WSU BASEBALL falls in 16-Inning
Heartbreaker at No. 2 Oregon State in Corvallis
From WSU Sports Info
CORVALLIS, Ore. (April 27, 2019) –
Washington State dropped a 16-inning 4-3 contest to No. 2 Oregon State Saturday
afternoon. The 16-inning contest was the second-longest (innings) played in
school history, trailing only a 1917 contest against UW that went 17 innings.
The Cougars tool a 2-0 lead into the
seventh where OSU scored three times only to see WSU even things up at 3-3 with
a run in the eighth inning. The two teams played scoreless baseball for the
next seven innings until Oregon State lined a ball off the glove of the leaping
Cougar third baseman and down the left field line to allow a base runner from
second to score the game winner.
WSU received an amazing effort in relief
from freshman lefthander Tyson Guerrero who came in from right field to get the
final out of the ninth and worked 6.2 scoreless innings and allowed just three
hits and struck out six while throwing 104 pitches. Guerrero also recorded two
hits including an RBI-double and made a diving catch in the 16th inning.
Cougar starter A.J. Block was dominant
most of his outing, matching a career high by working into the seventh inning,
striking out five, scattered five hits after carrying a no-hitter into the
fifth and allowed just three runs, all in the seventh.
In the third, the Cougars put runners on
the corners with nobody out after Bradley Polinksy was hit by a pitch and Danny
Sinatro reached on an infield single. One batter later, Dillon Plew gave the
Cougars a 1-0 lead with a sacrifice fly to centerfield, scoring Polinsky from
third.
In the fifth, WSU put runners on second
and third after a two-out single through the left side by Andres Alvarez and a
bloop double down the right field line by Plew. With runners on second and
third and nobody out, Collin Montez pulled a ball sharply through the right
side but the Beaver second basemen made a diving stop in shallow right field
and fired to first just in time to beat Montez for the third out.
In the bottom of the fifth, Block
allowed his first hit of the day, a one-out single back up the middle but he
was stranded to end the inning. Block had allowed a walk in the fourth inning
but ended the inning by picking a runner off at first.
In the sixth, Smith drew a leadoff walk,
was bunted to second and scored on a Tyson Guerrero RBI-double into the right
centerfield gap for a 2-0 Cougar advantage.
In the seventh, OSU led off the inning
with a double to right-centerfield, a single through the left side and a stolen
base to put runners on second and third with nobody out. The next batter hit a
comebacker that went off the glove of Block and rolled behind the mound,
allowing a run to score on the infield hit. The following batter hit a
one-hopper to Kodie Kolden at third who fired home to get the Beaver baserunner
but the runner stayed in a rundown long enough for the other two runners to
finish the play on second and third. The following hitter singled home the
tying run and the next hitter gave OSU a 3-2 lead with a sacrifice fly to
centerfield.
In the eighth, Collin Montez tripled by
a diving OSU rightfielder into the right-centerfield gap to start the inning
can came home on the next play as Smith hit a sacrifice fly to right field,
tying the game at three. In the bottom of the inning, Davis Baillie worked
around a leadoff walk and saw his defense make a great play to end the inning
as Montez made a diving catch in leftcenterfield to end the eighth and keep
things tied at three.
In the ninth, OSU used a one-out single
and wild pitch to put a runner on second but reliever Brody Barnum got a popout
to Alvarez at shortstop and freshman lefthander Tyson Guerrero came inform
right field and got the third out, a fly out to Sinatro in centerfield to send
the game to extra innings.
In the 12th, OSU had a runner on second
and blooped a single into centerfield that Sinatro charged and threw a strike
to catcher Koby Blunt to get the runner trying to score the game-winner.
Guerrero got the next batter to pop out to first base to end the inning.
In the 13th, OSU led off the inning with
a single through the left side and later moved up to second on a wild pitch.
The next batter fouled out to the catcher for the first out and struck out the
next hitter.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Danny Sinatro reached on an infield
single in the 3rd to extend his hitting streak to 5 games
Collin Montez tripled to leadoff the
8th, extending his on-base streak to 8 games
NEXT UP
The series wraps up Sunday at 1:05 p.m.
::::
WSU FOOTBALL
One year after prophetic tweet,
Washington State QB Gardner Minshew selected in NFL draft by Jacksonville
UPDATED: Sat., April 27, 2019, 8:25 p.m.
By Theo Lawson Spokane S-R
Coug QBs in the NFL draft
(since 1960)
2019: Gardner Minshew, Jacksonville
(sixth round, 178th overall)
2018: Luke Falk, Tennessee (sixth round,
199th overall)
2008: Alex Brink, Houston (seventh
round, 223rd overall)
1998: Ryan Leaf, San Diego (first round,
2nd overall)
1993: Drew Bledsoe, New England (first
round, 1st overall)
1986: Mark Rypien, Washington (sixth
round, 146th overall)
1983: Clete Casper, Los Angeles Rams
(12th round, 311th overall)
1981: Samoa Samoa, Cincinnati (ninth
round, 230th overall)
1979: Jack Thompson, Cincinnati (first
round, 3rd overall)
1973: Ty Paine, New York Giants (ninth
round, 225th overall)
1963: Dave Mathieson, Chicago (sixth
round, 81st overall)
PULLMAN – Long before his Twitter
account, right arm or brown mustache all gained thousands of followers, Gardner
Minshew composed a tweet on the eve of the 2018 NFL draft.
Ten simple words from a quarterback
whose career had constantly been derailed and diverted, but whose confidence
was never bruised.
“365 days to prove why my name should
get called! #NFLDraft2019.”
How prophetic those words were.
Minshew, the well-traveled quarterback
who ventured to Washington State, broke a litany of passing records and
finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting in his final college football season,
was selected in the sixth round of the NFL draft, with the 178th overall pick,
by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday.
The Brandon, Mississippi, native had
three turbulent years as a college football player, and a trio of stops at
Troy, Northwest Mississippi Community College and East Carolina, before
receiving a fateful phone call from WSU coach Mike Leach last spring. Leach
famously offered Minshew an opportunity to “lead the country in passing,” and
as the Cougars QB did that, throwing for an FBS-high 397.6 yards per game, he
slowly began to emerge as an NFL prospect, impressing scouts and analysts with
his accuracy, command and affable personality.
Prior to Leach’s offer, Minshew had
prepared to spend one year as a backup QB at Alabama, where he’d learn under
the tutelage of Nick Saban, and promptly enter the coaching world when his
eligibility ran out.
But now that he’s found a roundabout way
into the NFL – a career he’s been eyeballing since at least the second grade,
when he turned in an assignment to Rouse Elementary teacher Martia West saying
“I want to be a football player,” – Minshew will be thrilled to put his backup
plan on hold.
In a conference call with Jacksonville
media, the QB was asked if he was dismayed that he fell into the third day of
the draft – where most had him projected to go anyway.
Minshew responded: “No, man. When I was
a little kid, if you’d told me I was getting picked in the NFL draft, I don’t
care if it’s the first pick or the last pick. I’m getting picked. That’s such a
blessing.”
The QB watched the draft at home in
Brandon with a small group of friends and family members, wearing his signature
jorts as he played cornhole and spike ball in the backyard between picks,
according to longtime friend Houston Smith.
Jacksonville’s sixth-round pick arrived
at approximately 12:30 p.m. Pacific time. Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell
phoned Minshew, asking the QB if he was “ready to move back East?” Minshew
replied, “Hell, yeah, let’s do it.”
The pick was announced in appropriate
Florida fashion – from a pool at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, by former
Jaguars player Damon Jones, the organization’s first tight end to be drafted,
and a Jacksonville super fan. Swimsuit-clad Jaguar cheerleaders hollered in the
background as the pick was made.
“You made a great impression on us at
the combine, and you’ve had a helluva year and bring that energy and
preparation to us as vying for a backup quarterback spot,” Caldwell said. “Can
you do that?”
“I’ve got you, absolutely,” Minshew
said. “Yes, sir.”
Minshew said he had a positive
experience in his formal interview with the Jaguars, who many consider to be
iffy at the QB position. Jacksonville recently signed Nick Foles to a four-year
contract that makes him the Jaguars’ presumptive starter. Minshew, in all
likeliness, will vie for backup reps with sixth-year player Cody Kessler,
third-year player Tanner Lee and second-year player Alex McGough.
He told reporters he’s eager to dive
into the team’s playbook.
“I’m so fired up, that’s one of the
first things I told them is, ‘When can I get my hands on that?’ ” Minshew said.
“That’s one of the biggest things I’m looking forward to, learning, getting
ready and trying to leave that rookie minicamp as best as I can, and then going
into OTAs and training camp, being on my P’s and Q’s and not being like a
rookie.”
Minshew becomes the 11th Cougar
quarterback to be selected in the draft and the second in as many years to come
off the board in the sixth round, after Luke Falk was picked by the Tennessee
Titans in 2018. Falk was since claimed off waivers by the Miami Dolphins,
meaning both former WSU QBs in the pros will be playing in Florida.
Minshew was the second Cougar to be
selected in the 2019 draft, coming off the board two days after his left
tackle, Andre Dillard, was picked in the first round by the Philadelphia
Eagles.
Jaguars executive vice president Tom
Coughlin called Minshew a “gym rat” who looked like he’d been at WSU “forever”
while touting his “competitiveness.”
“He’s very smart, he’s very sharp, he
loves the game, he loves the study part of the game,” Coughlin said. “He’ll be
a great guy in the classroom with the coaches. He’ll suck all that information
up.”
Minshew will have to adapt to taking
snaps under center, a contrast to the shotgun snaps he took in Mike Leach’s
offense and throughout his career, playing in different variations of the Air
Raid.
Coughlin suggested that there would be a
learning curve, but Minshew has the mental capacity and work ethic to succeed
in a pro style offense.
“Does he have to learn some things?
Yeah,” Coughlin said. “Because he’s going to be up under the center, he’s not
going to stand back there in the shotgun the whole time. But if you were to
tell me you don’t think the guy can throw a play-action pass from the tackle
box, I don’t believe that. I think he can do that.”
In his lone season at WSU, Minshew led
the nation in passing yards per game (397.6) while completing better than 70
percent of his throws for a Pac-12 single-season record 4,779 yards and 38
touchdown passes. His fifth-place Heisman finish was complemented by winning
Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.
Minshew, no stranger to the Sunshine
State, completed much of his predraft training in Boca Raton, Florida, with
well-known QB coach Ken Mastrole. His WSU coach, Leach, has a vacation home in
Key West, Florida.
Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone jokingly
told Minshew, “Next time (Leach) is in Key West, he’s going to buy all the
drinks.”
::::::
WSU Track & Field records Strong
Performances at Windy Cougar Invite
From WSU Sports Info 4/27/2019
PULLMAN, Wash. – The Washington State
University Track and Field program powered through the weather at Mooberry
Track during the Cougar Invitational to post an overall successful day, full of
multiple PR's and individual wins.
WSU totaled 12 overall individual
victories during the home meet on the women's side, anchored by Aoife Martin in
the hammer throw who recorded a PR of 192-feet 11 inches (58.81m) and move up
to third all-time in WSU history in the event. Lindsey Schauble went on to post
a PR in the triple jump with a mark of 38-feet 4 3/4 inches (11.70m). Throwers
provided multiple wins for the Cougars featuring Kaitlin Krouse in the discus
at 155-feet 4 inches (47.34m), and Calahan Crawford in the javelin at 126-feet
(38.42m). Aislinn Overby posted a PR in her victory during the high jump with a
mark of 5-feet 5 1/4 inches to lead the Cougars.
Throwers Brock Eager and Amani Brown set
the tone for the Cougars to start off the invitational strong, as Brock posted
a victory in the hammer throw at 229-feet and 9 inches (70.02m), setting a new
meet record in the process. Eager recorded himself a PR in the discus throw
also with a mark of 133-feet (40.54m). Amani saw a second place finish in the
hammer throw behind Brock, but jumped up to seventh all-time in WSU history in
the event after a mark of 212-feet 6 inches (64.78m) on the day. Brown kept his
momentum rolling into the discus throw where he saw another PR at 127-feet 6
inches (38.86m) as well. Keelan Halligan provided a fantastic win in the high
jump event after a PR of 6-feet 10 1/4 inches (2.09m) saw him claim the top
spot in the meet. Overall the WSU men posted 12 wins during the Cougar
Invitational, as Washington State now turns the focus towards Pac-12
Championship competition next weekend.
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