It's official: Yakima joins the West Coast League

Not that we ever doubted it wouldn't happen, but after yesterday, it's official. Yakima is now the West Coast League's 12th franchise.

Representatives from Pacific Baseball Ventures, who will operate the club, and the Central Washington State Fair Park Association, who oversee Yakima County Stadium, signed a three-year lease securing Yakima's entry into the league.

Complete details on the event can be found here, in this story from The Yakima Herald newspaper, which, by the way, has done an excellent job of reporting the new club's entry into the league.

The list of potential nicknames has been pared to five: Pippins; Cascaders; Sun Rays; Red Tails, and Short Hops. Fans will be able to vote on their preference on the team's website in the near future.

Can't say that I have a preference. There's no way that "Beetles" or "Bears," nicknames with historic ties to the city, were going to be picked. Hillsboro beat them to the "Hops" last year when the Northwest League franchise formerly in Yakima relocated to Oregon, and I guess there were too many negative connotations for the nickname "Yaks."

Anyway, I'm sure they'll be happy with their choice, and we look forward to hosting and visiting Yakima in 2014. It's conveniently located to be paired with a road trip to Wenatchee, Walla Walla or Cowlitz, and gives the WCL a foothold in another uptapped Northwest Market.

Now if somehow someone could get a ballpark built somewhere in Olympia ...

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We've been selling a lot of our commemorative West Coast League championship t-shirts down here at the WWHQ in the Madison Plaza in downtown Corvallis, but we've got plenty left. To check out the two color options and to order, please visit our website, Corvallisknights.com.

The names of all the players and coaches are printed on the back. Get yours now, or get one for a gift. T-shirts are only $25 plus shipping and handling.

Sizes are available in S, M, L, XXL and XXXL. We sold out of charcoal and heather XL. If you would like to purchase an XL size, please call 541-752-5656 or email [email protected].

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Some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League:

MEDFORD: The Rogues have signed five more players for the 2014 season. Here are complete details, also from Our Sports Central.

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That's it for today. It's a pretty slow time around the league.

Angels recall Tommy Hanson

Good news to report this morning.

The Los Angeles Angels have recalled former Knights' star pitcher Tommy Hanson (2005) from the Salt Lake Bees of the Pacific Coast League. He was optioned to SLC on Aug. 13.

Tommy was 0-2, 5.49 in four games (all starts) at Salt Lake City, with 15 strikeouts in 19.2 innings. He was 4-3, 5.72 in 13 games (all starts), with 52 strikeouts in 67.2 innings, with the Angels before being sent down.

However, his future with the club is uncertain, according to this story in the Los Angeles Times newspaper, and to this story from MLB.com.

We certainly hope for the best. Tommy's been one of our most loyal alums since he played for the old Aloha Knights out of Riverside City College.

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Remember, we have commemorative West Coast League championship t-shirts on sale at the WWHQ in the Madison Plaza in downtown Corvallis. To check out the two color options and to order, please visit our website, Corvallisknights.com.

The names of all the players and coaches are printed on the back. Get yours now, or get one for a gift. T-shirts are only $25 plus shipping and handling.

Sizes are available in S, M, L, XXL and XXXL. We sold out of charcoal XL. If you would like to purchase an XL size, please call 541-752-5656 or email [email protected].

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No other Knights news, or news from around the league today.

Eberhardt returns; Knights sign Linfield ace Haddeland

Happy Monday, everyone. We trust you had a great weekend and enjoyed watching the Beavers pull out a big overtime victory at Utah, even it it had you pulling out your hair much of the night.

Now, on to the news.

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First, don't forget West Coast League championship t-shirts are now on sale. To check out the two color options and to order, please visit our website, Corvallisknights.com. The names of all the players and coaches are printed on the back. Get yours now, or get one for a gift. T-shirts are only $25 plus shipping and handling.

Sizes are available in S, M, L, XXL and XXXL. We sold out of charcoal XL. If you would like to purchase an XL size, please call 541-752-5656 or email [email protected].

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We've got more signing to report today as we continue to build our 2014 club.

First, a familiar face returns for his second season with the Knights. Right-hander Sean Eberhardt, a 6-foot-, 215-pound junior at George Fox University, is back for another summer.

Sean was 5-0, 2.39 in 13 total appearances for the 2013 Knights, with 26 strikeouts in 37.2 innings. Originally a 10-day signee, his effective work out of the bullpen earned him a full-time position.

Sean was 3-0 with a 3.14 ERA and 10 strikeouts in 14.1 innings as a GFU sophomore in 2013.

A native of Milwaukie who graduated from Rex Putnam High School in 2011, Sean was a Three Rivers League all-star as a junior, and was the Northwest Oregon Conference's Pitcher of the Year, and a first-team all-star, as a senior. He played for the North team in the 2011 Reser's All-Star Series.

Another Northwest Conference pitcher will join him in Corvallis next summer. The Knights have also signed Chris Haddeland (6-0, 170), a junior right-hander from Linfield College.

Haddeland was 15-1 with a 1.07 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 126 innings for Linfield in 2013. He helped lead the Wildcats to the NCAA Division III national championship, and was the winning pitcher in the title game.

He was a first-team D3Baseball.com All-American and all-West Region selection, and also was a first-team Northwest Conference all-star and the NWC Pitcher of the Year. He was the Pacific Conference Pitcher of the Year, a first-team all-state selection and a Reser's Oregon All-Star Series participant in 2012 as a high school senior.

Haddeland played for the Swift Current (Saskatchewan) Indians in the Western Major Baseball League over the summer and was 7-3, 1.91 in 75.1 innings, with 70 strikeouts.

Welcome back Sean, and welcome to the team, Chris!

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Alum Nick Torres (2012) of Cal Poly was ranked as the No. 32 prospect in the Northwoods League for 2013 by Perfect Game Crosschecker. He hit .311 (55-177) in 44 games for Green Bay, with five homers and 29 RBIs.

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Alum Rocky Gale (2007, 2009) and his San Antonio teammates defeated Arkansas 5-0 on Sunday night in the decisive Game 5 to capture the Texas League championship. Gale hit .200 in the playoffs for the Missions, San Diego's affiliate in the double-A circuit.

* San Jose (A California, Giants) shortstop Matt Duffy was 2-for-12 in three games as the Giants lost 3-0 to Inland Empire in the California League Championship Series. Duffy hit .300 in the playoffs.

* South Bend (A Midwest, Diamondbacks) reliever Jimmie Sherfy (2011) did not pitch as the Silver Hawks were swept by Quad Cities in the Midwest League Championship Series.

So, all our Knights in affiliated minor-league ball have completed their respective seasons.

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That's it for today. See you on Tuesday.

Knights sign Oregon LHP Jordan Spencer

Happy Friday, everyone.

We've got more good news to report today. The Knights have signed left-handed pitcher Jordan Spencer, a 6-foot, 230-pound junior-to-be at Oregon who has a live arm and plenty of West Coast League/WCL Portland experience.

Jordan was 2-0, 4.00 in 12 games with the Ducks in 2013, with 10 strikeouts in 18 innings pitched. He was 4-2, 4.26 in 12 games in 2012, with 19 strikeouts in 38 innings. He also pitched a nine-inning no-hitter against Portland as a freshman.

A Beaverton High graduate, he pitched for Bend in the summer of 2012 and was 0-1 with a 2.00 ERA in 15 games, with 14 strikeouts in 18 innings. Jordan played for the Toros in WCL Portland last summer and was 7-1, 1.34 as a pitcher, with 53 strikeouts in 62.2 innings. He also hit .395 (34-86), with two homers and 17 RBIs, and finished second in the batting race.

Welcome to the Knights, Jordan!

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More good news to report. Knights Assistant coach (2010-11, 2013) and alum (2006, 2008-09) Billy Clontz has been hired as an assistant coach at Ohlone College, a JC located in the East Bay community of Fremont, Calif.

The Renegades play in the Pacific Division of the Coast Conference and were 11-13 in league play and 16-20 overall last season. Their head coach is Michael Curran; click here for more info on Ohlone.

Congrats to Billy, who has also coached at Klamath Falls in the WCL and at Mt. Hood Community College since completing his playing career at MHCC and at Western Oregon.

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Alum Jake Rodriguez (2010) of Oregon State and the Tri-City Valley Cats won the New York-Penn League championship on Thursday night with a 4-3 victory over State College. The Tri-City franchise is located in the Albany, N.Y., area, and is a Houston affiliate.

Shortstop Matt Duffy of San Jose (A California, Giants) is the only alum still playing in the minors. The Giants lost 5-0 to Inland Empire last night in Game 1 of the Califonia League Championship Series; Matt was 1-for-4.

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Pitcher Kyle Treadway of Pacific University, a 10-day signee for us in 2013, won the WCL Portland ERA title while playing with Spencer on the Lobos. Treadway was 2-2, 1.00 in eight games, with 24 strikeouts in 42 innings.

Kyle was 0-0, 4.00 in two appearances for the Knights, with two strikeouts in nine innings.

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Several alums in the minor leagues were promoted by their respective major league organizations for the final week or so of the regular season.

* The Marlins moved pitcher James Nygren (2009) to triple-A New Orleans (Pacific Coast League) from advanced A Jupiter (Florida State League).

* The Indians moved third baseman Grant Fink (2011) from the Arizona Rookie League Indians to short-season single-A Mahoning Valley (New York-Penn League).

* Baltimore moved shortstop Justin Viele (2010) to short-season A Aberdeen (New York-Penn League) from the rookie Orioles (Gulf Coast League).

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And now that the regular season is complete, here's our final update on the the stats of our alums in affiliated minor-league baseball.

DAYTON ALEXANDER (2011): Dayton hit .236 (35-148) with two homers and eight RBIs in 53 games with Beloit, Oakland's affiliate in the Class A Midwest League.

BO ALTOBELLI (2010): Bo hit a combined .308 (28-91) with no homers and nine RBIs in 26 total games with Cedar Rapids, Minnesota's affiliate in the Class A Midwest League, and with Elizabethon in the rookie Appalachian League.

TAYLOR ARD (2009): Taylor hit .240 (101-420) with eight homers and 53 RBIs in 118 games with Clinton (Iowa), Seattle's affiliate in the Class A Midwest League.

CARTER BELL (2009): Carter hit .233 (48-206) with three homers and 17 RBIs in 60 games with South Bend, Arizona's affiliate in the Class A Midwest League.

ALEX BURG (2008): Alex hit a combined .253 (71-281) with six homers and 42 RBIs in 81 total games with New Orleans, Miami's affiliate in the triple-A Pacific Coast League; with double-A Jacksonville in the Southern League, and with Class A Jupiter in the Florida State League.

MATT DUFFY (2010): Matt hit a combined .303 (119-393) with nine homers and 57 RBIs in 104 total games for San Jose, San Francisco's affiliate in the Class A California League, and Augusta in the Class A South Atlantic League.

GRANT FINK (2011): Grant hit a combined .281 (50-178) with three homers and 26 RBIs in 51 total games for Mahoning Valley, Cleveland's affiliate in the single-A New York-Penn League, and with the Arizona Rookie League Indians.

ROCKY GALE (2007, 2009): Rocky hit a combined .242 (55-227) with a homer and 24 RBIs in 70 total games for Tucson, San Diego's affiliate in the triple-A Pacific Coast League, and for San Antonio in the double-A Texas League.

DREW GARCIA (2007): Drew hit a combined .232 (50-216) with one homer and 23 RBIs in 75 total games with Colorado Springs, Colorado's affiliate in the triple-A Pacific Coast League, and with Charlotte, the Chicago White Sox's affiliate in the triple-A International League.

RYAN GORTON (2011): Ryan hit .212 (22-104) with one homer and four RBIs in 35 games for Vermont, Oakland's affiliate in the Class A New York-Penn League.

DEAN GREEN (2008): Dean hit a combined .296 (73-247) with eight homers and 40 RBIs in 65 total games for Lakeland, Detroit's affiliate in the Class A Florida State League; for West Michigan in the A Midwest League, and with the Tigers in the rookie Gulf Coast League.

MITCH HANIGER (2010): Mitch hit a combined .267 (125-469) with 11 homers and 67 RBIs in 67 games for Brevard County, Milwaukee's affiliate in the Class A Florida State League, and with Wisconsin in the Class A Midwest League.

DANNY HAYES (2010): Danny hit .267 (62-232) with five homers and 51 RBIs in 58 games for Great Falls, the White Sox affiliate in the Rookie Pioneer League.

ADAM MELKER (2008, 2009): Adam hit .260 (83-319) with eight homers and 32 RBIs in 107 games for Springfield (Mo.), St. Louis's affiliate in the double-A Texas League.

BRENT MOREL (2007): Brent hit a combined .262 (110-420) with six homers and 55 RBIs in 118 games with the Chicago White Sox and with Charlotte, their affiliate in the triple-A International league.

JIM MURPHY (2007): Jim hit .273 (138-505) with 23 homers and 83 RBIs in 139 games for Reading (Pa.), Philadelphia's affiliate in the double-A Eastern League.

JAKE RODRIGUEZ (2010): Jake hit .209 (18-86) with a homer and 10 RBIs in 32 games for Tri-City, Houston's affiliate in the Class A New York-Penn League.

ANDREW SUSAC (2009): Andrew hit .252 (66-262) with 12 homers and 46 RBIs in 83 games for Richmond (Va.), San Francisco's affiliate in the double-A Eastern League.

JUSTIN VIELE (2010): Justin hit a combined .263 (45-171) with two homers and 14 RBIs in 52 total games with Aberdeen in the Class A New York-Penn League and with the Orioles of the rookie Gulf Coast League.

TYLER ANDERSON (2009): Tyler was a combined 3-3, 3.16 in 15 total games with Modesto, Colorado's affiliate in the single-A California League, and with Tri City in the Class A Northwest League. He had 73 strikeouts in 82.2 innings.

MATT ANDRIESE (2009): Matt was a combined 11-7, 3.27 in 27 total games for Tucson, San Diego's affiliate in the triple-A Pacific Coast League, and with San Antonio of the double-A Texas League. He had 105 strikeouts in 134.2 innings.

MAX BEATTY (2010-12): Max was a combined 1-2, 5.22 in 21 total games with the Eugene Emeralds, San Diego's affiliate in the Class A Northwest league and with the Arizona Rookie League Padres, with one save and 27 strikeouts in 29.1 innings.

MATT BOYD (2010): Matt was a combined 0-3, 2.63 in eight total games with Dunedin in the Class A Florida State League, and with Lansing in the Class A Midwest League, with 23 strikeouts in 24 innings.

A.J. BURKE (2012): A.J. was 1-3, 7.84 in 15 games with the Arizona Rookie League Athletics, with 18 strikeouts in 20.2 innings.

TREVOR FRANK (2012): Trevor was 1-5, 2.83 in 20 games for Mahoning Valley, Cleveland's affiliate in the Class A New York-Penn League. He had three saves and 39 strikeouts in 35 innings.

SAM GAVIGLIO (2009): Sam was a combined 4-1, 2,22 in nine games with Palm Beach, St. Louis's affiliate in the single-A Florida State League, and with the rookie Cardinals in the Gulf Coast League. He had 40 strikeouts in 48.2 innings.

CHASE JOHNSON (2011): Chase was 4-2, 3.88 in 13 games with Salem-Keizer, San Francisco's affiliate in the Class A Northwest League, with 44 strikeouts in 46.1 innings.

CHRIS JOHNSON (2011): Chris was 6-3, 2.49 in 15 games with Salem-Keizer, San Francisco's affiliate in the Class A Northwest League, with 78 strikeouts in 83 innings.

KYLE KRAUS (2009, 2010): Kyle was a combined 6-2, 3.16 in 33 total games with Portland, Boston's affiliate in the double-A Eastern League; with Salem in the Class A Carolina League, and with Greenville in the single-A South Atlantic League. He had 65 strikeouts in 88.1 innings.

SCOTT LYMAN (2010): Scott was 7-8, 4.00 in 26 total games with Jupiter, Miami's affiliate in the Class A Florida State League, and with Greensboro in the Class A South Atlantic League, with 117 strikeouts in 137.1 innings.

JAMES NYGREN (2009): James was a combined 7-4, 3.63 in 40 appearances with New Orleans, Miami's affiliate in the triple-A Pacific Coast League and with Jupiter in the Class A Florida State League. He had 31 strikeouts in 62.1 innings.

EDDIE OROZCO (2008, 2009): Eddie was a combined 3-4, 4.67 in 30 games with Kane County, the Chicago Cubs' affiliate in the Class A Midwest League, and with Boise in the Class A Northwest League, with 39 strikeouts in 34.2 innings.

JOSH OSICH (2008): Josh was a combined 5-4, 3.47 in 56 total appearances with Richmond, San Francisco's affiliate in the double-A Eastern League, and with San Jose in the Class A California League. He had 15 saves and 76 strikeouts in 70 innings.

GREG PEAVEY (2007): Greg was a combined 6-5, 4.80 in 45 total games with Las Vegas, the New York Mets' affiliate in the triple-A Pacific Coast League, and with Binghamton in the double-A Eastern League. He had 65 strikeouts in 95.2 innings.

JIMMIE SHERFY: (2011): Jimmie was a combined 1-1, 1.04 in 18 total games with South Bend, Arizona's affiliate in the Class A Midwest League, and with Hillsboro in the Class A Northwest League. He had 29 strikeouts in 17.1 innings.

NICK STRUCK (2009): Nick was a combined 7-10, 5.73 in 27 total games with Iowa, the Chicago Cubs' affiliate in the triple-A Pacific Coast League, and with Tennessee in the double-A Southern League. He had 68 strikeouts in 136.2 innings.

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That's all for today. Have a great weekend, and we'll see you again on Monday.

Knights sign Corvallis High's Cleary to 10-day deal

It's always an exciting time in the fall when we begin to announce our signings for the upcoming season, and today is no different.

Our newest Knight is Jimmy Cleary, a 5-foot-11, 175-pound outfielder from Corvallis who played on the Linfield JV as a true freshman in 2013. The Wildcats were stacked in 2013 and won the NCAA Division III national title so playing time was hard to come by for true freshmen, but he should see plenty of action in 2014.

Jimmy was the Mid-Willamette Conference Player of the Year and a 5A first-team all-state selection as a CHS senior in 2012. He also played in the Reser's Oregon All-Star Series, and was a five-time letterman in baseball and football at CHS.

Welcome to the team, Jimmy!

We'll have more signings to announce in the near future, so stay tuned.

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Two former Knights were ranked among the top prospects in the California Collegiate League by Perfect Game Crosschecker.

* Third baseman Caleb Whalen (2012) of Portland was ranked No. 12. He played for the Los Angeles Brewers and was third in the league batting race with a .361 average (57-158), with a homer and 22 RBIs.

* Third baseman Jimmy Allen (2011) of Cal Poly was ranked No. 18. He played for the San Luis Obispo Blues and hit .277 (26-94), with a homer and 16 RBIs.

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Once again, San Jose (A California, Giants) shortstop Matt Duffy (2010) wins the Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day award. Matt was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run in a 9-5 victory over Visalia on Wednesday in the decisive Game 5 of their California League semifinal series. He hit .389 in the series.

San Jose will play Inland Empire for the title. IE unseated defending champion Lancaster 4-3 in 15 innings to win Game 5 of their semifinal series, ending the season of former Knights' broadcaster Jason Schwartz (2010). He's been the voice of the JetHawks the last two years.

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Some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League:

MEDFORD: Five Rogues were named to Perfect Game Crosschecker's West Coast League top prospect list. For full details, click here for a story from Our Sports Central.

WALLA WALLA: Sweets' pitcher Cody Poteet of UCLA was named the WCL's top prospect by Perfect Game Crosschecker. Click here for full details, from Our Sports Central. Poteet was also named the No. 1 prospect by Baseball America.

8 Knights on Perfect Game prospect list

We're happy to report that we have 2013 Corvallis Knights West Coast League Championships tee shirts on sale at the WWHQ. They come in charcoal or gray, are $25 apiece, and a variety of sizes are available.

I'm wearing one as we speak. So pick one up in person, or give us a call at 541-752-56565 and we'll mail one out to you ASAP.

Now, on with the news.

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Eight members of the 2013 Knights made Perfect Game Crosschecker's list of the top 40 pro prospects in the West Coast League.

So honored were pitcher Jorge Perez (2) of Grand Canyon; pitcher Dylan Hecht (3) of UC Santa Barbara; center fielder Blake Drake (8) of Concordia; pitcher Andrew Naderer (11) of Grand Canyon; third baseman Cody Lenahan (14) of Portland; pitcher Stephen Nogosek (16) of Woodcreek (Calif.) High/Oregon; pitcher Alex Nesbitt (23) of Washington, and catcher/shortstop Chris Rabago (25) of UC Irvine.

Congrats to all! Just click here for the entire list. Perez, Drake and Hecht were also identified as top WCL prospects by Baseball America.

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Nice story in College Baseball Daily from local reporter Aaron Yost about the West Coast League, with plenty of quotes from Knights' skipper Brooke Knight. Just click here and read all about it.

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San Jose (A California, Giants) shortstop Matt Duffy (2010) was 0-for-3 but had an RBI in a 6-5 loss to Visalia on Tuesday to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors again. Visalia evened its best-of-5 California League playoff semifinal series at 2-2; the final game is tonight.

The winner plays either defending champion Lancaster or Inland Empire, who are also tied 2-2 in the other semifinal. Former Knights broadcaster Jason Schwartz (2010) is the play-by-play voice for Lancaster.

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Some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League:

KLAMATH FALLS: The Gems have hired Dustin Howell of Klamath Falls as their new director of marketing, and his wife, Jessica Howell, as an administrative assistant. Click here for more details, from the Herald and News newspaper of Klamath Falls. And for even more, check out this story from the Gems' web site.

According to the newspaper story, the Gems have a World Headquarters. Must not be quite as big as our executive offices and suites in the Madison Plaza, the World-Wide Headquarters (WWHQ) of the Corvallis Knights.

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That's all for today. See you on Thursday.

Knights sign Ayo to 10-day contract

The Knights have signed infielder Ray Ayo of Westview High School, a freshman at Lane Community College, to a 10-day contract. He's the son of Keke Ayo, a 1983-84 Oregon State letterman who coached our head coach, Brooke Knight, at Crescent Valley High School in 1989 and 1990.

Ray Ayo is a 5-foot-8, 135-pound second baseman. He was a Metro League all-star, a second-team 6A all-state selection, and played in the Reser's Oregon All-Star Series in 2013. He was honorable mention all-Metro League as a junior in 2012. He'll join us in June.

Ten-day signees are not guaranteed a roster spot for the entire season, but it's not unusual for someone to earn full-time status. Infielder Seth Heck and catcher Chad Michaud of Tacoma Community College, and pitcher Sean Eberhardt of George Fox University were 10-day signees in 2013 and each earned a full-time roster spot.

Welcome aboard, Ray.

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Our alums in independent baseball have all wrapped up their seasons. Here's a recap:

NICK AKINS (2007): Nick played for Fargo-Moorhead in the American Association and for Washington and Joliet in the Frontier League. He hit a combined .293 (89-304) in 82 games (primarily for Joliet), with 21 homers and 68 RBIs, and made the Frontier League's Postseason All-Star team.

MIKE KOONS (2007): Mike was 2-2, 4.61 in 14 games with the St. Paul Saints in the American Association. He had 22 strikeouts in 52.2 innings.

MATT WAY (2007): Matt was 4-5, 4.04 in 16 games with the Long Island Ducks in the Atlantic League. He had 73 strikeouts in 75.2 innings.

ERIC MASSINGHAM (2006-07): Eric was 3-1, 1.25 in 35 games with Evansville in the Frontier League, with 19 saves and 37 strikeouts in 36 innings. He was a Postseason All-Star.

MARK SAMUELSON (2006-07): Mark hit .247 (73-296) in 88 games for Washington in the Frontier League, with 12 homers and 39 RBIs.

LOGAN LOTTI (2008): Logan hit .356 (74-208) in 61 games with Alpine in the Pecos League, with 12 homers and 49 RBIs.

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San Jose (A California, Giants) shortstop Matt Duffy (2010) was 2-for-4 with a run, a double and an RBI in a 9-2 win over Visalia on Monday to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors. San Jose leads the best-of-5 semifinal series 2-1; Duffy is hitting .455 (5-11) in the playoffs.

Honorable mention goes to:

* South Bend (A Midwest, Diamondbacks) closer Jimmie Sherfy (2011) struck out the side on 12 pitches to end a 9-5 win over Fort Wayne as South Bend won their Midwest League North Division Championship Series 2-1. It will play Quad Cities in the League Championship Series.

* Great Falls (R Pioneer, White Sox) first baseman Danny Hayes (2010) was 1-for-4 with an RBI in a 16-5 loss to Helena in Game 1 of their best-of-3 Pioneer League semifinal series.

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Some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League:

KITSAP: Virginia Anderson, the wife of former Kitsap owner Bill Anderson, died of cancer last week. A memorial service was held this past Saturday in Poulsbo, Wash.

MEDFORD: The Rogues will host the "Celebra las Fiestas Patrias," a celebration of the September 16 Mexican Independence Day, at Harry & David Field. Here's more on that event from the Ballparkbiz.com website.

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That's it for today. See you on Wednesday.

Knights sign Grand Canyon LHP Joey Wise

The Knights have signed their first player for the 2014 season. He's left-handed pitcher Joey Wise, a 6-foot-2, 205-pounder from Cave Creek, Ariz., who is a freshman at Grand Canyon University.

Wise was selected by Cleveland in the 33rd round of the 2013 MLB draft after his senior season at Cactus Shadows High School, but did not sign. He was 2-4, 3.42 in nine games as a senior, with 64 strikeouts in nine appearances. He has a fastball in the 88-91 MPH range.

Hopefully he'll pitch as well as the previous Antelope hurlers to play for us, Jorge Perez and Andrew Naderer. Welcome to the team, Joey!

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You probably saw this in our news section last week, but it bears repeating. Baseball America rated pitcher Jorge Perez of Grand Canyon the No. 2 pro prospect in the West Coast League; center fielder Blake Drake of Concordia was ranked No. 3 and reliever Dylan Hecht of UC Santa Barbara was ranked No. 4.

Complete details can be found here, on the Knights' home page. Congrats to all three players. Perfect Game Crosschecker, which ranked the Knights No. 3 in its final Top 50 poll, will release its top pro prospects list later this week.

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Most of our minor league Knights have concluded their seasons. However, a handful are still active in league playoffs, so we'll have a Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day award for the rest of the week, probably.

Today's winner is San Jose (A California, Giants) shortstop Matt Duffy (2010). He was 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI in a 2-0 win over Visalia on Sunday that evened their semifinal playoff series at 1-1.

The San Jose-Visalia winner will play either Lancaster or Inland Empire in the finals. Their semifinal series is also even at 1-1. Ex-Knights broadcaster Jason Schwartz (2010) is in his second season as Lancaster's play-by-play voice.

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Bellingham manager Gary Hatch has stepped down after three seasons as the Bells' coach. Here are the complete details, from The Bellingham Herald newspaper. Best wishes to Gary.

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Ex-Kelowna Falcons ace James Paxton of the University of Kentucky and the Seattle Mariners made his MLB debut this past Saturday. He allowed one run over six innings and got the win in a 6-2 victory over Tampa Bay at Safeco Field. Paxton pitched for the Falcons in 2007, and went 3-5 with a 2.94 ERA.

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Some other news from around the West Coast League:

MEDFORD: The Rogues have signed six players for the upcoming season, including one from Bucknell and three from Morehead State in Kentucky, programs that might be making their WCL debuts. Here's more on that story, from the Our Sports Central website.

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That's all for today. See you on Tuesday!

News on some alums

A couple alumni moves to announce:

* Miami has sent outfielder Alex Burg 2008) to Jacksonville in the double-A Southern League. He hit .300 in a short stint with triple-A New Orleans before being reassigned.

* Boston has sent pitcher Kyle Kraus (2009-10) to Greenville of the low-A South Atlantic League after a stay at Salem in the high-A Carolina League. Kraus also pitched for double-A Portland (Eastern league) this summer, so it seems as if he's sent wherever pitching help is needed.

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We update the stats of our minor league alums on Fridays and some things jumped out at us today.

* Pitcher Trevor Frank (2012)of Mahoning Valley (A New York-Penn, Indians) has 39 strikeouts and just one walk in 33 innings.

* Pitcher Chris Johnson (2011) of Salem-Keizer (A Northwest, Giants) has 73 strikeouts and only seven walks in 78 innings.

* Kraus has 33 strikeouts and just four walks in 31.1 innings at Greenville, and just 18 walks in more than 80 innings overall this summer.

* Shortstop Matt Duffy (2010) of San Jose (A California, Giants) has five homers in just 99 at-bats.

* Catcher Bo Altobelli (2010) of Cedar Rapids (A Midwest, Twins) is hitting .333 (20-60) at low-A after hitting just .247 in rookie ball.

* First baseman Danny Hayes (2010) of Great Falls (R Pioneer, White Sox) has 47 RBIs in 50 games. He's fourth in the league despite playing at least seven fewer games than those in front of him due to Oregon State's extended run through the College World Series.

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Reading (AA Eastern, Phillies) first baseman Jim Murphy (2007) was 4-for-5 with a homer, an RBI and three runs in a 9-8 win over Richmond on Thursday to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Lots of honorable mentions on a big night in the pros for our alums.

* San Antonio (AA Texas, Padres) catcher Rocky Gale (2007, 2009) was 3-for-5 with an RBI in a 10-9 loss to Midland.

* San Jose (A California, Giants) shortstop Matt Duffy homered, singled, drove in two and scored twice in an 11-1 win over Visalia.

* Cedar Rapids (A Midwest, Twins) catcher Bo Altobelli (2010) was 2-for-4 with a run in a 5-2 win over Kane County.

* Beloit (A Midwest, Athletics) outfielder Dayton Alexander 92011) was 2-for-4 with a double, a run and an RBI in a 6-5 win over Burlington.

* Vermont (A New York-Penn, Athletics) catcher Ryan Gorton (2011) was 2-for-2 in an 8-3 win over Tri-Valley.

* Mahoning Valley (A New York-Penn, Indians) pitcher Trevor Frank had two scoreless innings, three strikeouts and a save in a 2-1 win over Auburn.

* Great Falls (R Pioneer, White Sox) first baseman Danny Hayes (2010) was 2-for-3 with a homer, two runs and an RBI in a 7-5 win over Billings.

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It's time to update the stats from your Corvallis Knights alums in affiliated minor-league baseball:

DAYTON ALEXANDER (2011): Dayton is hitting .241 (35-145) with two homers and eight RBIs in 52 games with Beloit, Oakland's affiliate in the Class A Midwest League.

BO ALTOBELLI (2010): Bo is hitting .333 (20-60) with no homers and eight RBIs in 16 games with Cedar Rapids, Minnesota's affiliate in the Class A Midwest League.

TAYLOR ARD (2009): Taylor is hitting .238 (98-411) with eight homers and 53 RBIs in 115 games with Clinton (Iowa), Seattle's affiliate in the Class A Midwest League.

CARTER BELL (2009): Carter is hitting .233 (48-206) with three homers and 17 RBIs in 60 games with South Bend, Arizona's affiliate in the Class A Midwest League.

ALEX BURG (2008): Alex is hitting .125 (4-32) with no homers and two RBIs in eight with Jacksonville, Miami's affiliate in the double-A Southern League.

MATT DUFFY (2010): Matt is hitting .293 (29-99) with five homers and 11 RBIs in 24 games for San Jose, San Francisco's affiliate in the Class A California League.

GRANT FINK (2011): Grant is hitting .263 (42-160) with one homer and 21 RBIs in 46 games for the Indians, Cleveland's affiliate in the Arizona Rookie League.

ROCKY GALE (2007, 2009): Rocky is hitting .248 (50-202) with a homer and 21 RBIs for San Antonio, San Diego's affiliate in the double-A Texas League.

DREW GARCIA (2007): Drew is hitting .241 (32-133) with one homer and 10 RBIs in 47 games with Colorado Springs, Colorado's affiliate in the triple-A Pacific Coast League.

RYAN GORTON (2011): Ryan is hitting .219 (21-96) with one homer and four RBIs in 28 games for Vermont, Oakland's affiliate in the Class A New York-Penn League.

DEAN GREEN (2008): Dean is hitting .313 (31-99) with two homers and nine RBIs in 24 games for Lakeland, Detroit's affiliate in the Class A Florida State League.

MITCH HANIGER (2010): Mitch is hitting .252 (80-317) with six homers and 41 RBIs in 85 games for Brevard County, Milwaukee's affiliate in the Class A Florida State League.

DANNY HAYES (2010): Danny is hitting .283 (56-198) with five homers and 47 RBIs in 50 games for Great Falls, the White Sox affiliate in the rookie A Pioneer League.

ADAM MELKER (2008, 2009): Adam is hitting .258 (79-306) with eight homers and 30 RBIs in 103 games for Springfield (Mo.), St. Louis's affiliate in the double-A Texas League.

BRENT MOREL (2007): Brent is hitting .264 (101-383) with six homers and 53 RBIs in 103 games with Charlotte, the Chicago White Sox's affiliate in the triple-A International league.

JIM MURPHY (2007): Jim is hitting .276 (135-490) with 23 homers and 82 RBIs in 135 games for Reading (Pa.), Philadelphia's affiliate in the double-A Eastern League.

JAKE RODRIGUEZ (2010): Jake is hitting .224 (17-76) with a homer and 10 RBIs in 28 games for Tri-City, Houston's affiliate in the Class A New York-Penn League.

ANDREW SUSAC (2009): Andrew is hitting .252 (66-262) with 12 homers and 46 RBIs in 83 games for Richmond (Va.), San Francisco's affiliate in the double-A Eastern League.

JUSTIN VIELE (2010): Justin is hitting .261 (42-161) with two homers and 14 RBIs in 49 games with the Orioles of the rookie Gulf Coast League.

TYLER ANDERSON (2009): Tyler is 2-2, 3.72 in 12 games with Modesto, Colorado's affiliate in the single-A California League. He has 60 strikeouts in 67.2 innings.

MATT ANDRIESE (2009): Matt is 3-5, 4.29 in 11 games for Tucson, San Diego's affiliate in the triple-A Pacific Coast League. He has 40 strikeouts in 56.2 innings.

MAX BEATTY (2010-12): Max is 1-1, 3.09 in 16 games with the Arizona Rookie League Padres, with one save and 23 strikeouts in 23.1 innings.

MATT BOYD (2010): Matt is 0-1, 3.00 in two games with Dunedin in the Class A Florida State League, with seven strikeouts in six innings.

A.J. BURKE (2012): A.J. is 1-3, 7.84 in 15 games with the Arizona Rookie League Athletics, with 18 strikeouts in 20.2 innings.

TREVOR FRANK (2012): Trevor is 1-5, 3.00 in 19 games for Mahoning Valley, Cleveland's affiliate in the Class A New York-Penn League. He has one save and 39 strikeouts in 33 innings.

SAM GAVIGLIO (2009): Sam is 3-1, 3.03 in six games with Palm Beach, St. Louis's affiliate in the single-A Florida State League. He has 26 strikeouts in 32.2 innings.

CHASE JOHNSON (2011): Chase is 3-2, 4.17 in 10 games with Salem-Keizer, San Francisco's affiliate in the Class A Northwest League, with 37 strikeouts in 41 innings.

CHRIS JOHNSON (2011): Chris is 5-3, 2.31 in 14 games with Salem-Keizer, San Francisco's affiliate in the Class A Northwest League, with 73 strikeouts in 78 innings.

KYLE KRAUS (2009, 2010): Kyle is 2-0, 2.30 in 18 games with Greenville, Boston's affiliate in the single-A South Atlantic League. He has 33 strikeouts in 31.1 innings.

SCOTT LYMAN (2010): Scott is 3-2, 3.62 in six games with Jupiter, Miami's affiliate in the Class A Florida State League, with 15 strikeouts in 32.1 innings.

JAMES NYGREN (2009): James is 7-4, 2.97 in 37 appearances with Jupiter, Miami's affiliate in the Class A Florida State League. He has 27 strikeouts in 57.2 innings.

EDDIE OROZCO (2008, 2009): Eddie is 0-1, 4.85 in 12 games with Boise, the Chicago Cubs' affiliate in the Class A Northwest League, with 22 strikeouts in 13 innings.

JOSH OSICH (2008): Josh is 2-3, 5.33 in 20 appearances with Richmond, San Francisco's affiliate in the double-A Eastern League. He has three saves and 26 strikeouts in 27 innings.

GREG PEAVEY (2007): Greg is 2-2, 3.00 in six games with Binghamton, the New York Mets' affiliate in the double-A Eastern League. He has 24 strikeouts in 33 innings.

JIMMIE SHERFY (2011): Jimmie is 1-1, 2.84 in seven games with South Bend, Arizona's affiliate in the Class A Midwest League. He has 10 strikeouts in 6.1 innings.

NICK STRUCK (2009): Nick is 0-2, 3.63 in four games with Tennessee, the Chicago Cubs' affiliate in the double-A Southern League. He has 11 strikeouts in 22.1 innings.

That's all for today. Have a great weekend, and we'll see you again on Sept. 12!

Dead period at the WWHQ

It's the West Coast League's version of a "Dead Period" down here at the WWHQ of the West Coast League-champion Corvallis Knights.

The season's over. The stadium and office are all cleaned up and ship-shape. We haven't started our 20145 signings yet, but should shortly and no doubt some familiar names will be returning.

So, we'll probably have a pretty short Blog today and on Friday. Then it's the Labor Day weekend, and then the Blog is taking a little R&R from Sept. 3-6 to recharge those proverbial batteries and to get ready for the offseason.

Hopefully you all won't go through withdrawal pains without your daily fix of Knights news week. I promise to return.

Now, on with today's report, abbreviated as it may be.

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Clinton (A Midwest, Mariners) first baseman Taylor Ard (2009) was 2-for-5 with a homer and an RBI in a 7-6 loss to Peoria on Wednesday to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Tucson (AAA Pacific Coast, Padres) pitcher Matt Andriese (2009) struck out three in two innings and was the winner in a 4-3 victory over Reno.

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Some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League:

BELLINGHAM: Third baseman Alex Calbick of Maine, the WCL Player of the Year, was a first-team Perfect Game Crosschecker All-American. He led the WCL with a .384 average.

WENATCHEE: First baseman Connor Spencer of UC Irvine was named a first-team Perfect Game Crosschecker All-American. He hit .375 and led the AppleSox to a second-place finish.

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That's it for today. See you on Friday, for our weekly finale.