Bears silence MU bats

The Missouri baseball team matched a season low with three hits Tuesday night, losing to Southwest Missouri State 2-1 in Springfield.

Missouri (30-11) has lost its last two games against the Bears (13-25), who now lead the all-time series with MU 17-16.

Trevor Helms scored the No. 14 Tigers’ lone run on a wild pitch in the sixth inning.

LATHROP & GAGE STUDENT ATHLETES: Missouri sophomore softball player Leanne Bowers and redshirt freshman track decathlete Hans Uldal were named the Lathrop & Gage student athletes of the week Tuesday.

Bowers, a .349 hitter, has a 3.87 grade point average in the school of business. The Tigers’ center fielder leads the team with 11 stolen bases and 43 runs scored.

Uldal, a communications major, has a 3.3 GPA. He is ranked third in the world in the decathlon.

STEROIDS: Seattle Mariners minor league outfielder Jamal Strong was suspended for 10 days Tuesday, making him the fourth player to test positive under major league baseball’s new policy on performance-enhancing drugs.

Strong, who played 12 games for Seattle in 2003, was with Triple-A Tacoma this season. The speedy leadoff man hit .235 with three RBIs through 12 games.

Texas minor league pitcher Agustin Montero was suspended for 10 days last week under the new policy.

Tampa Bay outfielder Alex Sanchez was the first player suspended under the new major league program, starting his 10-day ban on April 3. Colorado outfielder Jorge Piedra was suspended for 10 days starting April 11.

HIGH SCHOOL HOOPS: Greg Oden, a 7-foot junior considered by many as the nation’s top high school basketball player, has narrowed his choices to Indiana, Ohio State, Michigan State and Wake Forest.

Oden led Lawrence North to its second straight Indiana Class 4A championship last month and was chosen national player of the year by USA Today, Gatorade and Parade magazine. Projected as a top NBA draft pick next year, he has said repeatedly he wants to play college ball.

He and teammate Mike Conley, a 6-1 point guard also considered one of the top players in the class of 2006, visited Wake Forest last weekend.

Conley, the son of former Olympic triple-jump champion Mike Conley, listed Wake Forest, Ohio State, Illinois, North Carolina and Arkansas as his possible choices.

GOLF COMEDY: Watch out for the slice — Ray Romano is on the tee.

Romano isn’t even off the air with “Everybody Loves Raymond,” but he’s already lined up his next project: an HBO special with buddy Kevin James.

James, of CBS’ “The King of Queens,” and Romano will document their attempt to make the cut at the annual pro-amateur golf tournament at Pebble Beach, Calif. The behind-the-scenes special will debut on HBO on June 18.

“We all dream of playing center field for the New York Yankees in the World Series,” Romano said. “Most people will never get that opportunity. Yet for one day, if you make the cut at Pebble Beach, you can play in the final round of a major professional event.”