t season.I think he feels more comfortable and confident offensiv

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- The Single-A Carolina League is expanding by two teams in 2017 while two teams in the California League will be contracted.Minor League Baseball president Pat OConner said Monday that the Bakersfield Blaze and the High Desert Mavericks will cease operations after the season, with Kinston, North Carolina, and another undetermined city receiving Carolina League teams.The Texas Rangers, whose advanced Class A farm team has been at High Desert for two years, will own the team that plays in Kinston next year. Bakersfield also has been a Seattle Mariners affiliate since 2015.The parent club, ownership and location of the other Carolina League team was not announced. Minor League Baseball says Fayetteville, North Carolina, officials have a memorandum of understanding for a stadium to open in 2019.We are happy that professional baseball will return to Kinston, and we are pleased with the steps Fayetteville has taken to bring professional baseball back to that great city as well, OConner said.Minor League Baseball says the Rangers and Kinston have a 12-year agreement to play at Grainger Stadium. Kinston was home to a Carolina League team from 1978-2011, and was a Cleveland Indians affiliate for the last 25 years of that run before that team moved to Zebulon, North Carolina, in 2012 and became the Carolina Mudcats.Fayetteville played host to Carolina League teams from 1950-56 and South Atlantic League teams from 1987-2000.High Desert owner Dave Heller said it is with great regret and reluctance that his team is being contracted, and blamed the city of Adelanto, California, for creating too much uncertainty for next season and beyond. Citing budget concerns, the city in March moved to evict the Mavericks from their publicly owned stadium. Paul Martin Jersey . The No. 1-ranked Nadal tweaked his back warming up for the Australian Open final, which he lost almost four weeks ago in a major upset against Stanislas Wawrinka. His first stop after the layoff is the clay in Rio as he tests the back and tries to stay healthy for the French Open in three months. Jonathan Quick Jersey .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. http://www.hockeyteamusajerseysolympic.com/Jimmy-Howard-Jersey/ . After Gasquet beat fifth-seeded Ivan Dodig of Croatia 7-5, 6-3, Tsonga followed up with a 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-2 win against sixth-seeded Edouard Roger-Vasselin in an all-French match. Blake Wheeler Jersey . Ibaka equaled a career high with 20 rebounds, adding four blocked shots and 15 points as the Thunder smothered the Milwaukee Bucks offence in a 92-79 victory Saturday night. James van Riemsdyk Jersey . Self was acquired from the Buffalo Bandits in a trade for Alex Hill midway through last season, and made his debut in Rochester on March 16, 2013. OKLAHOMA CITY -- Maybe life after Kevin Durant wont be so bad for the Thunder.After the longtime face of the franchise left for Golden State, crestfallen Oklahoma City fans were worried it was just a matter of time before the teams co-star, Russell Westbrook, would follow suit. In a move that shocked many, Westbrook re-signed with Oklahoma City. The former scoring champion and two-time All-Star MVPs return gives the team hope.New faces such as shooting guard Victor Oladipo and forward Domantas Sabonis, both acquired in the deal that sent Serge Ibaka to Orlando, might take some time to fit in. Westbrook believes the team is talented enough to succeed if it is focused and the new pieces blend with the old ones who helped the Thunder reach the Western Conference Finals last season.Just play hard, man, Westbrook said. I dont know, win or lose. The only thing I know is that as long as we play hard, we give ourselves an opportunity to win.Westbrook could post historic numbers. He averaged 23.5 points, 10.4 assists and 7.8 rebounds last season and had 18 triple-doubles, the most since Magic Johnson had 18 during the 1981-82 season. Without Durant, more of that could be on the way.Sabonis, a rookie out of Gonzaga who played for Lithuanias Olympic team, played with the starters throughout the preseason. Oladipo averaged 15.9 points and 4.0 assists in three years with Orlando. He joins Westbrook to form arguably the most athletic backcourt tandem in the NBA.Defensively, I think we can be the best defensive backcourt in the league because we can do different things with our size and using our length and our speed, Westbrook said.Here are some things to watch for the Thunder:STEVEN ADAMSThe 7-footer from New Zealand was already a top-notch defender and rebounder before stepping up his offense and averaging 10.1 points during the playoffs last season. In his final two preseason games, he scored 20 points against Minnesota and 17 points against Denver. He could be a breakout star.I think weve had an opportunity these last two nights (against Minnesota and Denver) how good he is around the basket, how smart he has become and how much of a presence he is in the middle, Westbrook said.ddddddddddddENES KANTERThe natural expectation was that Ibakas departure would prompt coach Billy Donovan to move Kanter, who finished third in balloting for the leagues sixth-man award last season, into the starting lineup. Instead, Donovan started Sabonis throughout the preseason. Perhaps Donovan knows best -- Sabonis showed he can hang with the starters, and Kanter averaged 17.8 points and 9.4 rebounds while shooting 61.7 percent in the preseason.DEFENSIVE DROPOFF?Oklahoma Citys defense could slip with Ibaka in Orlando. Sabonis has great potential, but hes young, and NBA defense takes some time to learn. Donovan said Sabonis has caught on quickly, but there still could be a dip early because Ibakas level of play is difficult to replace -- he was a three-time first-team All-NBA defender and a two-time blocks leader.FOREIGN EXCHANGEThe Thunder added several foreign players to the roster who will add depth -- Spains Alex Abrines, Frances Joffrey Lauvergne and Turkeys Ersan Ilyasova. Donovan said he likes the maturity foreign players add to a team. Abrines played for Spains national team that earned bronze medals at the Olympics. Lauvergne played for France in Rio.FORGOT ABOUT `DRE?Andre Roberson has shifted from the starting shooting guard to starting small forward. That means the Thunder still have Robersons dynamic athletic ability, defensive prowess and nose for the ball on the boards in the lineup. He was a liability on offense in the past, but he started becoming more of a factor on offense during the playoffs last season.I think he feels more comfortable and confident offensively, Donovan said. Hes put forth effort in that area. Its just him continuing to grow offensively and trying to put him in situations where he slashes to the basket and he can cut and he can get out in transition and he can take his open corner threes.---Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter (at)CliffBruntAP Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '