Games In Baltimore

SCENE FROM Oriole Park, Game One of the ''wild card'' playoffs. Section 372, the nose-bleed seats in left field. A cute family of four is decked out in Cleveland Indians' attire. A little boy holds up a handmade sign of Chief Wahoo, his team's politically incorrect mascot, with the words, ''Go, Indians!''Ten rows below them, a twentysomething guy with stringy hair, overdue for its 3,000-mile check-up at Jiffy Lube, stands up, turns toward the family and screams something to the effect that Cleveland does what a vacuum cleaner does.

The city of Baltimore will hold its coming-out party today when the Ravens play host to the Oakland Raiders at 1 p.m. at Memorial Stadium, but the players may not celebrate until the big dance is over.After 12 years of waiting for the return of the NFL, a sellout crowd of 65,248 will get to see the first regular-season game involving a Baltimore NFL team since the Colts defeated the Houston Oilers, 20-10, on Dec. 18, 1983.But in contrast to that cold, damp day on March 28, 1984, when the Colts left town under the cover of darkness for Indianapolis, this will be a day filled with pageantry and glitz, a time when the city summons back its legends of the past to welcome its heroes of the future.

Negotiations to hold the 1998 Army-Navy football game at the new NFL stadium at Camden Yards apparently have ended, with the Midshipmen reportedly near an agreement with the Meadowlands in New Jersey.Navy athletic director Jack Lengyel met with officials of the Meadowlands and West Point earlier this week to arrange a game there between the service academies in 1997."If we play Army in New Jersey in 1997, then we are obligated to play the game the following year in Philadelphia," Lengyel said.

Dwayne Norris, captain and inspirational leader of the Bandits since joining the team last Nov. 3, has won American Hockey League second-team honors.In 62 games for Baltimore, Norris scored 31 goals and registered 55 assists for a team-leading 86 points.A first-team selection last season for Cornwall, Norris was signed by the parent Mighty Ducks of Anaheim out of the International Hockey League, where he had seven goals and 16 assists in 14 games for the Los Angeles Ice Dogs.Among Norris' 20 multiple-point games this season were three five-point and three four-point games.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Midway through the fourth quarter of Baltimore's game against Tampa Bay, Terror goalkeeper Denny McCaughey sat on the ground for a minute, raising both hands in exasperation.McCaughey, spelling starter Bill Andracki, who was nursing a strained left knee, had allowed a Baltimore goal, the Spirit's sixth of the game and Kevin Sloan's fourth of the night.And Sloan's final goal, the 14th point of the night for Baltimore, sealed the Spirit's 20-10 victory over the Terror.

The University of Maryland is interested in playing football in Baltimore, as early as 1996.Athletic director Debbie Yow said that she has yet to talk with officials who oversee the operation of Memorial Stadium and Camden Yards, but would do so this summer."

Offering an old arena (built in 1962) with limited seating (12,903) and convincing officials of the NCAA that it could serve as one of the staging locations for the first two rounds of its basketball championship was an upset in itself. Now Baltimore wants to do it again, requesting the same event be held here when open dates are next available.That means Baltimore must stand in line for 1999 because the NCAA schedules four years in advance. However, if some city that has been selected encounters complications during the interim, the NCAA knows it has an option it can go to in Baltimore.

Oklahoma State's Randy Rutherford hasn't been hyped as one of the NCAA tournament's great guards. The 6-foot-3 senior, who faces Drexel in the opening round of the East Regional tonight at the Baltimore Arena, has been overshadowed by his mammoth teammate -- 7-0, 290-pound Bryant Reeves.But Rutherford, an All-Big Eight choice, was instrumental in leading the Cowboys to a 23-9 record. He averaged 19.8 points and 6.2 rebounds, but his forte is three-point shooting. He converted 129 of 308 three-pointers, including 11 against Kansas two weeks ago, when he scored a career-high 45 points.

No. 8 Minnesota (19-11)Head coach: Clem Haskins.Career record: 252-196 in 15 seasons.Record at school: 151-123 in nine seasons.Conference: Big Ten.Conference tournament: No tournament.Best win: 66-57 over Michigan State on Feb. 18.Worst loss: 71-50 to Texas Southern on Dec. 21.NCAA tournament record: r 8-5.Last NCAA appearance: 1994, beat Southern Illinois, 74-60; lost to Louisville, 60-55.Probable starters: G Voshon Lenard, Sr., 6-4; G Townsend Orr, Sr., 6-1; C John Thomas, So., 6-9; F Chad Kolander, Sr., 6-9, or Sam Jacobson, Fr., 6-5; F Jayson Walton, Sr., 6-6.Scouting report: The Gophers are a perimeter-oriented team with two guards, Lenard and Orr, leading the scoring.