Center of attention

Navarre High graduate Sterling Lovelady (’11) is competing with fellow Florida State sophomore Austin Barron for the Seminoles’ starting center job, according to a position review of the offensive line published Thursday at Seminoles.com. The 6-foot-2-inch, 277-pound Lovelady played in six games last year as a true freshman.

The Pensacola Blue Wahoos have received right-handed pitcher Chad Rogers from Bakersfield to fill the vacancy created by J.C. Sulbaran’s trade to the Kansas City Royals’ organization.

Rogers, 23, was 6-4 in 21 starts with the Blaze this season. He pitched 111 1/3 innings, striking out 88 batters and walking 29 and compiling a 3.15 earned-run average. His ERA was third-best in the Advanced-A California League when he was promoted.

Rogers, from Galveston, Texas, was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 28th round of the 2010 draft out of Galveston Junior College. He is expected to start on the road Friday in the series opener against the Huntsville Stars.

The first-year Wahoos are the Reds’ Double-A affiliate.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Gulf South Conference coaches picked the University of West Florida men’s soccer team to finish first in the league’s preseason coaches’ poll announced today. The Argonauts topped the poll for the 11^th consecutive season. Defending Gulf South champion Christian Brothers University of Memphis, Tenn., was the runner-up.

UWF’s women’s soccer team was second in the coaches’ poll. Defending champion North Alabama nipped the Argonauts by three points and third-place Valdosta State by 17.

Several Argonauts also were named to the men’s and women’s preseason all-conference teams. Forwards Frank Cope and Stephen Munoz, midfielders Richard Dixon and Nick Salafrio, and defender Trey Kramer represent West Florida on the preseason men’s squad.

Three Argonauts, defenders Daniela Cruz and Rachel Cutts, and midfielder Monica Malavassi, were selected for the women’s preseason team.

The Argonauts’ men will open the season Sept. 1 at Saint Leo University in central Florida and host Rollins College on Sept. 7.

The UWF women start their season Sept. 1 against Mount Olive and play Belmont Abbey two days later. Both games will be played at Dahlonega, Ga. The 2012 home opener will be against Rollins on Sept. 7.

For information on all UWF athletics, visit www.GoArgos.com.

Dejon Funderburke, one of the area’s best high school football players, plans to play his senior season for the Milton Panthers.

The 6-foot, 180-pound Funderburke, who has committed to play collegiately for the University of South Alabama in Mobile, will join Florida State commitment Isaiah Jones. The duo could be one of the top receiver tandems in the state. Funderburke caught 31 passes for 720 yards and seven touchdowns and ran for 362 yards and four scores as a junior for Pensacola’s Washington High School in 2011. He has lived with his uncle in Milton for three months.

Jones is 6-4, 210, and caught 33 passes for 462 yards and five touchdowns last season.