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Knights Daily Update

Surrey named NWL Pitcher of the Week

July 6, 2016

Happy Wednesday, everyone.

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Some good news to report from the Northwest League.

Alum Elliot Surrey of the Everett AquaSox, a lefty who played for us in 2013 after his freshman year at UC Irvine, was named the Northwest League Pitcher of the Week for June 27-July 3. Everett is Seattle's franchise in the short-season, Class A circuit. He had a 0.00 ERA in three games, with a save and six strikeouts in six innings, with no walks and only one hit allowed.

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The Knights clinched the first-half South Division title and an automatic postseason playoff berth on Monday with our 2-1 victory at Yakima Valley.

We open a three-game, two-night series against Wenatchee at 6:40 tonight. It is the opener of a seven-game homestand that also sees us play Yakima Valley (Friday-Sunday) and the Salem Capitols of the Oregon Collegiate Baseball League (Monday).

* Tonight is KLOO-FM Timeless Rock Night/Mascot Night, presented by Jiffy Lube. Help us celebrate Mack the Knight's birthday; GA tickets for seniors are just $2. It is also a Spindrift Wine Wednesday; enjoy a specially-priced Spindrift Cellars pour.

* Thursday is doubleheader against Wenatchee, starting at 6 p.m. It is a Block 15 Thursday; enjoy adult beverages for $2. Hot dogs are also just $2.

* Friday vs. Yakima Valley is MOM Magazine Ladies Night, hosted by Heresco Chiropractic. It is also a Fred Meyer Family Friday Night. Pick up your voucher at the Corvallis or Albany Fred Meyer to get redeemed at any Friday game at Goss Stadium for four reserved seats, four soft drinks, four hot dogs and four popcorns for only $44.

* On Saturday, the World Famous SD Chicken returns to Corvallis for the third time for our game against Yakima Valley. It is also an All-Family Vision Care $1,000 Kids Dash for Cash Night, presented by Best Heating and Cooling.

And Sunday's series finale vs. Yakima Valley is HOPE Night, presented by 107.9 FM. It is also a Lil' Knights Club game.

See you there! If you cannot make it, please catch all the games on KEJO-AM 1240, with Mike Parker calling the action.

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The WCL All-Star game is set for July 19 at David Story Field in Longview, Wash., hosted by the Cowlitz Black Bears. Players from Corvallis and other South Divisions teams will meet the best from the North Division; there will also be a Home Run Derby. Teams will be announced on Monday.

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A major-league baseball alumni update:

* Catcher Chris Stewart (2001) of the Pittsburgh Pirates has been placed on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to July 2, 2016.He has left-knee discomfort. Stewie was hitting .198, with a homer and seven RBIs.

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Sacramento (AAA Pacific Coast, Giants) catcher Andrew Susac (2009) was 3-for-5 with an RBI and threw out a would-be base stealer in a 6-4 win over Fresno on Tuesday night to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Toledo (AAA International, Tigers) DH Dean Green (2008) was 1-for-4 with two runs, a double and an RBI in a 10-0 win over Columbus.

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Some news from elsewhere in the WCL:

* Cal Poly sophomore Ben Polshuk of the Victoria HarbourCats and Emory junior southpaw Jackson Weeg of the Walla Walla Sweets were named the West Coast League Player and Pitcher of the Week for June 27-July 3. Please click here for more on that story, from the WCL website.

* Walla Walla has added pitchers Billy Dimlow from Emory and Grant Ford from Nevada. Please click here for more details.

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That is all for today. Now that the season has started, we are blogging four days a week. Have a great day; see you at Goss Stadium on Wednesday, and back here on Thursday.


Knights clinch first-half South Division title, playoff berth

July 5, 2016

Happy Tuesday, everyone. Welcome back, and we hope you all enjoyed the July 4 holiday weekend.

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The Knights clinched the first-half South Division title and an automatic postseason playoff berth on Monday with our 2-1 victory at Yakima Valley.

The Knights (21-8 all, 15-8 WCL) can finish no worse than a tie with the Pippins (15-12 first half) through the first 27 games, which constitute the first half. Even if the Knights lose their next four games and they finish with identical records, we would win the South by virtue of their superior record within the division.

Our series against the Pippins concludes at 7:05 tonight at Yakima County Stadium. Lefty Cameron Bishop (1-0, 0.00) of UC Irvine is our scheduled starter, opposed by a to-be-determined pitcher for the Pippins.

We then open a seven-game homestand on Wednesday with the first of three games against longtime WCL rivals the Wenatchee AppleSox, a 6:40 p.m. single game on Wednesday and a 6 p.m. twin bill on Thursday. We also host Yakima Valley (Friday-Sunday) and the Salem Capitols of the Oregon Collegiate Baseball League (Monday).

* Wednesday against Wenatchee is KLOO-FM Timeless Rock Night/Mascot Night, presented by Jiffy Lube. Help us celebrate Mack the Knight's birthday; GA tickets for seniors are just $2.

* Thursday is a 6 p.m. doubleheader against Wenatchee. It is a Block 15 Thursday; enjoy adult beverages for $2.

* Friday vs. Yakima Valle is Ladies Night, hosted by Heresco Chiropractic.

* On Saturday, the World Famous SD Chicken returns to Corvallis for the third time for our game against Yakima Valley. It is also an All-Family Vision Care $1,000 Kids Dash for Cash Night, presented by Best Heating and Cooling.

And Sunday's series finale vs. Yakima Valley is HOPE Night, presented by 107.9 FM. It is also a Lil' Knights Club game.

See you there! If you can't make it, please catch all the games on KEJO-AM 1240, with Mike Parker calling the action.

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

The WCL All-Star game is set for July 19 at David Story Field in Longview, Wash., hosted by the Cowlitz Black Bears. Players from Corvallis and other South Divisions teams will meet the best from the North Division; there will also be a Home Run Derby. Teams will be announced on July 11.

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An update of our alums in the Frontier League, with stats through Sunday's games:

* Infielder Carter Bell (2009) of the Joliet (Ill.) Slammers is third in the batting race with a .348 (56-161) average. He has six homers and a league-best 43 RBIs in 44 games. Carter played at Oregon State.

* Pitcher Scott Schultz (2011) of the Schaumburg (Ill.) Boomers is 3-2, 5.36 in nine games, with 38 strikeouts in 52 innings. He also played at OSU.

* Infielder Seth Heck (2013) of the Gateway (Ill.) Grizzlies is hitting .257 in 42 games, with a homer and 16 RBIs. He played at Tacoma CC and at Mississippi State.

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Lowell (A New York-Penn, Red Sox) pitcher Stephen Nogosek had two strikeouts in two scoreless innings in a 4-2 loss to Auburn on Monday to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* San Antonio (AA Texas, Padres) outfielder Nick Torres (2012) was 1-for-5 with two runs in a 6-5 loss to Springfield.

* Salt Lake Reno (AAA Pacific Coast, Angels) pitcher Greg Mahle (2012) had one strikeout in a scoreless inning in a 17-6 loss to Las Vegas.

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That is all for today. Now that the season has started, we are blogging four days a week. Have a great day; see you at Goss Stadium on Wednesday, and back here on Wednesday as well.


Alum Bud Norris traded to the Dodgers

July 1, 2016

Happy Friday, everyone.

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Big transaction involving one of our major-league alums on Thursday.

The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired right-handed pitcher Bud Norris, a 2005 alum from Cal Poly, outfielder Dian Toscano, a player to be named and cash considerations from Atlanta for left-hander Philip Pfeifer and right-hander Caleb Dirks.

The Dodgers will be the fifth MLB club for Norris. He came up with Houston and has also pitched for Baltimore, San Diego and the Braves before this latest move. You can click here to see all of our alums in affiliated baseball.

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Our eight-game homestand continues today with a nonleague game against the Polk County Growlers of the Oregon Collegiate Baseball League on 'Merica Night/Fred Meyer Family Friday.

Wear your red, white and blue. Pick up your voucher at the Corvallis or Albany Fred Meyer to get redeemed at any Friday game at Goss Stadium for four reserved seats, four soft drinks, four hot dogs and four popcorns for only $44.

* Saturday is our annual Oregon State Credit Union Fireworks Night. There are tickets available, so get your tickets now!

See you there! If you can't make it, please catch all the games on KEJO-AM 1240, with Mike Parker calling the action.

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We head to Yakima on Sunday for a three-game series with the Pippins that should determine the first half's South Division champion. Our next home games after this weekend are July 6-11, when we host Wenatchee (July 6-7), Yakima Valley (July 8-10) and the Salem Capitols of the OCBL (July 11).

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The WCL All-Star game is set for July 19 at David Story Field in Longview, Wash., hosted by the Cowlitz Black Bears. Players from Corvallis and other South Divisions teams will meet the best from the North Division; there will also be a Home Run Derby. Teams will be announced on July 11.

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Some alumni news:

* Pitcher Colin Feldtman (2013) of the University of Portland has been released by the Lake Erie Crushers of the independent Frontier League. He was 0-3, 8.57 in eight games, with seven strikeouts in 21 innings.

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Everett (A Northwest, Mariners) pitcher Elliot Surrey (2013) pitched two scoreless inning, had two strikeouts and got his first professional save in an 8-5 win over Spokane on Thursday night to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Reno (AAA Pacific Coast, Diamondback) outfielder Mitch Haniger (2010) was 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI and raised his average to .360 in an 8-6 loss to El Paso.

* Mobile (AA Southern, Diamondbacks) closer Jimmie Sherfy (2011) earned his 10th save and had two strikeouts in a scoreless ninth inning in a 7-5 win over Montgomery.

* San Antonio (AA Texas, Padres) catcher Rocky Gale (2007, 2009) was 2-for-3 w2ith a double and two RBIs in a 6-2 win over Tulsa.

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That is all for today. Now that the season has started, we will be blogging four days a week. Have a great weekend; see you at Goss Stadium tonight, and back here on Monday.


Knights have nonleague DH tonight

June 30, 2016

Happy Thursday, everyone.

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Our eight-game homestand continues today with a nonleague doubleheader against the touring Perth Heat Colts junior team, and the Albany Mid-Valley Rockets American Legion team. The Perth game starts at 5 p.m., the Mid-Valley game at 7:30 p.m.

* It is COUNTRY Financial Mini-Bat Night, and a $2 Thursday, with special prices on selected adult beverages. The first 250 kids through the gates get mini-bats compliments of COUNTRY Financial. It is also a $2 hot dog night.

* Friday is 'Merica Night/Fred Meyer Family Friday. Wear your red, white and blue. Pick up your voucher at the Corvallis or Albany Fred Meyer to get redeemed at any Friday game at Goss Stadium for four reserved seats, four soft drinks, four hot dogs and four popcorns for only $44.

* Saturday is our annual Oregon State Credit Union Fireworks Night. It will be a sellout, so get your tickets now!

See you there! If you can't make it, please catch all the games on KEJO-AM 1240, with Mike Parker calling the action.

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Now that our recently-drafted players have signed and been assigned to their affiliate teams, we have updated the Knights in the Pros section of our website. Please click here to see exactly who is playing where this summer.

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Wednesday's crowd of 915 for the finale of the Bellingham series raised the yearly attendance to 15,802 for 11 dates. That is 595 fans behind last year's record total of 49,656 through a corresponding number of openings.

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Oregon State second baseman Nick Madrigal, our 2015 MVP and a first-team West Coast League all-star, was named a first-team Freshman All-American by Perfect Game on Tuesday.

Madrigal was also named a Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball and a first-team selection by Baseball America. He was the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and made the all-defensive team.

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Some alumni news:

* Pitcher Ted Hammond (2014) of Seattle University has signed with the Seattle Mariners as a free agent. He was 8-3, 4.20 with Seattle this past season as a senior. He has not yet been assigned to a minor-league team.

* The White Sox have promoted pitcher Max Beatty (2010-12) to Kannapolis of the Class A South Atlantic League from Great Falls of the rookie Pioneer League. He pitched a complete game on Tuesday night in his debut but lost 4-1 to Rome.

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Clinton (A Midwest, Mariners) first baseman Dalton Kelly (2014) was 2-for-5 with a homer, a double and four RBIs in a 6-2 win over Wisconsin on Wednesday night to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Lake County (A Midwest, Indians) first baseman David Armendariz (2011) was 1-for-4 with an RBI in an 8-2 loss to South Bend.

* Vancouver (A Northwest, Blue Jays) outfielder Gabe Clark (2013) was 1-for-4 with an RBI in a 10-1 loss to Tri-City.

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That is all for today. Now that the season has started, we will be blogging four days a week. Have a great day; see you at Goss Stadium tonight, and back here on Friday.


Knights open series with Bellingham

June 27, 2016

Happy Monday, everyone.

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Our eight-game homestand continues at 6:40 tonight with the opener of a three-game series with the Bellingham Bells at Goss Stadium. Dixie State lefty Aaron Pope (1-2, 2.87) is our projected starter.

The series continues on Tuesday and Wednesday, with both games starting at 6:40 p.m. Lefty Hazahel Quijada of UC Riverside (1-0, 0.00) is our projected starter on Tuesday; UC Irvine lefty Cameron Bishop (1-0, 0.00) gets the baseball on Wednesday.

We have promotions planned for every game.

* Tonight is Philomath Night, presented by the Philomath Chamber of Commerce, and Teacher Appreciation Night.

* Tuesday is a Bi-Mart $2 Tuesday, with $2 prices on peanuts, Cracker Jack and Pepsi products. Come early for our annual Corvallis Fire vs. Corvallis Police softball game, starting at 4:45 p.m. All walk-up sales before and during the softball game will be donated to the Special Olympics and MDA.

* Wednesday is Discover Newport Night/Spindrift Wine Wednesday. Enjoy a specially priced pour of Spindrift Cellars wine.

* Thursday is COUNTRY Financial Mini-Bat Night, and a $2 Thursday, with special prices on selected adult beverages. We play the touring Perth Heat junior team and the Mid-Valley Rockets American Legion team in a 5 p.m. doubleheader. The first 250 kids through the gates get mini-bats compliments of COUNTRY Financial. It is also a $2 hot dog night.

* Friday is 'Merica Night/Fred Meyer Family Friday. Wear your red, white and blue. Pick up your voucher at the Corvallis or Albany Fred Meyer to get redeemed at any Friday game at Goss Stadium for four reserved seats, four soft drinks, four hot dogs and four popcorns for only $44.

* Saturday is our annual Oregon State Credit Union Fireworks Night. It will be a sellout, so get your tickets now!

See you there! If you can't make it, please catch all the games on KEJO-AM 1240, with Mike Parker calling the action.

Our attendance has been outstanding, despite the iffy June weather. We have drawn 11,056 fans for our seven home games, an increase of 1,919 from 2015 over a corresponding number of openings.

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Alum Nick Madrigal (2015) of Oregon State was named a first-team Freshman All-American by Baseball America on Monday. He played infield and outfield for us last summer before enrolling at OSU and was a first-team all-WCL selection.

Madrigal was the Pacific-12 Conference Freshman of the Year. He hit .333 in 49 games, tied for the team lead with 65 hits and had one homer and 29 RBIs. He walked 15 times, had just 14 strikeouts, and stole eight bases.

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Some alumni news:

* Pitcher Stephen Nogosek (2013) of Oregon has signed with the Boston Red Sox. He was their 6th-round selection in the recent MLB draft.

* Pitcher Dakody Clemmer (2015) of Arizona Western has signed with the Cleveland Indians. He was their 19th-round selection in the recent MLB draft.

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Reno (AAA Pacific Coast, Diamondbacks) outfielder Mitch Haniger (2010) was 2-for-3 with two runs, his eighth homer and an RBI in a 6-4 win over El Paso in Game 1 of a doubleheader on Sunday night to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Montgomery (AA Southern, Rays) outfielder Cade Gotta (2011) was 1-for-3 with three RBIs in a 5-3 win over Biloxi.

* Asheville (A South Atlantic, Rockies) catcher Chris Rabago (2012-13) was 1-for-3 with an RBIU in a 6-3 loss to West Virginia.

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Some news from elsewhere in the WCL:

More developments on the future of the WCL's Kitsap franchise, which should be moving to Port Angeles for the 2017 season. Please click here for more on that story, from the Ballpark Digest website.

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That is all for today. Now that the season has started, we will be blogging four days a week. Have a great day; see you at Goss Stadium tonight, and back here on Tuesday.


Susac Bobblehead Night on Saturday

June 24, 2016

Happy Friday, everyone.

We are back after a brief family reunion vacation on the East Coast that has left the Blog tanned, rested and ready for the rest of the season. So let's get started.

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We open an eight-game homestand on Saturday night with a nonleague game against the Hayesville Hammers, one of four teams in the Oregon Collegiate Baseball League.

OCBL games are played at Linn-Benton, Corban University, Chemeketa, and Western Oregon. Most of the players come from local community colleges and from area Division II and Division III schools. Most of Hayesville's players are from Chemeketa, their home diamond.

Saturday is Andrew Susac Bobblehead Night. The first 750 fans through the gates will receive a limited-edition bobblehead of the former Knights' star (2009), who played for the San Francisco Giants in 2014 and 2015.

OSU mascot Benny Beaver will throw out the first pitch. All fans who show up at the box office wearing Beaver gear will receive a Buy One, Get One Free discount on general admission tickets. BOGO tickets can also be claimed in advance online by using the promo code "bobblehead."

We then open a three-game West Coast League series against the Bellingham Bells on Monday night. See you there! If you can't make it, please catch all the games on KEJO-AM 1240, with Mike Parker calling the action.

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Our attendance has been outstanding, despite the iffy June weather. We have drawn 11,056 fans for our seven home games, an increase of 1,919 from 2015 over a corresponding number of openings. Please click here for complete WCL attendance numbers.

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Shortstop Andy Atwood of Oregon State earned WCL Player of the Week honors for June 13-19. He propelled Corvallis to a 5-1 week as the sophomore-to-be went 9-for-18 (.500), with seven walks, nine runs, three steals, two doubles, four RBIs and a .640 on-base percentage. Please click here for more on that story, from the WCL website.

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Some alumni news:

* Pitcher Max Beatty (2010-12) has signed with the Chicago White Sox as a free agent, and assigned to Great Falls (Mont.) in the rookie Pioneer League. He was playing for the Wichita Wingnuts in the independent American Association. Max played two seasons in the San Diego organization after a standout career at PLU before being released in 2015.

* Pitcher Austin Sodders (2014) of Riverside CC/ UC Riverside has signed with Detroit. He was drafted in the 7th round on June 11, signed for $216,000, and has not yet been assigned to a minor-league affiliate.

* Infielder Caleb Whalen (2012) of Portland has signed with Milwaukee. He was their 38th-round pick on June 12, and is playing for Helena in the Pioneer League.

* DH Dean Green (2008), formerly of the Erie (Tigers) SeaWolves, was named the Eastern League Player of the Week for June 13-19. The 26-year old batted .438 (7-for-16) with three home runs, 12 RBIs, three runs scored and a 1.000 slugging percentage in four games. He hit a home run in each of the first three games he played in during the week and drove in multiple runs in each of the four games he played in.

He was promoted to Triple-A Toledo on June 18. Please click here for more on that story, from the Eastern League website. Saturday

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Toledo (AAA International, Tigers) pitcher Matt Boyd allowed two runs and had two strikeouts in five innings and got the win in a 4-3 victory over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Reno (AAA Pacific Coast, Diamondbacks) outfielder Mitch Haniger (2010) was 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI and raised his average to .392 in an 8-6 loss to Las Vegas.

* Montgomery (AA Southern, Rays) outfielder Cade Gotta (2011) was 1-for-3 with a run and raised his average to .317 in a 3-2 win over Biloxi.

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Some news from elsewhere in the WCL:

Former Bellingham Bells ace and 2011 first-team all-WCL starting pitcher

Adrian Sampson of the Seattle Mariners made his big league debut on June 18, against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park . He played at Bellevue (Wash.) JC; please click here for more on that story, from the WCL website.

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That is all for today. Now that the season has started, we will be blogging four days a week. Have a great weekend; see you at Goss on Saturday and see you again here on Monday.


Knights open weekend series with Kitsap

June 17, 2016

Happy Friday, everyone.

We are exactly halfway through our first homestand, which continues tonight with the opener of a three-game series against our longtime WCL rival, the Kitsap BlueJackets.

Tonight is Pape Material Handling Youth Baseball/Softball Night, presented by Positive Coaching Alliance. Bring your favorite ballplayer/s to Goss Stadium in their youth team jersey for a fun-filled evening of West Coast League baseball. All kids who wear their team jersey to the game can get a FREE GA ticket at the box office, which opens at 6 p.m.

Also, it is Cowbell Night so the first 500 fans through the gates get cowbells, compliments of Linn Benton Tractor.

And, the Knights will donate $1 to Community Outreach, Inc., for every kid who shows up wearing their youth team jersey as part of its One Step Closer to Home program.

Saturday is Samaritan Health Fitness Fireworks Night, with a 7:15 p.m. starting time. And the homestand concludes on Sunday, which is Snap Fitness/Lil' Knights Club night. Show your Snap Fitness membership card and receive a $2 GA ticket.

Thursday's crowd of 865 raised the yearly attendance to 6,106 for four dates. That is 412 fans ahead of last year's record total of 49,656 through a corresponding number of openings.

See you there! If you can't make it, please catch all the games on KEJO-AM 1240, with Mike Parker calling the action.

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Clark CC Chris Carns (0-2, 4.35) will start tonight's opener against Kitsap, followed by Washington State lefty Trenton Dupre (1-0, 0.00) on Saturday and Dixie State lefty Aaron Pope (0-2, 0.909) on Sunday.

Corvallis leads the all-time series with the BlueJackets 48-20 and has a 20-7 edge in games played at Goss Stadium after sweeping Kitsap in Corvallis in 2015. The Knights play the road portion of the home-and-home series at Silverdale on July 29-31.

We are idle on Monday, when we hit the road for a three-game series at Kelowna. Our next home stand starts on June 25 with a nonleague game against the Hayesville Hammers of the Oregon Collegiate Baseball League.

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Corner infielder Michael Farris of UC Riverside, a returnee from 2015 who led the Knights in homers (5), and center fielder Steven Kwan of Oregon State arrived on Thursday and played against Kelowna. With their arrival, the 2016 full-time roster is almost complete.

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Alum Ryan Matranga (2015), a catcher from the University of San Francisco has signed with the hometown Giants. He was drafted in the 38th round on June 12.

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El Paso (AAA Pacific Coast, Padres) catcher Rocky Gale (2007, 2009) was 2-for-4 with a run and raised his average to .302 in a 6-5 loss to Albuquerque on Thursday night to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Erie (AA Eastern, Tigers) DH Dean Green (2008) hit his 16th homer and had two RBIs in a 4-2 win over Akron.

* Mobile (AA Southern, Diamondbacks) closer Jimmie Sherfy (2011) pitched a scoreless ninth for his eighth save, had two strikeouts and lowered his ERA to 0.54 in a 3-2 win over Pensacola in the opener of a doubleheader.

* San Antonio (AA Texas, Padres) outfielder Nick Torres (2012) was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a double and raised his average to .311 in a 4-2 win at Midland.

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That is all for today. Now that the season has started, we will be blogging four days a week. Have a great weekend; the Blog is taking a little early-summer R & R and will resume later this month.


Halfway through the homestand tonight

June 16, 2016

Happy Thursday, everyone.

We are almost halfway through our first homestand, which continues tonight with the finale against the Kelowna Falcons and then runs through Sunday with three more games against Kitsap.

Tonight is a Block 15 Thursday, with discounted prices on adult beverages, and Downward Dog Night. The first 100 fans receive a free hot dog from The Downward Dog.

Friday's game against Kitsap is Pape Material Handling Youth Baseball/Softball Night, presented by Positive Coaching Alliance. Bring your favorite ballplayer/s to Goss Stadium in their youth team jersey for a fun-filled evening of West Coast League baseball. All kids who wear their team jersey to the game can get a FREE GA ticket at the box office, which opens at 6 p.m.

Also, it is Cowbell Night so the first 500 fans through the gates get cowbells, compliments of Linn Benton Tractor.

And, the Knights will donate $1 to Community Outreach, Inc., for every kid who shows up wearing their youth team jersey as part of its One Step Closer to Home program.

Saturday is Samaritan Health Fitness Fireworks Night, with a 7:15 p.m. starting time. And the homestand concludes on Sunday, which is Snap Fitness/Lil' Knights Club night. Show your Snap Fitness membership card and receive a $2 GA ticket.

Wednesday night's crowd of 961 raised the yearly attendance to 5,341 for three dates. That is 484 fans ahead of last year's record total of 49,656 through a corresponding number of openings.

See you at Goss! If you can't make it, please catch all the games on KEJO-AM 1240, with Mike Parker calling the action.

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Grand Canyon righty Jacob Wong (0-0, 0, 1.28) will start tonight's game against Kelowna. Clark CC Chris Carns (0-2, 4.35) will start Friday's opener against Kitsap, followed by Washington State lefty Trenton Dupre (1-0, 0.00) on Saturday and Dixie State lefty Aaron Pope (0-2, 0.909) on Sunday.

We are idle Monday, when we hit the road for a three-game series at Kelowna. Our next home stand starts on June 25 with a nonleague game against the Hayesville Hammers of the Oregon Collegiate Baseball League.

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Some honors for our current and alum Knights from Oregon State:

* Christian Donahue (2015), KJ Harrison (2015), Logan Ice (2014) and Kyle Nobach (2016) were all honorable-mention Pac-12 all-academic.

* Harrison and Ice were named American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-West Region second-team all-stars.

Harrison was invited to play for Team USA for the second year in a row, joining 2015 Knights alum and OSU teammate Nick Madrigal.

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Alum Justin Calomeni (2014) of Cal Poly has signed with the Colorado Rockies. He was drafted in the ninth round on June 11.

Alum Elliot Surrey (2013) of UC Irvine has signed with Seattle. He was their 27th-round pick.

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Reno (AAA Pacific Coast, Diamondbacks) outfielder Mitch Haniger (2010) was 2-for-5 with two homers, three runs and four RBIs in a 16-10 win over Las Vegas on Wednesday night to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors. He is hitting .417 since his promotion from AA Mobile.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Erie (AA Eastern, Tigers) DH Dean Green (2008) hit his 15th homer and had two RBIs in a 9-2 win over Akron.

* Palm Beach (A Florida State, Cardinals) outfielder Blake Drake (2013) was 2-for-5 with two RBIs in a 7-4 win over Brevard County. He has returned to the FSL after a short stay with AA Springfield.

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That is all for today. Now that the season has started, we will be blogging four days a week. Have a great day and we will see you on Friday.


It's opening night! See you at the ballpark!

June 14, 2016

Happy Tuesday, everyone.

It's finally time for our 2016 home opener, after nine straight road games to start the season. So, plan on being at Goss Stadium at 6:40 tonight, when we host the Kelowna Falcons, last year's WCL runners-up.

And what a night it should be! It is Big League Chew Opening Knight, presented by KRKT. It is also our first Bi-Mart $2 Tuesday (peanuts, Cracker Jacks and Pepsi products are only $2). The first 250 fans through the gates get a pouch of Big League Chew and sheet of Knights trading cards.

See you there! If you can't make it, please catch all the games on KEJO-AM 1240, with Mike Parker calling the action.

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Our pitching rotation for the Kelowna series is set. Lefty Riley Widell (1-0, 3.37), who will attend Central Arizona JC next year after playing at Washington State in 2016, starts tonight. San Francisco righty Grant Goodman (0-0, 0.00) goes on Wednesday and Grand Canyon righty Jacob Wong (0-0, 0, 1.28) starts on Thursday.

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We have a big promotion coming up that everyone should know about ASAP.

Our Friday game against Kitsap is Pape Material Handling Youth Baseball/Softball Night presented by Positive Coaching Alliance. Bring your favorite ballplayer/s to Goss Stadium in their youth team jersey for a fun-filled evening of West Coast League baseball. All kids who wear their team jersey to the game can get a FREE GA ticket at the box office, which opens at 6 p.m.

Also, it is Cowbell Night so the first 500 fans through the gates get cowbells, compliments of Linn Benton Tractor.

And, the Knights will donate $1 to Community Outreach, Inc., for every kid who shows up wearing their youth team jersey as part of its One Step Closer to Home program.

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

El Paso (AAA Pacific Coast, Padres) catcher Rocky Gale (2007, 2009) was 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI and caught the entire game in a 2-1, 13-inning win over Albuquerque on Monday night to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Frisco (AA Texas, Rangers) outfielder Alex Burg (2008) was 2-for-2 with as double in an 8-2 loss to Midland in Game 2 of a doubleheader.

* Mobile (AA Southern, Diamondbacks) reliever Jimmie Sherfy (2011) pitched two scoreless innings, got the win and had one strikeout in an 8-7, 11-inning win over Jacksonville. He lowered his ERA to 0.57.

* Reno (AAA Pacific Coast, Diamondbacks) outfielder Mitch Haniger (2010) was 1-for-5 with a two-run homer in a 14-7 win over Las Vegas. He was recently promoted from AA Mobile.

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Some news from around the WCL:

The West Coast League Player of the Week and Pitcher of the Week, as announced by league president Donnie Marbut, are Chico State junior right-hander Dalton Erb of the Victoria HarbourCats and Cal frosh outfielder Jeffrey Mitchell, Jr. of the Gresham GreyWolves for the week of June 6-12.

The San Diego Padres selected Erb in the 30th round of the MLB June draft this past Saturday. Prior to the draft, Dalton tossed a gem vs. Wenatchee at Royal Athletic Park on June 7, twirling an 8-hit shutout innings while striking out 13 and only allowing a hit and walk in Victoria's 11-1 win over the AppleSox.

This past spring, Erb made 15 starts and went 6-3 with a 3.62 ERA for Chico State.

Mitchell went 11-for-20 with seven runs scored, five RBIs, and a double, triple and stolen base over the GreyWolves first week of WCL baseball, as Gresham started the season 3-3. Mitchell made 25 appearances and totaled 26 at bats in his freshman season at Cal Berkley.

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That is all for today. Now that the season has started, we will be blogging four days a week. Have a great day and we will see you on Thursday.


Knights home opener set for Tuesday

June 13, 2016

Happy Monday, everyone.

We are finally ready for our 2016 home opener, after nine straight road games to start the season. So, plan on being at Goss Stadium at 6:40 p.m. Tuesday, when we host the Kelowna Falcons, last year's WCL runners-up.

And what a night it should be! It is Big League Chew Opening Knight, presented by KRKT. It is also our first Bi-Mart $2 Tuesday (peanuts, Cracker Jacks and Pepsi products are only $2). The first 250 fans through the gates get a pouch of Big League Chew and sheet of Knights trading cards.

See you there! If you can't make it, please catch all the games on KEJO-AM 1240, with Mike Parker calling the action.

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Our pitching rotation for the Kelowna series is set. Lefty Riley Widell (1-0, 3.37), who will attend Central Arizona JC next year, starts on Tuesday. San Francisco righty Grant Goodman (0-0, 0.00) goes on Wednesday and Grand Canyon righty Jacob Wong (0-0, 0, 1.28) starts on Thursday.

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The Knights and the West Coast League had very productive weekends in the Major League draft, which ran from June 9-11.

Ten former, current or future Knights were selected, led by Oregon State catcher Logan Ice (2014), who went to Cleveland in the second round. Please click here for more on that story.

And a total of 83 alums of the WCL were chosen, an increase of 24 from last year. Here is more on that story, from the WCL website.

Congrats to everyone getting a chance to play pro baseball.

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Alum Tyler Anderson, a left-handed pitcher from Oregon who played for us in 2009, made an impressive MLB debut on Sunday in a 2-1 victory over the San Diego Padres. He went 6.1 innings, allowed just one run and had six strikeouts.

He became the ninth Aloha/Corvallis Knights alum to appear in a major-league game this season, joining lefty pitchers Greg Mahle (Angels), Matt Boyd (Tigers), Marc Rzepczynski (A's) and Josh Osich (Giants); right-handers Matt Andriese (Rays) and Bud Norris (Braves), and third baseman Matt Duffy (Giants) and catcher Chris Stewart (Pirates).

Anderson became the first Corvallis Knight to be selected in the first round of the draft when he was the 20th pick in 2011. Please click here for more on that story, from our website.

And click here for even more on that story, from The Denver Post.

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We have a big promotion coming up that everyone should know about ASAP.

Our Friday game against Kitsap is Pape Material Handling Youth Baseball/Softball Night presented by Positive Coaching Alliance. Bring your favorite ballplayer/s to Goss Stadium in their youth team jersey for a fun-filled evening of West Coast League baseball. All kids who wear their team jersey to the game can get a FREE GA ticket at the box office, which opens at 6 p.m.

Also, it is Cowbell Night so the first 500 fans through the gates get cowbells, compliments of Linn Benton Tractor.

And, the Knights will donate $1 to Community Outreach, Inc., for every kid who shows up wearing their youth team jersey as part of its One Step Closer to Home program.

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Fort Wayne (A Midwest, Padres) second baseman Peter Van Gansen (2013) was 3-for-5 with a run, a triple and an RBI in a 7-3 win over Dayton on Sunday night to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Erie (AA Eastern, Tigers) DH Dean Green (2008) was 2-for-4 with an RBI in a 3-2 win over Trenton.

* Sacramento (AAA Pacific Coast, Giants) catcher Andrew Susac (2009) was 1-for-1 with a double and an RBI in an 11-3 loss to El Paso.

* Jupiter (A Florida State, Marlins) pitcher Ben Wetzler (2011) threw 2.1 scoreless innings and had two strikeouts in a 2-1 loss to Daytona. He was recently promoted from low-A Greensboro.

* Charlotte (AAA International, White Sox) first baseman Danny Hayes (2010) hit a two-run homer, his 10th, in a 5-2 loss at Buffalo.

* Tampa Bay has promoted outfielder Cade Gotta (2011) to Montgomery of the AA Southern League from Charlotte of the high-A Florida State League.

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That is all for today. Now that the season has started, we will be blogging four days a week. Have a great day and we will see you on Tuesday.