Wetzler makes midseason Golden Spikes Watch List

Happy Friday, everyone.

Yet another sunny day in Corvallis, with a great forecast for the weekend. I think spring is really here.

We noted yesterday that Knights' president Dan Segel played a big role in bringing baseball back to Linn-Benton Community College, where the program is being reinstated after a one-year hiatus. Here is more on that story, from the Corvallis Gazette-Times newspaper.

Remember, big weekend for the Beavers against Washington State up in Pullman. Alum Ben Wetzler (2011) gets the start tonight, hoping to prolong his fabulous start; alum Jace Fry (2011) gets the ball on Sunday. We'll be following Mike Parker on the radio, too.

Hard to believe it, but we are down to just 54 days until our June 4 season opener at Goss Stadium against the independent Portland Sea Dogs on Science, Engineering & Arts Day, presented by PEAK Internet. The Sea Dogs are a team of former college players from the Portland metropolitan area and former Oregon State star Kevin Gunderson, who played for the old Aloha Knights in 2004, is their projected starting pitcher. Should be a great day.

Here is some more Knights news, and a few items from elsewhere in the West Coast League.

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Alum Ben Wetzler (2011), a senior left-handed pitcher at Oregon State, was named to the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List on Thursday by USA Baseball. The Golden Spikes Award is given annually in July to the nation's top amateur player.

Wetzler is 6-0; his 0.38 ERA ranks second nationally. He is allowing just 3.06 hits per nine innings, which is the best in the country, as is his 0.62 WHIP (walks plus hits per innings pitched).

The list will be further dwindled to 30 on May 8 with semifinalists announced on May 27 with finalists announced June 3. The 2014 presentation to the winner will be done on July 17.

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The Miami Marlins have promoted alum James Nygren (2009) to Jacksonville of the double-A Southern league from Jupiter in the high-A Florida State League. Nygren was 0-0, 0.00 in four innings over two appearances with Jupiter; he made his Jacksonville debut on Thursday with two more scoreless frames. James played at Oregon State.

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Cypress CC designated hitter Joe Duffin, a returnee from last summer, was 1-for4 in a 5-2 win over Saddleback JC on Thursday. He was the lone 2014 Knight in action yesterday.

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Durham (AAA International, Rays) pitcher Matt Andriese (2009) allowed three runs in five innings, had eight strikeouts and got the win in a 5-4 victory over Charlotte to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Lehigh Valley (AAA International, Phillies) first baseman Jim Murphy (2007) was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI in a 4-2 loss to Rochester.

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The Walla Walla Sweets are Best Coast Baseball reporter Jake Garcia's preseason choice to capture the WCL's East Division title. Please click here to access the entire story.

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Some news from around the West Coast League:

MEDFORD: Texas-Pan American freshman Victor Garcia Jr. is Medford's College Player of the Week. Here is more on that story from the Our Sports Central website.

VICTORIA: The HarbourCats have added Chris Lindmark and Charlie Strandlund as assistant coaches. Here is more on that story, from the Our Sports Central website.

WALLA WALLA: Here is the latest installment of "10 Things to Know About Sweets Baseball," a regular feature on their website.

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

Baseball is coming back at LBCC!

Happy Thursday, everyone.

Another sunny day in Corvallis. Could it be that spring is really here?

Big weekend for the Beavers against Washington State up in Pullman. Alum Ben Wetzler (2011) gets the start on Friday, hoping to prolong his fabulous start; alum Jace Fry (2011) gets the nod on Sunday. We'll be following Mike Parker on the radio, too.

Hard to believe it, but we are down to just 55 days until our June 4 season opener at Goss Stadium against the independent Portland Sea Dogs on Science, Engineering & Arts Day, presented by PEAK Internet. The Sea Dogs are a team of former college players from the Portland metropolitan area and former Oregon State star Kevin Gunderson, who played for the old Aloha Knights in 2004, is their projected starting pitcher. Should be a great day.

Here is some more Knights news, and a few items from elsewhere in the West Coast League.

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Linn-Benton Community College will revive its baseball program in 2015 after a one-year hiatus, the school announced Thursday. Knights' president Dan Segel, an LBCC baseball letterman, was instrumental in the campaign to restore the sport. Way to go, El Presidente!

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A few Knights were in action on Wednesday for their respective college teams. Here is a rundown:

* Portland shortstop Mike Lucarelli, a returnee from 2013, was 1-for-3 in a 3-0 loss to Oregon at UP. Caleb Whalen (2012) was 3-for-4 and Cody Lenahan (2013) was 1-for-3 for the Pilots.

* Cypress CC designated hitter Joe Duffin, another returnee from last summer, was 0-for-5 in a 10-2 loss to Golden West College.

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Dunedin (A Midwest, Indians)pitcher Matt Boyd (2010) pitched five scoreless innings, struck out four and allowed three hits in a 1-0 win over Daytona to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Huntsville (AA Southern, Brewers) outfielder Mitch Haniger was 1-for-4 with a double and two RBIs in a 5-4 win over Pensacola.

* Indianapolis (AAA International, Pirates) third baseman Brent Morel (2006-07) was 2-for-4 with three runs and a double in an 8-6 win over Toledo.

* Visalia (A California, Diamondbacks) closer Jimmie Sherfy pitched a scoreless ninth and had a strikeout for his second save in a 4-2 win over Modesto.

* Kannapolis (A South Atlantic, White Sox) first baseman Danny Hayes (2010) was 2-for-4 with an RBI in a 1-0 win over Hickory.

* Augusta (A South Atlantic, Giants) pitcher Chase Johnson allowed three hits and one run, had four strikeouts and got the victory in an 8-3 win over Savannah.

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Former Bend head coach Joe Dominiak has been named an assistant coach by the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters of the Northwoods League. Here is more on that story, from the Northwoods League website.

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Some news from around the West Coast League:

BEND: Prineville native Zack Close of the AIB College of Business in Iowa earned Elks' Player of the Week Honors. Here is more on that story from the Bend website; it's the lead item on the menu.

VICTORIA: The HarbourCats have signed Jordan Smith as their new play-by-play voice for the upcoming season. Here is more on that story, from the Summer Baseball Insider website. The HarbourCats have also released their ticketing plans; Here is more on that story, from the team website.

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That is it for today. See you on Friday.

Linfield's Chris Haddeland named NWC Pitcher of the Week

Happy Wednesday, everyone.

Halfway through the week and it is just 56 days until our June 4 season opener at Goss Stadium against the independent Portland Sea Dogs on Science, Engineering & Arts Day, presented by PEAK Internet. The Sea Dogs are a team of former college players from the Portland metropolitan area and former Oregon State star Kevin Gunderson, who played for the old Aloha Knights in 2004, is their projected starting pitcher. Should be a great day.

Here is some more Knights news, and a few items from elsewhere in the West Coast League.

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Knights' signee Chris Haddeland (2014) of Linfield was named the Northwest Conference Pitcher of the Week on Tuesday. Haddeland threw a 114-pitch complete-game shutout on Friday to lead top-ranked Linfield to a 3-0 victory over Pacific Lutheran. He allowed five hits, struck out five and lowered his season ERA to a conference-leading 1.06 with a 7-0 record in nine starts.

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Lake County (A Midwest, Indians) reliever Trevor Frank (2012) threw a perfect ninth and had one strikeout in a 6-5 win at Clinton for his second save of the year to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Lake County (A Midwest, Indians) third baseman Grant Fink (2011) was 2-for-4 with a run in a 6-5 win at Clinton.

* Indianapolis (AAA International, Pirates) third baseman Brent Morel (2006-07) was a combined 2-for-7 with two runs, two RBIs and a homer in a doubleheader split with Toledo.

* Fresno (AAA Pacific Coast, Giants) catcher Andrew Susac (2009) was 2-for-5 with an RBI in a 6-5 loss at Salt Lake City.

* Richmond (AA Eastern, Giants) shortstop Matt Duffy (2010) was 2-for-3 with a run in a 5-3 win over Bowie.

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It is a Wednesday, so here are the updated stats on our 2014 NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA and JC Knights (through Sunday):

JIMMIE CLEARY (Linfield): The 10-day signee from Corvallis has not yet appeared in a varsity game but is starring for the JV.

JOE DUFFIN (Cypress CC): A transfer from UC Santa Barbara who also played for us in 2013, Joe is hitting .351 (33-94) in 27 games, with four homers and 25 RBIs.

KEVIN KLINE (Dixie State): Another returnee from 2013, Kevin is hitting .285 (43-151) in 39 games, with six homers and 38 RBIs.

JOSH LATTA (Tacoma CC): A 10-day signee, Josh is hitting .147 (5-34) in 11 games, with no homers and four RBIs.

PHILLIP LEOPOLD (Bellarmine): A 10-day signee, Phil is hitting .273 (27-99) in 30 games, with no homers and 16 RBIs.

TIM RAUSCH (Western Oregon): Tim is hitting .223 (21-94) in 31 games, with four homers and 16 RBIs.

JACKSON RUCKERT (Linfield): A 10-day signee from Albany, Jackson is hitting .143 (1-7) in 18 games, with no homers or RBIs.

CHRIS SHAW (Midland CC): Chris is hitting .324 (34-105) in 31 games, with eight homers and 34 RBIs.

CHRIS BISHOP (PLU): A two-time returnee, Chris is 3-4, 2.89 in 56 innings over nine games, with 51 strikeouts.

SEAN EBERHARDT (George Fox): Another returning vet, Sean is 2-1, 5.40 in 15 innings over 11 games, with two saves and 10 strikeouts.

CHRIS HADDELAND (Linfield): Chris is 7-0, 1.06 in nine games, with 47 strikeouts in 68 innings.

ZACH KAYSER (WOU): Zach is 1-0, 2.61 in 13 appearances, with two strikeouts in 10.1 innings.

MICHAEL KELLY (Clackamas CC): Michael is 1-1, 6.44 in three games, with nine strikeouts in 22.1 innings.

DERRICK MAHLUM (PLU): Derrick is 5-3, 2.36 in eight games, with 50 strikeouts in 49.2 innings.

STEPHEN WHITE (Tacoma CC): Stephen is 2-1, 2.65 in five games, with 20 strikeouts in 20.1 innings.

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Some news from around the West Coast League:

YAKIMA VALLEY: The Pippins have signed redshirting Oregon State pitcher Austin Woodward and OSU incoming freshman infielder Max George for the coming season. Here is more on that story, from the Our Sports Central website.

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That is it for today. See you on Thursday.

Tommy Hanson signs with White Sox

Happy Tuesday, everyone.

Down to 57 days until our June 4 season opener at Goss Stadium against the independent Portland Sea Dogs on Science, Engineering & Arts Day, presented by PEAK Internet. The Sea Dogs are a team of former college players from the Portland metropolitan area and former Oregon State star Kevin Gunderson, who played for the old Aloha Knights in 2004, is their projected starting pitcher. Should be a great day.

Here is some more Knights news, and a few items from elsewhere in the West Coast League.

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Alum Tommy Hanson (2005) signed a minor-league contract with the Chicago White Sox on Monday. He had been released by the Texas Rangers at the end of spring practice. Here is more on that story from MLB.com. Congrats to Tommy, a very supportive alum!

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Alum Nate Esposito (2012), a junior catcher at Oregon State, is one of three Beavers to sign with the Wenatchee AppleSox for the upcoming summer. Nate was honorable-mention all-WCL in 2012 and helped us take second to Wenatchee. Here is more on that story, from the Wenatchee website; congrats to Jake, he's joining a quality organization.

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Visalia (A California, Diamondbacks) reliever Jimmie Sherfy (2011) struck out the side in the ninth to save a 14-12 win over Modesto for his first save of the season to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Fresno (AAA Pacific Coast, Giants) catcher Andrew Susac 92009) hit a solo homer in a 5-4 loss at Salt Lake City.

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Here are the updated stats (through Sunday) of our 2014 NCAA Division I Knights:

LOGAN ICE (Oregon State): The freshman catcher is hitting .239 (21-88) in 31 games, with no homers and 12 RBIs.

DAN JAMES (Oregon State): The freshman infielder is 0-for-1 in one game.

DALTON KELLY (UC Santa Barbara): The sophomore outfielder is hitting .000 (0-4) in six games.

MIKE LUCARELLI (Portland): The junior shortstop, a returnee from 2013, is hitting .170 (16-94) with no homers and six RBIs in 31 games.

GRANT MELKER (San Diego): The junior outfielder, another returnee from 2013, is hitting .308 (12-39) with no homers and four RBIs in 28 games.

SCOTT QUINLAN (UC Santa Barbara) : The junior outfielder is hitting .259 (15-58) with no homers and seven RBIs in 21 games.

ALEC SMITH (Cal Poly): The freshman infielder is 0-for-1 with no homers or RBIs in two games.

JUSTIN CALOMENI (Cal Poly): The freshman righty is 5-1, 4.05 in eight games, with 45 strikeouts in 40 innings.

BRANDON CHOATE (Washington): A returnee from 2013, Brandon is 2-0, 1.42 over seven appearances, with 14 strikeouts in 12.2 innings.

TED HAMMOND (Seattle): The sophomore righty is 1-1, 4.63 in six games, with five strikeouts in 11.2 innings.

ANGEL LANDAZURI (UC Riverside): The freshman righty is 2-0, 3.04 in eight games, with 15 strikeouts in 23.2 innings.

SLATER LEE (Cal Poly): The freshman righty is 2-1, 6.06 in eight games, with 25 strikeouts in 32.2 innings.

JACKSON LOCKWOOD (Portland): The sophomore righty is 3-2, 6.03 in 11 games, with 18 strikeouts in 34.1 innings.

MICHAEL MARTIN (UC Irvine): The freshman righty is 0-1, 13.50 in four games, with no strikeouts in 2.2 innings.

ALEX NESBITT (Washington): The sophomore righty, a returnee from 2013, is 0-0, 9.64 in six appearances, with five strikeouts in 4.2 innings.

STEPHEN NOGOSEK (Oregon): The freshman righty is 0-1, 3.29 in nine games, with 10 strikeouts in 13.2 innings.

JORDAN SPENCER (Oregon): The junior lefty is 1-0, 2.50 in nine games, with 14 strikeouts in 18 innings.

CHRIS VARGAS (UC Irvine): The freshman righty hasn't pitched yet.

JOEY WISE (Grand Canyon): The freshman lefty is 0-0, 2.25 in four games, with three strikeouts in four innings.

We will update our NCAA Division II, Division III, NAIA and JC players on Wednesday.

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Some news from around the West Coast League:

BELLINGHAM: The Bells have signed five players to 10-day contracts for the 2014 season. Here is more on that story, from the Bellingham website.

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That is it for today. See you on Wednesday.

Casey Bloomquist named Big West Conference Pitcher of the Week

Happy Monday, everyone.

Great weekend at Goss Stadium, where the Beavers swept Stanford 4-1, 1-0 and 2-1 to move to within one game of first place in the Pacific-12 Conference.

Great weekend for Knights alums as well. Ben Wetzler (2011) won Friday night's game; Jace Fry (2011) won Sunday's game, and Scott Schultz (2011) got a win on Saturday and a save on Sunday. And Kavin Keyes (2013) drove in both runs on Sunday.

We are now down to 58 more days until our June 4 season opener at Goss Stadium against the independent Portland Sea Dogs on Science, Engineering & Arts Day, presented by PEAK Internet. The Sea Dogs are a team of former college players from the Portland metropolitan area and former Oregon State star Kevin Gunderson, who played for the old Aloha Knights in 2004, is their projected starting pitcher. Should be a great day.

Here is some more Knights news, and a few items from elsewhere in the West Coast League.

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Cal Poly sophomore Casey Bloomquist (2013) earned Big West Baseball Pitcher of the Week honors on Monday after tossing 7.2 scoreless innings in a series-clinching victory against No. 13 UC Santa Barbara on Sunday. Here is more from the Big West Conference website.

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You may have seen it on the website but we recently caught up with 2008 Knights MVP Alex Burg to update his pro career. He's now with Jacksonville, Miami's affiliate in the double-A Southern League; please click here to read all about the former Washington State standout.

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Reporter/photographer Charles O'Reilly from CharliesBallparks.com recently visited Borleske Stadium, the home of the Walla Walla Sweets (West Coast League). Here's his report on one of The Blog's favorite WCL venues.

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Indianapolis (AAA International, Pirates) third baseman Brett Morel was 3-for-5 with a double, two RBIs and a run in an 7-3 win over Columbus on Sunday to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Jacksonville (AA Southern, Marlins) outfielder Alex Burg (2008) was 2-for-3 with a double in a 3-0 loss to Huntsville.

* Fresno (AAA Pacific Coast, Giants) catcher Andrew Susac (2009) was 2-for-4 with a run in a 9-2 loss to Las Vegas.

* Jupiter (A Florida State, Marlins) pitcher Scott Lyman (2010) pitched six shutout innings, allowed two hits, and six strikeouts and got the win in a 2-0 shutout of Fort Myers.

* Lake County (A Midwest League, Indians) reliever Trevor Frank (2012) got his first save with a perfect ninth inning in a 2-1 win over Lansing.

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Some news from around the West Coast League:

MEDFORD: Here are the latest winners of the Rogues College Player of the Week honors.

VICTORIA: Here is the latest installment of the HarbourCats Baseball Blog for your enjoyment.

YAKIMA VALLEY: The Pippins have named Danny Tetzlaff, who worked for the Yakima Bears before the Northwest League team left for Hillsboro, Ore., after the 2012 season, as their general manager. Please click here for more on that story, from the Yakima Herald-Republic newspaper website.

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That is it for today. See you on Tuesday.

Taylor Ard signs with Frontier League team

Happy Friday, everyone.

Big series at Goss Stadium this weekend as the Beavers host Stanford. Alums Ben Wetzler (2011) and Jace Fry (2011) will be OSU's starting pitchers tonight and on Sunday, respectively.

Other alums for the Beavers are pitchers Scott Schultz (2011), Brandon Jackson (2012) and Kevin Flemer (2013); catcher Nate Esposito (2012); infielders Kavin Keyes (2013) and Caylen Clardy (2012), and outfielder Gabe Clark (2013).

OSU catcher Logan Ice and infielder Dan James will play for us this summer. Alum Austin Barr (2012) has played in 10 games for Stanford and is hitting .125 (3-24), with two doubles and three RBIs.

And, it is now only 61 more days until our June 4 season opener at Goss Stadium against the independent Portland Sea Dogs on Science, Engineering & Arts Day, presented by PEAK Internet. The Sea Dogs are a team of former college players from the Portland metropolitan area and former Oregon State star Kevin Gunderson, who played for the old Aloha Knights in 2004, is their projected starting pitcher. Should be a great day.

Here is some more Knights news, and a few items from elsewhere in the West Coast League.

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The River City Rascals of the independent Frontier League have signed alum Taylor Ard (2009), a former Washington State and Mt. Hood star who was recently released by the Seattle Mariners after two years in their minor-league system.

The Mariners chose Ard in the seventh round of the 2012 draft. A first-team all-WCL selection for us, he played at Clinton in the low-A Midwest League in 2013; in two pro seasons he hit .258 in 193 games, with 20 homers and 111 RBIs.

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Two returning 2014 Knights were in action for their college teams on Thursday. Here's a quick rundown:

* Dixie State designated hitter Kevin Kline was 1-for-5 with a run in a 12-9 loss to Azusa Pacific.

* Cypress CC designated hitter Joe Duffin was 1-for-4 with a double, a run and three RBIs in an 11-3 win over Fullerton JC.

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Dunedin (A Florida State, Blue Jays) lefty Matt Boyd (2010) allowed five hits and had five strikeouts in seven shutout innings in a 7-0 win over Clearwater on Thursday to earn the first Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day award for 2014.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Lehigh Valley (AAA International, Phillies) first baseman Jim Murphy (2007) was 3-for-5 with a double, triple and an RBI in a 4-0 win over Pawtucket.

* Fresno (AAA Pacific Coast, Giants) catcher Andrew Susac (2009) was 2-for-4 with a run in a 9-2 loss to Las Vegas.

* Jupiter (A Florida State, Marlins) pitcher James Nygren (2009) had one strikeout in two innings of scoreless relief in a 5-1 loss to Fort Myers.

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Some news from around the West Coast League:

BELLINGHAM: The Bells need host families for the 2014 season. If you know anyone in that area who may be interested, have them click here for more information, from the team website.

VICTORIA: The HarbourCats have signed six more players for the 2014 season. Click here for more on the story, from the team's website.

WENATCHEE: The always-contending AppleSox have signed three players from Nevada for the upcoming season. Please click here for more on that story, from the team's website.

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

Alums Wetzler, Fry get weekend starts for Beavers

Happy Thursday, everyone.

Only 62 more days until our June 4 season opener at Goss Stadium against the independent Portland Sea Dogs on Science, Engineering & Arts Day, presented by PEAK Internet. The Sea Dogs are a team of former college players from the Portland metropolitan area and former Oregon State star Kevin Gunderson, who played for the old Aloha Knights in 2004, is their projected starting pitcher. Should be a great day.

Here is some more Knights news, and a few items from elsewhere in the West Coast League.

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Big series coming up for Oregon State this weekend, against Stanford at Goss Stadium. Alums Ben Wetzler (2011) and Jace Fry (2011) will be OSU's starting pitchers on Friday and Sunday, respectively.

Alum Austin Barr (2012) has played in 10 games for Stanford and is hitting .125 (3-24), with two doubles and three RBIs.

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Lots of 2014 Knights in action for their college teams on Wednesday. Here's a quick rundown:

* Portland shortstop Mike Lucarelli was 0-for-4 in a 6-2 win at Seattle. Losing pitcher Ted Hammond gave up just two earned runs in five innings and had two strikeouts. Caleb Whalen (2012) was 3-for-5 with a run and Cody Lenahan (2013) was 1-for-3 with an RBI for the Pilots.

* Bellarmine outfielder Phil Leopold, a 10-day signee, was 0-for-3 with a run in a 5-4 win over Oakland City College.

* Corban shortstop Marc Gallegos was 2-for-5 with two runs and a three-run homer in a 9-6 loss at Willamette.

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Big story by reporter Jack Hennessey on the Yakima Valley Pippins in the Yakima Herald-Republic newspaper earlier this week. We don't visit Yakima this year, but the Pippins come to Corvallis June 11-13 for our first home West Coast League series.

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Some news from around the West Coast League:

KELOWNA: Former Kelowna infielder Andrew Firth was honored by winning the Bobby Gaul Memorial Trophy as the University of British Columbia's graduating male athlete of the year. Click here for more on the story, from the team website.

MEDFORD: Returnee Bill Jacobs and newcomer Max Milander, a 2014 Linfield College graduate, will be the Rouges' radio voices this season. Click here for the rest of the story, from the team website.

WALLA WALLA: Here is the latest edition of "10 Things to Know About Sweets Baseball," a regular feature on their website.

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That is it for today. See you on Friday.

Only nine more weeks until opening day

Happy Wednesday, everyone.

Remember, our 2014 promotional schedule is out. And we also have some new ticket plans for you to consider, specifically our "Fun for $81" mini-plan. Please click here for more details.

Down to 63 days (nine weeks) until our June 4 season opener at Goss Stadium against the independent Portland Sea Dogs on Science, Engineering & Arts Day, presented by PEAK Internet. The Sea Dogs are a team of former college players from the Portland metropolitan area and former Oregon State star Kevin Gunderson, who played for the old Aloha Knights in 2004, is their projected starting pitcher. Should be a great day.

Here is some more Knights news, and a few items from elsewhere in the West Coast League.

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Installment No. 2 of reporter Bruce Baskin's "Post from the Coast" series on the Our Sports Central website is now available by clicking here. It contains news from all around the West Coast League and is a great way to keep up with league news.

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Lots of 2014 Knights in action for their college teams on Tuesday. Here's a quick rundown:

* Cal Poly pitcher Slater Lee allowed one run and had six strikeouts in 6.1 innings and got a no-decision in a 6-1 win over Cal State Bakersfield. Jimmy Allen (2011) was 1-for-3 and Peter Van Gansen (2013) was 0-for-2 with a run for the Mustangs.

* Oregon State catcher Logan Ice and Portland shortstop Mike Lucarelli were each 0-for-1 and UP pitcher Jackson Lockwood allowed three earned runs in 4.1 innings and had four strikeouts in OSU's 9-6 win at UP. Kavin Keyes (2013) was 1-for-5 with a run, Gabe Clark (2013) was 1-for-3 with two RBIs and Scott Schultz allowed one earned run in .2 innings for the Beavers. Caleb Whalen (2012) was 1-for-2 with a run for the Pilots.

* Grand Canyon reliever Joey Wise pitched .2 scoreless innings in a 3-2 loss at Nevada.

* San Diego outfielder Grant Melker was 0-for-1 in a 7-1 win over San Diego State.

* Oregon pitcher Jordan Spencer went three scoreless innings, had three strikeouts and got the win in a 3-2 victory at Gonzaga. Stephen Nogosek allowed one run and had two strikeouts in two innings.

* Midland catcher Chris Shaw was 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI in an 11-3 win over Western Texas JC.

* Cypress CC DH Joe Duffin was 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI in an 11-5 win over Fullerton CC.

Bellarmine outfielder Phil Leopold, a 10-day signee, was a combined 2-for-8 with an RBI in a doubleheader loss to Southern Indiana.

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It is a Wednesday, so here are the updated stats on our 2014 NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA and JC Knights (through Sunday):

JIMMIE CLEARY (Linfield): The 10-day signee from Corvallis has not yet appeared in a varsity game but is starring for the JV.

JOE DUFFIN (Cypress CC): A transfer from UC Santa Barbara who also played for us in 2013, Joe is hitting .341 (28-82) in 24 games, with four homers and 19 RBIs.

KEVIN KLINE (Dixie State): Another returnee from 2013, Kevin is hitting .280 (37-132) in 35 games, with four homers and 33 RBIs.

JOSH LATTA (Tacoma CC): A 10-day signee, Josh is hitting .103 (3-29) in nine games, with no homers and two RBIs.

PHILLIP LEOPOLD (Bellarmine): A 10-day signee, Phil is hitting .269 (21-78) in 23 games, with no homers and 12 RBIs.

TIM RAUSCH (Western Oregon): Tim is hitting .218 (17-78) in 27 games, with three homers and 11 RBIs.

JACKSON RUCKERT (Linfield): A 10-day signee from Albany, Jackson is hitting .167 (1-6) in 15 games, with no homers or RBIs.

CHRIS SHAW (Midland CC): Chris is hitting .318 (28-88) in 25 games, with six homers and 28 RBIs.

CHRIS BISHOP (PLU): A two-time returnee, Chris is 3-3, 2.57 in 49 innings over eight games, with 45 strikeouts.

SEAN EBERHARDT (George Fox): Another returning vet, Sean is 2-1, 5.40 in 15 innings over 11 games, with two saves and 10 strikeouts.

CHRIS HADDELAND (Linfield): Chris is 6-0, 1.22 in eight games, with 42 strikeouts in 59 innings.

ZACH KAYSER (WOU): Zach is 1-0, 1.04 in 10 appearances, with two strikeouts in 8.2 innings.

MICHAEL KELLY (Clackamas CC): Michael is 0-1, 11.36 in one game, with two strikeouts in 6.1 innings.

DERRICK MAHLUM (PLU): Derrick is 5-2, 1.84 in seven games, with 44 strikeouts in 44 innings.

STEPHEN WHITE (Tacoma CC): Stephen is 2-1, 3.11 in four games, with 15 strikeouts in 17.1 innings.

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Some news from around the West Coast League:

BELLINGHAM: The Bells have added three more players to their 2014 roster. Click here for the rest of the story, from the team website.

YAKIMA VALLEY: The Pippins have announced the first round of promotions for their inaugural season. Click here for more on the story, from the team website.

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That is it for today. See you on Thursday.

Aaron Corwin signs with Alpine Cowboys in Pecos League

Happy Tuesday, everyone.

It is now just 64 more days until our June 4 season opener at Goss Stadium against the independent Portland Sea Dogs on Science, Engineering & Arts Day, presented by PEAK Internet. The Sea Dogs are a team of former college players from the Portland metropolitan area and former Oregon State star Kevin Gunderson, who played for the old Aloha Knights in 2004, is their projected starting pitcher. Should be a great day.

Here is some more Knights news, and a few items from elsewhere in the West Coast League.

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We have some alumni news to report.

* Pitcher Aaron Corwin (2010, 2012) has signed with the Alpine (Texas) Cowboys in the independent Pecos League. They play their first game on May 13. Aaron played at Feather River JC, at Texas Tech and at Mesa State. For complete info on the Pecos League, click here.

* Senior outfielder Connor Hofmann (2011-12) has left the University of Oregon baseball team and will no longer play for the Ducks. Please click here for the rest of the story, from the Oregon Daily Emerald newspaper; click here for more from the Oregonian.

Best of luck to Connor, wherever he lands. He caught a fly ball for the final out of the 2011 WCL Championship Series against Walla Walla and his spectacular dive onto the celebratory dogpile was epic and made the cover of our 2012 program.

* Outfielder Kyle Treadway (2013) of Pacific University was nominated for Northwest Conference Position Player of the Week honors but was not selected.

* Pitcher Tom Zarosinski (2011, 2013) of George Fox was nominated for Northwest Conference Pitcher of the Week honors, but was not selected.

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Pretty limited schedule on Monday for 2014 Knights. Here's a quick rundown:

* Corban shortstop Marc Gallegos, who returns after taking 2013 off because of injury, was a combined 3-for-9 with an RBI and a double in a doubleheader split at Concordia. Center fielder Blake Drake (2013) was a combined 2-for-8 with two runs and a steal for Concordia.

* Clackamas CC pitcher Michael Kelly, a 10-day signee, pitched a complete game, allowed two earned runs and had five strikeouts in a 7-5 win over Chemeketa.

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Here are the updated stats (through Sunday) of our 2014 NCAA Division I Knights:

LOGAN ICE (Oregon State): The freshman catcher is hitting .247 (20-81) in 27 games, with no homers and 12 RBIs.

DAN JAMES (Oregon State): The freshman infielder is 0-for-1 in one game.

DALTON KELLY (UC Santa Barbara): The sophomore outfielder is hitting .000 (0-4) in six games.

MIKE LUCARELLI (Portland): The junior shortstop, a returnee from 2013, is hitting .175 (14-80) with no homers and three RBIs in 26 games.

GRANT MELKER (San Diego): The junior outfielder, another returnee from 2013, is hitting .353 (12-34) with no homers and four RBIs in 24 games.

SCOTT QUINLAN (UC Santa Barbara) : The junior outfielder is hitting .259 (15-58) with no homers and seven RBIs in 19 games.

ALEC SMITH (Cal Poly): The freshman infielder is 0-for-1 with no homers or RBIs in two games.

JUSTIN CALOMENI (Cal Poly): The freshman righty is 5-1, 3.19 in seven games, with 43 strikeouts in 36.2 innings.

BRANDON CHOATE (Washington): A returnee from 2013, Brandon is 2-0, 0.77 over six appearances, with 14 strikeouts in 11.2 innings.

TED HAMMOND (Seattle): The sophomore righty is 1-0, 6.35 in three games, with three strikeouts in 5.2 innings.

ANGEL LANDAZURI (UC Riverside): The freshman righty is 2-0, 2.82 in seven games, with 14 strikeouts in 22.1 innings.

SLATER LEE (Cal Poly): The freshman righty is 2-1, 7.18 in seven games, with 19 strikeouts in 26.1 innings.

JACKSON LOCKWOOD (Portland): The sophomore righty is 3-2, 5.88 in nine games, with 13 strikeouts in 26 innings.

MICHAEL MARTIN (UC Irvine): The freshman righty is 0-1, 13.50 in four games, with no strikeouts in 2.2 innings.

ALEX NESBITT (Washington): The sophomore righty, a returnee from 2013, is 0-0, 9.64 in six appearances, with five strikeouts in 4.2 innings.

STEPHEN NOGOSEK (Oregon): The freshman righty is 0-1, 3.18 in seven games, with nine strikeouts in 11.1 innings.

JORDAN SPENCER (Oregon): The junior lefty is 0-0, 3.29 in six games, with 11 strikeouts in 13.2 innings.

CHRIS VARGAS (UC Irvine): The freshman righty hasn't pitched yet.

JOEY WISE (Grand Canyon): The freshman lefty is 0-0, 2.70 in three games, with three strikeouts in 3.1 innings.

We will update our NCAA Division II, Division III, NAIA and JC players on Wednesday.

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Some news from around the West Coast League:

BEND: Treasure Valley CC's Jerren Larimer, a 2014 Elk, is off to good start. Click here for the rest of the story; it's the top item on the menu.

VICTORIA: The HarbourCats announced the appointment of Bob Miller to the position of head coach for the 2014 season. He was co-coach in 2013. Dennis Rogers, the 2013 head coach, informed the team he can't return this summer, as family health and business reasons will not allow him to commit in a way he would expect of himself. Click here for more on the story from the Victoria website.

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That is it for today. See you on Wednesday.

Jace Fry named Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week

Happy Monday, everyone. Hope you all had great weekends.

Alums Ben Wetzler (2011) and Jace Fry (2011) each earned victories this weekend as the Beavers won 2 of 3 in Arizona to remain tied for second place in the Pac-12. Future Knight Logan Ice (2014) also had a big series.

With the weekend now out of the way and April on the way on Tuesday, we are down to 65 more days until our June 4 season opener at Goss Stadium against the independent Portland Sea Dogs on Science, Engineering & Arts Day, presented by PEAK Internet. The Sea Dogs are a team of former college players from the Portland metropolitan area and former Oregon State star Kevin Gunderson, who played for the old Aloha Knights in 2004, is their projected starting pitcher. Should be a great day.

Here is some more Knights news, and a few items from elsewhere in the West Coast League.

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Fry was named the Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week on Monday for the second time this season for his stellar performance at Arizona on Sunday in an 11-0 win over the Wildcats. He held them hitless for seven innings before giving up a clean single to start the eighth. Please click here for the rest of the story.

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Two alums have been released by their respective major league parent clubs.

* First baseman Taylor Ard (2009) of Washington State and Mt. Hood was released by Seattle, who chose him in the seventh round of the 2012 draft. A first-team all-WCL selection for us, he played at Clinton in the low-A Midwest League in 2013; in two pro seasons he hit .258 in 193 games, with 20 homers and 111 RBIs.

* The Cubs released pitcher Nick Struck (2009) after four years in their system. He was 39-37 overall, with a 4.04 ERA and 398 strikeouts in 568.1 innings. He twice reached triple-A with the Iowa Cubs. Nick played at Mt. Hood CC and was taken in the 39th round of the 2010 draft.

We will have the minor-league destinations of our many alums in affiliated baseball soon, once rosters have been finalized.

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Some news from around the West Coast League:

WENATCHEE: The AppleSox have signed outfielder Cooper Elliott and right-handed pitcher Chris McDowell of Washington State for the 2014 season. Click here for the rest of the story.

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That is it for today. See you on Tuesday.