SportsBriefs - this week it's all about NCAA basketball and pro baseball

NCAA Basketball Championship games tonight and tomorrow

Washington Post columnist John Feinstein says Butler has the talent to upset Duke in the NCAA championship game. USAToday makes it a question: Does Butler have what it takes to knock off Duke? Either way, the game is scheduled for 9:21 tonight. And if you have $20 to spare and want to watch the game in 3-D, the Royal Palm 20 movie theater is happy to oblige.

Tomorrow night is when the same hoopla comes to NCAA Women's Basketball, with UConn vs. Stanford. The UConn Lady Huskies have historically dominated women's college hoops to the point where one commentator asks, Should Connecticut Women's Basketball Be Disbanded? ESPN is a little more optimistic about Stanford's chances, with an article titled UConn-Stanford is next great rivalry.

So we have two great nights of competitive top-of-the-heap college basketball this week. What could be finer than that?

Baseball season opens

Last night the Red Sox beat the Yankees. Today and tonight you get to choose from 13 regular season baseball games, including the Bradenton-connected Pittsburgh Pirates at 1:35 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Tomorrow night, if you grew to love the Orioles during their first Sarasota spring training season, you can watch them play at 7:10 -- against the Rays. You can root for either side and still be in favor of the locals. Excellent!

Thursday at 7 p.m., the brand-new, much-awaited Bradenton Marauders play the Ft. Myers Miracle at McKechnie Field. And if you can't wait until then to meet your new minor league baseball team, players and coaches will be at the DeSoto Junction Goodwill (3611 1st St. in Bradenton) 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in Bradenton, at the Lakewood Ranch YMCA (5100 Lakewood Ranch Blvd.) 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., and at the Beach House Restaurant (200 Gulf Drive N., Bradenton Beach) Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

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