Dash for Cash, Scout OverKnighter rescheduled

We have rescheduled our All Family Vision Care $1,000 Dash for Cash and our Scout OverKnighter, both of which were postponed by last Friday's horrible, rainy weather.

The $1,000 Kids Dash for Cash is now set for Sunday, July 22, starting at 5:15 p.m. All reserved tickets for the June 22 rained-out game should be used on July 22; bring your June 22 tickets to use that night.

GA tickets purchased for June 22 can be used on July 22, or at any other game except the July 2 and Aug. 4 Fireworks Nights. Just bring those tickets on July 22 and you're good to go.

The Scout OverKnighter has been rescheduled to Friday, Aug. 3. The same policy applies to those tickets. If they cannot be used for some reason, we will issue a refund.

June 22 was the first rainout in Corvallis Knights' history. Let's hope it's the last, and that our real summer weather has finally arrived and that Juneuary is finally over.

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The West Coast League will be expanding to Medford for the 2013 season, according to this story in the Medford Mail-Tribune.

So with Victoria, B.C., and Medford aboard for next season, we'll have 11 franchises, scheduling will be easier, and our footprint will now extend from Southern Oregon to Western British Columbia.

Kamloops, B.C., has also been mentioned as a possibility. That would give us a perfect dozen teams, and an easy split into two six-team divisions, which might have to be renamed North and South.

We'll have more on this as the process goes along.

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We're still No. 13!

The Knights are ranked 13th (again) in the most recent Perfect Game USA summer baseball poll. compiled by Allan Simpson of the web site, which closely follows prep, college and summer collegiate baseball.

West Coast League rival Wenatchee is No. 4 and surprise WCL East Division contender Kelowna is No. 19. Here are the complete rankings from the website.

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We've now won 12 games in a row overall and 11 straight in WCL action after Tuesday night's thrilling 3-2 walkoff win over the Bellingham Bells.

Unfortunately for us, the 4 p.m. rainshower hammered our potential attendance and for the first time this year we're running behind last summer's record total of 42,447. It actually turned into a pretty decent night for a ballgame, and we thank the 780 Knights fans who attended.

Our total attendance through eight dates is 9,190, an average of 1,149 per opening. We're only 468 fans behind last year's pace, though, and with some decent weather and some good promotions through the rest of this homestand we hope to be back ahead and trending in the right direction for the rest of the season.

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Former Knights' catcher Alex Burg (2008) of the San Jose Giants was 3-for-4 with a homer, an RBI and three runs scored in a 6-2 win over Stickton to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors. The Giants are San Francisco's affiliate in the Class A (advanced) California League.

Honorable mention to:

* Pitcher Matt Andriese (2009) of the Lake Elsinore Storm, San Diego's California League affiliate. He went 5.1 innings to get the win in a 4-2 victory over Inland Empire, and gave up two runs on four hits, with four strikeouts. He's now 6-3.

* Infielder Drew Garcia (2007) of the Charlotte Knights, the White Sox triple-A International League club. He was 2-for-4 with a homer and an RBI in an 8-0 win over Pawtucket.

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That's it for today. We'll update the stats of our Knights in the minors on Thursday.

Knights-Bells renew historic series

We host the Bellingham Bells, a charter member of the West Coast League, tonight through Thursday at Goss Stadium. All three games start at 6:40 p.m., and tickets are available, either online, at the WWHQ in downtown Corvallis, or at the stadium, starting at 6 p.m. each night.

Here are some series notes, as compiled by broadcaster Kevin Burke:

* Corvallis won its 11th consecutive game, skimming past the Stars of WCL Portland 8-7 on Sunday evening at Goss Stadium. Austin Barr delivered a bases loaded sac fly in the bottom half for the winning run. Nate Roberts led the offense with two hits and three RBI. Nine pitchers saw action for Corvallis.

* Our current 11-game winning streak is the second longest since the franchise relocated to Corvallis in 2007, behind only a 16-game winning streak in 2009. In addition, a win today would be our 11th consecutive league victory, establishing a new franchise-high. Not only that, but the Knights are 7-0 at home for the first time ever.

* Corvallis has dominated opponents offensively and on the mound during this 11-game stretch. The Knights have outscored opponents 72-25, while outhitting them .276 to .217. Pitching has been spectacular as well, as the Corvallis staff has a 1.72 ERA in the last 11.

* Stanford signee Austin Barr has provided in clutch situations this year, already corralling 3 game-winning RBIs in just eight games: an eighth-inning grand slam on opening night at Walla Walla; a two-out, two-strike, ninth-inning RBI single at Cowlitz on 6/11; and a bases loaded eighth-inning sac fly on Sunday vs Portland.

Barr is tied for the team lead in hitting at .417 (10-24), which would be the sixth-best mark in the league if he had enough at-bats to qualify.

* Tonight's Probables: For Corvallis, Jorge Perez, RHP, Grand Canyon (2-1, 1.13). Ranked fifth in the league among qualifiers in ERA; Perez starts his fourth game this season and comes off his best outing 11 days ago. Against Walla Walla on June 15, Perez threw five shutout innings, yielding just two hits and striking out seven. His 11 strikeoutss are third-best on the team.

For Bellingham, Andrew Olson, LHP, Seattle (2-0, 5.40). Olson takes the bump for the third time this year with both of his previous starts against Klamath Falls. In his last start on June 18, he went five innings, allowing five runs against the Gems and earned the win in a 13-7 victory. Olson didn't pitch in his first year at Seattle this spring.

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Former Knights slugger Taylor Ard (2009) of Washington State hit two homers, scored three times and drove in five runs for Everett in a 13-2 win over Vancouver on Monday to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors. Everett is Seattle's affiliate in the Class A (short) Northwest League.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Pitcher Eddie Orozco (2008-09) of UC Riverside and the Arizona Rookie League Cubs. He pitched a scoreless inning, had two strikeouts, and earned his first professional victory in a 6-4 win over the ARL Indians.

* Utility Alex Burg (2008) of the San Jose Giants was 2-for-4 with a homer, double and two RBIs in a 15-4 loss to Stokton. San Jose is San Francisco's affiliate in the Class A (advanced) California League.

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Some news from around the WCL:

KELOWNA: Kelowna catcher Jerry McClanahan of UC Irvine and pitcher David Ernst of North Dakota State shared the most recent WCL Players of the Week honors. Congrats to the Falcons, who we will see in Kelowna on July 6-7 and in Corvallis on the 20th and 21st of July.

Big Jim Murphy's stadium's underwater

Ok, it's rained a lot here lately. Waaaaaaay too much, if you ask me, for a populace that already had to endure one of the wettest winters and springs in Oregon history.

But as miserable as it is here, we're better off than our 2007 MVP, ex-Washington State star Jim Murphy, and his teammates on the Clearwater Threshers, Philadelphia's affiliate in the Class A (advanced) Florida State League.

Their home stadium, Bright House Field, was submerged by the rain from tropical storm Debby, which is hammering Florida's Gulf Coast. Here's the latest, from NBC10 Philadelphia.

Good thing Jim's a big guy, so he can keep his head above water.

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Now that we've played a reasonable sample of league games, it's time to update our Knights among the West Coast League leaders.

As a team, we rank first in pitching (2.55 team ERA), and fourth in batting (.277 average).

Pitcher Jorge Perez of Grand Canyon ranked third in ERA (1.13); Rob Dittrick of Pacific University ranks sixth (1.21).

Middle infielder/DH Marc Gallegos of Corban ranks ninth in hitting (.373, 25-67) and third baseman Caleb Whalen of Portland is 22nd (.288, 17-59).

Not all of our regular pitchers/hitters have played enough yet to qualify for inclusion in the league leaders.

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Former Knight D.J. Johnson (2008-09) of the Visalia Rawhide pitched a scorless ninth, with two strikeouts, in a 4-3 win over San Jose to earn his first save with the team on Sunday and garner Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Visalia is Arizona's Class A (advanced) California League affiliate.

Honorable mention goes to pitcher James Nygren (2009) of the Greensboro Grasshoppers, Miami's affiliate in the Class A South Atlantic League. He pitched three hitless, scoreless innings and had three strikeouts to get the victory in a 4-3 decision over Hickory.

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Slow news day today, so that's all for now. Remember to get your Fireworks Night tickets in advance, we've sold that game out the past three years and you don't want to be left in the lurch!

Remember, no game tonight

Remember, tonight's non-league game against the WCL Portland Ports has been rescheduled to Sunday, July 22 because of the lousy wet and cold weather in Corvallis today.

The start time for Sunday, July 22, is to be determined. The Scout OverKnighter will also be rescheduled for a later date as will the All Family Vision Care $1,000 Kids Dash for Cash.

Please share this message with your family and friends. Thanks for understanding.

All GA tickets for Friday's game can be used at ANY other game this summer. Friday's reserved seats are good for the rescheduled game.

Sunday's game against the WCL Portland Stars is still a go. So, we'll see you at Renew Church HOPE Night, presented by HOPE 107.9 FM. The game starts at 6:05 p.m. Gates open at 5 p.m.

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Lake Elsinore pitcher Matt Andriese (2009) threw one-hit ball over five scoreless innings and had eight strikeouts in a 14-1 win over Lancaster on Thursday to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors. Lake Elsinore is San Diego's affiliate in the Class A (advanced) California League.

Elizabethton catcher Bo Altobelli (2010) made his pro debut on Thursday and was 1-for-4 with a double, a run and an RBI in a 7-2 win over Danville. Elizabethton is Minnesota's affiliate in the Class A (rookie) Appalachian League.

Milwaukee has assigned outfielder Mitch Haniger (2010) of Cal Poly, its first round (supplemental) pick in the 2012 draft, to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, its affiliate in the Class A Midwest League. They are based in Appleton.

And former Knights pitcher Daniel Bibona (2007) pitched three innings for Batavia (N.Y), the Cardinals' affiliate in the Class A New York-Penn League, on Thursday. It was the first action for the ex-UC Irvine star since he was 4-0, 1.91 for Quad Cities in 2010; he missed the entire 2011 season with arm injuries.

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We are ranked No. 13 in summer college baseball by reporter Allen Simpson of Perfect Game, a website that covers summer college baseball. Here are the rankings, with records through June 18, so they don't include our most recent wins over the Cowlitz Black Bears.

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Finally, our deep starting pitching rotation is tentatively set for the remainder of our homestand, through July 2. Here it is:

* Sunday, June 24, Portland Stars: Carlos Rodriguez,

* Tuesday, June 26, Bellingham: Jorge Perez.

* Wednesday, June 27, Bellingham: AJ Burke.

* Thursday, June 28, Bellingham: Max Beatty.

* Friday, June 29, Kitsap: Bryan Granger.

* Saturday, June 30, Kitsap: Trevor Frank.

* Sunday, July 1, Kitsap: Dylan Stuart.

* Monday, July 2, Kitsap: Carlos Rodriguez.

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So, that's all for today, Remember, tonight's game is rained out; next home game is 6:05 p.m. Sunday against the Portland Stars.

Friday's game postponed, rescheduled until July 22

The Knights have rescheduled Friday night's game against the WCL Portland Ports at Goss Stadium for a to-be-determined time on Sunday, July 22, due to the forecast of rain and unseasonably cold temperatures.

We don't want our fans sitting out in rain and 45-degree temperatures. And thanks to All Family Vision Care, the Ports, our Omaha Room guests (H-P), and to anyone else we've inconvenienced with this late notice, for understanding.

All tickets for Friday's game will be honored on July 22; season-ticket holders should use their June 22 tickets on that night. The Scout OverKnighter planned for Friday night will also be rescheduled on another to-be-determined night.

The Knights apologize for the late notice. For more information or for any questions, call the Knights office at 541-752-5656.

Finally, an off day

Finally, an off day, after playing on 13 straight nights. And of course, the weather is beautiful, because we don't have a home game.

We're back at it on Friday, against the Ports of WCL Portland at Goss Stadium. It's All Family Vision Care $1,000 Dash for Cash night, with all kids 12 and under eligible to participate. We've got Saturday off, and then we are back at it at 6:05 Sunday with another nonleague game against the Portland Ports.

Then, we start seven league games against Bellingham and Kelowna on Tuesday, June 26. That stretch will conclude with our annual Fireworks Night, which this year is set for July 2. Tickets are going fast, so stop down and see us at the WWHQ in downtown Corvallis.

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We lead the West Division by 3.5 games over Bend. In fairness, we've played four more games, but we're also one ahead in the loss column so even if the Elks win those four games we'd still be in first.

Third baseman Caleb Whalen of Portland is tied for second in the WCL with 15 RBIs. Rob Dittrick of Pacific University has a league-high three wins and ranks seventh in ERA (1.21). George Perez of Grand Canyon is fifth in ERA at 1.13.

We've strengthened our club recently with the addition of pitchers Mitch Patito and Taylor Starr, and who knows, we might have one or two other moves up our sleeve before all is said and done. There's lots of baseball still to be played, and we won't be resting.

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First baseman Taylor Ard (2009) of the Everett AquaSox was 2-for-4 with a triple, a run and an RBI on Wednesday in a 9-8, 13-inning victory over Spokane to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors. Everett is Seattle's affiliate in the Class A (short) Northwest League.

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Speaking of our minor league ex-Knights, here's our weeekly roundup of our alums in minor-league baseball (all stats through Wednesday's games):

NICK AKINS, Dodgers (2007): The former Vanguard outfielder is hitting .227 (10-44) with no homers and three RBIs for the Great Lakes Loons in the Class A Midwest League.

DAYTON ALEXANDER, Athletics (2011): The former Feather River College outfielder is hitting .111 (1-9) with one RBI for Vermont in the Class A New York-Penn League.

BO ALTOBELLI, Twins (2010): The ex-Texas Tech catcher has been assigned to Elizabethton in the Class A Appalachian League but has not yet played.

TYLER ANDERSON, Rockies (2009): Now with the Asheville Tourists in the Class A South Atlantic League, the ex-Oregon star is 5-1, 3.14, with 26 strikeouts in 48.2 innings.

MATT ANDRIESE, Padres (2009): Now with Lake Elsinore in the Class A California League, the pitcher from UC Riverside is 4-3, 3.39, with 55 strikeouts in 66.1 innings.

TAYLOR ARD, Mariners (2009): Now with Everett in the Class A Northwest League, the ex-Washington State first baseman is hitting .333 (7-21) with no homers and four RBIs.

CODY BARTLETT, Blue Jays (2007): Now playing for the Class A Gulf Coast Blue Jays, the ex-Washington State infielder is hitting .000 (0-4), with no homers or RBIs.

CARTER BELL, Diamondbacks (2009): Now with Visalia in the Class A California League, the former Oregon State infielder is hitting .250 (41-164) with one homer and 17 RBIs.

DANIEL BIBONA, Cardinals (2007): Now with the Batavia Muckdogs in the Class A New York-Penn League, the pitcher from UC Irvine is on the 7-day disabled list.

MICHAEL BLAKE, Diamondbacks (2010): Now with Missoula in the Class A Pioneer League, the ex-Mt. Hood/Hawaii pitcher is 0-0, 0.00, with two strikeouts in 1.1 innings.

ALEX BURG, Giants (2008): Now with San Jose in the Class A California League, the former Washington State catcher/infielder/outfielder is hitting .212 (22-104) with four homers and 16 RBIs.

MATT DUFFY, Giants (2010): The former Long Beach State infielder is hitting .263 (5-19) with no homers or RBIs for Salem-Keizer in the Class A Northwest League.

JOHN ESHLEMAN, Giants (2008): The San Jacinto JC infielder, now with the double-A Eastern League Richmond Squirrels, has scored one run in one game but does not have an at-bat.

ROCKY GALE, Padres (2007, 2009): The former Portland catcher is hitting .167 (6-36) for Lake Elsinore in the Class A California League, with no homers and two RBIs.

DREW GARCIA, White Sox (2007): Now with Charlotte in the triple-A International League, the former UC Riverside infielder is hitting .205 (26-1237), with one homer and 16 RBIs.

SAM GAVIGLIO, Cardinals (2009): Now with Quad City in the Class A Midwest League, the ex-Oregon State pitcher is 3-5, 5.03, with 40 strikeouts in 62.2 innings.

DEAN GREEN, Tigers (2008): Now with West Michigan in the Class A Midwest League, the former Oklahoma State/Barry infielder is hitting .306 (67-219), with nine homers and 38 RBIs.

CHRIS JOHNSON, Giants (2011): Now at Salem-Keizer in the Class A Northwest League, the ex-Portland pitcher is 1-0, 9.00 with no strikeouts in one inning.

D.J. JOHNSON, Diamondbacks (2008-09): Now with Visalia of the Class A California League, the former Mt. Hood/Western Oregon pitcher is 0-0, 7.36, with four strikeouts in 3.2 innings.

KYLE KRAUS, Red Sox (2009-10): Now with Lowell in the Class A New York-Penn League, the former Portland pitcher is 0-0, 0.00, with two strikeouts in one inning.

SCOTT LYMAN, Marlins (2010): The ex-UC Davis star is 0-0, 15.00 with the Class A Gulf Coast League Marlins, with three strikeouts in three innings.

THOMAS McCARTHY, White Sox (2010): Now with Great Falls in the Class A Pioneer League, the ex-Kentucky third baseman is hitting .333 (1-3) with no homers and no RBIs.

ADAM MELKER, Cardinals (2008-09): Now with Springfield in the double-A Texas League, the former Cal Poly outfielder is hitting .243 (36-148), with two homers and 11 RBIs.

JIM MURPHY, Phillies (2007): Now with Clearwater in the Class A Florida State League, the former Washington State infielder is hitting .269 (60-223), with six homers and 44 RBIs.

JAMES NYGREN, Marlins (2009): Now with Greensboro in the Class A South Atlantic League, the ex-Oregon State pitcher is 2-1, 4.50, with 10 saves and 17 strikeouts in 32 innings.

EDDIE OROZCO, Cubs (2008-09): Now with the Arizona Rookie League Cubs, the former UC Riverside pitcher has not yet made an appearance.

JOSH OSICH, Giants (2008): Now with San Jose in the Class A California League, the ex-Oregon State pitcher is 0-0, 2.31, with a save and 13 strikeouts in 12.2 innings.

GREG PEAVEY, Mets (2008): Now with Binghamton in the double-A Eastern League, the ex-Oregon State pitcher is 3-3, 5.22, with 37 strikeouts in 60.1 innings.

NICK STRUCK, Cubs (2010): Now with Tennessee in the Class AA Southern League, the former Mt. Hood pitcher is 7-6, 4.09, with 62 strikeouts in 77 innings.

ANDREW SUSAC, Giants (2009): Now with San Jose in the Class A California League, the ex-Oregon State catcher is hitting .243 (41-168), with four homers and 24 RBIs.

NOT YET ASSIGNED: OF Mitch Haniger (2010), Cal Poly (Brewers); LHP Mark Trentacosta (2011), UC Irvine (Cardinals).

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The WCL is already in Kelowna, B.C., and is expanding to Victoria, B.C., for 2013. There's a possibility the league could consider adding a third team in that province, in Kamloops. Here are the details, from the Kamloops This Week newspaper.

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That's all for today. We'll be back on Friday.

Friday's game rescheduled

The Knights have rescheduled Friday night's game against the WCL Portland Ports at Goss Stadium for a to-be-determined time on Sunday, July 22, due to the forecast of rain and unseasonably cold temperatures.

We don't waznt our fans sitting in rainy, 45-degree weather, and there's a much better chance of great weather on July 22. Thanks to the Ports, to H-P, which had the Omaha Room, and to the Boy Scouts and All Family Vision Care for being so co-operative!

All tickets for Friday's game will be honored on July 22; season-ticket holders should use their June 22 tickets on that night. The Scout OverKnighter planned for Friday night will also be rescheduled on another to-be-determined night.

The Knights apologize for the late notice. For more information or for any questions, call the Knights office at 541-752-5656.

A's won't sign Gorton

We've got some disappointing news to announce this morning.

Former Knights star catcher Ryan Gorton of Oregon State, a key player in our drive to the 2011 West Coast League championship, apparently has a knee injury that will prevent him from signing with the Oakland Athletics.

The A's selected Gorton in the 31st round of the recent MLB draft, and they quickly agreed to terms. However, his routine physical before everything became official turned up a tear in his right knee, so the A's withdrew the offer and did not sign him. More details are available here.

Former Knights (2010)/OSU pitcher Matt Boyd still has not signed with Cincinnati. They selected him in the 13th round of the draft. Otherwise, all the ex-Knights taken in the draft have been signed.

* Pitcher Kyle Kraus (2009-10, Boston) is with the Lowell Spinners in the New York/Penn League.

* Pitcher Chris Johnson (2011, San Francisco) and infielder Matt Duffy (2010, San Francisco) are with Salem-Keizer and first baseman Taylor Ard (2009, Seattle) is with Everett, in the Northwest League.

* Catcher Bo Altobelli (2010, Minnesota) is with Elizabethton in the Appalachian League.

* Infielder Thomas McCarthy (2010, White Sox) is with Great Falls in the Pioneer League.

* Pitcher Eddie Orozco (2008, 2009) of UC Riverside signed with the Cubs on Monday and been assigned to the Arizona Rookie League Cubs.

* Outfielder Mitch Haniger (2010, Milwaukee) and pitcher Mark Trentacosta (2011, St. Louis) have signed but not yet been assigned to a team.

Also, some unassigned Knights from 2011 have been assigned. Pitcher Michael Blake (2010, Diamondbacks) is with Missoula in the Pioneer League and outfielder Dayton Alexander (2011, Athletics) is with Vermont in the NY-P League.

We'll update all our ex-Knights minor leaguer in Thursday's blog.

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Former Knights Matt Duffy (2010) and Chris Johnson (2011) of the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes share today's Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors for Tuesday.

Duffy, of Long Beach State, was 1-for-3 with a run and Johnson, of Portland, earned his first professional victory in a 4-1 triumph over the Boise Hawks at Volcanoes Stadium.

So, congrats to both players.

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Some news from around the West Coast League:

KELOWNA: Falcons' pitcher Brandon Marris has been named the WCL Player of the Week. Here are the details from the WCL website.

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That's it for today. Don't forget we play at Cowlitz tonight; you can listen to the game on KEJO-AM 1240, starting at 6:25 p.m.

More roster moves

We've made three more roster moves today as more of our full-time Knights arrive in Corvallis.

Ten-day signees Caylen Clardy of the College of the Siskyous, Tyler Campbell of Lake Oswego High and Beau Fraser of Portland were released on Monday to make our roster easier to manage.

Clardy hit .333, with six RBIs; Campbell hit .135, with four RBIs, and Fraser hit .162, with a homer and five RBIs. We thank them for their contributions, as they're a big reason we got off to such a fast start without our full-time players.

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Attention Diamond Club members: The Meet the Team Barbeque is set for 5 p.m. Sunday at Goss Stadium. Please RSVP to 541-752 5656 if you plan to attend, and how many guests (@ $13 apiece, including a GA ticket) you plan to bring.

It should be a fun evening. See you there!

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Monday night with Corvallis schools still in session and last night's cold and breezy conditions held the crowd down to 718, our lowest of the season. We've drawn 7,391 fans for six dates, an average of 1,232 per night.

We're still 898 fans ahead of last year at a corresponding date, with a big homestand to come, starting with Friday night's All Family Vision Care $1,000 Kids Dash for Cash. Now we just need the weather to cooperate!

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Former Knights' catcher Bo Altobelli (2010) of Texas Tech has signed with the Minnesota Twins, who selected him in the 21st round of the recent draft. He has been assigned to the Elizabethton (W.Va.) Twins of the Class A (rookie) Appalachian League. They start their season tonight, at Danville (Va.).

Pitcher Matt Boyd of Oregon State (Cincinnati) and pitcher Eddie Orozco of UC Riverside (Cubs) are the only two unssigned players of the 14 former, current or future Knights who were selected in the draft. We'll update the averages of all our minor leaguers on Thursday.

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Infielder Drew Garcia (2007) of UC Riverside and the Charlotte Knights was 2-for-4 with a run in a 5-3 win over Columbus on Monday to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors. Chaarlotte is the Chicago White Sox affiliate in the triple-A International League.

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That's all for today. Make sure to catch tonight's game at Cowlitz on KEJO AM 1240.

Back home, for a night anyways

No, we haven't been on the road for the entire month of June. It just seems that way.

We've played 10 of our first 15 games on the road, which makes our 11-4 record all the more impressive. We're home tonight, against Bend in the finale of a three-game series that started with two tilts in Central Oregon, but then we take off again for two more games at Cowlitz on Tuesday and Wednesday.

We'll finally be in Corvallis for a long homestand starting on Friday. By that time we'll have played 12 of our first 18 games on the road.

We've won seven games in a row heading into tonight's game with the Elks. It's SNAP Fitness Miser Monday; show your SNAP Fitness member card to purchase a GA ticket for only $3.

Three-year Knight Mitch Patito of UC Riverside gets the start tonight, making his 2012 season debut. See you at the ballpark!

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We've trimmed our roster a bit as our full-time players from Oregon State, Oregon and the California schools have now reported.

Pitchers Chris Bishop of PLU and Alex Keenan of George Fox and outfielder Tristan Metcalf of Mt. Hood CC, all 10-day signees, have been released. They did a great job for us and we wish them the best.

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Our two wins over the Elks increased our lead in the all-time regular-season series to 35-18 overall and to 17-11 in Bend. We're 13-5 against the Elks in regular-season games at Goss Stadium.

We've also won three out of four playoff series against the Elks and lead 6-5 in the postseason.

We have outscored our opponents 46-11 during our seven-game winning streak. We're hitting .300 over than span, with a 0.86 team ERA. We've allowed just six earned runs in our last seven games.

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Our attendance contines to be good, even though school is still in session and the summer weather hasn't really arrived yet. We've drawn 6,673 for five games, an average of 1,335 per opening. We're 1,509 fans ahead of last year after five games.

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Former Knights' outfielder Mitch Haniger (2010) of Cal Poly has signed with the Milwaukee Brewers for $1.2 million. He was the 38th overall selection in the 2012 MLB draft.

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Former Knights pitcher Tyler Anderson (2009) of the Asheville Tourists went the distance on Sunday in a 2-0 loss to Lexington to win the Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day award. He allowed two earned runs on five hits, and had one strikeout. Asheville is Colorado's affiliate in the Class A South Atlantic League.

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Some news from around the West Coast League:

BELLINGHAM: Bellingham catcher/outfielder Jarel Lewis of the College of Idaho led the Bells to five wins last week and was named the WCL Co-Player of the Week. Here are the details, from the WCL website.

WENATCHEE: AppleSox pitcher Lawrence Chew was named the WCL Co-Player of the Week. Here are the details, from the Wenatchee website.

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That's all for today. See you at the ballpark tonight, and on Friday!