60 On a bright, breezy spring Saturday at Koskinen Stadium, Duke men's lacrosse fans had many reasons to cheer, including the return and three goals of Collin Finnerty, a former Blue Devil who was one of three members of the 2006 Duke team. www.newsobserver.com/1068495 The strategy tackles the problems of a program that has 25 straight ACC losses. www.newsobserver.com/1068491 Their do-rags are pink. Their motorcycles are painted Volunteers orange. www.newsobserver.com/1068358 Kristine Bechtholdt hit a solo home run, and Lindsay Campana held one of the nation's top offenses to three quiet hits as N.C. State stunned No. 13 North Carolina 1-0 in the semifinals of the ACC Softball Tournament in College Park, Md., on Saturday. www.newsobserver.com/1068354 Freshman right-hander Jake Buchanan tossed a complete-game five-hitter, and Jeremy Synan and Nick Stanley hit three-run home runs on Saturday as the N.C. State baseball team defeated Maryland 12-1 to earn a split of their ACC doubleheader in College Park, Md. www.newsobserver.com/1068353 Cheer for years, then have your ashes scattered on the field of your favorite sports site. www.newsobserver.com/1067587 Right-hander Alex White struck out eight over six strong innings, and first baseman Dustin Ackley posted his second straight three-RBI game to lift No. 2 North Carolina to a 9-3 baseball win over No. 24 Virginia on Friday night in Charlottesville, Va. www.newsobserver.com/1067586 Undying support? It's no idle phrase for some who see death as no deterrent. www.newsobserver.com/1067585 A Florida football player was kicked off the team Friday after turning himself in on charges he used the gas credit card of a woman who was killed along with another player in a motorcycle accident. www.newsobserver.com/1067584 Scott Forbes had never been a pitching coach when he told North Carolina's Mike Fox, "I can do this." Three years later, UNC's pitchers are tops in the country in ERA (2.27) and strikeouts (483) because Forbes has convinced them that they can do it, too. www.newsobserver.com/1066492 N.C. State pitching coach Tom Holliday was chatting with a friend recently when it was casually mentioned that the Wolfpack was third in the nation in earned run average, behind North Carolina and California-Irvine. www.newsobserver.com/1066489 Duke and North Carolina are bitter rivals except, apparently, when it comes to reaching out to Vietnamese middle school students to show them the finer points of playing sports. www.newsobserver.com/1066481 When the ACC spring meetings begin Sunday at Amelia Island, Fla., discussions of expanded conference scheduling won't be limited to men's basketball. www.newsobserver.com/1066348 Danielle Spaulding lived up to her billing as the ACC Player of the Year on Thursday when she tossed the first perfect game in ACC Softball Tournament history en route to leading North Carolina to a 6-0 win over Virginia in the opening round of the t www.newsobserver.com/1066347 Mount Olive College's first No. 1 national ranking in any sport has the town buzzing. The Trojans have won multiple titles under coach Carl Lancaster, a Goldsboro native with a 717-353 record in 22 seasons. www.newsobserver.com/1065089 Ronnie Blow, who was introduced as St. Augustine's men's basketball coach Wednesday, hopes to diagram plays and draw up game plans that will lift St. Augustine's to championship status. www.newsobserver.com/1065083 Making an NFL team will prove challenging for rookie Alex Hall, yet at every juncture, despite his reserved demeanor, Hall has shown a fiery competitive spirit in seizing opportunity. www.newsobserver.com/1065081 In addition to hiring Nate James, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski promoted his other two assistants, Steve Wojciechowski and Chris Collins, to associate head coaches. www.newsobserver.com/1065021 Baseball team needs just 48 games to reach milestone. www.newsobserver.com/1065006 But NCAA President Myles Brand and other NCAA officials remain worried about men's basketball, which is up slightly after two years of declines. www.newsobserver.com/1063846 Outgoing Duke athletic director Joe Alleva has been serving two masters since he accepted the AD position at Louisiana State on April 4. www.newsobserver.com/1063680 Amanda Blumenherst was named ACC women's golfer of the year for the third straight season on Tuesday. www.newsobserver.com/1063677 Nate James, a captain on the 2001 NCAA title-winning Duke men's basketball squad, will be named the new assistant coach for the Duke men's basketball team, four sources confirmed for The News & Observer on Monday. www.newsobserver.com/1062423 The ECU men's basketball program will lose one scholarship for the 2008-09 season and will have to cut its weekly practice time because it failed to meet the NCAA's standard for academic progress. www.newsobserver.com/1062418 Nine ACC teams get NCAA bids. www.newsobserver.com/1062387 A Georgia Tech pitcher died last month from an accidental drug overdose, the medical examiner's office said Monday, but it has not been determined if heroin was involved. www.newsobserver.com/1062385 Downey charged with assault. www.newsobserver.com/1062384 Flanagan outruns Smith at Stanford. www.newsobserver.com/1062381 Marlins need young hurler to become more consistent. www.newsobserver.com/1062372 Duke senior Zack Greer set the NCAA all-time record for goals as the top-ranked Blue Devils closed the regular season Sunday with a 16-9 men's lacrosse victory over St. John's (2-11) at Koskinen Stadium in Durham. www.newsobserver.com/1061165 On a bright, breezy spring Saturday at Koskinen Stadium, Duke men's lacrosse fans had many reasons to cheer, including the return and three goals of Collin Finnerty, a former Blue Devil who was one of three members of the 2006 Duke team. www.newsobserver.com/1068495 The strategy tackles the problems of a program that has 25 straight ACC losses. www.newsobserver.com/1068491 Their do-rags are pink. Their motorcycles are painted Volunteers orange. www.newsobserver.com/1068358 Kristine Bechtholdt hit a solo home run, and Lindsay Campana held one of the nation's top offenses to three quiet hits as N.C. State stunned No. 13 North Carolina 1-0 in the semifinals of the ACC Softball Tournament in College Park, Md., on Saturday. www.newsobserver.com/1068354 Freshman right-hander Jake Buchanan tossed a complete-game five-hitter, and Jeremy Synan and Nick Stanley hit three-run home runs on Saturday as the N.C. State baseball team defeated Maryland 12-1 to earn a split of their ACC doubleheader in College Park, Md. www.newsobserver.com/1068353 Cheer for years, then have your ashes scattered on the field of your favorite sports site. www.newsobserver.com/1067587 Right-hander Alex White struck out eight over six strong innings, and first baseman Dustin Ackley posted his second straight three-RBI game to lift No. 2 North Carolina to a 9-3 baseball win over No. 24 Virginia on Friday night in Charlottesville, Va. www.newsobserver.com/1067586 Undying support? It's no idle phrase for some who see death as no deterrent. www.newsobserver.com/1067585 A Florida football player was kicked off the team Friday after turning himself in on charges he used the gas credit card of a woman who was killed along with another player in a motorcycle accident. www.newsobserver.com/1067584 Scott Forbes had never been a pitching coach when he told North Carolina's Mike Fox, "I can do this." Three years later, UNC's pitchers are tops in the country in ERA (2.27) and strikeouts (483) because Forbes has convinced them that they can do it, too. www.newsobserver.com/1066492 N.C. State pitching coach Tom Holliday was chatting with a friend recently when it was casually mentioned that the Wolfpack was third in the nation in earned run average, behind North Carolina and California-Irvine. www.newsobserver.com/1066489 Duke and North Carolina are bitter rivals except, apparently, when it comes to reaching out to Vietnamese middle school students to show them the finer points of playing sports. www.newsobserver.com/1066481 When the ACC spring meetings begin Sunday at Amelia Island, Fla., discussions of expanded conference scheduling won't be limited to men's basketball. www.newsobserver.com/1066348 Danielle Spaulding lived up to her billing as the ACC Player of the Year on Thursday when she tossed the first perfect game in ACC Softball Tournament history en route to leading North Carolina to a 6-0 win over Virginia in the opening round of the t www.newsobserver.com/1066347 Mount Olive College's first No. 1 national ranking in any sport has the town buzzing. The Trojans have won multiple titles under coach Carl Lancaster, a Goldsboro native with a 717-353 record in 22 seasons. www.newsobserver.com/1065089 Ronnie Blow, who was introduced as St. Augustine's men's basketball coach Wednesday, hopes to diagram plays and draw up game plans that will lift St. Augustine's to championship status. www.newsobserver.com/1065083 Making an NFL team will prove challenging for rookie Alex Hall, yet at every juncture, despite his reserved demeanor, Hall has shown a fiery competitive spirit in seizing opportunity. www.newsobserver.com/1065081 In addition to hiring Nate James, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski promoted his other two assistants, Steve Wojciechowski and Chris Collins, to associate head coaches. www.newsobserver.com/1065021 Baseball team needs just 48 games to reach milestone. www.newsobserver.com/1065006 But NCAA President Myles Brand and other NCAA officials remain worried about men's basketball, which is up slightly after two years of declines. www.newsobserver.com/1063846 Outgoing Duke athletic director Joe Alleva has been serving two masters since he accepted the AD position at Louisiana State on April 4. www.newsobserver.com/1063680 Amanda Blumenherst was named ACC women's golfer of the year for the third straight season on Tuesday. www.newsobserver.com/1063677 Nate James, a captain on the 2001 NCAA title-winning Duke men's basketball squad, will be named the new assistant coach for the Duke men's basketball team, four sources confirmed for The News & Observer on Monday. www.newsobserver.com/1062423 The ECU men's basketball program will lose one scholarship for the 2008-09 season and will have to cut its weekly practice time because it failed to meet the NCAA's standard for academic progress. www.newsobserver.com/1062418 Nine ACC teams get NCAA bids. www.newsobserver.com/1062387 A Georgia Tech pitcher died last month from an accidental drug overdose, the medical examiner's office said Monday, but it has not been determined if heroin was involved. www.newsobserver.com/1062385 Downey charged with assault. www.newsobserver.com/1062384 Flanagan outruns Smith at Stanford. www.newsobserver.com/1062381 Marlins need young hurler to become more consistent. www.newsobserver.com/1062372 Duke senior Zack Greer set the NCAA all-time record for goals as the top-ranked Blue Devils closed the regular season Sunday with a 16-9 men's lacrosse victory over St. John's (2-11) at Koskinen Stadium in Durham. www.newsobserver.com/1061165