Fast Break

Baseball

Boone attempting comeback in N.L.

Bret Boone came out of retirement to sign a non-guaranteed, minor league contract with the Washington Nationals on Monday, joining his younger brother, infielder Aaron, and their father, assistant general manager Bob, with the club.

Boone, who turns 39 in April, hasn’t played in the majors since 2005, when he spent time with Seattle and Minnesota. He went to spring training with the New York Mets the next year but called it quits before playing an exhibition game.

“There’s something still in there,” Boone said Monday. “I look at it as I’ve got nothing to lose.”

A three-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner at second base, he is a career .266 hitter with 252 home runs and 1,021 RBIs over 14 seasons with five clubs. Only Jeff Kent and Hall of Fame member Ryne Sandberg have hit more major league home runs as a second baseman.

Junior hockey

Windsor center dies suddenly

Mickey Renaud, a center with the junior league Windsor (Ontario) Spitfires, died Monday after collapsing at his home in Tecumseh, Ontario, the team said. Renaud was 19.

Renaud, a fifth-round draft pick by the NHL’s Calgary Flames, was taken to a hospital with no vital signs and attempts at resuscitation were unsuccessful, team physician Dr. Roy Diklich said.

Renaud, the captain, was in his third year with the Spitfires and had 21 goals and 41 points in 56 games this season.

College football

Diedrick hired at Indiana State

Spokane native Bill Diedrick has been hired as the offensive coordinator as well as the quarterbacks and wide receivers coach at Indiana State University.

The Eastern Washington University graduate served as a college assistant at Montana State, Idaho, Washington State, Washington, Stanford and Notre Dame. He has coached professionally for three Canadian Football League teams, including most recently at Toronto.

Diedrick was hired by the Sycamores’ new head coach Trent Miles.