Second place in wild-card race at All-Star break

Happy Monday, everyone. Hope you all found a way to stay cool over the weekend.

Tough series at Yakima Valley, where we lost the final two games in the final inning to lose the series 2-1. We now trail Yakima Valley by one game in the race for the West Coast League's wild-card playoff berth. Here are the wild-card standings at the all-star break:

Team W L GB

Yakima Valley 20 16 -

Corvallis 19 17 1

Walla Walla 18 18 2

Victoria 17 19 3

Cowlitz 16 20 4

So, as you can see it should be a real dogfight for the final playoff berth. Kelowna (4-game lead), Bellingham (7) and Bend (9) all hold comfortable advantages in their respective divisional races and look to have the inside track on the automatic berths.

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

Pitcher Slater Lee and infielder Michael Farris will represent the Knights tonight at the West Coast League All-Star Game at Joe Martin Field in Bellingham, Wash.

Lee was named to the South team for the game, which begins at 7:05 p.m. A rising junior right-hander at Cal Poly, Lee is 1-1 with a 2.62 ERA in seven games, with 26 strikeouts in 37.2 innings. He was named WCL co-Player of the Week for the week of July 6-12 for a four-hit shutout of the Kitsap BlueJackets.

A rising junior at UC Riverside, Farris will participate in the Home Run Derby, which starts at 5:30 p.m. He is hitting .270 in 26 games, with a team-leading eight doubles, two homers and 16 RBIs.

Corvallis skipper Brooke Knight and assistants Connor Lambert and Dane Lund will coach the South team.

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

The Knights (24-17 all, 19-17 WCL) resume WCL action at 6:40 p.m. Tuesday in the opener of a three-game series against Cowlitz at Goss Stadium. Game 2 is at 6:40 p.m. Wednesday and Game 3 is at 6:40 p.m. Thursday.

* Tuesday is Les & Bob's T-Shirt Giveaway Night, presented by SERVEPRO. The first 150 fans get a Corvallis Knights t-shirt!

* Wednesday is 106.3 KLOO-FM Timeless Rock Night, presented by Calapooia Brewing. Break out those acid-washed jeans and the aqua net hairspray for a night of big hair, mullets and timeless rock. General admission tickets are only $2 for ages 60+ on Senior Nights, every Wednesday.

* Thursday is a Block 15 Thursday and Barker Uerlings Insurance Reusable Grocery Tote Bag Night. Enjoy discounted Block 15 beverages, and the first 250 fans through the gates get a reusable grocery tote bag, compliments of Barker Uerlings.

See you at Goss!

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

Former Knights broadcaster Jason Schwartz (2010) is in his fourth season with the Lancaster JetHawks of the Class A California League. Here is the latest on the USC grad, from reporter Alonso Tacanga of the Valley Press.

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

The San Francisco Giants placed alum Andrew Susac (2009) on the 15-day disabled list on Sunday. He was removed from Saturday's 8-4 win over Arizona in the fourth inning after spraining his right thumb sliding head-first into third base while legging out a triple into the left-field corner.

Initial X-rays were negative and an MRI taken Sunday morning corroborated that diagnosis, revealing no ligament damage. Here is more from mlb.com. He is hitting .241 (27-112) in 41 games, with three homers and 11 RBIs.

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

Rochester (AAA International, Twins) pitcher Greg Peavey (2007) gave up two runs in six innings, struck out five and got the win in a 6-2 victory over Lehigh Valley on Sunday to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors. It was his first win with the Red Wings.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Buffalo (AAA International, Blue Jays) pitcher Matt Boyd (2010) allowed three runs and five hits and had six strikeouts in seven innings and got a no-decision in a 4-3 win over Columbus.

* Arkansas (AA Texas, Angels) closer Greg Mahle (2012) struck out the only hitter he faced in the ninth to earn his ninth save in a 3-2 win over Springfield.

* Palm Beach (A Florida State, Cardinals) outfielder Blake Drake (2013) was 2-for-4 with a run in a 3-2 win over Bradenton.

* San Jose (A California, Giants) pitcher Chase Johnson (2011) allowed one run, had eight strikeouts in seven innings and got the win in a 3-2 victory over Lancaster to raise his record to 6-3.

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

That is all for today. See you here, and at the ballpark, on Tuesday.

Knights take lead in WCL wild-card race

Happy Friday, everyone.

Another big night for the Knights on Thursday in Yakima, where we defeated the Pippins 2-1 to take over first place in the race for the West Coast League's wild-card playoff berth.

We stretched our WCL winning streak to nine games in a row in what was probably the last start of the summer for pitcher Ryan Walker of Washington State. He is being shut down after pitching 90 innings between the Cougars and the Knights.

The series resumes at 7:05 tonight. Righty Slater Lee (1-0, 2.14) of Cal Poly is our projected starter. Here is more on Slater from today's Corvallis Gazette-Times.

The series concludes at 7:05 p.m. Saturday. You can catch all the action on KEJO-AM 1240, with Mike Parker on the call.

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

We reported Thursday that third baseman/first baseman//designated hitter Michael Farris of UC Riverside would represent us in the Home Run Derby at the West Coast League All-Star Game at Bellingham on Monday.

The Home Run Derby starts at 5:30 p.m.; the game begins at 7:05 p.m.; both events will be held at Joe Martin Field. For more information, please click here. Farris leads the Knights with two homers, 10 extra-base hits and 16 RBIs.

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

Alum Chase Johnson (2011) of Cal Poly and the San Jose Giants was named the California League Pitcher of the Week for July 6-12. He threw one-hit ball over seven innings and had eight strikeouts in a 2-0 win at Modesto on July 11.

For the season, Chase is 5-3 with a 3.01 ERA and 74 strikeouts in 80.2 innings. Here is more on that story, from the team website.

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

The Tigers have promoted alum Dean Green (2008) to Toledo of the triple-A International League from Erie of the double-A Eastern League. He went 0-for-4 on Thursday night in his debut with the Mud Hens. Dean hit .316 in 70 games, with 10 homers and 42 RBIs, with Erie and made the Eastern League all-star team.

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

Frisco (AA Texas, Rangers) catcher Alex Burg was 2-for-2 with a run and an RBI in a 7-2 win over Corpus Christi on Thursday night to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors. Alex raised his average to .357.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Indianapolis (AAA International, Pirates) third baseman Brent Morel (2006-07) was 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI in a 7-2 win over Toledo.

* Arkansas (AA Texas, Angels) closer Greg Mahle (2012) had one strikeout in a scoreless ninth and earned his seventh save in a 4-3 win over Tulsa.

* Hudson Valley (A New York-Penn, Rays) outfielder Cade Gotta (2011) was 2-for-4 with a double, two runs and an RBI in a 6-3 win over Aberdeen. He raised his average to .333.

* Visalia (A California, Diamondbacks) outfielder Mitch Haniger (2010) was 2-for-3 with a run and two walks in a 7-4 win over Lake Elsinore. He raised his average to .388.

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

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

Knights head to Yakima Valley on a tear

Happy Thursday, everyone.

Our West Coast League winning streak was stretched to eight straight games on Wednesday night with a 6-2 victory over Klamath Falls. We also moved to a tie with Yakima Valley in the race for the WCL's wild-card playoff berth.

We open a key three-game series at Yakima Valley at 7:05 tonight. Righty Ryan Walker (2-2, 5.17) of Washington State is our projected starter. Catch all the action on KEJO-AM 1240, with Mike Parker on the call.

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

Third baseman/designated hitter Michael Farris of UC Riverside will represent the Knights in the Home Run Derby at the West Coast League All-Star Game at Bellingham on Monday. Farris leads the Knights with two homers, 10 extra-base hits and 16 RBIs.

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

Alum Dean Green (2008) of the Erie SeaWolves was 0-for-2 on Wednesday night in the Eastern League All-Star Game at Portland, Maine. Green is hitting .316 (79-250) with 10 homers and 42 RBIs in 70 games for Erie, Detroit's double-A affiliate.

Alum Kyle Kraus (2009-10) has been promoted to Portland of the double-A Eastern League from Salem of the high-A Carolina League.

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

Wednesday's crowd of 1,654 increased our season attendance to 32,823 in 23 dates. We are 3,879 fans ahead of their 2014 total through a corresponding number of openings.

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

Grand Junction (R Pioneer, Rockies) catcher Chris Rabago (2012-13) was 2-for-4 with a homer, two RBIs and two runs in a 6-3 win over Helena on Wednesday night to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Visalia (A California, Diamondbacks) outfielder Mitch Haniger (2010) was 3-for-5 with an RBI in a 6-4 win over Lake Elsinore.

* Tri-Cities (A Northwest, Padres) shortstop Peter Van Gansen (2013) was 2-for-5 with two runs in an 8-4 win over Spokane.

* Mobile (AA Southern, Diamondbacks) pitcher Jimmie Sherfy (2011) pitched a scoreless inning and struck out the side in a 9-6 loss to Jackson.

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

That is all for today. See you on Friday.

Knights win again, close in on Pippins

Happy Wednesday, everyone.

Our winning streak was stretched to eight straight games on Tuesday night with a 6-2 victory over Klamath Falls. We also moved to within one game of Yakima Valley in the race for the West Coast League's wild-card plaoff berth.

The series concludes at 6:40 tonight. Our starter is TBA; the Gems will go with righty Riley Moore (1-2, 5.26) of St. Martin's. We then open a crucial three-game series at Yakima Valley on Thursday night.

Tonight is Heresco Chiropractic Ladies Night, presented by MOM Magazine, and Spindrift Cellars Tasting Night. See you at the ballpark! Our attendance is way above last year's, so help us keep that trend going!

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

Alum Dalton Kelly of UC Santa Barbara, an all-WCL selection for us in 2014, made his professional debut on Monday night and went 0-for-1 with a walk and a run scored for the Arizona Rookie League Mariners. He was Seattle's 38th-round selection in the June draft.

Catcher Chris Shaw (2014) made his pro debut with the Gulf Coast League Orioles on Tuesday. He went 0-for-2 with a walk in an 8-3 loss to the GCL Red Sox. Chris played at Oklahoma in 2015 after transferring from Midland JC and was Baltimore's 15th-round pick.

Two alums selected in the draft have not signed: Pitcher Austin Sodders (2014) of Riverside City College (Pittsburgh, 17th round) and pitcher Andrew Naderer (2013) of Grand Canyon (Detroit, 37th round). Sodders has signed with UC Riverside for 2015-16; Naderer will be a senior at GCU.

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

Tuesday's crowd of 1,158 increased the season attendance to 31,169 in 22 dates. We are 3,622 fans ahead of our 2014 total through a corresponding number of openings.

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

There is no Knights' Minor League Player of the Day today. Almost every minor league took Tuesday off for the All-Star Game.

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

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

Knights keep winning; Lee named to All-Star team

Happy Tuesday, everyone.

Our winning streak was stretched to seven straight games on Monday night with a 10-2 victory over Klamath Falls. Michael Farris of UC Riverside hit a franchise-record four doubles in the win.

The series resumes at 6:40 tonight. Chris Clements (0-1, 3.11) of UC Santa Barbara is the scheduled starter for the Knights, opposed by Concordia's Andrew Heideman (1-1, 3.66) in a matchup of right-handers.

Here's a preview of the promotions for the final two games of the homestand:

* Tonight is Tri-County Night and Mack the Knight's Birthday party, presented by Special Occasions.

* Wednesday July 15 is Heresco Chiropractic Ladies Night, presented by MOM Magazine, and Spindrift Cellars Tasting Night.

See you at the ballpark! Our attendance is way above last year's, so help us keep that trend going!

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

Pitcher Slater Lee of Cal Poly was the lone member of the Knights to be selected to the South roster for the 2015 West Coast League All-Star Game, set for July 20 at Joe Martin Field in Bellingham, Wash.

A rising junior right-hander from Cal Poly, Lee is 1-0 with a 2.14 ERA in six games, with 23 strikeouts in 29.1 innings and a .221 opponent's batting average. He pitched a four-hit, complete-game shutout against Kitsap on July 10 in his most recent start.

Corvallis coaches Brooke Knight, Connor Lambert and Dane Lund will coach the South team.

Former Knights pitcher Justin Calomeni (2014) of Cal Poly, now playing at Bellingham, was named to the North team for the All-Star Game. For a complete list of the 2015 all-star teams, please click here.

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

More big news to report. Lee and Knights' righty Dakody Clemmer, a rising sophomore at Central Arizona JC, were named co-WCL Players of the Week for July 6-12. Each pitcher threw a 1-0, complete-game shutout against the BlueJackets.

Clemmer needed just 103 pitches to blank Kitsap in a July 9 game that took one hour, 48 minutes. The next night, Lee needed only 97 pitches for his shutout, which took just 1:43.

For more on that story, please click right here. Congrats to Slater and Dakody!

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

The San Diego Padres have promoted outfielder Nick Torres (2012) to Lake Elsinore of the High-A California League from Fort Wayne of the low-A Midwest League. He hit .326 (94-228) in 74 games with the Tin Caps, with two homers and 40 RBIs.

The former Cal Poly star is off to a fast start at Lake Elsinore. He is hitting .365 (5-13) in five games, with a homer and four RBIs. Congrats to Nick, who has played at four levels in the San Diego organization since being selected in the fourth round of the 2014 MLB draft.

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

Monday's crowd of 1,013 increased the season attendance to 30,011 in 21 dates. The Knights are 3,899 fans ahead of 2014 through a corresponding number of openings.

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

Interesting story here from the Bend Bulletin about the smaller-than-normal crowds at Elks games this season. They are averaging just over 850 fans per game, well below their historical norm.

But are the crowds really smaller than in the past?

We've always believed, based on our own observations at games in Bend, that the announced attendance was drastically inflated by about 1/3 from the actual attendance. So maybe crowds aren't down as much as they're finally being counted accurately by the new ownership group.

And as far as the Elks being the "Joes" of the DiMaggio family: We at the blog certainly understand the use of hyperbole. But maybe since the Elks have never won a division title, or a WCL championship, since the WCL's 2005 inception, they're really the Vinces of the DiMaggio clan.

Bend has a good team this year, but it hasn't won anything yet. Wenatchee and the Knights, the two most successful franchises in league history, are clearly the Joe and Dominic of the DiMaggio baseball tree.

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

Visalia (A California, Diamondbacks) outfielder Mitch Haniger (2010) was 1-for-4 with his seventh homer of the season in a 5-4 win over Bakersfield on Monday night to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors. He is now hitting .364.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Frisco (AA Texas, Rangers) DH Alex Burg (2008) was 1-for-3 with an RBI in a 4-3 loss to Arkansas. Arkansas reliever Greg Mahle (2012) pitched 1.1 innings of scoreless relief, with two strikeouts, for his sixth save.

* Tri-Cities (A Northwest, Padres) shortstop Peter Van Gansen (2013) was 1-for-3 with a double, a run and an RBI in a 6-5 win over Eugene.

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

That is all for today. See you back here and at the ballpark on Wednesday.

Knights host Gems; Harrison leaves team

Happy Monday, everyone.

It was a great weekend at the ballpark as the Knights swept Kitsap to move into the race for the West Coast League's wild-card playoff berth. We now host Klamath Falls for three games, as the Gems pay the first of their two visits to Goss Stadium this week.

The series matches two teams headed in opposite directions. Corvallis is 8-1 in its last nine WCL games, and has won three consecutive series to climb back into the race for the wild-card playoff berth. Klamath Falls has lost 10 games in a row.

Improved pitching has played a major role in our recent rise. Slater Lee (Cal Poly) and Dakody Clemmer (Central Arizona) each hurled complete-game shutouts against Kitsap this past weekend and Ryan Walker (Washington State) and Harrison McGhee (Concordia) have anchored the bullpen.

The Gems joined the WCL as an expansion team in 2011 and the Knights lead the all-time series 26-6. Corvallis is 12-3 vs. Klamath Falls over the past two seasons and is 5-1 in the last six games between the clubs.

Alex Nesbitt (1-2, 2.50) of Washington is our scheduled starter for tonight's series opener, opposed by Utah righty Spencer Johnson (1-3, 8.27).

Here's a preview of the promotions:

* Tonight is Snap Fitness Member Appreciation Night. Show your Snap Fitness card and receive $1 off any reserved or GA ticket.

* Tuesday is Tri-County Night and Mack the Knight's Birthday party, presented by Special Occasions.

* Wednesday July 15 is Heresco Chiropractic Ladies Night, presented by MOM Magazine, and Spindrift Cellars Tasting Night.

See you at the ballpark! Our attendance is way above last year's, so help us keep that trend going!

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

First baseman/catcher K.J. Harrison has left the Knights and will not return. After starting as a freshman from start to finish this past spring at Oregon State, and playing for Team USA June 18-July 8, K.J. has headed home to Hawaii to rest, spend time with family and train for the 2015-16 OSU season.

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

Alum Josh Osich (2008) of the San Francisco Giants earned his first major-league win on Saturday night when the Giants defeated Philadelphia 8-5 in San Francisco. Teammate and fellow alum Andrew Susac (2009) hit a three-run homer on Sunday to lead a 4-2 San Francisco victory.

Congrats to Josh, who has not allowed a hit and has a perfect 0.00 ERA in four innings over five appearances since being recalled from double-A Richmond earlier this month.

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

Sunday's crowd of 1,329 increased the season attendance to 28,998 in 20 dates. The Knights are 4,226 fans ahead of 2014 through a corresponding number of openings.

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

Durham (AAA International, Rays) pitcher Matt Andriese (2009) allowed an unearned run and four hits and had seven strikeouts in six innings in a 3-1 loss to Gwinnett on Sunday to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Erie (AA Eastern, Tigers) DH Dean Green (2008) was 4-for-5 with a run in an 8-1 win over Harrisburg to raise his average to .317.

* Mobile (AA Southern, Diamondbacks) pitcher Jimmie Sherfy (2011) threw two scoreless innings and had two strikeouts in a 12-4 win over Jacksonville.

* El Paso (AAA Pacific Coast, Padres) catcher Rocky Gale (2007, 2009) was 2-for-4 with a double in a 5-3 win over Albuquerque, raising his average to .324.

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

That is all for today. See you back here on Tuesday, and at the ballpark tonight, Tuesday and Wednesday!

Knights stay hot with win over Kitsap

Happy Friday, everyone.

Fast, fun night at the ballpark on Thursday as Dakody Clemmer shut out Kitsap on three hits in a 1-0 win that took just 1:48. We are now just two games behind Yakima Valley in the loss column in the race for the WCL's wild-card playoff berth.

We have won 6 of our last 7 WCL games and 10 of our last 11 games overall. So, things are definitely trending upward as we continue our seven-game homestand tonight with Game 2 of our series against the BlueJackets. Righty Slater Lee of Cal Poly (0-0, 3.09) is expected to start for Corvallis, opposed by lefty John Oltman (1-0, 1.66) of Creighton.

Here's a preview of the promotions:

* Tonight is Reggy: The Purple Party Dude night, presented by IBEW 280. Please click here for more on Reggy. Everyone who wears purple to the game will be eligible to get buy one snow cone and get a second one for free.

* Saturday is Dr. Curtis E. Trammell Kids $1,000 Dash for Cash Night, presented by All Vision Family Care. Kids 12 and under are eligible to dash for the cash, 1,000 $1 bills, before the top of the fifth inning on the Goss Stadium infield.

* Sunday is HOPE Night, presented by 107.9 FM. It's a Lil' Knights Club game, presented by Jamba Juice. Show your membership card at the box office to get in free!

* Monday is Snap Fitness Member Appreciation Night. Show your Snap Fitness card and receive $1 off any reserved or GA ticket.

* Tuesday is Tri-County Night and Mack the Knight's Birthday party, presented by Special Occasions.

* Wednesday July 15 is Heresco Chiropractic Ladies Night, presented by MOM Magazine, and Spindrift Cellars Tasting Night.

See you at the ballpark! Our attendance is way above last year's, so help us keep that trend going!

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

Thursday's crowd of 1,197 increased the season total to 25,051 in 17 dates. The Knights are 3,093 fans ahead of 2014 through a corresponding number of openings.

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

Alum Antonio Gonzales (2012), a senior at UC Riverside, was named to the Big West Conference all-academic team. To be eligible, student-athletes have to maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA, complete one full year at the member institution prior to the season for which the award is being received (at least a sophomore academically) and competed in at least 50 percent of their team's contests.

Congrats to Antonio, a media and cultural studies major from La Verne, Calif.

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

Fort Wayne (A Midwest, Padres) outfielder Nick Torres (2012) was 3-for-4 with two doubles, two RBIs, a run and a walk in a 6-2 win over South Bend on Thursday night to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors. He raised his average to .326.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Palm Beach (A Florida State, Cardinals) outfielder Blake Drake (2013) was 2-for-5 with a double, a run and three RBIs in a 10-0 win over Bradenton.

* Visalia (A California, Diamondbacks) outfielder Mitch Haniger (2010) was 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI in a 9-2 win over Stockton.

* Mahoning Valley (A New York-Penn, Indians) right fielder David Armendariz 92011) hit a two-run homer in an 8-4 win over Vermont.

Bluefield (A Appalachian, Blue Jays) outfielder Gabe Clark (2013) hit a 3-run homer, his first as a professional in his first game as a pro, in a 7-6 loss to Danville.

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

That is all for today. See you back here on Monday, and at the ballpark all weekend!

Knights open 7-game homestand on a roll

Happy Thursday, everyone.

Great day in Medford on Wednesday. We defeated the Rogues 7-1 and 10-5 to win the series and to draw within two games of Yakima Valley in the loss column in the race for the West Coast League's wild-card playoff berth, with half the season remaining.

We have won 5 of our last 6 WCL games and 9 of our last 10 games overall. So, things are definitely trending upward as we start a seven-game homestand tonight against the Kitsap BlueJackets.

Here's a preview of the promotions:

* Tonight is a Block 15 Thursday, and Andrea Beem Team Rally Towel Night. The first 500 fans get rally towels. It's also another Family Four-Pack game. For just $44 you can get four GA tickets, four hot dogs, four fountain sodas and four bags of chips! You may purchase at the office, over the phone or at the box office the night of the game.

* Friday is Reggy: The Purple Party Dude night, presented by IBEW 280. Please click here for more on Reggy. Everyone who wears purple to the game will be eligible to get buy one snow cone and get a second one for free.

* Saturday is Dr. Curtis E. Trammell Kids $1,000 Dash for Cash Night, presented by All Vision Family Care. Kids 12 and under are eligible to dash for the cash (1,000 $1 bills) before the top of the fifth inning on the Goss Stadium infield.

* Sunday is HOPE Night, presented by 107.9 FM. It's a Lil' Knights Club game, presented by Jamba Juice. Show your membership card at the box office to get in free!

* Monday is Snap Fitness Member Appreciation Night. Show your Snap Fitness card and receive $1 off any reserved or GA ticket.

* Tuesday is Tri-County Night and Mack the Knight's Birthday party, presented by Special Occasions.

* Wednesday July 15 is Heresco Chiropractic Ladies Night, presented by MOM Magazine, and Spindrift Cellars Tasting Night.

See you at the ballpark! Our attendance is way above last year's, so help us keep that trend going!

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

Well it was a short stay in Tampa Bay for pitcher Matt Andriese (2009), as he was optioned back to triple-A Durham on Wednesday after another strong starting performance for the Rays. He allowed four hits and one run and had five strikeouts in 4.2 innings against Kansas City on Tuesday and got a no-decision.

Andriese is 3-2, 3.11 in 12 games in three stints with Tampa Bay, with two saves and 32 strikeouts in 46.1 innings. At some point he will stick with the big club, as they could use the effective pitching he provides.

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

Another scoreless inning last night for San Francisco reliever Josh Osich (2008), this one against the Mets in a 4-1 loss. He has not allowed a run or a hit in 3.2 innings over four appearances, and has two strikeouts.

Here is more on his remarkable trip to the majors from noted San Francisco Chronicle columnist Scott Ostler. Again, congrats to Josh!

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

Erie (AA Eastern, Tigers) DH Dean Green (2008) was a combined 5-for-6 with a homer, a double and an RBI in a doubleheader against Altoona on Wednesday night to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors. He raised his average to .313

Honorable mention goes to:

* Arkansas (AA Texas, Angels) pitcher Greg Mahle (2012) blew a save but got his first win in double-A by allowing one run in two innings in a 3-2 victory over Midland. He had three strikeouts.

* Great Lakes (A Midwest, Dodgers) second baseman Jimmy Allen (2011) was 3-for-4 in a 1-0 loss to Lansing.

* Visalia (A California, Diamondbacks) outfielder Mitch Haniger (2010) was 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI in a 4-2 win over Stockton. He's hitting .339.

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

That is all for today. See you back here on Friday, and at the ballpark tonight, when we open a three-game WCL series with Kitsap, and for the next week!

Tough night in Medford for Knights

Happy Tuesday, everyone.

Tough night in Medford on Monday, as we were one-hit and lost 4-2 to the Rogues in the opener of a three-game series. We will hope for better results tonight, when the series resumes at 6:35 p.m. You can catch all the action on KEJO-AM 1240.

We will head home following Wednesday's series finale, which also starts at 6:35 p.m. We start a seven-game homestand on Thursday night against the Kitsap BlueJackets. We'll have a preview of the promotions later this week.

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

More alumni news to report from the minor leagues.

* Pitcher Greg Peavey (2007) has been promoted to triple-A Rochester (Twins, International League) from Chattanooga in the double-A Southern League.

* Texas has promoted utility Alex Burg (2008) to double-A Frisco of the Texas League from High Desert of the high-A California League.

* Miami has promoted pitcher Chase Lyman (2010) to double-A Jacksonville of the Southern League from Jupiter of the high-A Florida State League.

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

Infielder Cody Lenahan (2013) has signed with the Rockford Aviators of the independent Frontier League. Cody played at the University of Portland and was second-team all-West Coast League for our 2013 championship team.

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

Hudson Valley (A New York-Penn, Rays) outfielder Cade Gotta (2011) was 3-for-5 with three RBIs in a 7-5 win over Staten Island on Monday night to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors. He raised his average to .345.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Indianapolis (AAA International, Pirates) third baseman Brent Morel (2006-07) was 2-for-3 with a double and a run in a 3-0 win over Louisville.

* West Virginia (A New York-Penn, Pirates) outfielder David Armendariz (2010-11) was 1-for-3 with a double, a run and an RBI in an 8-1 win over Batavia.

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

That is all for today. See you here on Wednesday and back at the ballpark on Thursday, when we open a three-game WCL series with Kitsap.

Knights sweep Victoria, complete perfect homestand

Happy Monday, everyone.

We finished a great homestand on Sunday with a 4-2 win over Victoria that gave us a sweep of the three-game series and a 6-0 week. We also defeated the Humboldt Crabs twice, and the Mid-Valley Rockets American Legion team.

Sunday's crowd of 942 increased the season total to 23,854 in 16 dates. The Knights are 4,851 fans ahead of 2014 in a corresponding number of openings. The six-game homestand drew a total of 8,942 fans, including a Fireworks Night crowd of 3,244, the second-largest in franchise history.

We now rank second in the WCL in attendance (league games only) to Victoria, by far the largest market in the league. Please click here to access the WCL's attendance numbers.

We head to Medford today for a three-game series against the Rogues. We are only three games behind Yakima Valley in the loss column in the race for the WCL's wild-card playoff berth, and there is lots of baseball left to play.

Chris Clements of UC Santa Barbara (0-1, 3.46) is the scheduled starter for the Knights, opposed by Billy Olson (1-0, 1.12) of Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The game will be broadcast on KEJO-AM 1240.

We start a seven-game homestand on Thursday night against the Kitsap BlueJackets. We'll have a preview of the promotions later this week.

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

Alum Josh Osich (2008) of Oregon State made his MLB debut this past weekend, and pitched 2.1 shutout innings in two appearances with the San Francisco Giants. Here is more on Josh, from our website.

Congrats to a player who overcame many injuries on his way to the majors. He's the sixth Corvallis Knight to make the majors, and the 13th Knight overall.

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

Alum Seth Heck (2013) of Tacoma CC/Mississippi State signed with the Gateway Grizzlies of the independent Frontier League after finishing his collegiate career with the Bulldogs. He was captain as a senior, when he hit .287 in 50 games with 12 RBIs.

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

Alum Braden Wells (2007) has been hired as a volunteer assistant coach at Washington State. Here is more on that story from the WSU website.

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

Alum James Nygren (2009) of Oregon State was released by the Miami Marlins. He was 22-11, 3.84 in 157 games in five years in their system, with 166 strikeouts in 271.2 innings. He reached triple-A in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

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

Mahoning Valley (A New York-Penn, Indians) outfielder David Armendariz (2011) hit his first homer of the season in a 4-3 loss to Aberdeen on Sunday night 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-4 with two runs in a 13-7 win over Salt Lake. He raised his average to .314.

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

That is all for today. See you here on Tuesday and back at the ballpark on Thursday, when we open a three-game WCL series with Kitsap.