THURSDAY SPORTS: Leggett adds volunteer assistant; Extra-innings record set; Martin promotes coach

*Clemson Baseball Head Coach Jack Leggett announced the addition of former Tiger righthander Stephen Faris to the coaching staff as the volunteer assistant on Wednesday. Faris replaces former Tiger first-baseman Michael Johnson, who served as the volunteer assistant for the previous five seasons (2009-13). Faris will assist Associate Head Coach and Pitching Coach Dan Pepicelli with the pitching staff. Faris was a starting righthander on three Clemson teams (2004-06) before playing four seasons in the minor leagues.

*Fans of Major League Baseball got more for their money this year, but it had nothing to do with reduced ticket prices or cheaper ballpark food. On Tuesday night, the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Baltimore Orioles in ten innings to eliminate the O’s from playoff contention. That game was the 238th extra inning contest of the season, a new record.

*South Carolina head men’s basketball coach Frank Martin announced on Wednesday that longtime assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Matt Figger has been promoted to associate head coach for the Gamecocks’ program. Figger, who has over 20 years of coaching experience in various levels of the college ranks, will remain the recruiting coordinator as well.

*From the High School Scoreboard: Daniel defeated Walhalla 3-2 in volleyball on Wednesday. Seneca got past West-Oak 3-1. Lady Bobcats go to 7-1 overall, 5-1 in Western AAA.

*In the majors on Wednesday, a bench-clearing brawl in Atlanta after Milwuakee’s Carlos Gomez hit a home run in the first inning. Gomez was ejected for shoving Braves reserve outfieler Reed Johnson. Atlanta’s Freddie Freeman was ejected for charging Gomez. Reserve catcher Gerald Laird was also sent from the game. The Brewers went on to win 4-0.

*The Detroit Tigers won the AL Central for the third year in a row Wednesday night with a 1-0 win over the Minnesota Twins in Minneapolis.

*Paul Oliver, who played football at Georgia and spent four seasons as a safety with the San Diego Chargers, died Tuesday in Marietta, GA. Police in Cobb County say he committed suicide.

*Oracle Team USA is keeping the America’s Cup, defeating New Zealand in one of the greatest comebacks in sports history. The victory came in a winner-take-all final race Wednesday in San Francisco Bay, with Oracle captain Jimmy Spithill steering the 72-foot catamaran to its eighth straight win. The Oracle team — owned by software billionaire Larry Ellison — had looked all but dead in the best-of-17 races competition last week, after falling 8-1 to the New Zealand team, but they rallied and won an improbable eight races in row to win yachting’s premiere event 9-8.