WCL's 2005 top prospects were outstanding

Happy Thursday, everybody.

No school again in Corvallis today for the fourth day in a row. The cold weather and snow simply refuse to leave, no matter what the weather forecast is.

So, it's yet another quiet day downtown at the WWHQ as the icy streets continue to make it a real chore to get anywhere in CorVegas.

But we have another edition of the Blog, with some Knights news and some West Coast League news to report. So let's get started.

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We wrote about Knights' alum Bud Norris (2005) of the Baltimore Orioles and his possible conversion to a reliever on Wednesday. Here's more Norris-related news.

The former Cal Poly star is one of seven members of Baseball America's list of the WCL's Top 10 prospects from 2005 to make the major leagues. Norris was the No. 3-ranked prospect that summer.

Others to make it to the majors are Knights' alum Tommy Hanson(1); Clay Mortensen (4); Chris Davis (5); Jess Todd (6); Eddie Kunz (7), and Knights' alum Matt Hague, our Slider Guy, (10).

The WCL's first season was pretty darn good.

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Speaking of WCL alums, former Bellingham Bell Vince Ircandia is a vice-president of business analytics and ticket operations with the Portland Trail Blazers. Here's more on Vince from The Oregonian.

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Our initial "Clearing the Bases" sale is just two days away. It's scheduled for Saturday, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. in the front lobby of the Madison Plaza in downtown Corvallis. We'll have merchandise, caps, memorabilia, some team artifacts and other items for sale at excellent prices, just in time for the holidays.

Our 10-game punchcards, which will cost $50 this year, will be available for $40 on Saturday only. We'll have some vintage items for sale at clearance prices; all non-Nike hats will be just $15, and we'll have discounts on team apparel. So come on down to the heart of downtown Corvallis on Saturday to check it out. We're ready to move some inventory!

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Some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League:

VICTORIA: The HarbourCats announced the seating areas at Royal Athletic Park will get an upgrade for the 2014 season. Here's more from the Ballparkbiz.com website, and here's even more from the Victoria Times Colonist newspaper.

YAKIMA: The expansion club will host a news conference on Wednesday to announce the new team's nickname. Here are more details, from the Our Sports Central website.

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

Bud Norris to the bullpen?

Happy Wednesday, everybody.

No school again in Corvallis today as the cold weather and snow simply refuse to leave, and the roads remain very slick. So, yet another quiet day downtown at the WWHQ as many are staying put as the icy streets make it a real chore to get anywhere in CorVegas.

But yet here we are, grinding out another edition of the Blog. We're unstoppable. And we have some Knights news and some West Coast League news to report, so let's get started.

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The word on the street - at least the word on the streets of Baltimore - is that alum Bud Norris (2005) of Cal Poly could be a viable candidate as the closer for the Baltimore Orioles this season. Here's more on that developing scenario from The Baltimore Sun newspaper.

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Our initial "Clearing the Bases" sale is set for 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Saturday in the front lobby of the Madison Plaza in downtown Corvallis. We'll have merchandise, caps, memorabilia, some team artifacts and other items for sale at excellent prices, just in time for the holidays.

Our 10-game punch cards will be available for $40, on Saturday only. That's a special deal, as the regular price will rise to $50 this season. The WWHQ will be open as well, for all your other Knights holiday shopping needs. Save the date (Saturday) and come on down to the heart of downtown Corvallis to check it out.

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Some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League:

MEDFORD: The Rogues have hired former Oregon State center fielder Max Gordon, a native of nearby Ashland, as baseball operations manager for the upcoming season. Here are more details, from the Our Sports Central website; here's another story, from the Medford Mail-Tribune newspaper.

YAKIMA: The expansion club will host Wenatchee on June 6 in the opener of a three-game series at Yakima County Stadium in its franchise debut. Yakima then heads to Corvallis for June 11-13 games against the Knights. Here are more details, from the Our Sports Central website; here's even more from the Yakima Herald-Republic newspaper.

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

Complete info on our new Knights from Washington

Happy Tuesday, everybody.

No school again in Corvallis today as the cold weather and snow stubbornly refuse to leave. So it's another quiet day downtown at the WWHQ as not many people have stirred just yet.

Neither cold, slick streets nor snow-covered sidewalks can stop the daily Blog, however. We have some Knights news to report, so let's get started.

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As we reported on Monday, the Knights have signed returnees Alex Nesbitt and Brandon Choate, key members of our 2013 championship club, and Alex Hardy for the 2014 season. All three are right-handed pitchers at the University of Washington; Choate's a junior, Nesbitt's a sophomore and Hardy's a freshman.

Nesbitt was 2-0, 2.78 in 12 games for us in 2013, with a save and 23 strikeouts in 35.2 innings. He became a key setup man after beginning the season as a spot starter.

Choate was 2-1, 1.27 in 18 games for us, with five saves and 21 strikeouts in 21.1 innings. He played for pitching coach Connor Lambert at Tacoma Community College in 2012 and 2013 before transferring to Washington.

Choate signed with the Huskies in Nov., 2012. Here's UW coach Lindsay Meggs' signing-day evaluation:

"Brandon is the fastball/slider guy you see in this league who can eat up innings and settle into any role. While we expect Brandon to compete for starting innings, he would also be valuable on the back end as well.

"Brandon is only going to get better and we think the timing is right. Before it's all over, this guy could be a monster."

We got to know Brandon last summer, but you can learn even more by clicking here and reading this player profile from the Husky website.

Hardy is a 6-1, 195-pound right-hander from Emerald Ridge High School in Puyallup. He earned first-team All-South Puget Sound League honors in 2012 and is also a two-time Scholar-Athlete award winner. He played his summer baseball for the Puyallup Knights, but missed the 2013 school and summer seasons while recovering from arm surgery.

In announcing his signing, Meggs said:

"Alex has a chance to be an impact guy immediately. One of the best arms in his class, Alex has a chance to be a true power guy very soon. And while the arm and the athletic ability get your attention, it's how he competes on the mound that separates him from the pack. You can see it in his body language; this guy is relentless."

Here's more on Hardy, in an interview from the Washington website following his November, 2012, letter-of-intent signing.

Welcome back Alex Nesbitt and Brandon, and welcome aboard Alex Hardy!

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Only four more days until our first "Clearing the Bases" sale, set for Saturday from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. in the front lobby of the Madison Plaza in downtown Corvallis. We'll have merchandise, caps, memorabilia, some team artifacts and other items for sale at excellent prices, just in time for the holidays.

We'll also have a very special deal on a very popular Knights' item, so stay tuned to this space for more details as the big day approaches. And the WWHQ will be open as well, for all your other Knights holiday shopping needs. Save the date (Dec. 14) and come on down to the heart of downtown Corvallis to check it out.

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No news from elsewhere in the West Coast League today, so we'll close. See you on Wednesday.

Three Huskies signed for 2013

Happy Monday, everybody.

No classes again for the Corvallis school district or at Oregon State today as we continue to recover from Friday's snowstorm and the record cold over the weekend. It's sunny and bright in the heart of downtown, but the roads are still snow-covered and slick and driving remains an adventure for some (not for those of us with roots in Buffalo and North Dakota, though, so we're at the WWHQ and you get a Blog).

We have some Knights news and some West Coast League news to report, so let's get started.

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We have signed three University of Washington pitchers for the 2014 season: Junior Brandon Choate and sophomore Alex Nesbitt, returnees from our 2013 WCL championship team, and freshman Alex Hardy. We'll have more on all three in Tuesday's blog.

In the meantime, welcome back Brandon and Alex Nesbitt, who were lights-out coming out of the bullpen for our championship team (you can never say that too many times!) in 2013, and to Alex Hardy. See you in June!

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Incoming Knights' infielder Kevin Padlo of Murrieta, Calif., a senior at Murrieta Valley High School, signed his national letter-of-intent with the University of San Diego on Nov. 26. Here's what the USD website and coach Rich Hill had to say about the 6-foot-1, 180-pound corner infielder:

Padlo, a 6-1 third baseman/right-handed pitcher, comes to USD after a standout career at Murrieta Valley High School, where he has earned two varsity letters. As a junior, he hit .378 with 10 doubles, three triples, five home runs and had 28 RBI. On the mound, he posted a 3-3 overall record with 27 strikeouts in 28.0 innings of work.

He was an All-Inland Empire and All-Southwestern League selection. As a sophomore, he hit .305 with two doubles, four stolen bases and 14 RBI, while earning All-Southwest League honors. He has also earned three letters in basketball, while at Murrieta Valley High School.

"Kevin has big-time power that you don't see often at the high school level. We've been spoiled having [2013 No. 1 draft choice] Kris Bryant, but Kevin's moon shots in batting practice draw comparison," explained coach Hill. "Great athlete who will step in and compete immediately. He is an Area Code guy, an honors student, and was up to 92 mph as a closer this summer on mound."

Sounds like a good get for USD and the Knights. We look forward to seeing Kevin in June.

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As many of you already know, former Knights' manager Matt Dorey (2007) is now the national director of scouting for the Chicago Cubs. We've had several stories on his recent hiring; here's another one, from the Washington State baseball website.

Again, congrats to Matt, who led us to a West Division regular-season and divisional playoff title, and a WCL Championship Series berth against Moses Lake, in his only year with the club.

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Our first "Clearing the Bases" sale is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 14, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. in the front lobby of the Madison Plaza in downtown Corvallis. We'll have merchandise, caps, memorabilia, some team artifacts and other items for sale at excellent prices, just in time for the holidays.

We'll also have a very special deal on a very popular Knights' item, so stay tuned to this space for more details as Saturday approaches. And the WWHQ will be open as well, for all your other Knights holiday shopping needs. Save the date (Saturday) and come on down to the heart of downtown Corvallis to check it out.

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Some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League:

VICTORIA: We reported this several days ago but good news bears repeating. The HarbourCats have re-hired Dennis Rogers of Riverside City College, a long-time supporter of the Knights, as their coach for the 2014 season. Here's more from the Summer Baseball Insider website.

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

Knights sign three from Cal Poly

Happy Friday, everybody.

It's supposed to be Winter's Eve in downtown Corvallis but after our morning snowstorm it looks like plain old winter to me. Seriously, I went to bed in Corvallis and woke up in my native Western New York, where snowstorms like this are a dime a dozen and you don't even start shoveling until it's waist deep.

But in Corvallis ... well, schools are closed and everyone must be hunkered down at home because downtown is pretty empty and it's nice and quiet.

But as always, we've got some Knights news to report, so let's get started.

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We've signed three freshmen from long-time partner school Cal Poly, further strengthening our roster for the 2014 season.

The newest Knights are right-handed pitcher Slater Lee of Carlsbad, Calif.; right-handed pitcher Justin Calomeni of San Jose, and infielder Alec Smith of Quartz Hill, Calif.

Lee (6-0, 200) played at Carlsbad High School and was 11-2, 1.34 in 15 games in 2013, with five complete-game shutouts and 90 strikeouts in 78.1 innings. He was 18-4, 1.67 for his varsity career, with 148 strikeouts in 130 innings.

Calomeni (6-2, 200) played at Bellarmine Prep in San Jose and was 8-1, 1.07 as a senior, with three shutouts and six complete games in 12 starts. He had 75 strikeouts in 78.1 innings.

Smith (6-1, 190) played at Quartz Hill High School and hit .453 (39-86) as a senior, with 13 doubles, two homers and 33 RBIs. A three-year letterman, he hit .392 for his 65-game career, with two homers and 55 RBIs.

Welcome to the club, guys! We have a great history with Cal Poly players (David Armendariz, Jimmy Allen, Chase Johnson, Peter Van Gansen, Casey Bloomquist, Nick Torres, Bryan Granger, Adam Melker, Brent Morel, to name a few) and we're sure the 2014 crop will uphold that tradition.

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We've also added 10-day signee Michael Kelly, a native of Fountain Valley, Calif., a sophomore right-handed pitcher at Clackamas Community College. He was 4-7, 3.60 in 11 starts in 2013, with 26 strikeouts in 80 innings for a 12-30 ballclub.

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Remember, our initial "Clearing the Bases" sale is almost here. It's scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 14, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. in the front lobby of the Madison Plaza in downtown Corvallis. We'll have merchandise, caps, memorabilia, some team artifacts and other items for sale at excellent prices, just in time for the holidays.

We'll also have a very special deal on a very popular Knights' item, so stay tuned to this space for more details as the big day approaches. And the WWHQ will be open as well, for all your other Knights holiday shopping needs. Save the date (Dec. 14) and come on down to the heart of downtown Corvallis to check it out.

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Some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League:

WALLA WALLA: The Sweets have signed three returnees for the 2014 season. Here's more from the Sweets' website.

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

A quick look at the Knights

Happy Thursday, everybody.

Another chilly day in downtown Corvallis, where it was 22 degrees when we opened for business this morning. That's cold!

As always, we've got some Knights news to report today, so let's get started.

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With five recent signings, our 2014 team is starting to come together. The West Coast League gets stronger and stronger each year, but we're confident we'll have another contender and, come August, we'll be in the thick of the hunt for our fourth WCL championship.

We'll have more signings to announce in the future, but here's a quick rundown of our 2014 club so far.

RETURNEES FROM 2013: RHP Chris Bishop (Pacific Lutheran); RHP Sean Eberhardt (George Fox); RHP Stephen Nogosek (Oregon); 1B Kevin Kline (Dixie State); SS/2B Michael Lucarelli (Portland); OF Joe Duffin (Cypress College); OF Grant Melker (San Diego).

RETURNEE FROM 2012: UTL Marc Gallegos (Corban; injured in 2013).

NEW PITCHERS: RHP Chris Haddeland (Linfield); RHP Ted Hammond (Seattle); RHP Zach Kayser (Western Oregon); RHP Angel Landazuri UC Riverside); RHP Jackson Lockwood (Portland); RHP Derrick Mahlum (Pacific Lutheran); LHP Mike Nowak (Dixie State); LHP Jordan Spencer (Oregon); RHP Stephen White (Tacoma CC); LHP Joey Wise (Grand Canyon).

NEW POSITION PLAYERS: C Logan Ice (Oregon State); INF Dan James (Oregon State); INF Kevin Padlo (San Diego in 2014-15); OF Dalton Kelly (UC Santa Barbara); OF Tim Rausch (Western Oregon); OF Scott Quinlan (UC Santa Barbara).

10-DAY SIGNEES: OF Jimmy Cleary (Linfield); OF Jackson Ruckert (Linfield); INF Ray Ayo (Lane CC).

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Things are happening in Yakima, which joins the WCL this summer as the 12th franchise. Noel Zanchelli has been named general manager; current Yakima Valley CC baseball coach Marcus McKimmy is the team's manager.

Zanchelli, 42, has worked as a broadcaster and reporter for the Mariners and Seahawks; as a sports reporter and anchor for Northwest Cable News and KVSI in Billings, Mont.; for KIRO radio and TV in Seattle; on the Safeco Field stadium operations staff, and for former President George W. Bush's White House staff. McKimmy played at Selah High School, Columbia Basin College, San Jose State and Gonzaga.

Welcome to the WCL, guys. Here's more on what's happening up there from The Yakima Herald-Republic newspaper; here's even more from Our Sports Central.

We host Yakima on June 11-13 in our first home WCL series, but don't play in Yakima this summer.

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Our first "Clearing the Bases" sale is now just nine days away! It's scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 14, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. in the front lobby of the Madison Plaza in downtown Corvallis. We'll have merchandise, caps, memorabilia, some team artifacts and other items for sale at excellent prices, just in time for the holidays.

We'll also have a very special deal on a very popular Knights' item, so stay tuned to this space for more details as the big day approaches. And the WWHQ will be open as well, for all your other team holiday shopping needs. Save the date (Dec. 14) and come on down to the heart of downtown Corvallis to check it out.

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Some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League:

KITSAP: The BlueJackets have signed Seattle University RHP Grant Gunning, a 6-foot-4, 200-pound redshirt sophomore from Snohomish. He redshirted in 2013 while recovering from Tommy John surgery and was 3-3, 2.68 in nine games in 2012, with 16 strikeouts in 37 innings.

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

Kevin Kline coming back in 2014!

Happy Wednesday, everybody.

Chilly day in downtown Corvallis, reminds me of my nine years in North Dakota. Clear and crisp, with a little bite in the air. Baseball seems a long way off, but the days start getting longer in less than three weeks so June will be here before you know it.

As always, we've got some Knights news to report today, so let's get started.

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The Knights have signed junior first baseman Kevin Kline of Dixie State, an honorable-mention 2013 West Coast League all-star, for the 2014 season. He'll be joined by college teammate Mike Nowak, a junior left-handed pitcher who transferred to DSU after playing at Linn-Benton Community College in 2012 and at Shasta Junior College in 2013.

A Las Vegas native, Kline (6-3, 200) hit .305 in 53 total games with the Knights in 2013, with four homers and 34 RBIs. He tied for fourth in the West Coast League in RBIs (34) and tied for fourth in doubles (13).

He hit .349 with six homers and 40 RBIs and was a second-team PacWest Conference all-star, a Daktronics Division II West Region second-team all-star, and an honorable mention NCBWA West Region all-star, at Dixie State in 2013.

Nowak graduated from Banks (OR) High School and was 4-3 with a 3.31 ERA in 11 games at Shasta College in 2013, with 42 strikeouts in 65.1 innings.

We know have seven returnees from last year's WCL champions: Kline; pitchers Sean Eberhardt of George Fox, Chris Bishop of Pacific Lutheran and Stephen Nogosek of Oregon; infielder Mike Lucarelli of Portland, and outfielders Grant Melker of San Diego and Joe Duffin of Cypress College.

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Alum Mark Samuelson (2006, 2007) of UC Riverside has been placed on the retired list by the Washington (Pa.) Wild Things of the Frontier League. He hit .247 in 88 games in 2013, with 12 homers and 39 RBIs.

Samuelson also played for London (Ont.), Normal (Ill.) and Florence (Ky.) in the Frontier League before joining Washington in 2012. He never played affiliated baseball.

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Just 10 more days until our first "Clearing the Bases" sale, set for Saturday, Dec. 14, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. in the front lobby of the Madison Plaza in downtown Corvallis. We'll have merchandise, caps, memorabilia, some team artifacts and other items for sale at excellent prices, just in time for the holidays.

We'll also have a very special deal on a very popular Knights' item, so stay tuned to this space for more details as the big day approaches. Save the date (Dec. 14) and come on down to the heart of downtown Corvallis to check it out.

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No WCL news today, so that's it. Have a great night and we'll see you again on Wednesday.

Alum Chris Stewart lands in Pittsburgh

Happy Tuesday, everybody.

As always, we've got some Knights news, and some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League, to report today, so let's get started.

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The Pittsburgh Pirates obtained Knights' alum Chris Stewart (2001) on Monday in a trade with the New York Yankees. Stewie played at Riverside City College, was our 2001 MVP, and joined alum/Yankees' scout Mike Thurman as a special guest speaker at Hot Stove Night II back in Jan., 2013.

Stewart signed a one-year deal with the Pirates for $1 million. He spent the 2012 and 2013 seasons with the Yankees, and has also played for the Chicago White Sox, San Diego and Texas. Here's more on Stewart, from MLB.com.

Check out the video; MLB analysts Pete McCarthy, Jim Duquette and Marlon Anderson are very complimentary of Stewart and think it's a great move by Pittsburgh. Congrats to a great guy, who should help the Bucs contend for the NL Central division championship and a playoff berth.

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Not all of Monday's MLB news is so pleasing, however. Pitcher Tommy Hanson (2005), another former Knights' great from Riverside CC who has been a very supportive alum, was not offered a contract by the Los Angeles Angels, making him a free agent. Here's more on Tommy, also from MLB.com.

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It's 12 days and counting until our first "Clearing the Bases" sale, set for Saturday, Dec. 14, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. in the front lobby of the Madison Plaza in downtown Corvallis. We'll have merchandise, caps, memorabilia, some team artifacts and other items for sale at excellent prices, just in time for the holidays.

We'll also have a very special deal on a very popular Knights' item, so stay tuned to this space for more details as the big day approaches. Save the date (Dec. 14) and come on down to the heart of downtown Corvallis to check it out.

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Some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League:

KITSAP: The BlueJackets have signed returnee Justin Gheorghe, a sophomore outfielder from San Diego State who hit .212 in 42 games at Kitsap in 2013, and SDSU junior catcher Cody Sos and freshman utility Ryan Alvarez for the 2014 season.

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That's it for today. Have a great night and we'll see you again on Wednesday.

Michael Lucarelli will return in 2014

Happy Monday, everyone, and welcome to December.

We're back at the WWHQ after a great Thanksgiving break that re-charged our batteries and gave us more than our fill of college football, turkey and pie. Hope you all had great weekends as well.

As always, we've got some Knights news, and some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League, to report today, so let's get started.

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The Knights signed junior infielder Michael Lucarelli and sophomore pitcher Jackson Lockwood of the University of Portland, and Seattle University sophomore pitcher Ted Hammond over the Thanksgiving break.

Lucarelli is a returnee from our 2013 WCL championship club. An outstanding fielder, he hit .252 (25-111) in 52 games for us in 2013, with a homer and eight RBIs.

Lockwood was 1-0, 1.77 in 16 games at UP in 2013, with 24 strikeouts in 35.2 innings. He then was 2-2, 4.67 in 12 games with the Klamath Falls Gems, with 25 strikeouts in 34.2 innings.

Hammond was 3-5, 6.16 in 15 games (12 starts) at Seattle in 2013, with 29 strikeouts in 64.1 innings.

Welcome to the club, guys!

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Alum Sam Gaviglio (2009) of Oregon State, a prospect in the St. Louis organization, had a great stay with the Salt River Rafters in the Arizona Fall League in October and November. Here's more on Sam, an Ashland native, from the Medford Mail Tribune newspaper.

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It's now less than two weeks until our first "Clearing the Bases" sale, set for Saturday, Dec. 14, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. in the front lobby of the Madison Plaza in downtown Corvallis. We'll have merchandise, caps, memorabilia, some team artifacts and other items for sale at excellent prices, just in time for the holidays.

We'll also have a very special deal on a very popular Knights' item, so stay tuned to this space for more details as the big day approaches. Save the date (Dec. 14) and come on down to the heart of downtown Corvallis to check it out.

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Some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League:

KLAMATH FALLS: Some long-range funding issues for maintaining Kiger Stadium have arisen, according to this story in the Klamath Falls Herald and News newspaper. We're sure the city will realize the stadium is a historic part of life in that city and will do its best to keep it operational long into the future.

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That's it for today. Have a great night and we'll see you again on Tuesday.

Hecht, Perez, Drake in College Baseball Today's Top 100

Happy Wednesday.

It's a short week down at the WWHQ in the Madison Plaza in downtown Corvallis. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and the office will also be closed on Friday.

But as always, we've got some Knights news to report today, so let's get started.

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Alums Dylan Hecht of UC Santa Barbara, Jorge Perez of Grand Canyon University and Blake Drake of Concordia (Portland), all members of our 2013 West Coast League championship team, have earned a spot on College Baseball Today's ongoing list of the top 100 prospects in college baseball.

A sophomore right-handed pitcher, Hecht was ranked No. 70. A right-handed pitcher who also played for us in 2012, Perez was ranked No. 87. And Drake, a junior center fielder, was ranked No. 93.

The site is slow and take a while to load, so have patience. We expect more alums (2011 pitchers Ben Wetzler, Jace Fry for sure) to be ranked in the future and we'll report on them when that happens.

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The office is closed on Friday, so we'll update the stats of our three alums in the Australian Baseball League today.

• ERIC MASSINGHAM (2006-07): The right-handed pitcher from Cal Poly is 2-0, 3.85 in five appearances with defending champion Canberra, with four strikeouts in 4.2 innings.

• DEAN GREEN (2008): The one-time Oklahoma State/Barry University slugging first baseman is on the reserve list with the Sydney Blue Sox and has not played yet this season.
• LIAM BARON (2008-09): The lefty from Linn-Benton/Gonzaga has appeared in one game for the Perth Heat and did not allow an earned run, but he does not have an ERA yet because he hasn't recorded an out.

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We'll hold our first "Clearing the Bases" sale from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14, in the front lobby of the Madison Plaza in downtown Corvallis. We'll have merchandise, caps, memorabilia, some team artifacts and other items for sale at excellent prices, just in time for the holidays.

We'll also have a very special deal on a very popular Knights' item, so stay tuned to this space for more details as the big day approaches. Save the date (Dec. 14) and come on down to the heart of downtown Corvallis to check it out.

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Some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League:

VICTORIA: Head coach Dennis Rogers, co-head coach Bob Miller and assistant Ben Jackson will return to the HarbourCats in 2014, according to this story on the team's website. Congrats to Dennis, the head coach at Riverside City College and a long-time friend of the Knights.

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That's it for today. Have a great (and safe) holiday weekend and we'll see you again on Monday.