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| Stefaan Engels |
Former Michigan quarterback Tate Forcier will visit Arizona and four other programs this week as he weighs his next school, ESPN reported Saturday. Forcier threw for 2,647 yards and 17 touchdowns during two seasons with the Wolverines, much of it spent as a backup to Denard Robinson. Forcier's family has Pac-10 ties: His oldest brother, Jason, transferred to Stanford after starting his career at Michigan. Another brother, Chris, spent two years at UCLA before transferring to Furman.
Forcier isn't the only Division I quarterback considering the UA. Former Rutgers starter Tom Savage is considering six schools, including Arizona, Miami (Fla.) and Florida, the Miami Herald reported.
Arizona is currently without a clear starter for 2012, though that may change depending on transfers and what coach Mike Stoops decides to do with junior Matt Scott. Stoops said in a radio interview last week that he would like to redshirt Scott this fall, preserving a year of eligibility so he can play - and presumably start - in 2012.
Other UA sports
Shot putters shine in NM meet
Sophomore Julie Labonte led a 1-2-3 sweep in the shot for the University of Arizona No. 15 women's track and field team at the New Mexico Classic in Albuquerque.
Labonte's winning throw was 56 feet 8 1/2 inches.
On the men's side, UA freshman Bozidar Antunovic won his first collegiate competition with a throw of 59-2
• The UA's Ben Grado earned a spot in the U.S. Olympic trials by finishing sixth in the men's 3-meter final at the USA Diving Winter National Championships in Iowa City, Iowa.
Pima College
Softball team sweeps twinbill
Shortstop Katie Asher was 5 for 5 with two doubles and a home run Saturday, pacing the No. 12 Pima College softball team (10-2, 4-0 ACCAC) to a 10-0, 12-3 sweep of visiting Paradise Valley.
• Pima's baseball team improved to 3-0 with a 4-1, 11-1 sweep of No. 19 Western Nevada in Las Vegas.
• Deanna Daniels' 18 points and nine rebounds led No. 3 Pima (19-5, 12-3 ACCAC) over visiting Yavapai College 75-62. Guards Nadi Carey and Patricia Ramos helped with 15 and 13 points, respectively.
• Despite getting 21 points and 10 rebounds from Justin Chambers, Pima lost to visiting Yavapai College 80-75 in men's basketball.
Miscellaneous
Twins, lefty Liriano reach deal
MINNEAPOLIS - Left-hander Francisco Liriano and the Minnesota Twins agreed on a one-year, $4.3 million deal that avoids arbitration, the Twins announced Saturday.
Liriano, 27, went 14-10 with a 3.62 ERA for the Twins last season and started Game 1 of their playoff series against the New York Yankees.
He had scoreless streaks of 23 and 21 innings last season and won a career-high eight straight decisions from July 16-Sept. 4.
• In Las Vegas, Anderson Silva knocked out fellow Brazilian Vitor Belfort in the first round to successfully defend his UFC middleweight title for a record eighth time.
• In Antwerp, Belgium, Melanie Oudin and Bethanie Mattek-Sands of the United States lost their singles matches Saturday, giving Belgium a 2-0 lead in the first-round Fed Cup matchup.
Oudin lost to Australian Open winner Kim Clijsters 6-0, 6-4, and Mattek-Sands fell 6-1, 7-6 (6) to Yanina Wickmayer in the opening match.
Clijsters is the favorite to clinch the event today when she plays Mattek-Sands in reverse singles.
• In Santiago, Chile, Santiago Giraldo of Colombia and Tommy Robredo of Spain each rallied from a set down to win their semifinals and advance to today's final of the Movistar Open.
