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Knights Daily Update

Pitcher Sean Eberhardt returns to active duty

July 22, 2014

Happy Tuesday, everyone.

Bad night in Klamath Falls on Monday, where a surprise rainstorm forced the cancellation of the 2014 West Coast League All-Star Game. It was the first time in four years a game had been rained out there.

Knights Kevin Kline, Marc Gallegos, Jackson Lockwood, Brandon Choate and Chris Haddeland were scheduled to play for the South team. Lockwood was to be the starting pitcher.

For more on the cancellation, please click here for a story by reporter Steve Matthies of the Klamath Falls Herald and News newspaper.

Alum Gabe Clark (2013) of the Victoria HarbourCats won the Home Run Derby. Corvallis outfielder Joe Duffin was eliminated after hitting two homers in the opening round.

The guys returned from Klamath Falls last night, and headed off to Silverdale, Wash., and Victoria this morning for our final long road trip of the year. We face the Kitsap BlueJackets on Tuesday-Thursday and the Victoria HarbourCats on Friday-Sunday. Then it's back to Corvallis for a key three-game series with Bend, starting on Tuesday, July 29.

Here is some more Knights news, and a few items from elsewhere in the West Coast League, which has a great new website for you to bookmark.

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Our pitching staff has been bolstered by the return of veteran Sean Eberhardt (2013-14) of George Fox University. He had been sidelined since June 25 with a sore elbow, but is now healthy again, has rejoined the club and is on the Kitsap-Victoria road trip.

Eberhardt was 0-0, 3.60 in seven appearances before being sidelined, with 10 strikeouts in 10 innings. He can start or relieve, and throws strikes. Welcome back Sean!

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We start our last extended road trip of the season tonight with a 6:35 game against the Kitsap BlueJackets at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds in Silverdale, Wash. Righthander Jason Snodgrass (2-0, 3.06) of Concordia is our scheduled starting pitcher.

The series resumes at 6:35 p.m. Wednesday; righty Chris Haddeland (3-2, 2.65) of Linfield gets the ball. Pacific Lutheran righty Chris Bishop (1-2, 4.88) will start Thursday's finale.

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Miami has promoted alum Scott Lyman (2010) to Jacksonville of the double-A Southern League. He gave up six earned runs and had three strikeouts in five innings in a 9-5 loss to Birmingham on Monday in his double-A debut.

He was with Jupiter in the A Advanced Florida State League, where he went 4-8, 3.03 in 17 games, with 70 strikeouts in 98 innings. Scott played at UC Davis.

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Johnson City (R Appalachian, Cardinals) center fielder Blake Drake (2013) was 3-for-5 with a homer, a double and two RBIs in an 8-4 win over Bristol on Monday to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Colorado Springs (AAA Pacific Coast, Rockies) third baseman Drew Garcia (2007) was 2-for-4 with a run and a double in a 5-2 win over Nashville.

* Lake County (A Midwest, Indians) pitcher Trevor Frank (2012) had one strikeout in two scoreless innings but was not involved in the decision in a 5-2 win over Quad Cities.

Great Falls (R Pioneer, White Sox) pitcher Jace Fry (2011) had two strikeouts in one scoreless inning and got a hold in a 12-8 win over Idaho Falls.

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Some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League:

BEND: The Bend Bucks provide an opportunity offered by no other team in the WCL, according to this story by reporter Grant Lucas in the Bend Bulletin newspaper.

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That is it for today. See you on Wednesday, when we will have updated stats on our position-playing alums in affiliated baseball.


Landazuri named WCL Player of the Week

July 21, 2014

Happy Monday, everyone.

The Knights had a great weekend at Bellingham, defeating the Bells 2-0 on Friday and 2-1 on Saturday to win the series against one of the toughest clubs in the West Coast League.

We were idle on Sunday. Six Knights (Kevin Kline, Marc Gallegos, Jackson Lockwood, Brandon Choate, Chris Haddeland, Joe Duffin) will play at the WCL All-Star Game/Home Run Derby at Klamath Falls tonight. Lockwood is the starting pitcher for the South team; Duffin will compete in the Home Run Derby.

Alum Gabe Clark (2013) of the Victoria HarbourCats will also compete in the Derby. He hit three homers against Klamath Falls on Friday night and was robbed of a fourth by a Gems' outfielder.

The guys will return from Klamath Falls tonight, and then it's off to Silverdale, Wash., and Victoria on Tuesday morning for our final long road trip of the year. We face the Kitsap BlueJackets on Tuesday-Thursday and the Victoria HarbourCats on Friday-Sunday. Then it's back to Corvallis for a three-game series with Bend, starting on Tuesday, July 29.

Here is some more Knights news, and a few items from elsewhere in the West Coast League, which has a great new website for you to bookmark.

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Pitcher Angel Landazuri of UC Riverside earned West Coast League Player of the Week honors for July 14-20 on Monday for his eight shutout innings in a 2-0 win at Bellingham this past Friday. He struck out a career-high 10 and allowed just four hits. Here is more on that award, from the WCL website.

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Outfielder/first baseman/designated hitter Joe Duffin is having a great second season with the Knights. Here is more on the slugger from Cypress (Calif.) College, who will play at Connecticut next year, from the Knights' website.

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Baseball is a tough business, as two alums discovered last week. The Atlanta Braves released left-handed pitcher Dylan Stuart (2011-12) of UC Riverside, and the Minnesota Twins released catcher Bo Altobelli (2010) of Texas Tech.

Stuart was 1-0, 3.24 in five games with the Braves in the rookie Gulf Coast League. A third-year pro, Altobelli was hitting .224 in 44 games with Cedar Rapids in the low-A Midwest League.

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Indianapolis (AAA International, Pirates) third baseman Brent Morel (2006-07) was 2-for-4 with a homer, an RBI and three runs scored in a 7-5 win over Columbus on Sunday to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* El Paso (AAA Pacific Coast, Padres) catcher Rocky Gale (2007, 2009) was 2-for-3 in a 6-0 loss to Fresno.

* Richmond (AA Eastern, Giants) shortstop Matt Duffy (2010) was 2-for-6 with a double and two RBIs in a 5-4, 15-inning win over Harrisburg. Teammate Josh Osich (2008) struck out one in two innings of scoreless relief.

* Jacksonville (AA Southern, Marlins) outfielder Alex Burg (2008) was 2-for-4 with a triple in a 5-2 win over Pensacola.

* Kannapolis (A South Atlantic, White Sox) first baseman Danny Hayes (2010) was 2-for-4 with an RBI in a 7-6 win over Lakewood.

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Some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League:

COWLITZ: Here are some notes on the Black Bears, from the Daily News newspaper of Kelso-Longview, Wash.

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That is it for today. See you on Tuesday.


Lockwood to start for South team at All-Star Game

July 18, 2014

Happy Friday, everyone.

Tough night at Bellingham on Thursday, as we were two-hit by three Bells' pitchers in a 4-1 loss. But there are two more games left in the series so all is not lost. That is the great thing about baseball, there is always another chance.

The series resumes at 7:05 p.m. today. Angel Landazuri (2-0, 2.88) of UC Riverside is our projected starter, opposed by Aaron Sandefur of Bellevue CC (4-1, 2.30) in a matchup of right-handers. Cal Poly's Justin Calomeni gets the ball in Saturday's 7:05 p.m. finale.

And, good news for our out-of-town fans, KEJO-AM 1240's live broadcast stream has been fixed and should be up and running tonight.

Here is some more Knights news, and a few items from elsewhere in the West Coast League, which has a great new website for you to bookmark.

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Pitcher Jackson Lockwood of the Portland Pilots will be the starter for the South team in Monday night's West Coast League All-Star Game at Klamath Falls. Jackson is 6-2 and has emerged as one of our top starting pitchers. Here is more on the story, from the WCL website.

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Alum Taylor Ard (2009) of Mt. Hood CC and Washington State is back in affiliated baseball. Released by the Seattle Mariners earlier this year after two years in their minor-league system, he has signed with Arizona. He is now playing for the Hillsboro Hops in the Northwest League and was 0-for-1 in his debut last night as a pinch-hitter in a 2-1 loss to Tri-City.

Ard was playing for River City in the Frontier League this season. He hit .338 in 50 games, with nine homers and 33 RBIs for the Rascals.

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Durham (AAA International, Rays) pitcher Matt Andriese (2009) allowed five hits and no runs, had six strikeouts in 7.2 innings and got the victory in a 7-0 win over Gwinnett on Thursday to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Burlington (A Midwest, Angels) reliever Greg Mahle (2012) pitched 2.1 scoreless innings and had three strikeouts in a 6-3 loss to South Bend.

* Eugene (A Northwest, Padres) outfielder Nick Torres (2012) was 2-for-5 with a run, a double and two RBIs in an 11-9 loss to Vancouver.

* Johnson City (R Appalachian, Cardinals) outfielder Blake Drake (2013) was 2-for-4 with a double and a run in a 6-5 win over Pulaski.

* Indians (R Arizona Rookie League, Indians) first baseman David Armendariz (2011) hit a two-run homer in a 4-1 win over the Brewers.

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Here are the updated stats of our minor-league pitching alums, in Part 2 of our weekly "Knights in the Pros" feature; the stats are through Wednesday's games. Hitting stats appeared in Wednesday's Blog.

TYLER ANDERSON (AA Tulsa, Rockies): The pitcher from Oregon (2009) is 3-4, 2.59 in 16 games, with 64 strikeouts in 76.1 innings.

MATT ANDRIESE (AAA Durham, Rays): The pitcher from UC Riverside (2009) is 10-4, 3.42 in 19 games, with 89 strikeouts in 108 innings.

MAX BEATTY (A Eugene, Padres): The pitcher from Pacific Lutheran (2010-12) is 1-1, 4.00 in 10 games, with 17 strikeouts in 18 innings.

MATT BOYD (AA New Hampshire, Blue Jays): The pitcher from Oregon State (2010) is 0-3, 6.89 in eight games, with 34 strikeouts in 32.2 innings.

A.J. BURKE (A Vermont, A's): The pitcher from Western Oregon (2012) is 2-1, 2.22 in six games, with 24 strikeouts in 28.1 innings.

TREVOR FRANK (A Lake County, Indians): The pitcher from UC Riverside (2012) is 3-4, 2.65 in 32 games, with nine saves and 38 strikeouts in 37.1 innings.

JACE FRY (A Great Falls, White Sox): The pitcher from Oregon State (2011) is 1-0, 0.00 in two games, with two strikeouts in 2.1 innings.

SAM GAVIGLIO (AA Springfield, Cardinals): The pitcher from Oregon State (2009) is 4-9, 4.65 in 18 games, with 90 strikeouts in 98.2 innings.

JUSTIN HEPNER (Gulf Coast League Marlins, Marlins): The pitcher from San Diego State (2011) is 0-0, 16.88 in two games, with no strikeouts in 2.2 innings.

CHASE JOHNSON (A Augusta, Giants): The pitcher from Cal Poly (2011) is 1-5, 5.05 in 16 games, with 60 strikeouts in 67.2 innings.

CHRIS JOHNSON (A Augusta, Giants): The pitcher from Portland (2011) is 0-1, 9.00 in one game, with no strikeouts in two innings. He is on the 7-day disabled list.

KYLE KRAUS (A Salem, Red Sox): The pitcher from Portland (2009-10) is 5-3, 4.58 in 17 games, with a save and 37 strikeouts in 55 innings.

SCOTT LYMAN (A Jupiter, Marlins): The pitcher from UC Davis (2010) is 4-8, 3.03 in 17 games, with 70 strikeouts in 98 innings.

GREG MAHLE (A Burlington, Angels): The pitcher from UC Santa Barbara (2012) is 0-1, 5.06 in three games, with seven strikeouts in 5.1 innings.

JAMES NYGREN (AA Jacksonville, Marlins): The pitcher from Oregon State (2009) is 3-2, 4.01 in 25 games, with two saves and 27 strikeouts in 42.2 innings.

JOSH OSICH (AA Richmond, Giants): The pitcher from Oregon State (2008) is 1-0, 4.30 in 26 games, with 26 strikeouts in 29.1 innings.

GREG PEAVEY (AAA Las Vegas, Mets): The pitcher from Oregon State (2007) is 1-5, 11.62 in six games, with 24 strikeouts in 28.2 innings.

SCOTT SCHULTZ (A Hillsboro, Diamondbacks): The pitcher from Oregon State (2011) is 1-2, 5.16 in five games, with seven strikeouts in 22.2 innings.

JIMMIE SHERFY (AA Mobile, Diamondbacks): The pitcher from Oregon (2011) is 1-0, 5.09 in 23 games, with a save and 27 strikeouts in 23 innings.

NICK STRUCK (AA Chattanooga, Dodgers): The pitcher from Mt. Hood CC (2009) is 1-5, 7.29 in 13 games, with 36 strikeouts in 58 innings.

DYLAN STUART (Gulf Coast League Braves, Braves): The pitcher from UC Riverside (2011-12) is 1-0, 3.24 in five games, with nine strikeouts in 8.1 innings.

BEN WETZLER (A Batavia, Marlins): The pitcher from Oregon State (2011) is 0-1, 6.75 in three games, with eight strikeouts in 6.2 innings.

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Some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League:

KLAMATH FALLS: All four Gems with connections to Murray State College in Tishimingo, Okla., have had more than baseball experiences this summer. Here is more on the story, from the Klamath Falls Herald and News newspaper.

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That is it for today. Have a great weekend and we will see you on Monday.


Off to Bellingham for a big series

July 17, 2014

Happy Thursday, everyone.

Another hot night at the ballpark on Wednesday as we beat the Portland Stars to complete a sweep of our brief nonconference series against the Ports and Stars, two of the NCBL Portland's four teams.

It will get a lot tougher now, as we head to Bellingham for a series against the Bells, who have the best record in the West Coast League at 25-7. They have a 10.5-game lead in the East Division and are pretty much assured a berth in the four-team postseason playoffs.

Jackson Lockwood (6-1, 2.13) of Portland, the WCL's leader in wins, is our starting pitcher tonight, opposed by Seth Martinez (3-0, 3.22) of Arizona State. Angel Landazuri goes for us on Friday and Justin Calomeni gets the ball on Saturday.

Here is some more Knights news, and a few items from elsewhere in the West Coast League, which has a great new website for you to bookmark.

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Wednesday's crowd of 1,149 increased our 2014 attendance to 30,991 in 25 openings. That's 1,293 fewer fans than in 2013 through a corresponding number of home dates; the Knights drew a franchise-record 43,557 fans last summer.

However, we have already exceeded our total attendance for 2007 (12,729); for 2008 (17,299) and for 2009 (30,024), and will pass our 2010 total on July 29 in our next home game, against Medford.

Please click here for complete WCL attendance numbers. They don't include nonleague games.

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Alum Andrew Susac (2009), a catcher for Fresno (AA Pacific Coast, Giants), went 0-for-1 on Wednesday for the PCL All-Stars in a 7-3 loss to the International League All-Stars in Durham. He is hitting .268 (52-194) in 57 games for the Grizzlies, with nine homers and 30 RBIs, and could be a September callup to the big team.

Alum Matt Duffy (2010), a shortstop for Richmond (AA Eastern, Giants) was 0-for-2 for the West Division All-Stars in their 5-2 win over the East Division at Altoona, Pa. Duffy is hitting .338 in 84 games for Richmond, with three homers and 54 RBIs.

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Jupiter (A Florida State, Marlins) pitcher Chase Lyman (2010) had five strikeouts, allowed three runs in seven innings and got the win in a 5-3 victory over Dunedin on Wednesday to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Kannapolis (A South Atlantic, White Sox) first baseman Danny Hayes (2010) was 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI in a 3-2 loss to Augusta.

* Mariners (R Arizona Rookie League, Mariners) second baseman Kavin Keyes (2013) was 1-for-3 with a double and two RBIs in 3-2 loss to the ARL White Sox.

* Rays (R Gulf Coast League, Rays) outfielder Cade Gotta (2011) was 1-for-3 with two runs, a double and an RBI in an 11-4 win over the GCL Twins.

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Some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League:

VICTORIA: Victoria right-handed pitcher Logan Lombana of Long Beach State has been added to the Team North roster for the West Coast League All-Star Game, set for Monday at Klamath Falls. Here is more on the story, from the Our Sports Central website.

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This is long enough already, so we will save the updated stats of our minor-league pitching alums until Friday. That is it for today.


Knights host Stars tonight

July 16, 2014

Happy Wednesday, everyone.

A hot night at the ballpark on Tuesday but we prevailed, 9-1, over the Northwest Collegiate Baseball League's Portland Ports. Joe Duffin and Tim Rausch homered for us.

Here is some more Knights news, and a few items from elsewhere in the West Coast League, which has a great new website for you to bookmark.

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We host the NCBL Portland Stars tonight in another 6:40 p.m. nonleague game.

Tonight is Mack the Knight's Birthday, presented by Special Occasions, and the Heart of the Valley Runners 6th Annual Out to the Ballgame 5k Fun Run and Walk. Come celebrate Mack the Knight's birthday with 'Lil K, Mack and his mascot friends! Seniors can purchase GA tickets for $2.

Sounds like an excellent reason to get out to the ballpark!

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Nice story in today's Corvallis Gazette-Times by reporter Kevin Hampton on first baseman Kevin Kline of Dixie State, one of our five South all-stars. Please click here and check it out.

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The Knights have drawn 29,842 fans in 24 home dates in 2014. That's 683 fans behind last year's total over a corresponding number of home dates. We drew 43,557 fans in 2013, a franchise record.

However, we have already exceeded our total attendance for 2007 (12,729) and for 2008 (17,299), and should pass our total attendance for 2009 (30,024) and for 2010 (31,009) tonight.

Please click here for complete WCL attendance numbers. They don't include nonleague games.

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Most of the minor leagues were idle on Tuesday because of the All-Star Game and very few games were played. So, we don't have a Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day today.

Things get cranked back up on Wednesday night, however, so we will have one in Thursday's Blog.

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Here are the updated stats of our minor-league position-playing Corvallis Knights alums, as part of our weekly "Knights in the Pros" feature. Pitching stats will appear on Thursdays.

DAYTON ALEXANDER (A Vermont, A's): The outfielder from Feather River JC (2011) is hitting .221 (19-86) in 23 games, with no homers and six RBIs.

JIMMY ALLEN (A Ogden, Dodgers): The second baseman from Cal Poly (2011) is hitting .317 (19-60) in 17 games, with seven RBIs.

BO ALTOBELLI (A Cedar Rapids, Twins): The catcher from Texas Tech (2010) is hitting .224 (32-143) in 44 games, with a homer and five RBIs.

DAVID ANDRIESE (A Jamestown, Pirates): The outfielder from UC Riverside (2010-11) is hitting .167 (7-42) in 12 games, with no homers and one RBI.

DAVID ARMENDARIZ (R ARL Indians, Indians): The outfielder from Cal Poly Pomona (2011) is hitting .267 (11-42) in 13 games with the Arizona Rookie League Indians, with five RBIs.

ALEX BURG (AA Jacksonville, Marlins): The catcher/outfielder from Washington State (2008) is hitting .259 (49-189) in 64 games, with five homers and 23 RBIs.

BLAKE DRAKE (R Johnson City, Cardinals): The outfielder from Concordia (2013) is hitting .321 (26-81) in 22 games, with one homer and 11 RBIs.

MATT DUFFY (AA Richmond, Giants): The shortstop from Long Beach State (2010) is hitting .338 (105-311) in 84 games, with three homers and 54 RBIs.

GRANT FINK (A Lake County, Indians): The third baseman from Missouri Western (2011) is hitting .243 (74-305) in 86 games, with nine homers and 42 RBIs.

ROCKY GALE (AAA El Paso, Padres): The catcher from Portland (2007, 2009) is hitting .319 (43-135) in 46 games, with 27 RBIs.

DREW GARCIA (AAA Colorado Springs, Rockies): The second baseman from UC Riverside (2007) is hitting .255 (59-231) in 73 games, with four homers and 34 RBIs.

RYAN GORTON (A Stockton, A's): The catcher from Oregon State (2011) is hitting .200 (16-80) in 22 games, with no homers and four RBIs.

CADE GOTTA (A Gulf Coast League Rays, Rays): The outfielder from San Diego Christian (2011) is hitting .231 (12-52) in 14 games, with no homers and seven RBIs.

DEAN GREEN (AA Erie, Tigers): The first baseman from Oklahoma State/Barry University (2008) is hitting .308 (78-253) in 72 games, with three homers and 30 RBIs.

MITCH HANIGER (AA Huntsville, Brewers): The outfielder from Cal Poly (2010) is hitting .263 (62-236) in 65 games, with 10 homers and 34 RBIs. He is on the DL.

DANNY HAYES (A Kannapolis, White Sox): The first baseman from Oregon State (2010) is hitting .298 (94-315) in 88 games, with seven homers and 46 RBIs.

KAVIN KEYES (R ARL Mariners, Mariners): The infielder from Oregon State (2013) is hitting .250 (1-4) in two games, with a homer and three RBIs.

ADAM MELKER (AA Arkansas, Angels): The outfielder from Cal Poly is hitting .237 (46-194) in 58 games, with three homers and 18 RBIs.

BRENT MOREL (AAA Indianapolis, Pirates): The third baseman from Cal Poly (2007) is hitting .231 (55-238) in 67 games, with two homers and 35 RBIs.

JIM MURPHY (AAA Lehigh Valley, Phillies): The first baseman from Washington State (2007) is hitting .235 (69-293) in 84 games, with 10 homers and 37 RBIs.

CHRIS RABAGO (A Tri-Cities, Rockies): The shortstop from UC Irvine (2012-13) is hitting .220 (9-41) in 11 games, with two RBIs.

JAKE RODRIGUEZ (A Quad City, Astros): The catcher from Oregon State (2010) is hitting .181 (13-72) in 22 games, with a homer and seven RBIs.

ANDREW SUSAC (AAA Fresno, Giants): The catcher from Oregon State (2009) is hitting .268 (52-194) in 57 games, with nine homers and 30 RBIs.

NICK TORRES (A Eugene, Padres): The outfielder from Cal Poly (2012) is hitting .242 (8-33) in eight games, with a homer and five RBIs.

JUSTIN VIELE (A Aberdeen, Orioles): The shortstop from Santa Clara (2010) is hitting .194 (14-72) in 22 games, with no homers and seven RBIs.

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Some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League:

BEND: Rod "Hot Rod" Foster has been one of the biggest Elks' fans since the team's inception. Read all about him in a story by reporter Grant Lucas in the Bend Bulletin newspaper.

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That is it for today. See you at the ballpark tonight, and back on the Blog on Thursday.


Kline leads Knights' All-Star Game selections

July 15, 2014

Happy Tuesday, everyone.

Slugging first baseman Kevin Kline leads the list of five Corvallis Knights who were selected to South team on Tuesday for the 2014 West Coast League All-Star Game. Kline is a rising senior at Dixie State.

The annual midsummer classic, spectacularly revived by the Knights in 2011 after a two-year hiatus, is set for 6:35 p.m. Monday (July 21) at Kiger Stadium in Klamath Falls.

The other honored Knights are second baseman Marc Gallegos, a rising senior at Corban University; right-handed starting pitcher Chris Haddeland, a rising senior at Linfield; right-handed starting pitcher Jackson Lockwood, a rising junior at Portland, and reliever Brandon Choate, a rising senior at Washington.

Also, first baseman/outfielder Joe Duffin of Cypress College, a junior-to-be at Connecticut this fall, will represent the Knights in the pregame Home Run Derby.

You will find more on the game from the Corvallis perspective right here, in the news portion of our website. For complete rosters, click right here.

Here is some more Knights news, and a few items from elsewhere in the West Coast League, which has a great new website for you to bookmark.

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We host the NCBL Portland Ports tonight and the NCBL Stars on Wednesday in a couple nonleague games, each of which begin at 6:40 p.m. We've got good promotions for both nights.

* Tonight is Holiday Inn Express Baseball Giveaway Night. The first 500 fans get baseballs, compliments of Holiday Inn Express.

* Wednesday is Mack the Knight's Birthday, presented by Special Occasions, and the Heart of the Valley Runners 6th Annual Out to the Ballgame 5k Fun Run and Walk. Come celebrate Mack the Knight's birthday with 'Lil K, Mack and his mascot friends! Seniors can purchase GA tickets for $2.

Sounds like some very good reasons to get out to the ballpark!

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We've drawn 28,944 fans in 23 home dates in 2014. That's 323 fans behind last year's total over a corresponding number of home dates. We drew 43,557 fans in 2013, a franchise record. Please click here for complete WCL attendance numbers. They do not include non-league games.

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Richmond (AA Eastern, Giants) shortstop Matt Duffy (2010) was 1-for-2 with a run, a double and two walks in a 5-0 win at Bowie on Monday night to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Mobile (AA Southern, Diamondbacks) pitcher Jimmie Sherfy (2011) got the win with an inning of scoreless relief in a 7-6 victory over Mississippi.

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That is it for today. See you at the ballpark tonight, and back on the Blog on Wednesday.


Nonleague games next for Knights

July 14, 2014

Happy Monday, everyone.

The Knights just finished a great weekend, completing a sweep of Klamath Falls at Goss Stadium and then enjoying a rare Sunday-Monday off. We are in first place again in the South Division of the West Coast League, and in position to earn another postseason berth.

Here is some more Knights news, and a few items from elsewhere in the West Coast League, which has a great new website for you to bookmark.

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We host the NCBL Portland Ports on Tuesday and the NCBL Stars on Wednesday in a couple nonleague games, each of which begin at 6:40 p.m. We've got good promotions for both nights.

* Tuesday is Holiday Inn Express Baseball Giveaway Night. The first 500 fans get baseballs, compliments of Holiday Inn Express.

* Wednesday is Mack the Knight's Birthday, presented by Special Occasions, and the Heart of the Valley Runners 6th Annual Out to the Ballgame 5k Fun Run and Walk. Come celebrate Mack's birthday with 'Lil K, Mack and his mascot friends! Seniors can purchase GA tickets for $2.

Sounds like some very good reasons to get out to the ballpark!

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The Pittsburgh Pirates have returned alum Matt Hague (2005) to Indianapolis in the triple-A International League after a brief stay with the big club. He went 0-for-2 in three games.

Hague is one of 203 WCL alums in affiliated baseball. For more information on that topic, please click here.

Alum Kavin Keyes (2013) of Oregon State has started his pro career with the Arizona Rookie League Mariners. Seattle selected him in the 39th round of the MLB draft, as the 1,139th overall pick, this past June.

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WCL batting leader Vince Fernandez of the Yakima Valley Pippins was named WCL Player of the Week for July 7-13. He was 15-for-29 with eight runs scored, six doubles, a triple, a home run, 10 RBIs and a .588 on-base percentage. Click here for more details.

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Mariners (R Arizona Rookie League, Mariners) second baseman Kavin Keyes (2013) hit a three-run homer for his first hit as a professional in a 9-6 win over the Padres on Sunday to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Richmond (AA Eastern, Giants) shortstop Matt Duffy (2010) was 2-for-4 with a double in a 7-2 win over Bowie.

* Quad Cities (A Midwest, Astros) catcher Jake Rodriguez (2010) was 2-for-4 with a double in a 13-4 loss to Wisconsin.

* Lake County (A Midwest, Indians) reliever Trevor Frank earned his ninth save with an inning of scoreless relief in a 9-7 win over Great Lakes. He had one strikeout.

* Kannapolis (A South Atlantic, White Sox) first baseman Danny Hayes (2010) was 2-for-4 with a run in an 8-2 loss to Asheville.

* Jamestown (A New York-Penn, Pirates) outfielder David Andriese (2010-11) was 2-for-4 in a 6-2 win over Vermont.

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Some news from elsewhere in the WCL:

VICTORIA: The HarbourCats will be without three players for the upcoming series in Bellingham against the league-leading Bells. For more details, click right here for all the info, from Our Sports Central.

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That is it for today. See you at the ballpark, and back on the Blog, on Tuesday.


Cap Night tonight vs. the Gems

July 11, 2014

Happy Friday, everyone.

Great start to the Klamath Falls series on Thursday night. Jason Snodgrass, Austin Sodders and Joey Wise combined to shut out the Gems 4-0, aided by some great defense.

Game 2 of the series is tonight. University of Portland rising junior Jackson Lockwood (5-01, 2.60), the WCL leader in wins, is our projected starter.

Here is some more Knights news, and a few items from elsewhere in the West Coast League, which has a great new website for you to bookmark.

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Two more nights of great promotions for our series with the Gems.

* Tonight is Cap Night, presented by the Mario Pastega House. The first 500 fans get Knights' hats compliments of the Mario Pastega House.

* Saturday is Les & Bobs Tee-Shirt Giveaway Night, presented by Servpro. The first 150 fans get Knights' t-shirts compliments of Les and Bobs.

Sounds like some very good reasons to get out to the ballpark!

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Thursday's crowd of 1,350 increased our 2014 attendance to 26,112 in 21 home dates. That's 280 fewer fans that we drew through a corresponding number of home dates in 2013, when the Knights drew a franchise-record 43,557 fans to Goss Stadium. Come on out to the ballpark and let's get back ahead of last year's record pace!

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Erie (AA Eastern, Tigers) designated hitter Dean Green (2008) was a 4-for-6 with a run and an RBI and raised his average to .307 in a 12-6 win over Altoona on Thursday to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Indianapolis (AAA International, Pirates) third baseman Brent Morel (2007) was 2-for-4 with a double, two runs and three RBIs in a 14-2 win over Columbus.

* Lehigh Valley (AAA International, Phillies) first baseman Jim Murphy (2007) was 1-for-2 with two RBIs and a run in an 8-4 win over Louisville.

* Lake County (A Midwest, Indians) reliever Trevor Frank earned his eighth save with an inning of scoreless relief in a 5-4 win over Lansing. He had one strikeout.

* Fresno (AAA Pacific Coast, Giants) catcher Andrew Susac (2009) was 1-for-3 with a two-run homer in a 3-2 win over Sacramento.

* Jacksonville (AA Southern, Marlins) pitcher James Nygren (2009) got the win with 1.1 scoreless innings of relief in a 6-5 victory over Tennessee.

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That is it for today. See you at the ballpark tonight, and back with the Blog on Monday after a great weekend!


Klamath Falls series starts tonight

July 10, 2014

Happy Thursday, everyone.

Well, I guess it had to happen sometime, and sometime was last night. After eight straight wins over Medford at Goss Stadium, the Rogues finally turned the table on us and defeated us 8-6 for their first-ever victory in Corvallis.

We still won the series, however, and still have a share of first place in the South Division of the West Coast League. We are tied with Bend at 18-12 in league play heading into our upcoming series against South Division rival Klamath Falls, which starts at 6:40 p.m. today.

Here is some more Knights news, and a few items from elsewhere in the West Coast League, which has a great new website for you to bookmark.

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We have some great promotions for our series with the Gems, who we just took two out of three against at Klamath Falls last week.

* Tonight is a Block 15 Thursday, presented by KLOO-FM/Papa's Pizza Singles Night. The First 250 fans get a delicious single slice of pizza compliments of Papa's Pizza Parlor. Enjoy a specially-priced Block 15 brew and a $1 hot dog.

* Friday is Cap Night, presented by the Mario Pastega House. The first 500 fans get Knights' hats compliments of the Mario Pastega House.

* Saturday is Les & Bobs Tee-Shirt Giveaway Night, presented by Servpro. The first 150 fans get Knights' t-shirts compliments of Les and Bobs.

Sounds like some very good reasons to get out to the ballpark!

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Alum Matt Hague (2005) has been called back up to the major leagues by the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was having a great season in triple-A with the Indianapolis Indians and was recently named to the International League All-Star team.

Look for more on Matt's promotion later today on the home page of our website, our website, under "Latest News."

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The Angels have promoted pitcher Greg Mahle (2012) of UC Santa Barbara, our 2012 MVO, to Burlington (Iowa) in the Class A Midwest League. He was 1-1, 0.00 in five games with Orem (Utah)in the Pioneer League, with 11 strikeouts in eight innings.

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Right-handed pitcher Jake Otness of Pacific Lutheran joins the ballclub today to bolster our pitching staff. The 6-foot-5, 180-pound Otness, a graduate of Barlow High School in Gresham, was 2-0, 3.74 in 17 games at PLU in 2014, with 23 strikeouts in 21.2 innings.

He pitched briefly for the Knights as a 10-day signee in 2013. Welcome back to the team, Jake!

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Wednesday's crowd of 950 increased our 2014 attendance to 24,772 in 20 home dates. That's 86 more fans that we drew through a corresponding number of home dates in 2013, when the Knights drew a franchise-record 43,557 fans to Goss Stadium.

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Here is the latest installment of the "Post From the Coast" series from Our Sports Central reporter Bruce Baskin.

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Vermont (A New York-Penn, A's) outfielder Dayton Alexander (2011) was 2-for-4 with a run, a double and an RBI in a 7-5 loss to Williamsport on Wednesday to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Indianapolis (AAA International, Pirates) third baseman Brent Morel (2007) was 3-for-4 with an RBI in a 7-4 loss to Lehigh Valley.

* Erie (AA Eastern, Tigers) designated hitter Dean Green (2008) was 2-for-4 with a run in a 6-4 win over Altoona.

* Lake County (A Midwest, Indians) reliever Trevor Frank (2012) earned his seventh save with an inning of scoreless relief in a 4-3 win over Lansing. He had two strikeouts.

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We are changing up our weekly "Knights in the Pros" feature. The updated stats of position players will appear on Wednesdays; pitching stats will appear on Thursdays.

So here we go, with the pitchers:

TYLER ANDERSON (AA Tulsa, Rockies): The pitcher from Oregon (2009) is 3-4, 2.66 in 15 games, with 61 strikeouts in 71.1 innings.

MATT ANDRIESE (AAA Durham, Rays): The pitcher from UC Riverside (2009) is 9-4, 3.41 in 18 games, with 86 strikeouts in 103 innings.

MAX BEATTY (A Eugene, Padres): The pitcher from Pacific Lutheran (2010-12) is 1-0, 0.00 in eight games, with 12 strikeouts in 13 innings.

MATT BOYD (AA New Hampshire, Blue Jays): The pitcher from Oregon State (2010) is 0-2, 6.83 in seven games, with 30 strikeouts in 27.2 innings.

A.J. BURKE (A Vermont, A's): The pitcher from Western Oregon (2012) is 1-1, 2.70 in five games, with 21 strikeouts in 23.1 innings.

TREVOR FRANK (A Lake County, Indians): The pitcher from UC Riverside (2012) is 3-4, 2.80 in 30 games, with seven saves and 36 strikeouts in 35.1 innings.

JACE FRY (A Great Falls, White Sox): The pitcher from Oregon State (2011) is 1-0, 0.00 in two games, with two strikeouts in 2.1 innings.

SAM GAVIGLIO (AA Springfield, Cardinals): The pitcher from Oregon State (2009) is 3-9, 4.95 in 17 games, with 84 strikeouts in 92.2 innings.

JUSTIN HEPNER (Gulf Coast League Marlins, Marlins): The pitcher from San Diego State (2011) is 0-0, 16.88 in two games, with no strikeouts in 2.2 innings.

CHASE JOHNSON (A Augusta, Giants): The pitcher from Cal Poly (2011) is 1-5, 4.95 in 15 games, with 57 strikeouts in 63.2 innings.

CHRIS JOHNSON (A Augusta, Giants): The pitcher from Portland (2011) is 0-1, 9.00 in one game, with no strikeouts in two innings. He is on the 7-day disabled list.

KYLE KRAUS (A Salem, Red Sox): The pitcher from Portland (2009-10) is 4-3, 4.78 in 16 games, with a save and 37 strikeouts in 52.2 innings.

SCOTT LYMAN (A Jupiter, Marlins): The pitcher from UC Davis (2010) is 3-8, 3.03 in 15 games, with 63 strikeouts in 86 innings.

GREG MAHLE (A Burlington, Angels): The pitcher from UC Santa Barbara (2012) is 0-0, 0.00 in one game, with four strikeouts in two innings.

JAMES NYGREN (AA Jacksonville, Marlins): The pitcher from Oregon State (2009) is 2-2, 3.98 in 23 games, with two saves and 27 strikeouts in 40.2 innings.

JOSH OSICH (AA Richmond, Giants): The pitcher from Oregon State (2008) is 1-0, 4.61 in 24 games, with 24 strikeouts in 27.1 innings.

GREG PEAVEY (AAA Las Vegas, Mets): The pitcher from Oregon State (2007) is 1-4, 12.21 in five games, with 19 strikeouts in 24.1 innings.

SCOTT SCHULTZ (A Hillsboro, Diamondbacks): The pitcher from Oregon State (2011) is 1-2, 5.16 in five games, with seven strikeouts in 22.2 innings.

JIMMIE SHERFY (AA Mobile, Diamondbacks): The pitcher from Oregon (2011) is 1-0, 5.57 in 21 games, with a save and 25 strikeouts in 21 innings.

NICK STRUCK (AA Chattanooga, Dodgers): The pitcher from Mt. Hood CC (2009) is 1-5, 7.38 in 11 games, with 33 strikeouts in 50 innings.

DYLAN STUART (Gulf Coast League Braves, Braves): The pitcher from UC Riverside (2011-12) is 1-0, 3.24 in five games, with nine strikeouts in 8.1 innings.

BEN WETZLER (A Batavia, Marlins): The pitcher from Oregon State (2011) is 0-1, 4.50 in two games, with four strikeouts in four innings.

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Here is some news from elsewhere in the WCL:

BEND: Vince Genna Stadium has become the place to be on Tuesdays in the summer, according to this story in the Bend Bulletin newspaper.

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That is it for today. See you at the ballpark tonight, and back with the Blog on Friday as we wrap up the week.


Series finale with Medford tonight.

July 9, 2014

Happy Wednesday, everyone.

A great night at Goss Stadium on Tuesday, where we continued our trend of close wins over the Medford Rogues. This one was 3-2 in 11 innings, on a sacrifice fly by Scott Quinlan.

The series finale is set for 6:40 tonight. The projected starters are Justin Calomeni (1-1, 2.41) of Cal Poly for the Knights, opposed by Jackson Bertsch (3-1, 3.22) of Lane CC in a matchup of freshmen right-handers.

Here is some more Knights news, and a few items from elsewhere in the West Coast League, which has a great new website for you to bookmark.

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We still have some nice promotions left in our ongoing upcoming homestand, which also features three games against Klamath Falls this Thursday-Saturday.

* Tonight is Barker-Uerlings Insulated Cooler Giveaway Night. Seniors can purchase GA tickets for $2. Also, the Calapooia Party Bus is making a return trip to Goss Stadium. Board the bus at Calapooia Brewing Co in Albany.

* Thursday is a Block 15 Thursday, presented by KLOO-FM/Papa's Pizza Singles Night. The First 250 fans get a delicious single slice of pizza compliments of Papa's Pizza Parlor. Enjoy a specially-priced Block 15 brew and a $1 hot dog.

* Friday is Cap Night, presented by the Mario Pastega House. The first 500 fans get Knights' caps, compliments of the Mario Pastega House.

* Saturday is Les & Bobs Tee-Shirt Giveaway Night, presented by Servpro. The first 150 fans get Knights' t-shirts compliments of Les and Bobs.

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The Knights have signed right-hander Jake Otness, a rising senior at Pacific Lutheran University, to bolster our depleted pitching staff. He will join us in time for the Klamath Falls series.

The 6-foot-5, 180-pound Otness was 2-0, 3.74 in 17 games at PLU in 2014, with 23 strikeouts in 21.2 innings. He pitched briefly for the Knights as a 10-day signee in 2013.

Otness was 1-2, 8.04 in 18 games at PLU in 2013, with 26 strikeouts in 31.1 innings pitched. He was 3-3, 5.10 in 2012 as a freshman, with 29 strikeouts in 42.1 innings over 15 games.

He was first-team all-conference selection at Sam Barlow and played in the Nike All-State all-star game.

He replaces another Northwest Conference pitcher, veteran Shawn Eberhardt of George Fox, on the roster. Eberhardt has been shut down for the summer to rest a tender elbow; he was 0-0, 3.60 in seven games, with 10 strikeouts in 10 innings.

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Tuesday's crowd of 1,146 upped the 2014 attendance to 23,822 in 19 openings. That's 286 more than in 2013, when the Knights drew a franchise-record 43,557 fans, through a corresponding number of home dates.

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Kannapolis (A South Atlantic, White Sox) first baseman Danny Hayes (2010) was 2-for-5 with a homer, two RBIs and two runs in a 12-2 win over Greensboro on Tuesday to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* El Paso (AAA Pacific Coast, Padres) catcher Rocky Gale (2007, 2009) was 2-for-3 with a run in a 4-3 win over Albuquerque.

* Fresno (AAA Pacific Coast, Giants) catcher Andrew Susac (2009) was 2-for-4 with two runs in a 14-2 win over Sacramento.

* Erie (AA Eastern, Tigers) designated hitter Dean Green (2008) was a combined 4-for-8 with a run in a doubleheader sweep of Altoona.

* Stockton (A California, A's) catcher Ryan Gorton (2011) was 2-for-4 with a run in a 5-4 win over Modesto.

* Eugene (A Northwest, Padres) pitcher Max Beatty (2010-12) pitched 2.1 innings of scoreless relief and had two strikeouts in a 4-3 loss to Salem-Keizer.

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We are changing up our weekly "Knights in the Pros" feature. The updated stats of position players will appear on Wednesdays; pitching stats will appear on Thursdays.

So here we go:

DAYTON ALEXANDER (A Vermont, A's): The outfielder from Feather River JC (2011) is hitting .211 (15-71) in 19 games, with no homers and four RBIs.

JIMMY ALLEN (A Ogden, Dodgers): The second baseman from Cal Poly (2011) is hitting .300 (12-40) in 12 games, with four RBIs.

BO ALTOBELLI (A Cedar Rapids, Twins): The catcher from Texas Tech (2010) is hitting .213 (30-141) in 42 games, with a homer and five RBIs.

DAVID ANDRIESE (A Jamestown, Pirates): The outfielder from UC Riverside (2010-11) is hitting .132 (5-38) in nine games, with no homers and one RBI.

DAVID ARMENDARIZ (A ARL Indians, Indians): The outfielder from Cal Poly Pomona (2011) is hitting .294 (10-34) in 10 games with the Arizona Rookie League Indians, with four RBIs.

ALEX BURG (AA Jacksonville, Marlins): The catcher/outfielder from Washington State (2008) is hitting .256 (46-180) in 60 games, with five homers and 23 RBIs.

BLAKE DRAKE (A Johnson City, Cardinals): The outfielder from Concordia (2013) is hitting .356 (21-59) in 16 games, with one homer and nine RBIs.

MATT DUFFY (AA Richmond, Giants): The shortstop from Long Beach State (2010) is hitting .334 (102-305) in 82 games, with three homers and 52 RBIs.

GRANT FINK (A Lake County, Indians): The third baseman from Missouri Western (2011) is hitting .250 (71-284) in 80 games, with nine homers and 42 RBIs.

ROCKY GALE (AAA El Paso, Padres): The catcher from Portland (2007, 2009) is hitting .325 (38-117) in 41 games, with 25 RBIs.

DREW GARCIA (AAA Colorado Springs, Rockies): The second baseman from UC Riverside (2007) is hitting .259 (57-220) in 70 games, with four homers and 31 RBIs.

RYAN GORTON (A Stockton, A's): The catcher from Oregon State (2011) is hitting .208 (15-72) in 19 games, with no homers and three RBIs.

CADE GOTTA (A Gulf Coast League Rays, Rays): The outfielder from San Diego Christian (2011) is hitting .267 (12-45) in 12 games, with no homers and seven RBIs.

DEAN GREEN (AA Erie, Tigers): The first baseman from Oklahoma State/Barry University (2008) is hitting .294 (67-228) in 66 games, with three homers and 29 RBIs.

MITCH HANIGER (AA Huntsville, Brewers): The outfielder from Cal Poly (2010) is hitting .263 (62-236) in 65 games, with 10 homers and 34 RBIs. He is on the DL.

DANNY HAYES (A Kannapolis, White Sox): The first baseman from Oregon State (2010) is hitting .302 (88-291) in 82 games, with seven homers and 45 RBIs.

KAVIN KEYES (Mariners): The infielder from Oregon State (2013) has not yet been assigned to an affiliate team.

ADAM MELKER (AA Arkansas, Angels): The outfielder from Cal Poly is hitting .237 (45-190) in 53 games, with three homers and 18 RBIs.

BRENT MOREL (AAA Indianapolis, Pirates): The third baseman from Cal Poly (2007) is hitting .217 (46-212) in 60 games, with two homers and 28 RBIs.

JIM MURPHY (AAA Lehigh Valley, Phillies): The first baseman from Washington State (2007) is hitting .233 (64-275) in 79 games, with 10 homers and 35 RBIs.

CHRIS RABAGO (A Tri-Cities, Rockies): The shortstop from UC Irvine (2012-13) is hitting .200 (6-30) in eight games, with two RBIs.

JAKE RODRIGUEZ (A Quad City, Astros): The catcher from Oregon State (2010) is hitting .153 (9-59) in 19 games, with no homers and three RBIs.

ANDREW SUSAC (AAA Fresno, Giants): The catcher from Oregon State (2009) is hitting .276 (50-181) in 53 games, with eight homers and 27 RBIs.

NICK TORRES (A Eugene, Padres): The outfielder from Cal Poly (2012) is hitting .091 (1-11) in three games, with two RBIs.

JUSTIN VIELE (A Aberdeen, Orioles): The shortstop from Santa Clara (2010) is hitting .210 (13-62) in 19 games, with no homers and seven RBIs.

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Here is some news from elsewhere in the WCL:

COWLITZ: The Black Bears have signed pitcher Lars Rider of Wenatchee Valley HC. Here is more on that, from the Daily News of Kelso-Longview.

MEDFORD: First baseman Victor Garcia Jr. is having a great season for the Rogues. Here is the complete story, from the Medford Mail Tribune newspaper.

VICTORIA: The HarbourCats have released infielder Cole Kreuter of UC Irvine. Click here for more details on that story, from the Our Sports Central website.

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That is it for today. See you at the ballpark tonight, and back with the Blog on Thursday.