Sports Round-Up by Paul Beitler

Ball State slugger transfers to Taylor
UPLAND — Taylor University’s baseball team gained more firepower Thursday, when head coach Kyle Gould announced that Ball State first baseman Ian Nielsen had transferred to Taylor and will join the Trojans this fall.
During his freshman season at Ball State, Nielsen was named to the Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America Team and earned second team All-Mid-American Conference honors after being the only player to start all 51 games for the Cardinals. Nielsen tallied a .352 batting average, 15 doubles, and nine home runs. His 76 hits and 53 RBIs led all MAC freshmen.
Nielsen repeated as a second team All-MAC selection this past season, when he batted .328 with 11 home runs, nine doubles and 58 RBIs. In 109 career games, he has 46 multi-hit games and 28 multi-RBI efforts.
The math education major and Lilly Scholar is also accomplished in the classroom, having been named Academic All-MAC and ESPN The Magazine First Team Academic All-District during the 2009-10 season with a 3.83 grade-point average.
Nielsen, a LaPorte High School graduate, will have two years of eligibility remaining.
Nielsen currently is playing with the Chillicothe Paints of the Prospect League in Chillicothe, Ohio. Through 50 games, he is leading the Paints with 10 home runs and is second on the team with 48 runs batted in.

Bluffton MS football to begin
The first practice for Bluffton’s 7th- and 8th-grade football teams will be Friday, Aug. 13, at 3 p.m. Equipment will be issued at that time. Students must have a completed physical form on file in the school office in order to practice.

Sign up for Parlor City Trot races
Runners may register for the 36th Parlor City Trot presented by Bluffton Regional Medical Center. Race date is Saturday, Sept. 4. Starting time is 7:30 a.m. Participants may choose between three events: a half-marathon (13.1 miles), a 10-mile run or a 10-kilometer run.
Registration may be completed on-line at runrace.net or forms may be picked up at FPC and YMCA in Bluffton for mail-in registration. Any questions may be addressed to Mac at 260-450-1071 or e-mail at macmcavoy@gmail.com.