From staff and wire reports

SEOUL — The Nexen Heroes, a team in the Korea Baseball Organization, announced the signing of former Catawba College slugger Jerry Sands on Tuesday.

Sands, 30, will be paid $100,00 for the 35 games remaining in the regular season.

Sands played in 156 major league games from 2011-16, batting .238 with 10 homers and 57 RBIs.

He was once considered the top hitting prospect in the L.A. Dodgers farm system. Sands reached the majors with the Dodgers and also played for the  Tampa Bay Rays, Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox.

In the minor leagues, Sands has pounded 180 homers and has driven in 609 runs with a .275 batting average.

Sands had been playing for the Sacramento River Cats, the Triple A team of the San Francisco Giants. He’d hit 16 homers this season between Triple A and Double A.

Sands is mostly a right fielder/left fielder, but he also can play first base.

He’s expected to arrived in South Korea Saturday or Sunday.  The Heroes are  53-56 and in the hunt for a playoff spot. To make room for Sands, the Heroes waived Michael Choice, a former first-round pick of the Oakland Athletics.

Local golf

DURHAM — Two local golfers, Michael Childress and Charlie Barr, are in the top 20 after the first round of the 14th Dogwood State Junior Championship at Duke University Golf Club.

Childress, a soon-to-be freshman at Richmond, is tied for 10th after a 2-over par 74.

Barr, a sophomore at Cannon School in Concord, shot a 75 and is tied for 19th place.

Peter Fountain, of Raleigh, and Attie Giles, of Pinehurst, lead the way with 2-under 70s.

The three-day event concludes on Thursday.

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The Corbin Hills Women’s Golf Association played its annual Mary Cobb McCombs Member – Member event on Tuesday.

The winner with the overall low net score was the team of Kristi Laton and Faye Cline.

Low gross in the First Flight  was won by the team of Beth Calhoun and Susan Morris.

In the Second Flight, low gross went to the team of Ruth Bowles and Sheryl Johnson, while low net  went to the team of Becky Isenhour and Carolynn Ries.

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Fifty-five GARS members played a Captains Choice at Corbin Hills.

Les Loman mde a hole-in-one on the 135-yard No.13 hole. He was playing with Larry Perrell, Donnie Burris and Scott Hay.

The first place team with a minus-10 was Larry Petrea, Tom Dodge, Ralph Brown and Tom Seamon.

The second-place team with a minus-9 was Allen Hammill, Floyd McVey, Mike Williams and Windsor Eagle.

The third-place team with a minus-8 was Buddy Barger, Gary Schenk, Bert Bollinger and David Scearce.

Jerry Teter had closest to the pin on No. 2,  and Tony Labarbera had the longest putt on No. 9.

College football

SALISBURY — Livingstone’s football team holds its first practice at 8:45 this morning in Alumni Memorial Stadium. Practices are open to the public.

Coach Daryl Williams said most of his 85 players arrived on Monday and have gone through two days of testing and conditioning.

“It’s great to get started and we’re excited about the upcoming season,” said Williams.

The Blue Bears are coming off a winless season in 2017 and Williams promises an intense pre-season camp for his team.

“We’ve changed a few things, including a new way to challenge the team,” explained Williams. “Everyone starts with a black stripe on his helmet and you have to earn a blue stripe by coming to work and being committed every day. And commitment means the work ethic, attitude and energy that you bring every day.”

Williams added that the team’s first scrimmage with pads will be held Sunday at 6:15 p.m., also in the stadium and open to fans.

Fall baseball

China Grove  Cal  Ripken League  fall baseball and softball sign-ups are at  Dale’s Sporting Goods in China Grove.

Sign up through the end of August. The cost is $50 per player.