n the FCS might be anyones guess again this year.T

CHICAGO -- Although he had Byron Buxton lead off Sundays season finale, Twins manager Paul Molitor said beforehand he doesnt envision the talented rookie as a top-of-the-lineup hitter just yet.Molitor may need to reconsider.Buxton hit the games first pitch for an inside-the-park home run and Minnesota beat Chris Sale and the White Sox 6-3 in manager Robin Venturas final game with Chicago.According to MLBs Statcast, it took Buxton just 14.05 seconds to circle the bases, the fastest since it began tracking in 2015.Home to home, youre not going to see many guys do that time, Molitor said. If baseball was five bases, he probably would have been safe, too. He was gone.The speedy Buxton drilled Sales 93 mph fastball to center field, where Leury Garcia got turned around in pursuit. It landed over his head and bounced against the wall as Garcia fell awkwardly. Garcia complained of a sore hip and left an inning later.Out the box I just took off hard, Buxton said. I didnt know what would happen. Between first and second I saw he didnt catch it and said, `This is going to be interesting.Buxton, formerly the top prospect in baseball, hit .287 with eight homers and 22 RBI in 29 games after rejoining Minnesota on Sept. 1. It was a pivotal turnaround for the potential five-tool talent after batting .193 with minimal power prior to September.Miguel Sano added a three-run homer off Sale (17-10), who allowed five runs and six hits over five innings.Ventura said after the game that leaving was a personal decision. He was in the last year of his contract. The White Sox (78-84) finished their fourth straight losing season.I just feel its the right time, Ventura said. Its more of a personal decision than anything. I love being here. The organization means a lot to me. You can go as hard as you can and, really, the only thing you know is how you conduct your business and how you treat people. Im good with that.Jose Berrios (3-7) allowed one run and four hits in five innings. The Twins (59-103) closed with two straight wins after setting a team record for most losses since the franchise began play in Minnesota in 1961.Brandon Kintzler got the final three outs for his 17th save in 20 tries.Amid speculation Sale could be dealt in the offseason to start a rebuilding effort, the lefty got off to a bad start.After Sanos 25th homer in the third, Sale got out of further trouble and retired his final seven batters. He struck out six to leave him with 233 and a 3.34 ERA.Chicagos Jose Abreu singled to left in the third to become the seventh player to collect 100 RBI in each of his first three seasons in the majors.VENTURA OUT, WHOS NEXT?The Chicago Sun-Times reported Saturday that bench coach and former Cubs manager Rick Renteria will likely take over, but the team did not immediately announce a replacement. White Sox general manager Rick Hahn is scheduled to address reporters Monday.I think hes got a lot of qualities that Robin has. Maybe a little more vocal, outfielder Adam Eaton said of Renteria. He definitely will get his point across a little more, vocally.Ventura went 375-435 in five seasons with the White Sox. After an 85-77 debut in 2012 that wasnt good enough for the playoffs, Ventura suffered through four consecutive losing seasons.NO DOZIERTwins second baseman Brian Doziers season ended two home runs shy of a record and one RBI short of 100.Dozier sat out after exiting Saturdays game with right oblique soreness.If we were play for anything, Id be out there, Dozier said. But it would be dumb for me to go out there today.Dozier hit 40 of his 42 homers while playing second, two shy of the major league record at the position shared by the Braves Davey Johnson and the Cardinals Rogers Hornsby.UGLY YEARMolitor summed up the season as disappointing and surprised to have it blow up as quickly as it did.HITS & MISSESWhite Sox 3B Todd Frazier went 1 for 4 without an RBI to finish with 98. Frazier hit a career-best 40 homers, but batted only .225.UP NEXTTwins: The 2017 season opener is April 3 at home against Kansas City.White Sox: Will host Detroit on April 3 to open next season. Ted Ginn Jr Saints Jersey . The Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Rays, and Texas Rangers all won on Sunday meaning the Rangers will host the Rays in a play-in game on Monday. Bobby Hebert Saints Jersey .com) - The red-hot Los Angeles Kings will try to extend their winning streak to a season-high seven games when they visit the Edmonton Oilers for Sundays clash at Rexall Place. http://www.authenticsaintssportsonline.com/saints-tre-quan-smith-gold-jersey/ .C. -- Calgarys Kevin Koe did it the hard way again. Michael Thomas Jersey . Klitschkos management company says the bout will be the Ukrainian fighters 25th world championship fight. The 1.83-meter (6-foot) Leapai defeated the previously unbeaten Denis Boytsov in November to become the WBOs mandatory challenger. Sheldon Rankins Jersey .B. - Sebastien Auger made 44 saves as the Saint John Sea Dogs edged the visiting Acadie-Bathurst Titan 2-1 on Saturday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. (STATS) -- Last years best conference title race in the FCS might be anyones guess again this year.The Big Sky is so deep with talented teams that Northern Arizona was installed Tuesday as the preseason favorite even though it hasnt won the conference title in 13 years, and Southern Utah, last years champ, managed only seventh place.The 13-team Big Sky -- the largest FCS conference -- has two preseason polls, and the head coaches and media agreed Northern Arizona should hold the top spot. Portland State and Montana tied for second place in the coaches poll, while Montana was second and Eastern Washington third in the media poll.Its humbling and its an honor at the same, said Northern Arizona coach Jerome Souers, now in his 19th season with the Lumberjacks. To be considered among the elite of this conference … I have that much respect for our conferences and the coaches that are in it, the teams and the players. If one team has to wear it, maybe its our turn. But its always going to be defined in the outcome of competition through the fall.Over half the Big Sky teams were in contention for the conference title or an FCS playoff bid heading into the final weekend of the regular season last November. Northern Arizonas playoff bid was derailed by a 49-41 loss to Southern Utah, which captured its first Big Sky title after being picked eighth in the preseason poll.NAU, which finished 7-4 overall and 5-3 in the conference, returns four offensive players on the Big Sky preseason team. Sophomore quarterback Case Cookus, who was the STATS FCS Freshman Player of the Year after throwing 37 touchdowns, will have to manage the expectations after being a surprise on the national scene last year.Its execute -- thats the bottom line, he said, looking ahead to the season. Conference play begins Sept. 24. We watched the film, we watched all those games where we lost. It comes down to a few plays each game.I made a few mistakes in each of those games where it could have swayed the game each way. If we can cut down on those mistakes, were right there in playoff contention.And title contention. The Lumberjacks last tied for the Big Sky title in 2003, and although they have had four straight winning seasons, only their 2013 squad has advanced to the playoffs in the last 12 seasons.Portland State (9-3, 6-2), also a surprise last season, and Montana (8-6, 6-2) represented the parity-filled Big Sky in the playoffs along with Southern Utah (8-4, 7-1), the automatic qualifier.Perhaps there is another team that people dont see coming. But the same six teams precede Southern Utah in the two polls -- NAU, Portland State, Montana, Eastern Washington, North Dakota and Weber State. Each returns its starting quarterback, while SUU is replacing its starter, Ammon Olsen, as well as key players on defense.ddddddddddddBig games, we want em, Montana second-year coach Bob Stitt said of his perennial power. Its the team chemistry and really caring about each other thats going to get us to the top.Said Eastern Washington coach Beau Baldwin, whose team fizzled last season after winning three straight titles: It probably shook out in the end a little bit different than people thought it would. But you have to be ready knowing each week in this league is going to be a battle, and embrace the fact you are in a tough conference. We face a challenge each and every week.---=BIG SKY FOOTBALL PRESEASON POLLS=Head Coaches Poll1. Northern Arizona (8 first-place votes), 132 points2. (tie) Portland State (2), 1212. (tie) Montana, 1214. Eastern Washington (2), 1125. North Dakota (2), 1056. Weber State, 837. (tie) Southern Utah, 737. (tie) Montana State, 739. Cal Poly, 6610. Northern Colorado, 4311. Sacramento State, 3012. Idaho State, 2413. UC Davis, 23Media Poll1. Northern Arizona (8), 2872. Montana (7), 2833. Eastern Washington (5), 2694. North Dakota (2), 2625. Portland State (3), 2526. Weber State, 1747. Southern Utah, 1628. Montana State, 1579. Cal Poly, 15310. Northern Colorado, 11111. Idaho State, 5812. UC Davis, 5613. Sacramento State, 50---=BIG SKY CONFERENCE FOOTBALL PRESEASON TEAM=Offensive Player of the Year -- Cooper Kupp, WR, Eastern WashingtonDefensive Player of the Year -- Caleb Kidder, DE, MontanaOffenseQB -- Case Cookus, Northern ArizonaRB -- *John Santiago, North DakotaRB -- Chad Newell, Montana StateFB -- *Joe Protheroe, Cal PolyTE -- Steven Wroblewski, Southern UtahOG -- Cameron Young, Weber StateOG -- J.P. Flynn, Montana StateC -- Blake Porter, Northern ArizonaOT -- Jacob Julian, Northern ArizonaOT -- Calvin Steyn, Weber StateWR -- *Cooper Kupp, Eastern WashingtonWR -- Mike Sharp, Southern UtahWR -- Emmanuel Butler, Northern ArizonaDefenseDE -- Caleb Kidder, MontanaDE -- Davond Dade, Portland StateDT -- Chance Bearnson, Southern UtahDT -- Chuntony Johnson, Northern ColoradoOLB -- Mike Needham, Southern UtahOLB -- Mac Bignell, Montana StateILB -- Emmett Tela, Weber StateILB -- Manoah Pearson, Sacramento StateCB -- Xavier Coleman, Portland StateCB -- Taron Johnson, Weber StateS -- Cole Reyes, North DakotaS -- Yamen Sanders, MontanaSpecial TeamsPK -- Jonathan Gonzales, Portland StateP -- Tate Lewis, Southern UtahRS -- Ellis Onic II, Northern ColoradoST -- Hakeem Diggs, Northern Colorado* -- unanimous selection ' ' '