Praying for Cristin. We’re keeping tabs on a sad situation in Katy, Texas, where former Baylor softball standout Cristin Vitek is battling for her life in a local hospital. Vitek contracted bacterial pneumonia that got into her blood and caused her kidneys to fail. She began dialysis on Tuesday and as of last report, was continuing to fight. Vitek was an all-Big 12 performer and still holds the NCAA single-game strikeout record with 28 in a 16-inning win over North Carolina. The Baylor community has rallied around Vitek and is running an emotional prayer thread for her on the fans’ message board. We’re praying for her here as well.

How poetic. Did you know that the Whittier College nickname is “Poets?” Isn’t that outstanding? The college is named after poet John Greenleaf Whittier and the mascot is Johnny Poet. I don’t know Johnny, but it seems that he would be the intellectual sort. Whittier is a Division III school in California, and along with its poetic name, is also the place Richard Nixon called home before he became president, got involved with Watergate, etc. Nixon played football for the Poets, and if his televised debated with JFK in 1960 is any indication, he was one sweaty dude on the gridiron.

Who’s Peyton? Colorado Rockies first baseman Todd Helton had his number retired by Tennessee on Wednesday. Helton, who wore No. 3 during his diamond days in Knoxville, is the first baseball player to have his number retired by the university. A superb athlete, Helton wore No. 2 on the football field, where he was the starting quarterback for the Volunteers before an injury paved the way for some kid named Peyton Manning. No word on how that turned out for both of them.

Rematch it. At 19-2, Michigan State’s men’s basketball team is out to the best start in school history. Just a reminder – the Spartans lost in the preseason to Division II power Grand Valley State. The Lakers have done reasonably well this season, and are currently ranked second in the country with a 23-0 record after last night’s win over Hillsdale. Who would win the rematch if they played today?