Prior
to start of the 5/15/2018 Gonzaga at WSU baseball game in Pullman, Coach Kamie
Ethridge of WSU Women’s Basketball threw out the “First Pitch.” See video from WSU Athletics:
https://youtu.be/dfuSsa8eqeU
:::::
BASEBALL
Gonzaga
steals marathon win over Washington State on 13th-inning balk
UPDATED:
Tue., May 15, 2018, 10:54 p.m.
By Theo
Lawson Spokane S-R
PULLMAN –
For 12 innings, the Washington State Cougars were able to extinguish just about
every one of Gonzaga’s rallies.
But even
in doing so, it felt like a matter of time before some executional mishap, a
slew of missed opportunities on offense or both would eventually cost the home
team at Bailey-Brayton Field.
The
Cougars have been defeated 28 times on a baseball diamond this season. Tuesday
night’s 3-2 loss to the Bulldogs was a heart-wrencher for the ages.
WSU
(15-28-1) ultimately fell to Gonzaga (27-21) – and conceded the season series –
because Michael Newstrom plunked the leadoff hitter in the top of the 13th
inning, then watched Jack Machtolf take second on a sacrifice bunt, advanced
him to third on a wild pitch and subsequently sent him home on a balk.
Enough
errors in a single frame to make a coach’s stomach churn.
“We didn’t
execute,” WSU skipper Marty Lees said. “… Two of their runs were leadoff hit by
pitch and leadoff walk. I think those score about 100, 80 percent of the time
and when you get into close games, you’ve got to execute those.”
But Lees’
qualms with WSU’s performance on Tuesday weren’t reserved exclusively for
Newstrom, or the disastrous 13th inning.
The
Cougars left 16 runners on base – not as many as the 18 stranded by Gonzaga –
and they were 0 for 11 with men in scoring position. Their 11 hits only
produced only two runs and WSU went the final nine innings without crossing the
plate.
“The
middle of our order left a lot of runners on,” Lees said. “… I don’t know if we
need that clutch hit or we need to be able to slow it down in the moment and
look for better pitches. Probably a little anxious and we haven’t won a lot of
games this year and it’s wearing on them. But the energy and the enthusiasm –
the will – is there. We just need to capitalize.”
After
seven innings, it appeared the Cougars might be cruising to a 2-0 victory – and
a series win – over their opponents from the West Coast Conference. James
Rudkin put WSU on the board in the fourth inning when he yanked a pitch clear
over the wall and trees in left field. The Cougars doubled their tally when Cal
Waterman scored Danny Sinatro on a sacrifice fly, after Ryan Ramsower pushed
Sinatro to third with a fly.
They were
six outs shy of a shutout victory when Gonzaga made its charge. A leadoff walk
in the top of the eighth put Austin Pinorini on first. He got to third on a
wild pitch and Nick Brooks singled him in with a hard-hit ball through the right
side of the infield. Jake Vieth, with one of his three hits, singled in the
Zags’ second run a few batters later.
“It’s been
a team that’s never given up,” GU coach Mark Machtolf said. “We lost some
one-run games, but we’ve won our share, too. So they’re a team that doesn’t
have any quit in them, that’s for sure.”
Vieth,
Pinorini and Ernie Yake all had three-hit games for Gonzaga, which shelled out
16 hits as a team. Ramsower was WSU’s best offensive weapon in the game,
collecting three hits before Lees made a defensive-minded switch, replacing him
with Mason De La Cruz in the top of the seventh.
Tuesday’s
game was the longest – in innings – for WSU since a home game against Utah in
2014 also lasted 13.
…………….
Cougar
Baseball heads to No. 3 Stanford for Weekend Series
From WSU
Sports Info
WASHINGTON
STATE at No. 3 STANFORD
Stanford,
Calif. | Sunken Diamond (4,000) | May 18-20, 2018
Friday, 6
p.m. | Saturday, 1:30 p.m. | Sunday, Noon
Pac-12
Network
COUGARS
HEAD TO NO. 3 STANFORD FOR WEEKEND SERIES
Washington
State (15-28-1, 7-16-1 Pac-12) heads to California for a weekend series against
No. 3 Stanford (40-8, 18-6 Pac-12) beginning Friday at 6 p.m., continuing
Saturday at 1:30 p.m. and wrapping up Sunday at Noon, all three games will be
on the Pac-12 Network.
:::::::::::::::
FOOTBALL
Pac-12
Releases Conference Matchups through 2026
Don’t
Worry: The Cougs head back to Tempe next year.
By Kyle
Sherwood May 16, 2018, 1:15pm PDT Coug
Center
Reported
by Jon Wilner at the Mercury News, the Pac-12 released its home/away splits for
conference games for the next eight seasons.
Here are
the teams and locations WSU will face through 2026:
2019 =
Home: New
Mexico State, Northern Colorado, UCLA, Colorado, OSU, Stanford
Away:
Houston, ASU, Utah, Cal, Oregon, Washington
2020 =
Home:
Houston, Idaho, ASU, Utah, Cal, Oregon, Washington
Away: Utah
St., UCLA, Colorado, OSU, Stanford
2021 =
Home: Utah
St., Portland St., BYU, Arizona, USC, OSU, Stanford
Away: ASU,
Utah, Cal, Oregon, Washington
2022 =
Home:
Colorado St, ASU, Utah, Cal, Oregon, Washington
Away:
Wisconsin, Arizona, USC, OSU, Stanford
2023 =
Home:
Wisconsin, Arizona, Colorado, OSU, Stanford
Away:
Colorado St., ASU, UCLA, Cal, Oregon, Washington
2024 =
Home: ASU,
UCLA, Cal, Oregon, Washington
Away: San
Diego St., Arizona, Colorado, OSU, Stanford
2025 =
Home:
Idaho, San Diego St., Arizona, Colorado, OSU, Stanford
Away: USC,
Utah, Cal, Oregon, Washington
2026 =
Home:
Boise St., USC, Utah, Cal, Oregon, Washington
Away:
Kansas St., Arizona, Colorado, OSU, Stanford
WSU’s 2019
home schedule of New Mexico State, Northern Colorado, OSU, Stanford, UCLA and
Colorado could be a fun challenge for the ticket office.
………..
PULLMAN’S ‘WELCOME
WAYSIDE’
On 5/16/2018,
a ground-breaking ceremony was held for City of Pullman's new “Welcome Wayside”
project. When completed there will be a sign with the word “WELCOME” in 60
different languages. The ground-breaking was held at the wayside location on
Davis Way. It’s where Pullman’s Burgerville was located and, after that, the
first Daily Grind. Pullman Proud. #PullmanProud
Info below
from City of Pullman created on Tuesday, 06 February 2018 16:52 Last Updated on
Thursday, 08 February 2018 07:28. Written by Jensen, Michol Ann
“There are
many things that make Pullman a great place to live and one of those positives
is our diversity. We have residents from
all over the world in our community bringing different perspectives and
enhancing our cultural awareness.
“Back in
2012, Mayor Glenn Johnson was approached by some WSU senior and graduate
students in Architecture who sought his advice for a project over which teams
of Architectural students could compete--a project that could possibility
benefit the city. Mayor Johnson said he
would like to see a Welcome Park on Davis Way where the old Burgerville and Daily
Grind buildings had been located. He
mentioned that he saw a sign in war torn Croatia that had the word “Welcome” in
a variety of languages and would like to see something similar in Pullman. With that as a start, three teams competed
and came up with designs. The winning
team received a cash prize from the Mayor.
“The city
of Pullman, with additional donations from WSU International Programs,
Schweitzer Engineering, the Chamber of Commerce, and others, hopes to construct
a landscaped Welcome Wayside along NW Davis Way--the focus being a large
multi-faceted sign saying “Welcome” in 60 different languages, 30 on each side
of the structure. The design is complete, the languages have been verified, and
we are waiting for a few more donations to come in before we go to bid in
hopefully March or April. This Wayside, with multi-lingual welcome sign, has
had a few setbacks (Including last year’s bid attempt in which we received only
one bid which was considerably higher than expected), but we are anticipating
the project’s realization this year.
“If you
would like more information on this project and/or would like to donate, please
contact Mayor Glenn Johnson at 509-338-3316 or by email.
Info below
when the City of Pullman was seeking bids for the Welcome Wayside project:
Pullman's
Welcome Wayside (17-08A)
The Base
Project consists of but is not limited to site demolition of existing paved
area and construction of sign base, landscaped area, and newly paved parking
lot and bus stop. The project includes construction of a raised steel
reinforced concrete sign base, with stairs and ADA ramp for a pre-constructed
34-foot long, 7-foot high multi-language welcome sign. Alternate 1 consists of
two reinforced concrete pillars with footings for secondary pre-constructed
10-foot by 6-foot welcome sign. Alternate 2 consists of construction of a
bio-retention swale with concrete curbing at the south-east corner of the
project. Scope of work includes the following: Civil Construction, Asphalt,
Concrete, Signing & Illumination
……
Pullman
crossings to be derailed
State
officials say three railroad crossings could be removed by the end of 2018
By Scott
Jackson, Moscow Pullman Daily News May 16, 2018
Three
railroad crossings intersecting streets near Pullman's downtown corridor are
being considered for removal, officials with the Washington State Department of
Transportation say.
The
railroad crossings that may be removed are part of the Colfax to Pullman rail
line and include rails intersecting with Northeast Kamiaken Street near Neill
Public Library, rails intersecting Northwest State Street near the Grange
Supply Co., and rails intersecting North Grand Avenue near Chase and Umpqua
banks.
Bob Westby,
Palouse River Coulee City Railway manager for WSDOT, said the removal could be
of some help in smoothing traffic flow in the area and could save his
department money in annual upkeep costs.
"Any
element like that that breaks up a pavement or is in the road is always a
subject to more maintenance and is also subject to regulatory inspections by
the Utilities and Transportation Commission," Westby said. "So by
eliminating those crossings, that would save us - obviously, there's the cost
to remove them - but we believe it saves us future maintenance dollars."
Westby
said while trends seem to indicate a diminishing need for railway service along
the corridor in question, he said there still remains a possibility that WSDOT
could receive requests to reopen the line. If that were to happen, Westby said
it would be relatively simple to reinstall the street crossings, but the
possibility remains remote.
He said he
is constantly in talks with stakeholders to verify if there is a need for rail
service on that piece of line between Pullman and Colfax.
"We
continually are told there is no need," Westby said.
Pullman
Public Works Director Kevin Gardes said with the state footing the bill for
most of the removal, the city has little capital tied up in the project.
"We'll
provide traffic control, but our main role has just been coordinating with the
state and telling them that the city would like them removed," Gardes
said.
Westby
said WSDOT has already designated the crossings as out of service, which allows
buses to cross over the section without stopping. He said while the section of
rail has not seen train traffic in years, it would take an order from the state
Legislature to abandon the rail completely.
"The
future of that section of line is really in the hands of legislators,"
Westby said. "They have to tell the Department of Transportation whether
to abandon it ... but in the meantime, we have to maintain it."
Westby
said there is no timeline for the project as it has not yet received an
official green light from the state, but he hopes to have the crossings removed
before the end of 2018.
"We've
had discussions with both the towns of Colfax and Pullman, and I'm working
through our folks in Olympia right now to get final approval," Westby
said. "If we get that final approval, we'd like to remove them this year
if possible.”
::::
AREA
SPORTS
Area
roundup: Washington State selected for NCAA women’s rowing championships
Tue., May
15, 2018, 5:52 p.m. Spokane S-R
The NCAA
Division I Women’s Rowing Committee selected 15th-ranked Washington State to
compete in the national championships, the NCAA announced Tuesday.
The
Cougars, one of five Pac-12 Conference teams in the 22-team field, will make
their six consecutive appearance and their 12th overall.
The event
runs May 25-27 in Sarasota, Florida.
Gonzaga
qualified by winning last weekend’s West Coast Conference Championships.
………………………
FOOTBALL
QB David
Baldwin looking at schools from coast to coast
By Greg
Biggins Cougfan.com
After
playing his last two years on the West Coast at Upland (Calif.), David Baldwin
transferred in off-season to IMG Academy.
“In the
beginning there was an adjustment period for sure but I’m doing good now,”
Baldwin said. “We just got a new OC so we’re all trying to learn the offense
but I’m picking it up really well and I’m comfortable with everything now.”
On the
recruiting front, Baldwin said there are five schools he’s consistently talking
with right now. Florida State, Washington State, Indiana, LSU and USC are the
schools prioritizing him right now.
FSU- “I
took an unofficial visit there recently and I’m very comfortable with the
coaches and the program. They already have a quarterback committed but they
told me they want to bring in two and I’m totally fine with that. I’ll compete
with anyone and I like the depth chart there. They don’t have a lot of
quarterbacks so there’s an opportunity to play early.”
WSU- “I
have a good relationship with the staff and I like coach Leach’s offense. It’s
very QB friendly and they love to throw the ball around and I’m all for that.
Location doesn’t matter, west coast vs east coast, I just think I would fit in
well there and I’m looking forward to visiting.”
Indiana-
“I’m developing a good relationship with the coaches there and they just came
out to see me recently. I like their program and what they’re building and I’m
interested in learning more about them. I don’t have a visit set up or anything
but I would like to get out there for sure.”
LSU- “I
have some teammates that are interested in LSU and they have talked up the
program. My center just visited and Noah Cain told me he wants me to visit with
him as well. That’s another school that doesn’t have a lot of depth at
quarterback so there’s an opportunity to play early.
USC-
“Coach Ellis, the QB coach has been hitting me up to gauge my interest. They
came to the school last week and they want me to come out out visit the campus
and I definitely plan to do that. Coach just wanted to make sure I had interest
since they have JT (Daniels) coming in and I said of course I do, it’s SC.”
“Right
now, the plan for me is to get back to Florida State and I plan to take that
visit real soon. Then I’ll be coming back home in two weeks and I’ll visit USC
and Washington State when I’m out here.
“That’s
all I have planned right now and being a quarterback, I know I need to make a
decision pretty soon here since spots are filling up. So I want to try and set
up some official trips pretty soon here and then hopefully make a summer
decision.”
…………………..
A
completely different look coming for WSU hoops
By Dylan
Haugh Cougfan.com
PULLMAN –
Nobody in the Pac-12 figures to have more new faces on the basketball court
this coming season that Washington State. The Cougs, with six commitments in
its 2018 class, are tied with UCLA for most new recruits in the conference. So
what will it mean?
The proof
will ultimately come in the win-loss column. But it’s easy to see the Cougs
will be taller, longer and more athletic. Here’s our breakdown on the six
incoming Cougar basketball recruits.
PG Jervae
Robinson (Jr., 6-2, 175, Aurora, Colo.)
Robinson
can be a scorer but he’s primarily a facilitator and a pass-first point guard
who’s looking to get his teammates involved. His 1.4 assist-to-turnover ratio
jumped to a sparkling 3.4 his sophomore season at Otero JC. No Coug came close
to that level last season (Viont’e Daniels 2.14, Malachi Flynn 2.00, Drick
Bernstine 1.13).
A big
point guard with length, what pops out on tape is his ability to drive to the
hoop. He also possesses a solid mid-range game to keep opposing defenders
honest and defenses will need to cover three things off the pick and roll with
Robinson: the drive, jump shot and kick out to the many Cougar 3-point
specialists.
PG Ahmed
Ali (Jr., 5-11, 165, Toronto)
One thing
Ali can do right away is give the Cougs a high-scoring threat at the point. He
has a quick release and can be deadly from deep. (Dropping 103 points in a high
school game, or on any level, is impressive).
At times
last year, WSU opponents didn’t have to over-pursue or extend help on the
perimeter. That should change with Ali. He’s also nails from the charity
stripe, a career 82.8 percent free-throw shooter.
His
assist-to-turnover ratio was 2.4 his freshman season at Eastern Florida JC but
dipped to 1.9 his sophomore campaign. If he can hover around 2.0 he’ll be in
good shape off the bench for the Cougs. But his scoring will be most important,
he averaged 17.9 points per game at EFSC last season and shot 40.1 percent from
3-point range.
Forward
C.J. Elleby (Fr., 6-6, 195, Seattle)
It’s hard
to envision the Seattle native not enjoying a prominent role his true freshman
season. He’s a great rebounder, an above average passer and an athletic wing.
He’s still developing his outside shot but his mid-range game is in a good
place coming out Cleveland High.
Where
Elleby can excel for the Cougs is slashing to the hole. He’s also effective on
the offensive glass with his long 6-7 frame which allows him to get his fair
share of second-chance opportunities.
Getting
points in the paint was an area the Cougs struggled last season -- according to
Kenpom.com, the Cougs scored 40.5 percent of their points on field goals, 346th
in the nation while the D1 average sits at 49.6 percent. Elleby should provide
immediate help in that department.
SF/W Marvin
Cannon (So., 6-5, 170, Richmond, Virginia)
His last
name is fitting, he plays like he’s been shot out of a cannon. Highly athletic,
he could become a fan favorite with his 3-point shooting and colorful demeanor.
At his best last season at Barton County CC, he’s the energizer bunny on a pogo
stick type that Kent loves.
He should
also excel as the runner on the back end of Kent’s 1-3-1 defense. Last season
Daniels played there mostly but Cannon’s height and ability to get vertical
should make the Cougs’ 1-3-1 even stronger. Take a look at this 20 second span
– Cannon has a great feel for when to take off for the block and he clearly
enjoys stuffing opposing players.
Small
Forward Aljaz Kunc (Fr., 6-8, 190, Ljubljana, Slovenia)
Kent’s
first European prospect is intriguing. He played against lesser competition in
Slovenia but his footwork and ability to handle the rock like a guard at 6-8
makes him unique. He loves to go to the step back jumper and with his height,
it’s very tough to block.
He goes to
his right a lot and will need to work on changing things up but that doesn’t
mean he can’t put the ball on the floor and take it to the rim. He’s also an
adept passer with great court vision, but again, he’ll have to adjust to the
competition level in the Pac-12.
Power
Forward Isaiah Wade (6-8, 215, Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Wade is a
stretch-big that can run the floor well and play all thee front court
positions. His best spot may be at the four where his motor can make a
difference in crunch time.
“I’m aggressive
and try to be the best I can on the court, be better than the person I’m going
against,” Wade told Cougfan.com when he committed. “And really, that’s just
about hard work and that hustle and to be a leader on the team. Definitely, I
have a high motor.”
WSU
departures this offseason:
F Drick
Bernstine (6-8): Graduated
PG Malachi
Flynn (6-1): Transfer to San Diego State
PG Milan
Acquaah (6-3): Transferring
G Jamar
Ergas (6-3): Transfer to South Plains JC
G K.J.
Langston (6-4): Transferring
G Steven
Shpreyregin (6-1): Graduated
* F Robert
Franks (6-7): Deciding whether to enter NBA draft, deadline May 31
….
WSU-bred
barleys delivering unique Northwest beer flavors
May 15,
2018 WSU Insider
By Seth
Truscott, WSU
College of
Agricultural, Human & Natural Resource Sciences
Crunchy
kernels of barley tumble from Joel Williamson’s hands as he scoops them up,
offering a taste.
“This is a
first: The inaugural batch of Lyon malt,” says Williamson, head maltster at
Spokane-based craft malting company LINC Malt.
“This is
really good,” replies customer Heath Barnes, popping a few grains into his
mouth.
Commercial
malts are often plain and basic, but craft-malted Lyon is different.
Nutty and
aromatic, this new Washington State University created variety brings greater
depth to beer, explains Barnes, CEO of Washington farmer cooperative Whitgro,
Inc. He arranged for LINC Malt to create this first batch, letting Lyon malt
lend its signature flavors to craft beers around the Northwest.
Good for
growers
Lyon is
one of two WSU barley varieties to crack the growing craft malt market. Crop
scientists at WSU developed Lyon, for the Palouse country, and Fritz, which
thrives in coastal growing areas — both all-round varieties, equally versatile
for food, feed and beer.
“What we
really wanted was something that would work for Northwest craft maltsters,”
says Kevin Murphy, WSU barley breeder.
In
Washington, barley is a $20 million crop, with about 4.5 million bushels
harvested annually. Compared to wheat, chickpeas and other cash crops, such as
spinach and potatoes, barley is a low earner, but farmers still turn to this
crop to break disease and weed cycles.
“By giving
farmers new malt varieties, we’re adding a lot more value to barley,” says
Murphy, who currently testing several potentially malt friendly varieties.
“It’s all about discovering where these barleys fit best.”
“New
malting varieties like Lyon open up a new world of possibilities for growers,”
adds Barnes. “In a tough farm economy, that makes all the difference.”
Malts with
a story to tell
As NZ151,
its original breeding designation, Fritz is a personal favorite for many
customers at Burlington, Wash., based Skagit Valley Malting, which contracts
with farmers for the WSU-licensed variety.
“You
wouldn’t expect it, but barley and wheat grow more robustly here than almost
anywhere in the world,” says Adam Foy, Skagit Valley Malting’s vice president
of business development. “But without malting, the only markets growers had for
their barley was food and animal feed.”
Then Steve
Jones, director of the WSU Bread Lab, and Wayne Carpenter, Skagit Valley
Malting founder, had a lightbulb moment.
“They
realized our climate is very similar to Northern Europe, Scotland and the UK,
which is known for big, plump, high-extract barley for malting and distilling,”
Foy says. “We can grow the same kinds of barley — in fact, even better, thanks
to the uniformity of our climate.”
WSU
researchers set out to develop special malt varieties, and in 2014, released
Fritz, which is exceptional as a malter. Its low protein, crumbliness and
chemistry help brewers get more out of the malt, and it helps beer stay stable
and dependably flavorful.
Skagit
Valley Malting doubled its contract for NZ151 this year, and farmers are
growing it organically for the first time.
“Brewers
want barleys with different malting and brewing qualities,” says Foy. “Instead
of looking for sameness, we’re looking for uniqueness.”
“Brewers
and beer lovers are realizing there’s a real story to tell through malt
flavors,” says Brian Estes, sales and operations manager at LINC Malt. “Success
is just a matter of getting malts in front of people so they can taste the
difference.”
Satisfying
sip
“It makes
sense to brew with grains grown close to home,” says Lilly. “I wanted to reap
the benefits of geography while supporting the local economy. That’s what my
customers are craving.”
He bought
Whitgro’s Lyon malt, then set about experimenting to see what it does for a
batch of beer.
“We
haven’t had an opportunity to do that with a locally grown malt, until now,”
Lilly says.
The
resulting beer was clean, light and fresh, with a rich reddish-gold hue.
For
Murphy, the ice-cold glass of Lilly’s Oatmeal Pale Ale was one of the most
satisfying sips of his career. Murphy has released five barley varieties for
food and feed, but this is his first brewed into beer.
“What a
great feeling to drink a beer with WSU barley as the main ingredient!” said
Murphy. “For the growers, the maltsters, and for me — we’ve been waiting a long
time for this.”
#
