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Brett Rinker, 14, of Slippery Rock shot a second-round score of 74 to win his age group at the Plantation Junior Golf Tour tournament at Finley Golf Course at the University of NorthCarolina over the weekend.Rinker shot a 78 in the first round.