Three Mt. Hood Knights honored

Three 2011 Corvallis Knights from Mt. Hood Community College have been honored by the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges for their play this spring.

Saints' outfielder Matt Nylen and utility Grant Fink were first-team South Division all-stars, and right-handed pitcher Matt Pechmann was a second-team selection.

A 10-day signee, Nylen hit .319 (38-119) with four homers and 36 RBIs. Fink, another 10-day signee, hit .307 (35-114)with three homers and 28 RBIs and Pechmann was 3-1, 2.04 in 29.2 innings over nine games, with 39 strikeouts.

Congrats, guys.

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Our countdown to the 2011 season has reached seven days. That's right, a week from today the Knights will be headed up to Walla Walla for our 2011 season-opener against the Sweets at Borleske Stadium.

We won't have our full club yet, but we'll be competitive and we'll be ready to get the summer (if it ever arrives) off to a good start. Portland sophomore right-hander Chris Johnson is our projected opening-night starter.

And remember, it's only 11 days until our home opener, June 7 against the Klamath Falls Gems at Goss Stadium. Tickets and merchandise are available at www.corvallisknights.com or at our WWHQ in the Madison Plaza building in downtown Corvegas.

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We've got lots of news from around the West Coast League to report as the other franchises get ready for the 2011 season.

BELLINGHAM: The Bells have signed right-handed pitchers Brandon Boyle of Lower Columbia College in Longview, Wash., and Andrew Pulido of El Camino Community College in California, according to The Bellingham Herald newspaper.

The Bells have also signed an 18-game radio deal, according (again) to The Bellingham Herald.

And finally, former Mariners Jamie Moyer and Dave Valle have joined the club as advisors. Moyer's son Dillon, an infielder at UC Irvine, will play for the Bells this summer.

COWLITZ: The Black Bears have added five players from California to their roster, according to The Daily News of Longview.

KELOWNA: The Falcons believe they have the talent to unseat three-time defending East Division champion Wenatchee, according to the Kelowna Capital News newspaper.

WENATCHEE: Veteran AppleSox pitching coach Rob Hippi is retiring from Lower Columbia College after a 39-year career, according to The Daily News of Longview, Wash. He'll remain with the AppleSox, however.

WALLA WALLA: Here's another installment of 10 Things to Know About Sweets Baseball, a recurring feature on their website.

Knights sign OSU pitcher Adam Duke

The Corvallis Knights have signed Oregon State freshman right-handed pitcher Adam Duke for the 2011 season.

Duke is 0-0, 9.00 in two appearances this spring, with two strikeouts. He missed the first two/thirds of the season with a sore arm.

A graduate of Spanish Fork High School in Spanish Fork, Utah, Duke lettered four times, earned all-state honors three times, and was a preseason and postseason Louisville Slugger All-American and the Utah Player of the Year and Utah Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior in 2010.

Duke finished his high school career with a 31-6 record in 44 games, and was 11-0 as a senior with a 1.33 ERA and 100 strikeouts. He was rated as the 117th-best high school player in the nation by Baseball America his senior season.

He will be the fourth OSU freshman pitcher on the Knights this summer, joining left-hander Ben Wetzler and right-handers Scott Schultz and Tom Zarosinski.

Duke was a high school teammate of Knights left-handed pitcher Tyler Duffin, a Lewis-Clark State signee who just completed his sophomore season at the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls.

The Knights released sophomore southpaw Nate Dolman of Mt. Hood Community College to make room for Duke. Dolman was 4-3, 5.08 in eight games for the Saints.

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We've got more good news, albeit in a bad situation. Former Knights catcher Chris Stewart (2001) has been recalled to the San Francisco Giants from triple-A Fresno in the wake of the serious injury suffered by regular catcher Buster Posey on Wednesday night.

Stewart was hitting .221 (21-95) in 33 games at Fresno, with no homers and 10 RBIs. He has previous MLB experience with the White Sox, Rangers, Yankees and Padres and had a strong spring training with the Giants, hitting .318 (7-22) in 14 games, with three RBIs.

We now have five alums in the majors: Stewart, Tommy Hanson (Braves), Bud Norris (Astros), Brent Morel (White Sox) and Marc Rzepczynski (Blue Jays).

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Attention, area youth baseball/softball players:

You are invited to attend Little League Night presented by IBEW 280 on Friday, June 17th at Goss Stadium on the campus of Oregon State. The Corvallis Knights play Bellingham in a doubleheader starting at 6:05 pm.

Between games, we will be recognizing youth baseball and softball teams in a march around the diamond. Teams and players will be recognized by the public address announcer and on the video board. If you would like to participate and show-off your youth team, you must contact Bre Kerkvliet at [email protected] by Wednesday, June 15.

Friday, June 17 is also Big League Chew and Trading Card Night. The first 250 kids get a pouch of Big League Chew and pack of Knights' trading cards. General admission tickets are $5 and reserved seats are $8.

Bring your team, in uniform, and we'll make sure they are honored during the between-game march. Please contact Bre to coordinate. She can be reached by calling (541) 752-5656 or by emailing [email protected]. To participate, you must contact Bre by Wednesday, June 15.

Corey Davis earns Horizon League all-star honors

The good news just keeps coming down here at the Knights' WWHQ in beautiful downtown Corvallis.

Wright State (Ohio) junior catcher Corey Davis, one of our 2010 Knights returning for the 2011 season, was named a first-team Horizon League all-star and the Horizon League Newcomer of the Year on Tuesday.

Davis hit .310 with eight homers and 37 RBIs in 46 regular-season games. He ranked fourth in the league in slugging percentage (.546); tied for fifth in doubles (15) and was sixth in RBIs.

He hit .284, with a homer and 12 RBIs, for the Knights in 2010.

Congrats to Corey, who starts play in the Horizon League tournament on Thursday.

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Former Knights' pitcher Aaron Corwin (2010) is having a strong first season at Texas Tech, where the Corvallis High graduate is a sophomore.

Heading into today's Big 12 tournament game against Texas A & M, he's 1-0, 3.09 in 18 relief appearances, with one save. He has a 1.15 ERA over 15.2 innings in 10 conference games.

There's more on Corwin in this story in the Corvallis Gazette-Times. We hope to have a story on Corwin and fellow 2010 Knight Thomas McCarthy in the near future on our website.

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Only nine more days until our June 3 opener at Walla Walla, and only 13 more days until our June 7 home opener at Goss Stadium against the Klamath Falls Gems.

As usual, tickets in all manner of packages, and all kinds of merchandise, are available at the Knights' WWHQ in downtown Corvallis.

And big thanks to those who auditioned on Tuesday night to sing the national anthem before selected home games this season. We discovered some great talent and we'll have excellent renditions of "The Star Spangled Banner" this summer, that's for sure.

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Here's a rundown on the progress of our former players now in the minor leagues:

DREW GARCIA (2007, White Sox): The 2B from UC Riverside is hitting .250 (7-28) in eight games with triple-A Charlotte of the International League, with two homers and six RBIs.

NICK STRUCK (2009, Cubs): The Mt. Hood CC righty is 5-2, 3.89 in nine games at Daytona of the single-A Florida State League, with 39 strikeouts in 44 innings.

JIM MURPHY (2007, Phillies): Our 2007 MVP as a first baseman from Washington State is at Lakewood in the Florida State League and is hitting .247 (39-158) in 43 games, with 10 homers and 27 RBIs.

ADAM MELKER (2008, 2009, Cardinals): The ex-Cal Poly outfielder is with the Palm Beach Cardinals in the Florida State League and is hitting .187 (14-75) in 23 games, with no homers and seven RBIs. He's still on the 7-day disabled list.

ROCKY GALE (2007, 2009, Padres): The catcher from the University of Portland was 0-for-12 with the Fort Wayne Tin Caps in the Midwest League and is 3-for-29 (.103) with no homers and three RBIs in nine games at Lake Elsinore in the California League in two Class A stops.

NICK AKINS (2007, Dodgers): The former Vanguard College infielder is hitting .217 (28-129) with the Great Lakes Loons in the Class A Midwest League, with six homers and 24 RBIs in 36 games. He's currently on the disabled list.

GREG PEAVEY (2007, Mets): The one-time Oregon State pitcher is 3-2, 3.64 in nine games at Class A Savannah in the Sally League, with 44 strikeouts in 47 innings.

ALEX BURG (2008, Giants): The MVP of the aforementioned 2008 WCL champions, a Washington State alum, is hitting .462 (6-13) in three games with the San Jose Giants of the Class A California League.

MATT PARKER (2009, Twins): The former San Diego State catcher is hitting .176 (3-17) in six games, with no homers and an RBI, for Beloit (Wis.) in the Class A Midwest League.

Ex-Knight McCarthy makes SEC all-star team

More good news to start our Tuesday, in addition to the brilliant sunshine in downtown Corvallis this morning:

Former Corvallis Knights' corner infielder Thomas McCarthy, (2010) now a junior third baseman at Kentucky, was named a first-team SEC all-star on Tuesday.

McCarthy hit a team-leading .371 overall and .411 in conference play. McCarthy became the first Kentucky third baseman first-team all-star since 1972.

A graduate of Crescent Valley High School in Corvallis and a junior-college transfer from Feather River (Calif.) College via Western Oregon, McCarthy had 19 doubles, two triples, seven homers and 39 RBI in 55 games. In SEC play, McCarthy batted .411 (46-112) with eight doubles, two triples, five homers and 24 RBI.

McCarthy had 22 multiple-hit and nine multiple-RBI games and reached base safely in 52 of 55 games. With two outs, McCarthy hit .413, with 31 hits and 20 RBIs.

McCarthy finished the year ranking fourth in the SEC in average (.371), fourth in slugging (.581), third in hits (78), third in doubles (19), 12th in homers (seven) and sixth in total bases (122).

So, congrats to Thomas for a great season.

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Former Knights' slugger Taylor Ard, (2009) a junior at Washington State, was named Pac-10 Player of the Week on Monday for May 16-22.

Ard hit .500 (12-for-24) with six doubles, three home runs and 11 RBIs in six games. He hit safely in all six games and had two or more hits in five of those games.

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Our NCAA Division II, Division III, NAIA and junior-college players have completed their seasons and all should be good to go for our June 3 opener at Walla Walla.

Here's a final update on their seasons:

COLLEGE OF SOUTHERN IDAHO: Pitcher Tyler Duffin was 1-4, 7.01 in 25.2 innings over 19 games, with 29 strikeouts.

CONCORDIA: Infielder Sean Myrom, a 10-game signee, hit .278 (37-133) with five homers and 20 RBIs.

FEATHER RIVER: Outfielder Dayton Alexander hit .382 (58-152) in 38 games, with four homers and 24 RBIs. Catcher Jaret Bogue hit .437 (52-119), with five homers and 49 RBIs, in 31 games.

HAWAII PACIFIC: Pitcher Taylor Hill, a 10-day signee, went 1-1, 4.64 in 21.1 innings over 10 games, with 16 strikeouts.

MT. HOOD CC: Pitcher Nate Dolman is 4-3, 5.06 in 32 innings in eight games, with 18 strikeouts. Pitcher Matt Pechmann is 3-1, 2.04 in 29.2 innings over nine games, with 39 strikeouts. Outfielder Matt Nylen, a 10-game signee, is hitting .319 (38-119), with four homers and 36 RBIs in 36 games and infielder Grant Fink, another 10-game signee, is hitting .307 (35-114) in 36 games, with three homers and 28 RBIs.

The NWAACC tournament starts May 26 at Longview, Wash.

PACIFIC LUTHERAN: Pitcher Max Beatty went 5-4, 3.75 in 13 games, with 60 strikeouts in 81.2 innings. Infielder Corey Moore hit .306 (48-157) in 39 games, with two homers and 24 RBIs. Shortstop Nicholas Hall, a 10-game signee, hit .255 (27-106) in 33 games, with no homers and 15 RBIs.

REDLANDS: Pitcher Kyle Hart was the losing pitcher in an 8-4 setback to Chapman at the NCAA Division III West Regional last weekend; Redlands went 1-2 and was eliminated.

Hart went 9-3, 3.97 in 18 games, with 80 strikeouts in 88.1 innings.

WESTERN OREGON: Infielder Griffin Boyd, a 10-day signee and 2010 Knight, hit .291 (50-172) in 50 games, with a homer and 27 RBIs.

The Wolves went 0-2 at the NCAA West Regional at UC San Diego, and finished 37-15.

GEORGE FOX: Pitcher Brian Ranta, a 10-day signee, was 8-2, 2.40 in 14 games, with 68 strikeouts in 93.2 innings.

RIVERSIDE CC: Pitcher Tyler McNutt was 2-1, 5.40 in 30 innings over 12 games, with 16 strikeouts. Infielder Nic Cuckovich hit .286 in 31 games, with a homer and 15 RBIs.

More honors for Dean Green

We enjoy starting the week out with good news and we've got some to share about Dean Green, one of the cornerstones of our 2008 WCL championship team.

A senior at Barry University in Miami (Fla.) and the Sunshine State Conference Player of the Year, Green was named a first-team NCAA Division II Daktronics South Region all-star and just missed earning regional Player of the Year honors.

A transfer from Oklahoma State, Green finished the regular season hitting .402 with 18 homers, 19 doubles and 71 RBIs. He had a 21-game hitting streak and had 20 multi-hit games and 19 multi-RBI games.

Here are all the details.

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Cal Poly outfielder and 2011 Knight Jimmy Allen was nominated for Big West Conference Player of the Week honors, but didn't win.

Allen hit .636 (7-11) with a homer, two doubles, five runs and an RBI as the Mustangs captured a weekend series at Pacific, 2-1. He's now hitting .270 (30-111) for the season, with a homer and 14 RBIs.

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Portland junior pitcher Kyle Kraus, 2009 and 2010 a WCL all-star for the Knights, was nominated for West Coast Conference Pitcher of the Week honors for a complete-game, 8-2 win at Loyola Marymount, but was not selected.

Kraus, who has signed a 10-day contract with Hyannis in the Cape Cod League, allowed two earned runs and eight hits. He struck out three in evening his record to 5-5.

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Former Knights outfielder Daniel Dillard, a senior at Western Oregon, was a second-team NCBWA (National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association) NCAA Division II West Region all-star.

Dillard was also a second-team Daktronics West Region all-star. He hit .318 (62-195), with 10 homers and 55 RBIs this season.

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We're down to 11 days until our June 3 opener against the Walla Walla Sweets at Borleske Stadium in the city so nice they named it twice.

That means it's only 15 more days until our home opener, June 7 at Goss Stadium against the Klamath Falls Gems. So you better get your tickets, and your Knights' merchandise.

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Here's our weekly update on the 2011 Division I Knights:

OREGON STATE: Pitcher Scott Schultz is 3-0, 2.74 in 42.2 innings over 17 games, with 18 strikeouts. Pitcher Ben Wetzler is 6-3, 4.70 in 61.1 innings over 15 games, with 44 strikeouts. Pitcher Tom Zarosinski hasn't played yet.

The Beavers lost 2 of 3 against USC this past weekend. They close the regular season at Oregon this Friday-Sunday and will find out their NCAA tournament destination on Memorial Day.

OREGON: Outfielder Connor Hofmann is hitting .212 (7-33) with four RBIs in 22 games. Pitcher Jimmie Sherfy is 0-0, 33.75 in 1.1 innings in two appearances.

Oregon plays at Portland on Tuesday and hosts OSU this Friday-Sunday.

CAL POLY: Allen is hitting .270 (30-111) in 39 games, with no homers and 14 RBIs. Infielder David Armendariz is hitting .161 (10-62) with a homer and four RBIs in 27 games. Pitcher Chase Johnson is 2-5, 3.66 in 15 games, with 33 strikeouts in 46.2 innings.

The Mustangs play at Stanford on Tuesday and finish the regular season at Cal State-Bakersfield this weekend.

DELAWARE: Pitcher Eric Young is 5-2, 4.00 in 13 games, with 40 strikeouts in 72 innings. He did not pitch last weekend, when the Blue Hens ended their season at UNC-Greensboro.

The Blue Hens finished 27-26 and did not make the CAA tournament.

HAWAII: Outfielder Michael Blake is hitting .241 (32-133) in 46 games, with no homers and 23 RBIs. He's 0-0, 2.45 in 7.1 innings in nine games as a situational reliever.

Hawaii took 3 of 4 against New Mexico State last weekend to tie Fresno State for the WAC title. The WAC tournament is scheduled for today through Wednesday in Mesa, Ariz.

SANTA CLARA: Pitcher Chris Mendoza is 3-5, 5.24 in 55 innings over 19 games. The Broncos lost three games to San Diego last weekend and finish the regular season at Portland this Friday-Sunday.

SAN DIEGO STATE: Pitcher Justin Hepner is 0-0, 9.95 in 6.1 innings over five appearances. The Aztecs tlook 2 of 3 against UNLV last weekend; the Mt. West Conference tournament starts Tuesday at SDSU.

SEATTLE: Infielder Nate Roberts is hitting .172 (15-87) with a homer and eight RBIs in 30 games. He's sidelined with a wrist injury but should be ready to go for the Knights' opening night.

UC IRVINE: Pitcher Nick Hoover is 2-4, 3.69 in 32.2 innings over 20 games, with 21 strikeouts. Pitcher Sebastian Santos threw a scoreless inning in his lone appearance.

The Anteaters were 2-1 against UC Riverside last weekend. They host UCLA on Tuesday and close the regular season at home against Long Beach State this weekend.

UC RIVERSIDE: Outfielder David Andriese is hitting .304 (52-171) in 47 games, with four homers and 29 RBIs. Pitcher Dylan Stuart is 1-1, 1.82 in 29.2 innings over 17 games, with 28 strikeouts. Reliever Mitch Patito is 1-3, 6.05 in 18 games, with six saves and 23 strikeouts in 19.1 innings.

Riverside lost 2 of 3 to UC-Irvine last weekend. It plays at UC Davis this Friday-Sunday.

PORTLAND: Pitcher Chris Johnson is 2-5, 3.36 in 13 games, with 55 strikeouts in 77.2 innings.

The Pilots host Oregon on Tuesday and close the regular season against Santa Clara this Friday-Sunday.

WRIGHT STATE: Catcher Corey Davis is hitting .310 (54-174) in 46 games, with eight homers and 37 RBIs.

The Raiders took 2 of 3 against Butler last weekend. They host the Horizon League tournament this Wednesday through Sunday.

WASHINGTON STATE: Outfielder Nate Blackham is hitting .353 (18-51) with five RBIs in 31 games. Infielder J.K. Dykes is redshirting.

The Cougars took 2 of 3 against Oregon last weekend. They play Washington in Pasco on Tuesday and close the season at USC this weekend.

Remember the 2008 WCL champions

We're shooting for a 2011 West Coast League championship to bookend the 2008 title captured by former Knights stars like Richie Jimenez, Doug Cherry, Adam Melker, Dean Green, Alex Burg, Jared Eskew, John Wallace, Jon Berger, Ryan Platt, Josh Osich, Taylor Starr, and other standouts from that summer.

Here' a quick flashback to that year in a neat video compiled by Knights' 2011 intern Connor Bildfell, a Corvallis native now attending the University of Victoria in British Columbia.

And don't forget, the World Famous San Diego Chicken in coming to Corvallis on July 16. He is the world's most interesting Chicken, without question.

Enjoy!

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Speaking of ex-Knights stars, here's a rundown on the progress of our former players now in the minor leagues:

DREW GARCIA (2007, White Sox): The 2B from UC Riverside has been promoted to triple-A Charlotte of the International League after hitting .264 (33-125) in 35 games at double-A Birmingham in the Southern League, with two homers and 20 RBIs. He's hitting .273 (3-11) in three games in Charlotte, with no homers and four RBIs.

NICK STRUCK (2009, Cubs): The Mt. Hood CC righty is 4-2, 4.38 in eight games at Daytona of the single-A Florida State League, with 35 strikeouts in 39 innings.

JIM MURPHY (2007, Phillies): Our 2007 MVP as a first baseman from Washington State is at Lakewood in the Florida State League and is hitting .255 (36-141) in 39 games, with 10 homers and 25 RBIs.

ADAM MELKER (2008, 2009, Cardinals): The ex-Cal Poly outfielder is with the Palm Beach Cardinals in the Florida State League and is hitting .187 (14-75) in 23 games, with no homers and seven RBIs. He's currently on the 7-day disabled list.

ROCKY GALE (2007, 2009, Padres): The catcher from the University of Portland was 0-for-12 with the Fort Wayne Tin Caps in the Midwest League and is 3-for-26 (.115) with no homers and two RBIs in eight games at Lake Elsinore in the California League in two Class A stops.

NICK AKINS (2007, Dodgers): The former Vanguard College infielder is hitting .217 (28-129) with the Great Lakes Loons in the Class A Midwest League, with six homers and 24 RBIs in 36 games.

GREG PEAVEY (2007, Mets): The one-time Oregon State pitcher is 3-1, 3.00 in eight games at Class A Savannah in the Sally League, with 42 strikeouts in 42 innings.

ALEX BURG (2008, Giants): The MVP of the aforementioned 2008 WCL champions, a Washington State alum, is hitting .462 (6-13) in three games with the San Jose Giants of the Class A California League.

MATT PARKER (2009, Twins): The former San Diego State catcher is hitting .176 (3-17) in six games, with no homers and an RBI, for Beloit (Wis.) in the Class A Midwest League.

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Some news from around the WCL:

KELOWNA: The Falcons have set their roster, according to this story from Our Sports Central.

Ex-Knights honored on Sunday

Several former Corvallis Knights will be honored on Sunday when the Oregon State baseball program recognizes its seniors before the Beavers face USC at 12:05 p.m. in their final home game of the regular season.

Pitchers James Nygren (2009), Dylan Jones (2009, 2010) and Josh Osich (2008) will be recognized for their contributions to the team (Osich is a redshirt junior eligibility-wise but is a senior academically and is on pace to graduate this spring).

Congratulations!

And speaking of Osich, here's a Q & A with him from today's Corvallis Gazette-Times.

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It was a busy day down at the WWHQ on Wednesday when we hosted the Joe Beaver Show. Many thanks to Mike Parker, guests Tommy Hanson, Brent Morel, Bill Enyart and Leslie Mak, and to Doug Blair for his behind-the-scenes work that made the show possible.

Here's a story on the broadcast from our website, with links to the appropriate podcasts.

And here's a link to some photos from the event.

Enjoy!

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Former Knight Travis Anderson (2009), now at Lee University in Cleveland, Tenn., will play in the NAIA World Series, set for May 27-June 3 at Lewis-Clark State University in Lewiston, Idaho.

Lee plays LSU-Shreveport at noon on May 27 in the first round. Anderson hit .282, with five homers and 33 RBIs in 41 games.

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Some news from around the WCL:

COWLITZ: The Black Bears have signed freshman pitchers Ian Ekery and Ryan Yuengel of Missouri for the 2011 season. Here are the details, from the Cowlitz website.

KELOWNA: The Falcons have signed infielder Kyle Pearson and pitchers Jared Mortenson and Cade Bowen of LSU-Shreveport for the 2011 season. Here are the details from the Falcons' website.

They will join the team after the Pilots compete in the NAIA World Series, which runs May 27-June 3 at Lewis-Clark State in Lewiston, Idaho.

WALLA WALLA: Here are 10 (more) Things to Know about Sweets Baseball, a recurring feature on the Sweets' website.

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Finally, only 15 more days until our opening game, set for June 3 at Borleske Stadium in Walla Walla. And only 19 until our June 7 home opener at Goss Stadium against the Klamath Falls Gems.

Joe Beaver Show hits the WWHQ

The Knights hosted their second-ever Joe Beaver Show road show on Wednesday from the WWHQ in downtown Corvallis, and it was loaded with star power.

Guests included Knights alums/current major-league players Tommy Hanson and Brent Morel, former Oregon State football star Bill Enyart, recently elected to the College Football Hall of Fame; OSU star gymnast Leslie Mak, one of our 2011 OSU College of Business interns; our own president, Dan Segel, and the always-popular mascot, Mack the Knight, was also on hand.

We gave away lots of hot dogs, sold some new and classic Knights merchandise, met a lot of current and new fans, and basically enjoyed inviting members of the community into our home.

Hopefully we can make it an annual function.

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It's been a great week so far for our Knights alums in the major leagues.

* Atlanta pitcher Tommy Hanson (2005) had 10 strikeouts on Monday night and got the win in a 3-2 victory over the Astros. He's now 5-3, 2.35, with 54 strikeouts in 53.2 innings.

* Chicago White Sox third baseman Brent Morel (2006, 2007) hit a 3-run homer on Tuesday night to lead the ChiSox's 4-3 win over Texas. He's hitting .229, with a homer and 11 RBIs, and is hitting .381 (8-21) in his last six games.

* Toronto reliver Marc Rzepczinski (2006) is 0-0, 1.04 in his last 10 appearances. For the season, he's 2-0, 2.41 in 20 games, with 18 strikeouts in 18.2 innings.

* Houston pitcher Bud Norris (2005) is 1-1, with 28 strikeouts, in his last three starts and is 2-2, 3.42 for the season. He pitches against St. Louis on Wednesday night in his next start.

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The Bellingham Bells are under new management and they've been very busy as the season approaches.

First, they have a new nickname for their mascot: Dinger. Here Here are the details from the Bells' website.

The Bells have signed three new pitchers, left-handers Andrew Olson of Tacoma Community College and Jacob Coats of Everett Community College, and right-hander Adrian Sampson of Bellevue Community College.

And they also The Bells have signed two freshmen from UC Irvine: catcher Jerry McClanahan and infielder Dillon Moyer.

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We're down to 16 days before our June 3 opener at Walla Walla and just 20 until our June 7 home opener against the Klamath Falls Gems.

We're taking a radio feed from Walla Walla for the opening series. Last year's No. 2 broadcaster, Jason Schwartz, will handle our opening home series and the June 10-12 games at Bend, as we expect No. 1 broadcaster Mike Parker to be busy with OSU in the NCAA playoffs, or taking a much-deserved break after nine non-stop months of Beaver football, men's basketball and baseball.

And those games will be a spring-training of sorts for Jason, who starts his first radio job in affiliated baseball as the play-by-play guy with the Northwest League's Tri-City Dust Devils in late June.

Roy hired; Joe Beaver Show here Wednesday

Another great day in the Knights organization.

Jake Roy (2007), who played several positions for the 2007 Knights, has been hired as the new trainer/strength and conditioning coach for the Batavia (N.Y.) Muckdogs, the St. Louis Cardinals' franchise in the short-season Class A New York-Penn League.

He starts in June. A graduate of Corvallis High and Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, S.D., Jake most recently was a graduate assistant strength & conditioning coach at the University of Memphis while he earned his Master's degree.

"It's a great opportunity, I'm really excited about it," he said Tuesday. "It's a start in the field, with a chance to advance in a great organization."

Former Knight Adam Melker played for the Muckdogs last season. Here's a link to the Batavia website.

So, congrats to Jake. Once a Knight, always a Knight, and it's always been about more than baseball.

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The office is a whirlwind of activity this morning as we prepare for Wednesday's visit by the Joe Beaver Show and Mike Parker, the co-host of the show and the Knights' play-by-play broadcaster on our flagship radio station, KEJO-AM 1240.

Co-host Jon Warren is on the disabled list until Thursday so Wednesday's broadcast is a solo gig. Not to worry, however; we've got plenty of guests lined up, including 2005 Knight and current Atlanta Braves' pitching sensation Tommy Hanson, who on Monday night struck out 10 in seven innings and got the victory against Houston.

Ex-Knight (2006-07) and current Chicago White Sox third baseman Brent Morel is a scheduled guest, as are OSU gymnastics sensation/2011 Knights intern Leslie Mak and our own superstar, Knights president Dan Segel.

We've got free Willie's New York-style hot dogs for the first 50 guests; discounts on Nike and classic Knights merchandise, and other surprises, so we'll see you here at the WWHQ!

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Only 17 days until our June 3 opener at Walla Walla against the Sweets, and just 21 until our June 7 hoe opener against the Klamath Falls Gems.

That's just three weeks away, and it will be here before you know it. So make sure you get your tickets and Knights gear so you're ready for Year V in Corvallis.

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Here's a rundown on the progress of our NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA and JC players:

COLLEGE OF SOUTHERN IDAHO: Pitcher Tyler Duffin was 1-4, 7.01 in 25.2 innings over 19 games, with 29 strikeouts. CSI went 2-2 at the Region 18 playoffs last week and finished its season.

CONCORDIA: Infielder Sean Myrom, a 10-game signee, hit .278 (37-133) with five homers and 20 RBIs for the Cavaliers, who finished their season at 17-30.

FEATHER RIVER: Outfielder Dayton Alexander hit .382 (58-152) in 38 games, with four homers and 24 RBIs. Catcher Jaret Bogue hit .437 (52-119), with five homers and 49 RBIs, in 31 games. FRC finished its season at 31-7.

HAWAII PACIFIC: Pitcher Taylor Hill, a 10-day signee, went 1-1, 4.64 in 21.1 innings over 10 games, with 16 strikeouts. HPU's season is over.

MT. HOOD: Pitcher Nate Dolman is 4-3, 5.06 in 32 innings in eight games, with 18 strikeouts. Pitcher Matt Pechmann is 3-1, 2.04 in 29.2 innings over nine games, with 39 strikeouts. Outfielder Matt Nylen, a 10-game signee, is hitting .319 (38-119)), with four homers and 36 RBIs in 36 games and infielder Grant Fink, another 10-game signee, is hitting .307 (35-114) in 36 games, with three homers and 28 RBIs.

The Saints (25-10-1) play a doubleheader at Clackamas today to end the regular season. The NWAACC tournament starts May 26 at Longview, Wash.

PACIFIC LUTHERAN: Pitcher Max Beatty went 5-4, 3.75 in 13 gamnes, with 60 strikeouts in 81.2 innings. Infielder Corey Moore hit .306 (48-157) in 39 games, with two homers and 24 RBIs. Shortstop Nicholas Hall, a 10-game signee, hit .255 (27-106) in 33 games, with no homers and 15 RBIs.

The Lutes they finished 19-20.

REDLANDS: Pitcher Kyle Hart is 8-2, 3.74 in 16 games, with 79 strikeouts in 84.1 innings.

Redlands plays Trinity (Texas) on Wednesday in its first gazmne at the NCAA Division III West Regionals in Abilene, Texas. Also in the event are Concordia (Texas), Linfield, Texas-Tyler and Chapman.

WESTERN OREGON: Infielder Griffin Boyd, a 10-day signee and 2010 Knight, is hitting .299 (49-164) in 48 games, with a homer and 26 RBIs.

The Wolves went 4-0 against Montana State-Billings last weekend, finished the regular season 37-13 and were selected to the NCAA Division II national tournament.

WOU is seeded second at the four-team West Regional, hosted by UC San Diego this Thurday through Sunday. It plays Cal Poly Pomona at 1 p.m. Thursday; UC San Diego and Sonoma State play in the other game.

The eight regional champions advance to the Division II College World Series, May 28-June 4 at Mount Olive College in Terry, N.C.

GEORGE FOX: Pitcher Brian Ranta, a 10-day signee, was 8-2, 2.40 in 14 games, with 68 strikeouts in 93.2 innings. The Bruins finished with a 26-13 record.

Opening day draws closer

We're down to just 18 days before our June 3 opener at Walla Walla, the start of a three-game series against the second-year Sweets.

And it's down to 22 days before our Tuesday, June 7 home opener against the expansion Klamath Falls Gems. (Don't forget the Thursday, June 9, home game with the Gems has been cancelled and rescheduled for July 28.)

We won't have our complete roster for the first series or two but we've got some talented players on 10-day contracts and we'll be competitive right out of the chute.

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Former Knight Thomas McCarthy (2010), a junior at Kentucky, was named the Louisville Slugger NCAA Player of the Week for his performance last week.

He hit .248, with no homers and 20 RBIs, for the Knights in 2010. Here's the release announcing his selection:

"TUSCON, Ariz. - After collecting 13 hits in 19 at bats during a four-game week, Kentucky junior third baseman Thomas McCarthy has been named Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week, as announced by Collegiate Baseball on Monday afternoon.

A native of Corvallis, Ore., McCarthy hit .684 during the week with nine RBI in UK's four games, leading the Wildcats to a series win over Georgia and a midweek win over Indiana. During the weekend series, McCarthy hit .714 (10-for-14) with two doubles, two homers and eight RBI, belting a two-homer game on Saturday to help UK clinch the series.

McCarthy's offense helped carry the Wildcats to their first series win over Georgia since 2007, falling just shy of UK's first sweep over the Bulldogs since 1993.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder extended his club-best hitting streak to seven games and owns five consecutive three-or-more-hit games. In the series opener with Georgia, McCarthy batted 3-for-4 with a double, before exploding on Saturday with four hits, two homers and four RBI. In the series finale on Sunday, McCarthy collected three hits with three RBI and his SEC-leading 19th double of the year. In a mid-week win over Indiana, McCarthy went 3-for-5 with an RBI.

On the year, McCarthy leads UK with a .359 average, totaling one triple, seven homers and 34 RBI, stealing eight bases. In conference play alone, McCarthy has hit a staggering .392 with eight doubles, one triple, five homers and 19 RBI.

He leads UK with 27 two-out hits and has added 17 two-out RBI, hitting .403 with two outs. McCarthy has added a team-leading 17 two-strike hits."

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Don't forget the popular Joe Beaver Show will hold a remote broadcast at our downtown Corvallis WWHQ on Wednesday, from noon until 2 p.m. We'll have specials on Nike and classic merchandise, and some free Willie's hot dogs will be available for the snarfing.

See you there!

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Former Knight Mitch Haniger (2010) of Cal Poly was nominated for Big West Conference Player of the Week honors, but did not win.

Former Knights pitcher Tyler Anderson (2-009) was nominated for Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week honors, but didn't win.

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Here's our weekly update on the 2011 Division I Knights:

OREGON STATE: Pitcher Scott Schultz is 3-0, 3.68 in 40 innings over 15 games, with 17 strikeouts. Pitcher Ben Wetzler is 6-2, 3.98 in 61 innings over 14 games, with 43 strikeouts. Pitcher Tom Zarosinski hasn't played yet.

The Beavers defeated Portland and won 2 of 3 at Washington last week. They host USC this Friday-Sunday in their final home Pac-10 series of the year.

OREGON: Outfielder Connor Hofmann is hitting .219 (7-32) with four RBIs in 20 games. Pitcher Jimmie Sherfy is 0-0, 33.75 in 1.1 innings in two appearances.

Oregon plays Gonzaga today and Tuesday in Eugene and goes to Washington State this weekend.

CAL POLY: Outfielder Jimmy Allen is hitting .230 (23-100) in 36 games, with no homers and 13 RBIs. Infielder David Armendariz is hitting .150 (9-60) with a homer and four RBIs in 26 games. Pitcher Chase Johnson is 2-5, 3.92 in 13 games, with 29 strikeouts in 43.2 innings.

The Mustangs play Santa Clara on Tuesday and play at Pacific this weekend.

DELAWARE: Pitcher Eric Young is 5-2, 4.00 in 13 games, with 40 strikeouts in 72 innings. He had a no-decision this past Friday at Northeastern.

The Blue Hens lost to Maryland and Temple, and dropped 2 of 3 at Northeastern, to finish their regular season last week. They are idle until the May 26-28 CAA tournament at Wilmington, N.C.

HAWAII: Outfielder Michael Blake is hitting .244 (32-131) in 40 games, with no homers and 23 RBIs. He's 0-0, 2.57 in seven innings in eight games as a situational reliever.

Hawaii took 3 of 4 against San Jose State last weekend. It ends the regular season at New Mexico State this Thursday (2), Friday and Saturday, and travels to Mesa, Ariz., for the May 23-25 WAC tournament in Mesa, Ariz.

SANTA CLARA: Pitcher Chris Mendoza is 3-5, 4.62 in 50.2 innings over 18 games. The Broncos were idle last weekend; they play at Cal Poly on Tuesday and host San Diego this weekend.

SAN DIEGO STATE: Pitcher Justin Hepner is 0-0, 9.95 in 6.1 innings over five appearances. The Aztecs defeatxed Cal State Northridge and took 2 of 3 at BYU last week; they finish the regular season at UNLV this Thursday-Saturday.

SEATTLE: Infielder Nate Roberts is hitting .172 (15-87) with a homer and eight RBIs in 30 games.

The Redhawks lost and tied Oregon and defeated Pacific; they'll resume Saturday's suspended game today. They host Lewis-Clark State Tuesday and Wednesday and finish the season with doubleheaders at St. Mary's on Friday and Sunday.

UC IRVINE: Pitcher Nick Hoover is 2-4, 3.69 in 32.2 innings over 20 games, with 21 strikeouts. Pitcher Sebastian Santos threw a scoreless inning in his lone appearance.

The Anteaters swept UC Santa Barbara last weekend. They play host to USC on Tuesday and visit UC Riverside this weekend.

UC RIVERSIDE: Outfielder David Andriese is hitting .307 (46-150) in 41 games, with four homers and 25 RBIs. Pitcher Dylan Stuart is 1-1, 1.42 in 24.1 innings over 15 games, with 26 strikeouts. Reliever Mitch Patito is 1-3, 3.86 in 17 games, with six saves and 23 strikeouts in 18.2 innings.

Riverside lost to San Diego and took 2 of 3 against CSU-Northridge last week. It plays at UC Irvine this Friday-Sunday.

PORTLAND: Pitcher Chris Johnson is 2-4, 3.41 in 11 games, with 46 strikeouts in 63.1 innings. He's pitching against Gonzaga on Monday in the makeup of Sunday's rainout.

The Pilots play a doubleheader at Washignton State on Tueday and play at Loyola Marymount this weekend.

WRIGHT STATE: Catcher Corey Davis is hitting .311 (52-167) in 44 games, with eight homers and 35 RBIs.

The Raiders lost at Bowling Green and split with Cleveland State last week; they play a single game with Butler on Thursday and a doubleheader on Friday, and start the Horizon League tournament at home on May 25.

WASHINGTON STATE: Outfielder Nate Blackham is hitting .303 (10-33) with two RBIs in 26 games. Infielder J.K. Dykes is redshirting.

The Cougars split two games with Arizona last weekend; the third game in that series is today. They play a doubleheader against Portland on Tuesday and host oregon this Friday-Sunday.

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We'll update the stats of our NCAA Division II, Division III, NAIA and JC players on Tuesday.