Hammond, Rice highlight NBC’s Olympic team; USA baseball team for Beijing includes LaPorta

NBC-TV on Wednesday announced its 106-person on-air roster for the Beijing Olympics.

Bob Costas returns for his seventh Olympics as primetime host.

Lexington’s Tom Hammond will call the track and field action for a fifth consecutive Olympics. Dwight Stones, Carol Lewis and Lewis Johnson return as analysts. Ato Bolden and Ed Eyestone are new analysts. Bob Neumeier will be reporting, and Craig Masback will analyze the men’s marathon.

Kenny Rice of Lexington will handle equestrian play-by-play, with Melanie Smith-Taylor doing the analysis.

Former Cincinnati Bengals receiver Cris Collinsworth, now of Fort Thomas, will serve as Olympic correspondent, providing “on-the-scene” reports throughout Beijing.

Former Morehead resident Joe Magrane will serve as baseball analyst, with Eric Collins doing the play-by-play.

LaPorta heads USA Baseball roster

The U.S. Olympic baseball team was unveiled Wednesday. Davey Johnson is the manager.

Included on the roster is former Florida standout Matt LaPorta, the key cog in Milwaukee’s recent trade with Cleveland that brought C.C. Sabbathia to the National League.

The Team USA Roster

Name                                  Pos.   B/T   Ht.      Wt.      School                                Hometown

	Anderson, Brett	P	L/L	6-4	215		N/A	Midland, TX
	Arrieta, Jake	P	R/R	6-4	225		Texas Christian U	Farmington, MO
	Barden, Brian	IF	R/R	5-11	185		Oregon State	Templeton, CA
	Brown, Matthew	IF	R/R	6-0	200		N/A	Bellevue, WA
	Cahill, Trevor	P	R/R	6-3	195		N/A	Oceanside, CA
	Donald, Jason	IF	R/R	6-1	190		Arizona	Fresno, CA
	Espineli, Geno	P	L/L	6-4	195		Texas, TCU	Houston, TX
	Fowler, Dexter	OF	S/R	6-4	175		N/A	Atlanta, GA
	Gall, John	OF	R/R	6-0	195		Stanford	Stanford, CA
	Hessman, Mike	IF	R/R	6-5	215		N/A	Fountain Valley, CA
	Jepsen, Kevin	P	R/R	6-3	215			Anaheim, CA
	Knight, Brandon	P	L/R	6-0	195		Ventura JC, CA	Oxnard, CA
	Koplove, Mike	P	R/R	6-0	160		Delaware	Philadelphia, PA
	LaPorta, Matt	OF	R/R	6-2	210		Florida	Port Charlotte, FL
	Marson, Lou	C	R/R	6-1	200			Scottsdale, AZ
	Neal, Blaine	P	L/R	6-5	240		N/A	Marlton, NJ
	Rasmus, Colby	OF	L/L	6-2	195		N/A	Columbus, GA
	Richard, Clayton	P	L/L	6-5	240		Michigan	Lafayette, IN
	Stevens, Jeff	P	R/R	6-2	205		Loyola Marymount	Berkeley, CA
	Strasburg, Stephen	P	R/R	6-5	215		San Diego State	San Diego, CA
	Teagarden, Taylor	C	R/R	6-1	200		Texas	Dallas, TX
	Tiffee, Terry	IF	S/R	6-3	215		Pratt CC, KS	North Little Rock, AR
	Weathers, Casey	P	R/R	6-1	200		Vanderbilt	Elk Grove, CA