Complete-game shutout for Jorge Perez

Hey, it's Friday! Finally! Hope everybody is as ready for the weekend as we at the WWHQ are!

And what better way to start off the weekend than with some good news about a 2013 Knight. Grand Canyon University sophomore pitcher Jorge Perez, one of several returnees from our 2012 club, threw a complete-game shutout on Thursday in a 5-0 win at Fresno Pacific. It was the 18th straight win for GCU.

Jorge struck out five and allowed just five hits and a walk. Here are the complete details, from the GCU website. Congrats to Jorge, who was the starting pitcher for the West team at last year's West Coast League All-Star Game at Walla Walla.

And we have more good news from Saint George, Utah, in the only other college game Thursday involving a 2013 Knight. Dixie State first baseman Kevin Kline was 1-for-2 with three RBIs, three runs scored, a double and a steal in a 15-3 win over Holy Names.

Perez, Kline and the rest of our 2013 team should be in action tonight for their respective college teams.

By the way, we're down to just 60 more days until our June 4 nonconference season opener against the Portland Lobos on Science and Art Day at Goss Stadium. That's less than two months away, so if you haven't renewed your season tickets, bought new season tickets, or purchased your 10-game punch card, come see us in the Madison Plaza building in beautiful downtown CorVegas and we'll set you up.

Now, on with the rest of today's news.

-------------------------------------------------------

We're thrilled to announce the formation of "Stew's Crew," thanks to a generous donation by New York Yankees' catcher Chris Stewart (2001) and his wife, Lindsey. Deserving members of the Lebanon and Sweet Home Boys & Girls Clubs will receive free reserved-seat tickets to every home game this summer.

Read more on this outstanding donation by clicking here. Thanks, Chris and Lindsey, who were special guests at our Hot Stove Night this past January.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Not sure if you saw this Corvallis Knights notebook in today's editions of the Corvallis Gazette-Times, but if you didn't here's your chance to catch up on a few recent news items of note.

---------------------------------------------------------

Pitcher Greg Peavey (2007) made his triple-A debut for the Las Vegas 51s and threw 1.2 innings of scoreless relief in a 10-5 win over Sacramento to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors. Las Vegas is the New York Mets' affiliate in the Pacific Coast League.

Outfielder Mitch Haniger (2010) of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (A, Midwest League, Milwaukee) earned honorable mention by going 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a double in a 5-4 win over Peoria.

--------------------------------------------------------

Some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League:

BEND: The Elks have signed Arizona State outfielder Cullen O'Dwyer, right-handed pitchers Eric Melbostad and Try Kamachie and infielder Jordan Aboites for the 2013 season. For more details, click right here to access the team's website and read the first item on the menu.

KELOWNA: Two-time Falcon alum Andrew Firth is off to a hot start with the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds. For more on that story, click here.

VICTORIA: The HarbourCats new mascot, Harvey, has been getting out and about in Victoria. Read all about his exploits in this story from the Victoria News.

WALLA WALLA: The Sweets and the Downtown Walla Walla Foundation will host the second annual Sweets Downtown Block Party from 5-7 p.m. on Sunday, June 30, on Main Street in downtown Walla Walla. Here are more details, from the Sweets' website.

-----------------------------------------------------------

That's all for today. Have a great weekend, and we'll see you on Monday!

Knights sign Concordia outfielder Blake Drake

Happy Thursday, everyone.

We've added another piece to what we hope will be a championship team this summer. The Knights have signed sophomore center fielder Blake Drake of Concordia (Ore.) University, a 6-foot-1, 165-pounder from Ramona, Calif.

Drake leads the Cavs in hitting with a .361 batting average, in at-bats (133); hits (48); runs (24), and in stolen bases (15).

He hit .271 (32-118) in 48 games (33 starts) as a freshman, with a homer and 16 RBIs. Had six multiple-hit games, and was 6-for-14 (.429) with six runs, three RBIs and two doubles in the NAIA West Tournament.

He was a three-time all-league selection and a three-time MVP and defensive player of the year at Ramona High School.

Concordia assistant coach Braden Wells, who played for the Knights in 2007 after his junior year at Oregon State, described Drake as an exceptional defensive center fielder.

"(Knights) fans will love how he plays the outfield," Wells said. "He can really play out there and is a special defender and great kid."

Here's more on Blake from our website. Welcome to the Knights.

------------------------------------------------------------

Two Knights' alums will be the opening-night starter for their minor-league team tonight.

* Scott Lyman (2010) of the Greensboro Grasshoppers (A, Marlins) gets the ball for their South Atlantic League game against Hickory.

* Tyler Anderson of Modesto (A, Colorado) is the Nuts' starter for their California League game against Inland Empire.

Our daily "Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day" feature will also start on Friday.

--------------------------------------------------------

MLB.com has ranked three Knights' alums as top-20 prospects in their respective minor-league organizations.

* Left-handed pitcher Tyler Anderson (2009) is ranked No. 6 in the Colorado organization. A South Atlantic League all-star in 2012, he'll start 2013 with Modesto in the California League. Here's MLB.com's analysis:

"The Oregon product spent his first full season of pro ball pitching in the bandbox that is Asheville's home stadium and ended up leading the organization in ERA and finishing second in batting average against. An advanced college lefty, he could start moving quickly now with a four-pitch mix at his disposal.

"His fastball is average, but he works it to both sides of the plate effectively, working quickly to throw strike one. His changeup is outstanding, an above-average offspeed pitch with sink. He throws a slider and a curve, with the former a touch better than the latter, and he mixes all his pitches well with a fairly deceptive delivery.

"His ceiling is limited, but he could fly up the ladder to the big leagues in a hurry now."

* Outfielder Mitch Haniger (2010) is ranked No. 11 in the Milwaukee farm system. He will play for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in the Class A Midwest League; he also played there in 2012 but suffered a season-ending knee injury (since repaired) in his first month with the club. Here's MLB.com's analysis:

"The Brewers kept on drafting bats in 2012, taking this Cal Poly product in the sandwich round. His pro debut was cut short by a knee injury, but he is healthy and ready to show he's the kind of college bat that can move quickly through a system.

"Improved plate discipline helped him tremendously during his junior season, allowing him to tap into his above-average power more consistently and be a better all-around hitter. There will be some swing-and-miss to his game, but it looks like there should be walks, long balls and enough hitting ability to make him a regular.

"Haniger played center field in college, and that's where he played during his brief time on the field for the Brewers in 2012, but most see him shifting over to right, where his strong arm and offensive profile should play just fine."

* Catcher Andrew Susac (2009) was ranked as the No. 16 prospect in the San Francisco organization. He play for the Richmond Squirrels in the double-A Eastern League this season. Here's MLB.com's analysis.

* "The Northern California native got to play at home during his first full season of pro ball, going straight to San Jose in the California League after getting first-round money as a second-round pick in 2011. The Oregon State product has the skill set to be a solid all-around backstop.

"His best tool is his power and it's legitimate, though it didn't show up during his 2012 season. He moves well behind the plate and was able to throw out 32 percent of would-be basestealers. Look for him to get lessons from the lumps he took in 2012 and carry them over for a stronger 2013."

------------------------------------------------------------

Only one game on Wednesday involving former or future Knights, but it was a big one.

* Portland defeated Seattle U. 13-6 at Bellevue, Wash. For the Pilots, Michael Lucarelli (2013) was 3-for-5 with a double, two runs and three RBIs; Cody Lenahan (2013) was 1-for-5 with two RBIs; Caleb Whalen (2012) was 3-for-6 with two runs; starting pitcher Kody Watts gave up four runs in five innings, had three strikeouts and got the win, and reliever Colin Feldtman (2013) pitched .2 scoreless innings. Nate Roberts (2011-12) was 2-for-5 with a run and a stolen base for Seattle.

-------------------------------------------------------------

West Coast League alums went 3-for-3 in Opening Day appearances.

* On Sunday, Knights' alum Bud Norris (2005) of the Astros recorded a win over Texas in the first game of the regular season.

* On Monday, former Kelowna Falcon Jim Henderson of the Milwaukee Brewers collected an Opening Day win in relief at Miller Park as the Brewers beat Colorado 5-4 in 10 innings. He tossed a scoreless 10th with a strikeout.

* On Tuesday, Baltimore starter Jason Hammel, an alum of the Wenatchee AppleSox, earned a win in a 7-4 victory at Tampa Bay. Hammel pitched six solid innings, allowing three hits and three runs.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League:

BELLINGHAM: The Bells are looking for host families. Click here for more details.

COWLITZ: Cowlitz alum Cole Irvin of Oregon earned national honors for shutting out Washington on March 30. Here's more from the Cowlitz website.

----------------------------------------------------------

That's all for today. See you tomorrow on a TGIF!

Halfway home already!

Happy Hump Day, everyone.

Hard to believe it but we're already halfway through the work week, and a mere 62 more days until our June 4 season opener against the Portland Lobos on Science and Art Day at Goss Stadium. Seems like a long ways away but it will be here before you know it.

Action in the various long-season minor leagues starts this week. We have about 30 Knights alums (no such thing as a "former" Knight - once you're a Knight, you're always a Knight!) in affiliated baseball and once their assignments have been determined we'll let you know where they 're playing this summer.

We'll also pick out a day for our weekly Knights Minor League Update, and begin our "Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day" feature, a popular fixture of The Blog until the minor-league season ends in September.

Now, on to today's news.

----------------------------------------------------------

Speaking of Science and Art Day, all students who attend will receive a coupon for a free general admission ticket to our June 12 West Coast League home opener against Kitsap, and coupons for a free order of French fries at McDonald's and a free taco at Qdoba.

We're also excited to announce that OMSI is returning, as is the Oregon State Colleges of Science and Engineering. Both did a great job engaging with kids at their stations last year, and made science fun! For more information, click here. To read the Corvallis Gazette-Times story on last year's event, please click here.

Don't miss out on this fun, interactive and educational experience. It's a super cool end-of-the-year field trip opportunity that's close to home!

-------------------------------------------------------------

Lots of alums/future Knights in action on Tuesday for their respective college teams. Here's a rundown:

* Oregon State's 7-5 win over Portland was a Knightsapalooza. Danny Hayes (2009) and Jake Rodriguez (2009) each had two hits, two runs and two RBIs, and Scott Schultz (2011) allowed no earned runs in three innings to notch his sixth save for the Beavers. For the Pilots, Michael Lucarelli (2013) was 1-for-4 with an RBI and two runs; Cody Lenahan (2013) was 0-for-4; Beau Fraser (2012) was 1-for-4; Caleb Whalen (2012) was 0-for-3 with a run; Kramer Scott (2011) was 1-for-4 with an RBI, and Colin Feldtman (2013) allowed two hits and a run and was the losing pitcher.

* UC Irvine shortstop Chris Rabago (2012-13) was 0-for-2 with run and starter Evan Brock (2010) allowed one run in four innings, with three strikeouts, but got a no-decision in a 3-1 win over USC.

* Columbia outfielder Gus Craig (2013) was 0-for-1 in a 15-6 loss at Rutgers.

* UC Santa Barbara relievers Dylan Hecht (2013) and Greg Mahle (2012) each pitched a scoreless inning in a 3-1 loss to Pepperdine.

* Washington State reliever Kellen Camus (2013) allowed one run in one inning of a 7-2 loss to Gonzaga.

* Mt. Hood CC pitcher Eric Huson allowed three runs and 11 hits in seven innings, with eight strikeouts, in a 4-3 win over Chemeketa. Huson got a no-decision.

---------------------------------------------------------

It's a Wednesday, so that means another edition of the Knights Top 10.

In last week's Top 10 we mentioned that you can't win a game until you get 27 outs (more if the game goes into extra innings, obviously). Staying with that theme, this week's list details the Knights all-time top 10 pitchers with the lowest opponent's batting averages (minimum 30 innings pitched, WCL games only).

1. .179, Jared Eskew (2008)

2. .184, J.R. Murphy (2007)

3. .191, Rob Dittrick (2012)

4. .193, Matt Andriese (2009)

5. .195, Mark Trentacosta (2011)

6. .201, Dylan Stuart (2011)

7. .204, Chris Johnson (2011)

8. .208, James McLaughlin (2008)

9. .211, Liam Baron (2009)

10. .213, Kyle Hart (2011)

10. .213 Bryan Granger (2012)

Opponents hit a paltry .162 off of UC Riverside's Trevor Frank in 2012, but he only pitched 29.1 innings and just missed qualifying. Another honorable mention goes to Liam Baron - already on the list for his 2008 season - for his 2009 season, when he held opponents to a .214 average.

We'll be back next week, with another Knights Top 10.

---------------------------------------------------------

Some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League:

VICTORIA: Here's the most recent entry on the HarbourCats Baseball Blog, with an update on the team's Cal State Fullerton players.

WALLA WALLA: Here's the latest edition of "10 Things to Know About Sweets Baseball," a regular feature on the team's website.

---------------------------------------------------------

That's it for today. See you on Thursday.

Giants released 2008 Knights MVP Alex Burg

We'd like to wish everybody a happy Tuesday but it's a sad day here at the WWHQ.

We learned today the San Francisco Giants have released utility Alex Burg, the former Washington State star who was the MVP of our 2008 West Coast League championship team. He played for three years in their farm system, topping out at high-A San Jose the past two years, and hit .268 in 204 games, with 27 homers and 103 RBIs.

Burg was a rock for us in 2008, and earned MVP honors despite rather modest statistics (.206, 1 homer, 15 RBIs in 48 games). He handled the pitching staff with aplomb, was a clubhouse leader, and played through shoulder injuries that would have sidelined many players, especially in summer baseball. He was a true warrior.

Alex also played for coach Brooke Knight on the 2012 Perth Heat, the Australian Baseball League champions. So, best of luck to Alex, whatever the future holds outside of baseball.

-------------------------------------------------------------

More bad news from MLB camps: The Los Angeles Dodgers have released former Knight Nick Akins, a starter on the 2007 West Division championship club that lost to Moses Lake in the WCL Championship Series. He played at Vanguard University. Nick played four years in the minors but never advanced beyond high-A; he hit .227 for us in 43 games, with three homers and 15 RBIs.

Nick was selected in the 19th round of the 2009 MLB draft by the Dodgers and hit .272 lifetime in 302 minor-league games, with 56 homers and 203 RBIs. Here's Baseball America's analysis:

"Nick Akins attracted attention from a segment of prospect watchers when he clubbed 15 home runs and slugged .650 for Rookie-level Ogden of the Pioneer League in 2010. Others, realizing that Ogden plays in an extreme hitter's park in an extreme hitter's league, preferred to wait to see what Akins could do in more neutral conditions before buying in to his prospect-dom.

"In this case, patience proved to be a virtue. In parts of two seasons with low Class A Great Lakes, Akins hit .226/.327/.407 with 20 homers in 575 plate appearances."

Best of luck to Nick in his future outside of baseball.

--------------------------------------------------------

We do have some good news as well, however.

* UC Riverside outfielder David Andriese (2010-11) was named the Big West Conference Player of the Week by the College Sports Madness website. He was named the BWC's Field Player of the Week on Monday, as we reported in yesterday's blog.

* And junior pitcher Colin Feldtman (2013) of the University of Portland was nominated for West Coast Conference Pitcher of the Week honors, but was not selected. He did not allow a run in 5.2 innings and earned two wins in two relief appearances against Santa Clara over the weekend.

---------------------------------------------------------

Three former/future Knights pitched for Pacific Lutheran on Monday in a 5-4, 10-inning win over St. Martin's.

* Starter Max Beatty allowed no runs and three hits and had four strikeouts in seven innings, and left with a 2-0 lead.

* Reliever Jake Otness (2013) allowed two runs in .1 innings.

* Reliever Chris Bishop (2012-13) allowed two runs in two innings, with two strikeouts.

---------------------------------------------------------

Check out this edition of "On Campus" from the West Coast League's website. It highlights the many outstanding pitching performances from WCL alums so far this spring.

------------------------------------------------------------

It's Tuesday, so here is our weekly update of the 2013 college stats for our NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA and junior-college players. We'll do this every Tuesday throughout the college season; stats for our NCAA Division I players are updated on Mondays. All stats are through Monday's games.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON: Junior infielder Eddie Malone Jr. is hitting .321 (9-28) in 13 games, with four RBIs. Junior infielder Scott Stone is hitting .280 (7-25) in 13 games, with one homer and three RBIs.

CORBAN: Sophomore infielder Marc Gallegos is hitting .393 (46-117) in 27 games, with a homer and 20 RBIs.

DIXIE STATE: Sophomore infielder Kevin Kline is hitting .382 (29-76) in 24 games, with four homers and 23 RBIs.

GEORGE FOX: Junior pitcher Tom Zarosinski is 1-4, 4.47 in eight games, with 37 strikeouts in 44.1 innings. Sophomore pitcher Sean Eberhardt is 2-0, 4.35 in 11 games, with nine strikeouts in 10.1 innings.

GRAND CANYON: Sophomore pitcher Jorge Perez is 4-2, 3.51 in eight games, with 36 strikeouts in 48.2 innings. Freshman pitcher Andrew Naderer is 6-1, 1.91 in eight games, with 44 strikeouts in 47 innings.

MT. HOOD CC: Sophomore pitcher Eric Huson is 1-0, 2.17 in three games, with 10 strikeouts in 20.2 innings.

PACIFIC UNIVERSITY: Sophomore pitcher Kyle Treadway is 1-6, 3.77 in seven games, with 18 strikeouts in 43 innings.

PACIFIC LUTHERAN: Sophomore pitcher Chris Bishop is 1-3, 5.47 in 10 games, with two saves and 26 strikeouts in 26.1 innings. Sophomore pitcher Jake Otness is 1-1, 7.94 in 10 games, with 14 strikeouts in 17 innings.

TACOMA CC: Sophomore pitcher Brandon Choate, a Washington signee, is 0-1, 3.85 in five games, with two saves and 11 strikeouts in seven innings. Sophomore Chad Michaud is hitting .374 (13-35) in 10 games, with a homer and 11 RBIs as a catcher and is 0-0, 0.00 in three games as a pitcher, with a save and five strikeouts in three innings. Knights' pitching coach Connor Lambert has the same job with TCC during the school year.

----------------------------------------------------------

Some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League:

BEND: Abilene Christian junior infielder Kyle Giusti, a 2013 Elk, was named the NCAA Division II National Hitter of the Week by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. For more details, click here and read the first item on the main menu.

VICTORIA: HarbourCats' single-game tickets are now on sale. Click here for more information.

-----------------------------------------------------------

That's it for today. See you on Wednesday.

Andriese named Big West Player of the Week

Happy Monday, everyone.

Can't say that we're thrilled to be at work after a great four-day weekend with gorgeous weather in CorVegas. Who doesn't love time off? But here we are, at the WWHQ pumping out another edition of the Blog, and catching up after four days out of the office.

Turned the calendar to April this morning and discovered we're down to only 64 more days until our June 4 season opener against the Portland Lobos on Science and Art Day at Goss Stadium. So renew those season tickets and purchase your 10-day punch cards at the office.

And don't forget, we've still got some game-worn road gray jerseys for sale for $40. We're getting a new set of road uniforms this summer, so the old ones are being retired.

Now, on with the news.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Good news from the Big West Conference this morning. Former Knight David Andriese (2010-11) of UC Riverside was named the Big West Conference's Field Player of the Week for March 25-31. He was 7-for-11 (.636) with a double, triple, two runs and three RBIs as the Highlanders swept No. 21 UC Irvine.

UCR senior pitcher Trevor Frank (2012) was nominated for Pitcher of the Week honors but was not selected. He saved all three wins. Here are the details, from the Big West Conference website.

----------------------------------------------------------

Cal Poly sophomore outfielder Nick Torres, a key member of our 2012 West Coast League runner-up squad, will play for the Green Bay Bullfrogs in the Northwoods League this summer. Here are the details from the Green Bay website.

-----------------------------------------------------------

The Knights get a mention in this story on the mental and physical maturation of Oregon junior reliever Jimmie Sherfy in Baseball America magazine. We're pleased that the turnaround in "The Sherf's" promising career began with us in our 2011 WCL championship season.

------------------------------------------------------------

It's a Monday, so here are updated 2013 stats for our 2013 Division I players:

CAL POLY: Freshman catcher/DH Brian Mundell is hitting .353 (30-85) with seven homers and 21 RBIs in 22 games. Freshman infielder Peter Van Gansen is hitting .300 (24-80) with no homers and four RBIs in 26 games. Freshman pitcher Casey Bloomquist is 0-0, 11.12 in two games, with eight strikeouts in 5.2 innings.

COLUMBIA: Sophomore outfielder Gus Craig is hitting .300 (3-10) in nine games, with no homers and two RBIs.

DARTMOUTH: Freshman outfielder Nick Ruppert is hitting .345 (19-55) in 16 games, with eight RBIs.

OREGON: Freshmen pitcher Jared Priestley is 0-0, 0.00 in two games, with one strikeout in two innings. Freshman pitcher Sam Johnson is 0-0, 4.50 in two games, with two strikeouts in two innings.

OREGON STATE: Freshman pitcher Andrew Moore is 5-1, 1.48 in seven appearances, with a save and 27 strikeouts in 42.2 innings. Freshman infielder Gabe Clark is hitting .167 (5-30) in 13 games, with four RBIs.

PORTLAND: Sophomore infielder Cody Lenahan is hitting .274 (26-95) in 26 games, with no homers and nine RBIs. Sophomore infielder Michael Lucarelli is hitting .218 (12-55) in 23 games, with no homers and four RBIs. Junior pitcher Colin Feldtman is 2-0, 1.89 in 19 innings over nine appearances, with two saves and 14 strikeouts. Sophomore pitcher Kody Watts is 0-2, 10.29 in five games, with two strikeouts in seven innings.

SAN DIEGO: Sophomore outfielder Grant Melker is hitting .000 (0-4) in 13 games, with two runs, no homers and no RBIs.

SAN JOSE STATE: Junior catcher Dane Lund is hitting .212 (7-33) with no homers and three RBIs in 15 games.

UC IRVINE: Utility man Chris Rabago is hitting .244 (21-86) in 24 games, with no homers and nine RBIs. Freshman pitcher Elliot Surrey is 1-0, 5.06 in eight games, with nine strikeouts in 10.2 innings.

UC SANTA BARBARA: Freshman outfielder Joseph DeRoche-Duffin is hitting .167 (1-6) in five games, with no homers or RBIs. Freshman pitcher Dylan Hecht is 0-1, 2.08 in 13 games, with 21 strikeouts in 17.1 innings.

WASHINGTON: Freshman pitcher Alex Nesbitt is 0-0, 0.00 in one appearance, with a strikeout in .1 innings.

WASHINGTON STATE: Junior pitcher Kellen Camus is 3-0, 1.40 in 14 games, with two saves and 25 strikeouts in 19.1 innings. Freshman pitcher Jacob Schroeder is 0-0, 18.00 in three games, with no strikeouts in three innings.

Remember, stats for our Division II, Division III, NAIA and JC players will be updated tomorrow.

--------------------------------------------------------

Since we were out of the office for a couple days, we've got a lot of news from elsewhere in the West Coast League to catch up on. Here goes:

BELLINGHAM: The Bells have signed seven players to 10-day contracts to give them some depth early in the season. Read all about it in this story from the team's website.

MEDFORD: The Rogues have added catcher Mason Ankeney of Oklahoma Baptist University, outfielder Daniel McNabb of Western Oregon and left-handed pitcher Connor Harris of George Fox University to their 2013 roster. Here's more information from the Our Sports Central website.

VICTORIA: The HarbourCats' new mascot will be nicknamed "Harvey." Here's more on the story, and a photo, from the team's website.

WALLA WALLA: Sweets' general manager Zachary Fraser shares his vision of baseball in the Walla Walla Valley in this story from the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin newspaper. Also, the team has announced its full promotional schedule for the upcoming season.

---------------------------------------------------------

That's all for today. See you on Tuesday.

Spring break starts soon!

It's been spring break throughout Oregon since Monday, but it doesn't start until Thursday for the Blog.

So, one more day of passing along as much information about the Knights and the West Coast League as we can before we head for home and two days off. (It won't be totally devoid of baseball, though. We'll be at the Crescent Valley-Corvallis freshman doubleheader at Taylor Field on Friday afternoon, watching Blog Jr. and his CV teammates battle the Spartans).

And when we return on Monday, it will be a new month (April already!) and when we flip the calendar we'll discover it's less than 70 days until our June 4 season opener against the Portland Lobos on Science and Art Day II at Goss Stadium.

So, on with Wednesday's Knights news.

---------------------------------------------------------

Alum Rob Dittrick of Pacific University, our Most Valuable Pitcher and the WCL's ERA leader in 2012, was nominated for Northwest Conference Pitcher of the Week honors for March 18-24, but was not selected. He pitched eight shutout innings on March 23 in a 5-0 win at ClaremontMuddScripps, with six strikeouts.

----------------------------------------------------------

Here's how our 2013 Knights, and some alums, fared on Tuesday for their respective college teams (all players from 2013 unless otherwise noted):

* It was a Knights reunion at the Oregon-Portland game in Eugene, which the Ducks won 5-1. For Portland, infielder Cody Lenahan was 0-for-4; infielder Michael Lucarelli was 0-for-1; pitcher Kody Watts gave up one unearned run in one inning; catcher Beau Fraser (2012) was 0-for-2; outfielder Caleb Whalen (2012) was 1-for-4 with a run, and outfielder Kramer Scott (2011) was 1-for-3. For Oregon, pitchers Sam Johnson and Jared Priestley each threw a scoreless inning and outfielder Connor Hofmann (2011-12) played but did not bat.

And speaking of Portland, the Pilots have decided not to build a new stadium on the Willamette River waterfront below the campus. They will upgrade Joe Etzel Stadium instead; read more by clicking here and reading a story from Ballparkbiz.com.

* It's also a Knightsapalooza when Cal Poly plays. The Mustangs lost 8-6 to Pepperdine; DH Brian Mundell was 0-for-5; shortstop Peter Van Gansen was 0-for-4; pitcher Casey Bloomquist gave up three runs and had seven strikeouts in 3.2 innings; third baseman Jimmy Allen (2011) was 0-for-4 with an RBI; outfielder Nick Torres (2012) was 1-for-4 with a run and an RBI, and first baseman David Armendariz (2011) was 1-for-4 with a run, an RBI and a triple.

* Shortstop Chris Rabago was 0-for-5 for UC Irvine in a 5-4 win at CSU Bakersfield. Evan Brock (2010) started and gave up an unearned run in four innings, with five strikeouts, for the Anteaters.

* San Diego outfielder Grant Melker did not play in an 8-4 win over Cal State Northridge.

-----------------------------------------------------------

It's a Wednesday, so that means another edition of the Knights Top 10.

You can't win a game until you get 27 outs (more if the game goes into extra innings, obviously). So this week's list details the Knights all-time top 10 in season putouts (WCL games only).

1. 308, David Armendariz (2011)

2. 280, Alex Burg (2008)

3. 231, Greg Mahle (2012)

4. 221, Jim Murphy (2007)

4. 221, Corey Davis (2011)

6. 208, Dylan Jones (2010)

7. 206, Taylor Ard (2009)

8. 188, Dean Green (2008)

9. 182, Dylan Jones (2009)

10. 176, Rocky Gale (2007)

----------------------------------------------------------

News from elsewhere in the West Coast League:

BEND: The Elks have signed Murray State College (Okla.) freshman lefty Hunter Raley, sophomore lefty Garrert Sumpter and sophomore infielder Keach Ballard for the upcoming season. Click the first menu item on the Bend website for more details.

KELOWNA: The Falcons have signed UC San Diego sophomore right-handed pitcher Scott Zeman for 2013. Click here to read more about Zeman from the Kelowna website.

WALLA WALLA: Here is the latest installment of "10 Things to Know About Sweets Baseball," a regular feature on the Sweets website.

WENATCHEE: The AppleSox have signed Hawaii freshman left-handed pitcher/outfielder Quintin Torres-Costa, Hawaii freshman infielder Andre Real and incoming freshman infielder Kean Wong, a Hawaii signee, for the 2013 season. More details are available here, in a story from the Wenatchee website.

---------------------------------------------------------

That's it for today. Have a great rest of the week and weekend, and we will see you on Monday.

Happy Tuesday, everyone

OK, what happened to the sunshine?

Pretty dreary day this morning at the WWHQ, with the return of showers to beautiful downtown CorVegas. But the sunshine and warmer weather are supposed to return for the weekend (of course, the Beavers are out of town), so we'll take that and call it good.

Only 70 more days until our June 4 season opener with the Portland Lobos on Science & Art Day at Goss Stadium. Then it's off to Wenatchee for our first West Coast League series, a rematch of the 2012 WCL Championship Series the AppleSox won in three games.

We then head to Longview for three games against the Cowlitz Black Bears (June 8-10) before finally returning home for our June 12 WCL home opener against Kitsap on Big League Chew Opening Night.

So, it's getting closer. In the meantime, get your season tickets, 10-game punch cards and Knights merchandise at the WWHQ in Madison Plaza in downtown Corvallis.

Now, on with today's news.

------------------------------------------------------------

Knights alum Nick Torres (2012), a sophomore outfielder at Cal Poly, was nominated for Big West Field Player of the Week honors after a big series against UC Santa Barbara, but was not selected.

Torres hit .583 (7-12) in three games, with four runs, two doubles, a homer and four RBIs as the Mustangs took 2 of 3 from the Gauchos. Mustang sophomore Bryan Granger outpitched UCSB sophomore Greg Mahle in Game 3 to win the series in a matchup of two other 2012 Knights.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Alum Matt Boyd (2010) of Oregon State was nominated for Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week for his one-hit, 11-strikeout performance against Arizona State at Goss Stadium last Friday. He didn't win, though, because on Saturday afternoon ASU's Eric Kellog no-hit the Beavers.

Matt's having a great senior year, as he's 5-0 with a 1.26 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 43 innings. Opponents are hitting a meager .186 against Boyd.

-------------------------------------------------------------

A smattering of 2013 Knights were in action on Monday for their respective college teams. Here's a rundown:

* San Jose State junior catcher Dane Lund was 1-for-4 with an RBI in a 7-2 loss to UC Davis.

* Washington State junior pitcher Kellen Camus allowed one hit, had six strikeouts, pitched three scoreless innings and got the win in a 3-1 victory over Brown at Pullman.

* San Diego sophomore outfielder Grant Melker was 0-for-1 in a 6-3 victory over UNLV.

* And alum Nate Roberts (2011-012), a senior infielder at Seattle University, was 2-for-5 with a double, two runs and two RBIs in a 7-4 win at Louisiana Tech.

---------------------------------------------------------

It's Tuesday, so here is our weekly update of the 2013 college stats for our NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA and junior-college players. We'll do this every Tuesday throughout the college season; stats for our NCAA Division I players are updated on Mondays.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON: Junior infielder Eddie Malone Jr. is hitting .320 (8-25) in 10 games, with four RBIs. Junior infielder Scott Stone is hitting .300 (6-20) in 11 games, with one homer and three RBIs.

CORBAN: Sophomore infielder Marc Gallegos is hitting .400 (46-115) in 26 games, with a homer and 20 RBIs.

DIXIE STATE: Sophomore infielder Kevin Kline is hitting .375 (21-56) in 19 games, with a homer and 11 RBIs.

GEORGE FOX: Junior pitcher Tom Zarosinski is 1-3, 4.28 in six games, with 29 strikeouts in 33.2 innings. Sophomore pitcher Sean Eberhardt is 0-0, 5.19 in 10 games, with eight strikeouts in 8.2 innings.

GRAND CANYON: Sophomore pitcher Jorge Perez is 3-2, 3.59 in seven games, with 33 strikeouts in 42.2 innings. Freshman pitcher Andrew Naderer is 5-1, 2.25 in seven games, with 38 strikeouts in 40 innings.

MT. HOOD CC: Sophomore pitcher Eric Huson is 1-0, 2.17 in three games, with 10 strikeouts in 20.2 innings.

PACIFIC UNIVERSITY: Sophomore pitcher Kyle Treadway is 1-5, 3.79 in six games, with 18 strikeouts in 38 innings.

PACIFIC LUTHERAN: Sophomore pitcher Chris Bishop is 1-3, 5.47 in 10 games, with two saves and 26 strikeouts in 26.1 innings. Sophomore pitcher Jake Otness is 1-1, 7.94 in 10 games, with 14 strikeouts in 17 innings.

TACOMA CC: Sophomore pitcher Brandon Choate, a Washington signee, is 0-0, 1.50 in four games, with two saves and nine strikeouts in four innings. Sophomore Chad Michaud is hitting .357 (10-28) in eight games, with a homer and eight RBIs as a catcher and is 0-0, 0.00 in three games as a pitcher, with a save and five strikeouts in three innings. Knights' pitching coach Connor Lambert has the same job with TCC during the school year.

--------------------------------------------------------------

News from elsewhere in the West Coast League:

BELLINGHAM: The Bells have signed right-handed pitchers Nick Baker of Chico State University and Andrew Freter of Utah Valley University for the 2013 season. Click here for the rest of the story, from the Bellingham website.

KLAMATH FALLS: The Gems have signed The Gems have signed right-handed pitcher Hunter Herdt, left-handed pitcher Brandon Bonilla and infielder Paul Panaccione of Grand Canyon University for the 2013 season. Here are the complete details from the Our Sports Central website.

--------------------------------------------------------

That's all for today. See you on Wednesday, with the final blog of the week, since your faithful blogger is taking Thursday and Friday off to celebrate spring break.

Spring break? Not for the Blog

Spring break started Monday in Corvallis. The public schools and Oregon State are closed until April 1, and a lot of people have already left our little slice of paradise for a week's vacation.

Not the Blog, however. We're taking Thursday and Friday off, but until then you'll get all the Knights news you can handle as we soldier on at the WWHQ, in the relative quiet of beautiful downtown CorVegas.

And we're down to only 71 more days until our June 4 opener against the Portland Lobos on Science and Art Day at Goss Stadium. It will be here before you know it, so make sure you renew those 2012 season tickets and yada yada yada. You all know the drill by now (and don't forget the gray road jerseys we're retiring are still for sale).

Now, on with today's news about your Corvallis Knights.

---------------------------------------------------------

Former Knights' lefty pitcher Matt Way (2007) has signed with the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League after being released by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

A West Coast League all-leaguer for us from Washington State who helped us reach the WCL Championship Series against Moses Lake in our very first year in Corvallis, Matt played several years in the Philadelphia organization after leaving WSU. He then had arm surgery and was released, then had a couple outstanding seasons in two independent leagues and earned another shot at affiliated baseball. He pitched for the Laredo (Texas) Lemurs in the American Association in 2012.

---------------------------------------------------------

Future 2013 Knight Eric Huson of Mt. Hood CC, a sophomore right-hander from Forest Grove, pitched a nine-inning no-hitter against Blue Mountain CC on Sunday. He had seven strikeouts, one walk, faced just 30 batters and needed just 76 pitches, 54 of which were strikes. Here's the box score.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Lots of talk lately about a possible 2014 WCL expansion team in Redding, Calif. Here's a story about a possible team nickname from reporter Dave Benda in the Reading Record Searchlight newspaper.

----------------------------------------------------------

It's a Monday, so here are updated 2013 stats for our 2013 Division I players:

CAL POLY: Freshman catcher/DH Brian Mundell is hitting .358 (24-67) with seven homers and 19 RBIs in 18 games. Freshman infielder Peter Van Gansen is hitting .313 (21-67) with no homers and three RBIs in 22 games. Freshman pitcher Casey Bloomquist is 0-0, 18.00 in one game, with one strikeout in two innings.

OREGON STATE: Freshman pitcher Andrew Moore is 5-1, 1.63 in six starts, with 25 strikeouts in 38.2 innings. Freshman infielder Gabe Clark is hitting .172 (5-29) in 11 games, with four RBIs.

OREGON: Freshmen pitcher Jared Priestley is 0-0, 0.00 in one game, with one strikeout in one inning. Freshman pitcher Sam Johnson is 0-0, 9.00 in one game, with one strikeout in one inning.

UC IRVINE: Utility man Chris Rabago is hitting .232 (16-69) in 20 games, with no homers and seven RBIs. Freshman pitcher Elliot Surrey is 1-0, 5.06 in seven games, with nine strikeouts in 10.2 innings.

UC SANTA BARBARA: Freshman outfielder Joseph DeRoche-Duffin is hitting .167 (1-6) in five games, with no homers or RBIs. Freshman pitcher Dylan Hecht is 0-1, 1,88 in 10 games, with 17 strikeouts in 14.1 innings.

PORTLAND: Sophomore infielder Cody Lenahan is hitting .282 (22-78) in 22 games, with no homers and six RBIs. Sophomore infielder Michael Lucarelli is hitting .222 (10-45) in 19 games, with no homers and three RBIs. Junior pitcher Colin Feldtman is 0-0, 2.70 in 13.1 innings over seven appearances, with two saves and 11 strikeouts. Sophomore pitcher Kody Watts is 0-2, 14.40 in three games, with two strikeouts in five innings.

WASHINGTON: Freshman pitcher Alex Nesbitt is 0-0, 0.00 in one appearance, with a strikeout in .1 innings.

WASHINGTON STATE: Junior pitcher Kellen Camus is 2-0, 1.88 in 12 games, with a save and 17 strikeouts in 14.1 innings. Freshman pitcher Jacob Schroeder is 0-0, 18.00 in three games, with no strikeouts in three innings.

COLUMBIA: Sophomore outfielder Gus Craig is hitting .286 (2-7) in five games, with no homers and one RBI.

DARTMOUTH: Freshman outfielder Nick Ruppert is hitting .385 (15-39) in 11 games, with five RBIs.

SAN JOSE STATE: Junior catcher Dane Lund is hitting .185 (5-17) with no homers and an RBI in 12 games.

SAN DIEGO: Sophomore outfielder Grant Melker is hitting .000 (0-3) in 12 games, with two runs, no homers and no RBIs.

Remember, stats for our Division II, Division III, NAIA and JC players will be updated tomorrow.

--------------------------------------------------------

Some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League:

MEDFORD: Here's a story on the pros and cons of hosting players from the Medford Mail-Tribune. It might be a pain in the butt to access because it requires registration on the paper's website but it's a good read. Also, the team's new mascot, Rowdy, made his first public appearance last week at a local elementary school and was a big hit.

VICTORIA: The exploits of the HarbourCats' Canadian players are highlighted in the latest edition of the HarbourCats Baseball Blog.

-------------------------------------------------------------

That's all for today. See you on Tuesday.

Finally, it's Friday

Finally, it's Friday.

Another week in the books and another week closer to our June 4 season opener against the Portland Lobos in a nonconference game on Science and Art Day at Goss Stadium. It's only 74 days away.

We've ordered our new merchandise for the coming season and it should be for sale here at the WWHQ in downtown CorVegas in another month or so. For sure it will be available on opening day, but you might want to come down sometime in May for a sneak preview.

We've had lots of Knights news items on the Blog this week, so let's keep it going and end the week with a flourish today.

Here goes nothing!

-----------------------------------------------------

We'll have some exciting news concerning Knights' alum Chris Stewart (2001) of the New York Yankees, one of our two guests of honor at Hot Stove Night II, in the coming weeks. In the meantime, we've got several updates on his status with the team.

ESPN New York reports Stewart could catch three of every five games because manager Joe Gerardi likes the way he calls pitches. Here's more on that, from reporter Andrew Marchand.

And former Yankees' catcher Russell Martin, now with the Pittsburgh Pirates, told The New York Daily News that the team's catching was in good hands with Stewart and Francisco Cervelli. Here's that story.

-----------------------------------------------------------

We've had several stories this week about the West Coast League's possible expansion to Redding and Chico, Calif. Here's another, an editorial in the Redding Record Searchlight newspaper advocating the renovation of Tiger Field, which could be the home stadium of the new team.

----------------------------------------------------------

Just a couple of 2013 Knights in action for their respective college teams on Thursday, as most clubs took the day off in anticipation of upcoming weekend series. Here's a roundup:

* Dartmouth freshman outfielder Nick Ruppert was 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI in an 11-8 win over Bradley at Winter Haven, Fla. He's hitting .424 in nine games.

* Grand Canyon University freshman pitcher Andrew Naderer improved to 5-1 with a 5-3 win at Hawaii-Pacific. He gave up two runs on eight hits in five innings, and had five strikeouts.

----------------------------------------------------------

Some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League:

BEND: The Elks have signed University of Portland junior Turner Gill, a returnee from the 2012 season. For more details, go here and click on the first item on the menu.

VICTORIA: Here's the latest edition of the HarbourCats Baseball Blog, with news about the team's players from UC Santa Barbara.

-----------------------------------------------------------

That's all for today, and all for this week. Have a great weekend, and see you on Monday!

You call this spring?

I could see my breath today while walking through downtown CorVegas on my way to the WWHQ of the Corvallis Knights. Thirty-five degree and rain, and you call this spring?

Thankfully, however, we are getting closer to warmer weather every day. The countdown today is 75: just 75 more days until our June 4 season opener against the Portland Lobos on Science and Art Day at Goss Stadium. So, it will be here before you know it.

Here's a reminder to 2012 season-ticket holders who haven't renewed yet: You should have received a call by now, but if you haven't, drop us a line at 541-752-5656 or stop into the WWHQ and we'll set you up with your 2013 seats.

Lots of Knights-related news today, so let's get started.

-------------------------------------------------------

Good news from the Lancaster JetHawks, Houston's affiliate in the Class A (advanced) California League. Former Knights broadcaster Jason Schwartz, the USC graduate who teamed up with Mike Parker on our 2010 radio crew, will return to Lancaster for his second season with the club.

You can read more on the story by clicking right here. Nice photo of Jason, who lived with host family Tom and Peggy Loveday during his stay, and who has returned to Corvallis several times since first leaving our fair city in Aug., 2010.

He worked for the Tri-City Dust Devils in 2011; there he was succeeded by former Wenatchee AppleSox broadcaster Chris King, another Friend O' the Blog.

---------------------------------------------------------

It's Matt Boyd's world; the rest of us just live in it. Here's another story on the Oregon State senior left-handed pitcher, a 2010 Knights alum, from my old friends at the Corvallis Gazette-Times.

Matt will be OSU's starter on Friday in the series opener against Arizona State at Goss Stadium. It will be a Beavers/Knights weekend on the mound for OSU: freshman Andrew Moore, a 2013 signee, is Saturday's scheduled starter and alum Ben Wetzler (2011) will go on Sunday.

------------------------------------------------------------

Some bad news from the Chicago White Sox training camp in Sarasota, Fla. Knights alum Brent Morel (2006-07), their starting third baseman on opening day the past two seasons, has been sent down to triple-A Charlotte of the International League.

He's healthy again after battling back injuries in 2012, but apparently he's the odd-man out in the six-player scramble for five infield jobs. Here's more on the story from the Chicago Tribune newspaper, and more yet from MLB.com, and even more from CBS Chicago.

It sucks for now, but we have no doubt he'll be back up in Chicago before too long because when he's healthy he's too good a player to stay in triple-A for very long.

---------------------------------------------------------

Here's another story from the Redding Record Searchlight newspaper about possible West Coast League expansion to that Northern California city. No matter what happens, looks like Redding's baseball facilities are going to be improved.

--------------------------------------------------------

Several 2013 Knights were in action for their respective college teams on Wednesday. Here's a review:

* Grand Canyon sophomore pitcher Jorge Perez gave up three runs in six innings in a 6-5, 10-inning win over Hawaii Pacific. Perez struck out four and lost out on a possible win when the bullpen blew a 4-3 lead in the ninth inning.

* Corban sophomore infielder Marc Gallegos was 3-for-3 with a run, two RBIs, two doubles and two steals in an 8-4 victory over Pacific University. Pacific's Kyle Treadway, who will pitch for us, was 0-for-2 as a DH.

* Dartmouth freshman outfielder Nick Ruppert was 3-for-4 in a 7-3 loss to Slippery Rock in Auburndale, Fla. It was the first loss of the season for Dartmouth.

---------------------------------------------------------

Some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League:

COWLITZ: The Bears announced The Myron Noodleman Show will return to Longview for JH Kelly Night on Saturday, July 20. Here's more from the Cowlitz website.

-------------------------------------------------------------

That's it for a Thursday. See you on Friday.