Victoria in town for first series in Corvallis

Happy Friday, everyone.

Hot night at Goss Stadium on Thursday, where we blanked the Mid-Valley Rockets American Legion team 10-0 in our annual showdown. Alum Chris Bishop (2012-14) returned to pitch for the Rockets, and it's always great to see the Bish.

Thursday's crowd of 1,079 increased the season total to 18,455 in 13 dates. The Knights are 2,463 fans ahead of 2014 in a corresponding number of openings.

* Tonight (Victoria) is Oregon State Credit Union Fireworks Night. Don't miss the best fireworks show in the mid-valley, and don't forget the special 7:15 p.m. starting time. Righty Slater Lee of Cal Poly is our projected starting pitcher.

* Saturday (Victoria) is our State Farm Independence Day Game. Spend your 4th of July with the Knights and enjoy macaroni and cheese and celebrate all things Americana. Righty Ryan Walker of Washington State is our projected starting pitcher.

* Sunday (Victoria) is KRKT & Pioneer Military Appreciation Night. All vets and active military personnel get a free GA ticket with a military ID card. It's also a Lil' Knights Club game, presented by Jamba Juice. All club members get free admission by showing their membership card at the box office. Lefty Cory Nelson of Pacific Lutheran is our projected starting pitcher.

See you at Goss!

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Victoria, a 2013 expansion team, make their first visit to Goss Stadium this weekend as the Knights resume West Coast Conference play after three nonleague games. Corvallis played at Victoria the past two seasons, and leads the all-time series 5-1.

Catcher Jackson Thoreson of St. Mary's is Victoria's top hitter, with a .333 average (19-57) and 16 RBIs in 19 games. The arrival of Oregon State third baseman Michael Gretler has also bolstered the attack, as he's hitting .296 (8-27) in eight games, with a homer and three RBIs.

Victoria's top pitcher is Dominic Topoozian of Fresno State, Saturday's projected starter. He's 2-2, 1.50 in six games, with 23 strikeouts in 30 innings. Alex Rogers of Trinidad State JC, Friday's projected starter, is 3-1, 1.92 in five games, with 21 strikeouts in 23.1 innings.

Victoria made a couple of late roster moves on Friday. They released infielder Pikai Winchester, who hit .214 in six games, with no RBIs and two errors, and added RHP Jonathan Buckley, a 6-foot-4, 200-pounder from Ruben S. Ayala High School in Chino Hills, Calif., who will attend Cal Poly in the fall.

The Knights head to Medford on Monday morning for a three-game set with the South Division-rival Rogues. Medford took 2 of 3 from Corvallis at Harry & David Stadium on June 26-28. Corvallis then hosts the Kitsap BlueJackets on July 9-11.

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Alum Trevor Frank (2012) of UC Riverside is pitching again in the Cleveland organization after missing the first two months of the year. A third-year pro, he's on a rehab assignment with the Arizona Rookie League Indians after two solid seasons at short-A and at low-A. We expect him to be at Lynchburg in the high-A Carolina League before too much longer.

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Alum Kyle Kraus (2009-10) continues to yo-yo his way through the Boston organization. He's back at high-A Salem (Carolina League), where he has two saves and a 0.00 ERA in four games, with seven strikeouts in eight innings.

The former star at the University of Portland has also pitched once at Pawtucket in the triple-A International League, and spent most of the year at Portland of the double-A Eastern League, where he was 0-1, 4.98 in 13 games, with a save and 24 strikeouts in 43.1 innings.

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Toronto sent alum Matt Boyd (2010) back to triple-A Buffalo this morning, one day after he was rocked for seven runs in the first inning of a loss to Boston. Tough break for Matty B, but he will be back. He also struggled in his first stints in high-A and double-A, but adjusted, got it right and dominated.

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Alum Matt Hague (2005) of the Buffalo Bisons, the sliding Knight on much of our promotional material, has been selected to the International League all-star team that will play the Pacific Coast League all-stars in Omaha on July 13.

He was elected as the IL's starting third baseman after posting a .338/.421/.460 line in his first 77 games. He leads the league in batting and on-base percentage and ranks third in slugging. He has four homers and 48 RBIs.

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Fort Wayne (A Midwest, Padres) outfielder Nick Torres (2012) was 3-for-5 with a walk and four RBIs in a 6-2 win over Dayton on Thursday night to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* El Paso (AAA Pacific Coast, Padres) catcher Rocky Gale (2007, 2009) was 2-for-3 with an RBI in a 6-5 win over Fresno.

* Great Lakes (A Dodgers, Midwest) second baseman Jimmy Allen (2011) was 1-for-3 with an RBI in a 5-2 loss to West Michigan.

* Grand Junction (R Pioneer, Padres) catcher Chris Rabago (2012-13) was 2-for-4 with a run in a 6-5 loss to Orem.

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That is all for today. See you at the ballpark all week!

Knights add Corban RHP Caleb Henry

Happy Thursday, everyone.

Long night at Goss Stadium on Wednesday, but it was worth it. We rallied in the 10th inning to keep the game going and finally defeated the Humboldt (Calif.) Crabs 5-4 in 14 innings to sweep the brief series.

Wednesday's crowd of 1,015 increased the season total to 17,376 in 12 dates. We are 2,934 fans ahead of 2014 in a corresponding number of openings.

The homestand continues tonight, when we play our annual game against the Mid-Valley Rockets American Legion team. It is a Block 15 Thursday and our first $44 Family Four-Pack night. Get four GA tickets, four hot dogs, four bags of Kettle Chips and four fountain sodas for just $44. Additional family members may be added for just $11 each. These packages may be purchased the night of the game or in advance at our office.

It's also the Heart of the Valley Out to the Ballgame 5k race. So, see you there!

* Friday (Victoria) is Oregon State Credit Union Fireworks Night. Don't miss the best fireworks show in the mid-valley, and don't forget the special 7:15 p.m. starting time.

* Saturday (Victoria) is our State Farm Independence Day Game. Spend your 4th of July with the Knights and enjoy macaroni and cheese and celebrate all things Americana.

* Sunday (Victoria) is KRKT & Pioneer Military Appreciation Night. All vets and active military personnel get a free GA ticket with a military ID card. It's also a Lil' Knights Club game, presented by Jamba Juice. All club members get free admission by showing their membership card at the box office.

See you at Goss!

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In case you were wondering, Thursday's game was our longest (by innings) since a 15-inning, 4-3 loss to Bend at Goss Stadium on July 30, 2011. It did not come close to matching the longest game in team history, a 2-1, 20-inning loss at Kitsap. That game started on June 17, 2009, was suspended at 11 p.m. by local ordinance, and then was completed on July 18 of that year on our next trip to Silverdale.

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The Knights have signed Caleb Henry, a 6-foot-3, 180-pound right=handed pitcher from Corban University. He was 6-3, 1.80 in 14 games as a freshman in 2015, with 11 starts and 39 strikeouts in 71 innings pitched.

Caleb He was a Central Valley Conference all-star and an honorable-mention 6A all-state selection in 2014 as a senior at West Salem High School. He also played in the 2014 Reser's Oregon All-Star Series.

He was all-conference, the CVS Pitcher of the Year and first-team all-state as a junior, and second-team all-league as a sophomore.

Welcome to the team, Caleb!

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Alum Casey Bloomquist (2013) of Cal Poly has signed with the Chicago Cubs. He was their 17th-round selection in the recent MLB draft. He earned WCL postseason honors for us in 2013, a championship season. He has not yet been assigned to an affiliate team.

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Visalia (A California, Diamondbacks) outfielder Mitch Haniger (2010) was 1-for-3 with a double, two runs and two RBIs in a 6-5 win over Lake Elsinore on Wednesday night to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Palm Beach (A Florida State, Cardinals) outfielder Blake Drake (2013) was 2-for-3 with a double, a triple and a run scored in a 6-2 loss to Fort Myers.

* Tri-Cities (A Northwest, Padres) shortstop Peter Van Gansen (2013) hit his second homer of the year in an 8-1 win over Everett.

* Mobile (AA Southern, Diamondbacks) pitcher Jimmie Sherfy (2011) threw two scoreless, hitless innings and had one strikeout in an 8-0 win over Jackson.

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That is all for today. See you at the ballpark all week!

Knights top Crabs in series opener

Happy Wednesday, everyone.

Great night at Goss Stadium on Tuesday. We rallied in the eighth inning to defeat the Humboldt (Calif.) Crabs 5-3 in the opener of a six-game homestand before a good crowd of 1,449 that was also entertained by the visiting Crab Grass Band.

Our attendance continues to climb. Tuesday's gathering increased the season total to 16,361 in 11 dates, an increase of 3,058 from a corresponding number of openings in 2014.

The festivities continue tonight, when we host the Crabs again at 6:40 p.m. It's Crack the Crabs Night, presented by Destination Newport. Come watch the Crabs, the longest continuously-operated summer college team in the nation, face the Knights.

Fans can enter to win four free passes to the Oregon Coast Aquarium that features an octopus encounter and a behind-the-scenes tour. And every Wednesday is Senior Night; seniors age 60 or older can purchase a $2 GA ticket at the box office.

* Thursday (Mid-Valley Rockets) is a Block 15 Thursday and our first $44 Family Four-Pack night. It's also the Heart of the Valley Out to the Ballgame 5k race. Get four GA tickets, four hot dogs, four bags of Kettle Chips and four fountain sodas for just $44. Additional family members may be added for just $11 each. These packages may be purchased the night of the game or in advance at our office.

* Friday (Victoria) is Oregon State Credit Union Fireworks Night. Don't miss the best fireworks show in the mid-valley, and don't forget the special 7:15 p.m. starting time.

* Saturday (Victoria) is our State Farm Independence Day Game. Spend your 4th of July with the Knights and enjoy macaroni and cheese and celebrate all things Americana.

* Sunday (Victoria) is KRKT & Pioneer Military Appreciation Night. All vets and active military personnel get a free GA ticket with a military ID card. It's also a Lil' Knights Club game, presented by Jamba Juice. All club members get free admission by showing their membership card at the box office.

See you at Goss!

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More honors for Knights' first baseman/catcher KJ Harrison (2015), currently playing for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team back in North Carolina. Team USA opens a five-game series with the Cuban national team tonight.

Harrison was named a Freshman All-American by Perfect Game on Wednesday, making it a clean sweep. He earlier was named a Freshman All-American by D1 Baseball.com; Collegiate Baseball/Louisville Slugger; Baseball America and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA).

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The San Francisco Giants have promoted pitcher Josh Osich (2008) to Sacramento in the triple-A Pacific Coast League. He was playing for Richmond in the double-A Eastern League, where he was 0-1, 1.59 in 31 games, with 19 saves and 34 strikeouts in 34 innings. He has three strikeouts and a 0.00 ERA in two innings in two appearances at Sacramento so far.

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Alum Gabe Clark (2013) of Oregon State has signed with the Toronto Blue Jays. They selected him in the 26th round of the MLB draft following his junior year. Here is more on his decision, from the Victoria HarbourCats blog. He played in Victoria in 2014 and was scheduled to return there this year.

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Palm Beach (A Florida State, Cardinals) outfielder Blake Drake (2013) was 1-for-3 with his first homer of the season in a 5-1 win over Daytona on Tuesday night to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Great Lakes (A Midwest, Dodgers) second baseman Jimmy Allen (2011) was 2-for-4 with a run in an 8-7 win over Dayton.

* Hudson Valley (A New York-Penn, Rays) outfielder Cade Gotta (2011) was 1-for-3 a run and an RBI in a 6-4 loss to West Virginia. He is hitting .389.

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That is all for today. See you at the ballpark all week!

Knights start series with Humboldt Crabs tonight

Happy Tuesday, everyone.

It's a big week for the Knights at Goss Stadium, as we have games every night of the week. Here is a preview of what's happening:

* Tonight (Humboldt Crabs) is Philomath Night presented by the Philomath Chamber. The first 200 fans get a delicious donut, compliments of NutCakes. Plus, it's our second Knights Reading Club, presented by Kettle Chips, redemption game! If your student completed their reading log, come to will call the night of the game to pick up your two tickets!

* Wednesday (Humboldt Crabs) is Crack the Crabs Night, presented by Destination Newport. Come watch the Crabs, the longest continuously-operated summer college team in the nation, face the Knights. Enter to win four free passes to the Oregon Coast Aquarium that feature an octopus encounter and a behind-the-scenes tour. Every Wednesday is Senior Night; seniors age 60+ can purchase a $2 GA ticket at the box office.

* Thursday (Mid-Valley Rockets) is a Block 15 Thursday and our first $44 Family Four-Pack night. It's also the Heart of the Valley Out to the Ballgame 5k race. Get four GA tickets, four hot dogs, four bags of Kettle Chips and four fountain sodas for just $44. Additional family members may be added for just $11 each. These packages may be purchased the night of the game or in advance at our office.

* Friday (Victoria) is Oregon State Credit Union Fireworks Night. Don't miss the best fireworks show in the mid-valley, and don't forget the special 7:15 p.m. starting time.

* Saturday (Victoria) is our State Farm Independence Day Game. Spend your 4th of July with the Knights and enjoy macaroni and cheese and celebrate all things Americana.

* Sunday (Victoria) is KRKT & Pioneer Military Appreciation Night. All vets and active military personnel get a free GA ticket with a military ID card. It's also a Lil' Knights Club game, presented by Jamba Juice. All club members get free admission by showing their membership card at the box office.

See you at Goss!

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Knights' first baseman/catcher KJ Harrison (2015) of Oregon State was named to the final 26-man roster for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team on Tuesday. Team USA, which has played 10 games, will start a five-game series with Cuba on Wednesday and then plays two exhibition games against Canada and the U.S. Pan Am team, ending July 8.

Harrison played in all 10 preview games and hit .250 (9-36) with two doubles and five RBIs. He also threw out 3 of 4 potential base-stealers.

It's the second big honor this week for Harrison,who hit .444 (4-9_ in two games for us before leaving for Team USA. On Monday he was named to the D1Baseball.com Freshman All-American team. He was also named a freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball/Louisville Slugger; Baseball America and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA).

Harrison will return to the Knights when Team USA is finished.

Alum Stephen Nogosek (2013), a pitcher from Oregon, also made the final team. Team USA's final game is July 8.

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Here is a fun story from KEZI-TV. Sports reporter Ben Creighton, a former player at Sunset High in Beaverton, practiced with the Knights before a recent game. Enjoy!

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Arizona has moved outfielder Mitch Haniger (2010) from Mobile of the double-A Southern League to Visalia of the high-A California League, even though Haniger was hitting .281 in 55 games for the Bay Bears. He was named California League Player of the Week for hitting .476 in his first four games at Visalia, with two homers and nine RBIs. Mitch was the 2012 Big West Conference at Cal Poly.

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Kitsap pitcher Adam Cline (Columbia) and Bend outfielder Patrick Flynn (Utah) were named West Coast League co-Players of the Week for June 22-28. Here is more on that story from the WCL website.

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Tri-City (A Northwest, Padres) shortstop Peter Van Gansen (2013) was 2-for-4 with a run and a walk in a 5-4 win over Eugene on Monday to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* El Paso's (AAA Pacific Coast, Padres) Rocky Gale (2007, 2009), normally a catcher, played second base and third base and was 2-for-4 with an RBI in a 14-1 win over Tacoma. He raised his average to .305.

* Hudson Valley (A New York-Penn, Rays) outfielder Cade Gotta (2011) was 1-for-2 a run and with two walks in a 7-1 win over West Virginia. He raised his average to .394. Outfielder David Andriese (2010, 2011) was 1-for-3 with a run for West Virginia (Pirates).

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That is all for today. See you at the ballpark all week!

Knights start 7-game homestand tonight vs. Aussies

Happy Monday, everyone.

Another tough loss, this one in Medford on Sunday night, where we left the bases loaded in the top of the ninth and fell 5-4 to the Rogues in the finale of a disappointing 1-5 road trip.

But we are back home now for a week, so hopefully we can get things straightened out and moving in the right direction again.

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The Knights will host the U-19 Colts, an all-star team from Australia, at 6:40 tonight in an exhibition game at Goss Stadium. The Colts are on a month-long tour of the West Coast, playing American Legion teams and other summer wood-bat league clubs.

They are coached by Steve Fish, an assistant to Knights' skipper Brooke Knight with the champion Perth Heat of the Australian Baseball League in 2012 and 2013. Fish also directed the Heat to the 2014 and 2015 championships after becoming head coach when Knight moved to Adelaide.

The game starts at 6:40 p.m. and is not included in our season-ticket package. Tickets are $10 for reserved, $6 for general admission, and are available online; at our office in the Madison Plaza in downtown Corvallis; by phone at 541-752-5656, or at the stadium tonight.

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

We have many promotions this week.

* Tuesday (Humboldt Crabs) is Philomath Night presented by the Philomath Chamber. The first 200 fans get a delicious donut, compliments of NutCakes. Plus, it's our second Knights Reading Club, presented by Kettle Chips, redemption game! If your student completed their reading log, come to will call the night of the game to pick up your two tickets!

* Wednesday (Humboldt Crabs) is Crack the Crabs Night, presented by Destination Newport. Come watch the Crabs, the longest continuously-operated summer college team in the nation, face the Knights. Enter to win four free passes to the Oregon Coast Aquarium that feature an octopus encounter and a behind-the-scenes tour. Every Wednesday is Senior Night; seniors age 60+ can purchase a $2 GA ticket at the box office.

* Thursday (Mid-Valley Rockets) is a Block 15 Thursday and our first $44 Family Four-Pack night. It's also the Heart of the Valley Out to the Ballgame 5k race. Get four GA tickets, four hot dogs, four bags of Kettle Chips and four fountain sodas for just $44. Additional family members may be added for just $11 each. These packages may be purchased the night of the game or in advance at our office.

* Friday (Victoria) is Oregon State Credit Union Fireworks Night. Don't miss the best fireworks show in the mid-valley, and don't forget the special 7:15 p.m. starting time.

* Saturday (Victoria) is our State Farm Independence Day Game. Spend your 4th of July with the Knights and enjoy macaroni and cheese and celebrate all things Americana.

* Sunday (Victoria) is KRKT & Pioneer Military Appreciation Night. All vets and active military personnel get a free GA ticket with a military ID card. It's also a Lil' Knights Club game, presented by Jamba Juice. All club members get free admission by showing their membership card at the box office.

See you at Goss! Game time is 5:05 p.m.

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Tampa Bay optioned pitcher Matt Andriese (2009) back to triple-A Durham on Sunday to make a roster spot for outfielder Grady Sizemore. Andriese allowed no runs on one hit in six innings against the Red Sox to pick up the win on Saturday.

Apparently he's the victim of the numbers game, because he has pitched great. Andriese is 3-2, 3.24 overall and is 3-1, 1.71 in his last four games, with a sparking 0.74 WHIP and a 7-1 strikeout/walk (14-2) ratio.

"Can't say enough about what he did, especially coming off the performance [Saturday] night," Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. "He looks like he's really figuring some things out.

"His last three outings were really good. And to do what he did last night against a very good team was pretty impressive."

Not good enough to keep him in the majors for now, I guess, but he will be back.

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Alum Matt Duffy (2010) of the Giants went 3-for-4 in a win over Colorado on Sunday and fell a single short of the cycle. In the seventh he hit a line drive that glanced off the glove of Colorado first baseman Wilin Rosario, fell into foul territory and was ruled a foul ball.

Manager Bruce Bochy challenged the play, but the replay officials couldn't tell if the ball was in fair territory when Rosario touched it and the call stood. He grounded into an inning-ending double play on the next pitch.

Here is more on Duffy's big day from MLB.com. He's having a great rookie season.

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Indianapolis (AAA International, Pirates) third baseman Brent Morel (2006-07) was 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs in a 5-1 win over Syracuse on Sunday to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* El Paso (AAA Pacific Coast, Padres) catcher Rocky Gale (2007, 2009) was 2-for-3 with a double in a 2-0 loss to Tacoma. He raised his average to .301.

* Hudson Valley (A New York-Penn, Rays) outfielder Cade Gotta (2011) was 3-for-5 with two doubles and a run in an 11-5 win over West Virginia. He raised his average to .387.

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That is all for today. Enjoy tonight's game vs. the Aussies and we will see you on Tuesday.

On to Medford after tough loss in Bend

Happy Friday, everyone.

Brutal loss in Bend last night. We were two outs away from a 6-2 win but we imploded and the Elks rallied for five runs and a 7-6 victory that gave them back-to-back sweeps over us.

Oh well, another day, another series. We headed to Medford this morning, where we will face the Rogues in a weekend series at Harry & David Field. All three games start at 6:35 p.m. and will be broadcast on KEJO-AM 1240.

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Medford defeated Klamath Falls 15-2 in a nonleague game on Thursday night. The Rogues are 6-9 in the WCL and are in second place in the South Division, 7.5 games behind Bend.

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The Angels have promoted lefty Greg Mahle (2012) to Arkansas in the double-A Texas League from Inland Empire in the high-A California League. He already has three saves in six games, with a 0.00 ERA and five strikeouts in 5.2 innings. Greg has played in four levels of minor-league ball (rookie, low-A, high-A, AA) in less than two years since leaving UC Santa Barbara.

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The Cardinals have promoted outfielder Blake Drake (2013) to Palm Beach in the High-A Florida State League. He was playing for Peoria in the low-A Midwest League. Blake is hitting .250 (4-16) with a double and an RBI in his first three games with his new team.

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The Knights will host the U-19 Colts, an all-star team from Australia, at 6:40 p.m. Monday in an exhibition game at Goss Stadium. The Colts are on a month-long tour of the West Coast, playing American Legion teams and other summer wood-bat league clubs.

They are coached by Steve Fish, an assistant to Knights' skipper Brooke Knight with the champion Perth Heat of the Australian Baseball League in 2012 and 2013. Fish also directed the Heat to the 2014 and 2015 championships after becoming head coach when Knight moved to Adelaide.

The game starts at 6:40 p.m. and is not included in our season-ticket package. Tickets are $10 for reserved, $6 for general admission, and are available online; at our office in the Madison Plaza in downtown Corvallis; by phone at 541-752-5656, or at the stadium the day of the game.

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Indianapolis (AAA International, Pirates) third baseman Brent Morel (2006-07) was 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs in a 4-3 win over Gwinnett on Thursday night to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Fort Wayne (A Midwest, Padres) outfielder Nick Torres (2012) was 3-for-6 with a run in a 4-1, 13-inning win over Great Lakes. He raised his average to .322.

* Hudson Valley (A New York-Penn, Rays) outfielder Cade Gotta (2011) was 2-for-4 with two doubles and a run in a 4-3 loss to Vermont. He raised his average to .348.

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

Series finale at Bend tonight

Happy Thursday, everyone.

The Knights fell at Bend on Wednesday night in Game 2 of our series, our seventh loss in a row to the Elks. We've given up double-digit runs in our last four games, so we have to get our pitching in order. Or maybe just quit playing the Elks, who are very formidable this year.

Game 3 of the series at is set for 6:35 p.m. today; Slater Lee of Cal Poly is our scheduled starter. We head to Medford on Friday morning for a weekend series with the Rogues at Harry & David Field. All games will be broadcast on KEJO-AM 1240.

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Knights' first baseman/catcher KJ Harrison (2015) of Oregon State had a hit, a walk and a run on Wednesday in Team USA's 7-0 win over a Coastal Plains League Select team. Pitcher Stephen Nogosek (2013) threw a scoreless inning of relief.

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Alum Ryan Gorton (2011) of Oregon State, a catcher in the Oakland organization in 2013 and 2014, is now pitching for the Arizona Rookie League A's. He threw one inning last night and had one strikeout and one unearned run in one inning. He also pitched some at OSU.

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The Knights will host the U-19 Colts, an all-star team from Australia, at 6:40 p.m. Monday in an exhibition game at Goss Stadium. The Colts are on a month-long tour of the West Coast, playing American Legion teams and other summer wood-bat league clubs.

They are coached by Steve Fish, an assistant to Knights' skipper Brooke Knight with the champion Perth Heat of the Australian Baseball League in 2012 and 2013. Fish also directed the Heat to the 2014 and 2015 championships after becoming head coach when Knight moved to Adelaide.

The game starts at 6:40 p.m. and is not included in our season-ticket package. Tickets are $10 for reserved, $6 for general admission, and are available online; at our office in the Madison Plaza in downtown Corvallis; by phone at 541-752-5656, or at the stadium the day of the game.

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Erie (AA Eastern, Tigers) DH Dean Green (2008) was 2-for-4 with an RBI in a 3-2 loss to Altoona on Wednesday night to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* El Paso (AAA Pacific Coast, Padres) catcher Rocky Gale (2007, 2009) was 1-for-2 with a double and an RBI in a 7-6 win over Albuquerque.

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That is all for today. Have a great day and we will see you on Friday.

Harrison off to fast start with Team USA

Happy Wednesday, everyone.

The Knights fell at Bend on Tuesday night in Game 1 of our series, our sixth loss in a row to the Elks. We've given up double-digit runs in our last three games, so we have to get our pitching in order.

Game 2 of the series at is set for 6:35 p.m. today; Chris Clements is our scheduled starter. The series concludes on Thursday; we head to Medford on Friday for a weekend series with the Rogues at Harry & David Field. All games will be broadcast on KEJO-AM 1240.

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Knights' first baseman/catcher KJ Harrison (2015) of Oregon State is off to a great start with Team USA back in Cary, N.C. He has six hits and two RBIs in their first four games, and also threw out four runners while catching in a game against Taipei. Pitcher Stephen Nogosek (2013) is also with the team and threw a scoreless inning of relief, with one strikeout, in his lone appearance.

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Alum Matt Boyd (2010), a lefty from Oregon State, is having a great season in the Toronto organization and is now just a step away from the major leagues.

Boyd was 6-1, 1.10 in 12 games at New Hampshire in the double-A Eastern League, earning him a promotion to Buffalo in the triple-A International League. He is 1-1, 2.25 in two starts with the Bisons, with 12 strikeouts and no walks in 12 innings.

Here is more on Matt from the Minor League Ball website.

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Onetime Knights' signee Jack Graham of Slippery Rock (Pa.) University has signed with the Baltimore Orioles, who selected him in the 38th round of the recent MLB draft. A middle infielder, Graham was ticketed to play for us in 2012 after his freshman year at Youngstown State, where he played in 2012 and 2013 before transferring, but stayed East instead.

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The Knights will host the U-19 Colts, an all-star team from Australia, at 6:40 p.m. Monday in an exhibition game at Goss Stadium. The Colts are on a month-long tour of the West Coast, playing American Legion teams and other summer wood-bat league clubs.

They are coached by Steve Fish, an assistant to Knights' skipper Brooke Knight with the champion Perth Heat of the Australian Baseball League in 2012 and 2013. Fish also directed the Heat to the 2014 and 2015 championships after becoming head coach when Knight moved to Adelaide.

The game starts at 6:40 p.m. and is not included in our season-ticket package. Tickets are $10 for reserved, $6 for general admission, and are available online; at our office in the Madison Plaza in downtown Corvallis; by phone at 541-752-5656, or at the stadium the day of the game.

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

Indianapolis (AAA International, Pirates) third baseman Brent Morel (2006-07) was 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs in a 6-3 loss to Gwinnett on Tuesday night to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* El Paso (AAA Pacific Coast, Padres) catcher Rocky Gale (2007, 2009) was 2-for-4 with two RBIs in an 8-5 win over Albuquerque.

* Hudson Valley (A New York-Penn, Rays) outfielder Cade Gotta (2011) was 1-for-3 with a double and two runs in a 6-3 win over Lowell.

* High Desert (A California, Texas) utility Alex Burg (2008) was 2-for-2 with a double and a run for the California League all-stars in a 9-2 win over the Carolina League all-stars.

* Richmond (AA Eastern, Giants) closer Josh Osich (2008) had two strikeouts in a scoreless ninth inning in a 4-0 win over Trenton. He did not get a save but he lowered his ERA to 1.59.

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That is all for today. Have a great day and we will see you on Thursday.

Knights to host Australian team on Monday

Happy Tuesday, everyone.

The Knights were idle on Monday. We begin a six-game South Division road trip tonight with the opener of a three-game rematch series against Bend at Vince Genna Stadium. Righty Alex Nesbitt (0-0, 1.80) is our projected starter.

We then head to Medford on Friday for a weekend series with the Rogues at Harry & David Field. All six games will be broadcast on KEJO-AM 1240.

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The Knights of the West Coast League will host the U-19 Colts, an all-star team from Australia, at 6:40 p.m. Monday in an exhibition game at Goss Stadium.

The Colts are on a month-long tour of the West Coast, playing American Legion teams and other summer wood-bat league clubs. They are coached by Steve Fish, an assistant to Knights' skipper Brooke Knight with the champion Perth Heat of the Australian Baseball League in 2012 and 2013.

Fish also directed the Heat to the 2014 and 2015 championships after becoming head coach when Knight moved to Adelaide.

"The Colts have some of the best young players in Australia," Knight said. "It will be a great experience for both teams, and a lot of fun."

The game starts at 6:40 p.m. and is not included in the Knights' season-ticket package. Tickets are $10 for reserved, $6 for general admission, and are available online; at our office in the Madison Plaza in downtown Corvallis; by phone at 541-752-5656, or at the stadium the day of the game.

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Now healthy after years of arm problems, alum Josh Osich (2008) is having a great season with the Richmond Flying Squirrels, San Francisco's affiliate in the double-A Eastern League. He is 0-1 with a 1.64 ERA in 30 games, with 32 strikeouts in 33 innings and an outstanding 1.00 WHIP ratio.

Here is more on Josh from the Richmond Times-Dispatch newspaper, which the Blog used to deliver during his undergraduate days at the University of Richmond.

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Speaking of alums, we have new minor-league assignments for some of our Knights in the Pros.

* David Andriese (2010-11): West Virginia (A New York-Penn, Pirates).

* Cade Gotta (2011): Hudson Valley (A New York-Penn, Tampa Bay).

* Scott Schultz (2011): Missoula (A Pioneer, Diamondbacks).

* Nate Esposito (2012): Royals (A Arizona Rookie League, Royals).

* Chris Rabago (2012-13): Grand Junction (A Pioneer, Rockies).

Pitcher Austin Sodders (2014) signed with Pittsburgh on Monday. He and several other alums who signed recently have not been assigned to teams yet.

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Tri-City (A Northwest, Padres) shortstop Peter Van Gansen (2013) hit his first professional homer and was 2-for-5 in a 5-2 win over Boise on Monday night to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Erie (AA Eastern, Tigers) DH Dean Green (2008) homered and drove in two runs in a 4-3 loss to Akron.

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Oregon State signee Cadyn Grenier of the Bend Elks is the WCL's Player of the Week for June 14-21. Here is more on that story, from the WCL website.

The Elks are off to a fast start, at 12-3. Here is more on that, from the Bend Bulletin newspaper.

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That is all for today. Have a great day and we will see you on Wednesday.

Sweep by Bend ends Knights' impressive home streak

Happy Monday, everyone.

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Tough weekend at the ballpark, exacerbated by Sunday's 12-9 loss to Bend, a game we gave away with a horrible ninth inning that enabled the Elks to erase a 7-4 deficit.

It was the first time in history the Knights had been swept at home. We had played 60 three- or four-game home series without being swept since our 2007 relocation from Gresham before finally stumbling this weekend.

The Knights are idle on Monday. We begin a six-game South Division road trip on Tuesday night with the opener of a three-game rematch series against Bend at Vince Genna Stadium. Righty Alex Nesbitt (0-0, 1.80) is our projected starter.

We then head to Medford on Friday for a weekend series with the Rogues at Harry & David Field. All six games will be broadcast on KEJO-AM 1240.

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Knights' coach Brooke Knight will not return for his third season as the manager of the Adelaide Bite in the Australian Baseball League. Here are the full details, from the team website.

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Sunday's crowd of 1,318 upped the season attendance to 14,912 in 10 dates. That puts us 3,052 ahead of last year's total through a corresponding number of home openings.

Overall it was a great weekend at the box office. The three games drew 5,686 fans, an average of 1,895. We now rank second in the WCL in attendance this season, and those figures don't include the 2,200+ we drew for our nonleague opener.

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The Washington (Pa.) Wild Things of the independent Frontier League have signed alum Carter Bell (2009) to a contract extension. The former Oregon Stater is hitting .258 (16-62) in 16 games, with a homer and five RBIs.

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Birmingham (AA Southern, White Sox) first baseman Danny Hayes (2010) hit his second homer of the season, singled and scored twice in a 7-0 win over Jackson on Sunday night to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Richmond (AA Eastern, Giants) closer Josh Osich (2008) allowed a run but had three strikeouts and got his 19th save in a 3-1 win over New Britain.

* Portland (AA Eastern, Red Sox) pitcher Kyle Kraus (2009, 2010) allowed one run and had three strikeouts in 3.1 innings in an 8-7 loss to Reading.

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That is all for today. Have a great day and we will see you on Tuesday.