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Knights Daily Update

Ice drafted by Indians; Mahle sent back to triple-A

June 10, 2016

Happy Friday, everyone.

Alum Logan Ice (2014) of Oregon State was selected by the Cleveland Indians in the compensation portion of the second round of the MLB draft as the 72nd overall pick. A catcher from Puyallup, Wash., he has played three seasons at OSU, posting a .279 average with 26 doubles, six triples, 10 home runs and 80 RBIs over 164 games, and is one of three finalists for the Johnny Bench Award.

He was the Pacific-12 Conference's Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team all-star in 2016, when he hit .310 with 13 doubles, five triples, seven home runs and 39 RBIs. He also had a .990 fielding percentage with just one passed ball, and threw out 44 percent of opposing basestealers, the best mark among the three Johnny Bench Award finalists.

Logan was named the WCL's No. 14 pro prospect by Perfect Game following the 2014 season.

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The Los Angeles Angels returned lefty pitcher Greg Mahle (2012) to triple-A Salt Lake City on Thursday when they activated another pitcher from the DL. He had been recalled on April 11.

Greg was 1-0, 5.40 in 24 appearances with the Angels, with 14 strikeouts in 18.1 innings. He had a tough outing against the Yankees this past Wednesday, when some shoddy infield defense led to him giving up four runs in .2 innings at Yankee Stadium.

Greg played at UC Santa Barbara and was our 2012 Most Valuable Player. He will be back.

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Another UC Santa Barbara Gaucho, shortstop Clay Fisher, (2015) was named to the Nashville Regional all-star team for helping the Gauchos advance in the NCAA tournament. He was 7-for-15 with five extra-base hits and seven RBIs.

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We have a big promotion coming up that everyone should know about ASAP.

Our Friday, June 17, game against Kitsap is Pape Material Handling Youth Baseball/Softball Night presented by Positive Coaching Alliance. Bring your favorite ballplayer/s to Goss Stadium in their youth team jersey for a fun-filled evening of West Coast League baseball. All kids who wear their team jersey to the game can get a FREE GA ticket at the box office, which opens at 6 p.m.

Also, it is Cowbell Night so the first 500 fans through the gates get cowbells, compliments of Linn Benton Tractor.

And, the Knights will donate $1 to Community Outreach, Inc., for every kid who shows up wearing their youth team jersey as part of its One Step Closer to Home program.

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We open a three-game series at Wenatchee at 7:05 tonight. Lefty Trenton Dupre of Washington State (0-0, 0.00) is our scheduled starter, opposed by Kyle Blankenship (0-0, 7.20) of Central Washington. The series continues on Saturday and Sunday nights and we will be back in Corvallis early Monday morning.

Our WCL home opener is Tuesday night against Kelowna, the 2015 WCL runner-up. It is Big League Chew Opening Knight, presented by KRKT. It is also our first Bi-Mart $2 Tuesday (peanuts, Cracker Jacks and Pepsi products are only $2). The first 250 fans through the gates get a pouch of Big League Chew and sheet of Knights trading cards.

You can catch all the games on KEJO-AM 1240 if you can't be there, with Mike Parker calling the action.

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Fort Wayne (A Midwest, Padres) second baseman Peter Van Gansen (2013) was 3-for-4 with a run and a double in a 4-3 win over Bowling Green on Thursday night to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention goes to:

* Mobile (AA Southern, Diamondbacks) outfielder Mitch Haniger (2010) was 3-for-5 with two doubles, a triple and a run in a 9-3 win over Birmingham. Closer Jimmie Sherfy (2011) went 1.2 scoreless innings for his sixth save. He had two strikeouts and lowered his ERA to 0.71.

* San Antonio (AA Texas, Padres) outfielder Nick Torres (2012) was 1-for-5 with a run and an RBI in an 11-2 win over Frisco.

* Charlotte (AAA International, White Sox) first baseman Danny Hayes (2010) was 1-for-4 with a run and two RBIs in a 3-2 win over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

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Our 2016 season tickets are still on sale and may be purchased over the phone at 541-752-5656; by e-mail at [email protected], or online by clicking here. You can also get tickets at the WWHQ of the Corvallis Knights, on Jefferson Avenue in downtown, just east of the Jefferson-4th Street intersection.

We will play 33 more home games in 31 dates this summer, resuming with the aforementioned Tuesday WCL home opener against Kelowna. So do not miss out!

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That is all for today. Now that the season has started, we will be blogging four days a week. Have a great weekend and we will see you on Monday.


Youth baseball/softball night set for June 17

June 9, 2016

Happy Thursday, everyone.

We have a big promotion coming up that everyone should know about ASAP.

Our Friday, June 17, game against Kitsap is Pape Material Handling Youth Baseball/Softball Night presented by Positive Coaching Alliance. Bring your favorite ballplayer/s to Goss Stadium in their youth team jersey for a fun-filled evening of West Coast League baseball. All kids who wear their team jersey to the game can get a FREE GA ticket at the box office, which opens at 6 p.m.

Also, it is Cowbell Night so the first 500 fans through the gates get cowbells, compliments of Linn Benton Tractor.

And, the Knights will donate $1 to Community Outreach, Inc., for every kid who shows up wearing their youth team jersey as part of its One Step Closer to Home program.

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Sherwood High School senior/Oregon State signee Adley Rutschman, who earlier this week signed a 10-day contract, was named to the Oregon 6A all-state team on Wednesday for the second year in a row. He is a 6-foot-2, 205-pounder who has played third base and left field for us at Bellingham this week.

He is the son of former Knights' player and coach Randy Rutschman and the grandson of legendary Linfield football coach Ad Rutschman. He was a first-team Three Rivers League all-star in 2016 and a 6A all-state selection in 2015, when he hit .444 with seven doubles, two home runs and 13 RBI. During summer ball, he batted .482 with seven home runs, 29 RBI and seven stolen bases.

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We conclude our series at Bellingham at 7:05 tonight, looking for a sweep. Jacob Wong of Grand Canyon is our projected starter, opposed by Payton Mackin of Shoreline CC. We then head to Wenatchee this Friday-Sunday to conclude a streak of nine road games to start the season.

Our WCL home opener is Tuesday night against Kelowna, the 2015 WCL runner-up. It is Big League Chew Opening Knight, presented by KRKT. It is also our first Bi-Mart $2 Tuesday (peanuts, Cracker Jacks and Pepsi products are only $2). The first 250 fans through the gates get a pouch of Big League Chew and sheet of Knights trading cards.

You can catch all the games on KEJO-AM 1240 if you can't be there, with Mike Parker calling the action.

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Greensboro (A South Atlantic, Marlins pitcher Ben Wetzler (2011) was named to the Northern Division team for the South Atlantic League All-Star Game, set for June 21 at Lexington, Ky. He played at Oregon State. Please click here for more on that story, from the league website.

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Mobile (AA Southern, Diamondbacks) outfielder Mitch Haniger (2010) was 2-for-5 with a double in a 7-2 win over Birmingham on Wednesday night to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention went to:

* San Antonio (AA Texas, Padres) outfielder Nick Torres was 1-for-5 with a run and an RBI in an 11-2 win over Frisco.

* Erie (AA Eastern, Tigers) DH Dean Green was 1-for-4 with a run in a 7-1 win over Altoona.

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Our 2016 season tickets are still on sale and may be purchased over the phone at 541-752-5656; by e-mail at [email protected], or online by clicking here. You can also get tickets at the WWHQ of the Corvallis Knights, on Jefferson Avenue in downtown, just east of the Jefferson-4th Street intersection.

We will play 33 more home games in 31 dates this summer, resuming with the aforementioned Tuesday WCL home opener against Kelowna. So do not miss out!

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

That is all for today. Now that the season has started, we will be blogging four days a week. See you on Friday.


OSU signee Rutschman added as 10-day player

June 7, 2016

Happy Tuesday, everyone.

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The Knights have signed Sherwood High School senior/Oregon State signee Adley Rutschman to a 10-day contract. He is a 6-foot-2, 205-pound catcher who is the son of former Knights' player and coach Randy Rutschman and the grandson of legendary Linfield football coach Ad Rutschman.

The younger Rutschman was a first-team Three Rivers League all-star in 2016. He was a 6A all-state selection in 2015, when he hit .444 with seven doubles, two home runs and 13 RBI. During summer ball, he batted .482 with seven home runs, 29 RBI and seven stolen bases.

This year's 6A all-state team has not been announced yet. Adley has also been named to the North team for the upcoming Reser's All-Star Series at Goss Stadium on June 18-19.

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We open a three-game series at Bellingham tonight. Our projected starting pitchers are Washington State freshman lefty Ryley Widell tonight; San Francisco junior righty Grant Goodman on Wednesday and Grand Canyon freshman righty Jacob Wong on Thursday.

You can catch all the games on KEJO-AM 1240 if you can't be there, with Mike Parker calling the action.

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San Antonio (AA Texas, Padres) Missions outfielder Nick Torres (2012) was named the Texas League Player of the Week on Monday for May 31-June 5. The former Cal Poly star hit .545 (12-for-22) with five doubles, one homer, three RBIs and three runs scored. Please click here for more on that story, from the Missions' website.

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Alum Logan Ice (2014) of Oregon State is one of three finalists for the Johnny Bench Award, given annually to the nation's top collegiate catcher.

He was the Pac-12 Conference's Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team all-star in 2016, when he hit .310 with 13 doubles, five triples, seven home runs and 39 RBIs. He also had a .990 fielding percentage with just one passed ball, and threw out 44 percent of opposing basestealers, the best mark among the 15 Johnny Bench Award semifinalists.

The other semifinalists are Miami's Zack Collins and North Florida's Keith Skinner. A final vote will take place during the College World Series. All finalists will be brought to Wichita and the winner will be announced at the 19th Annual Greater Wichita Sports Banquet on June 30.

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Asheville (A South Atlantic, Rockies) catcher Chris Rabago (2012, 2013) was 3-for-4 with a double, two runs and four RBIs in a 12-10 win over Hagerstown on Monday night to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors. He raised his average to .340.

Honorable mention went to:

* Charlotte (AAA International, White Sox) first baseman Danny Hayes (2010) was 3-for-5 with two doubles and two RBIs in an 8-1 win over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

* Erie (AA Eastern, Tigers) DH Dean Green was 2-for-3 with two runs, a double and an RBI in a 10-4 win over Altoona.

* Lynchburg (A Carolina, Indians) outfielder David Armendariz (2011) was 2-for-4 with three runs and a double in a 13-5 win over Salem. Reliever Trevor Frank (2012) pitched a scoreless ninth for the winners.

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Our 2016 season tickets are still on sale and may be purchased over the phone at 541-752-5656; by e-mail at [email protected], or online by clicking here. You can also get tickets at the WWHQ of the Corvallis Knights, on Jefferson Avenue in downtown, just east of the Jefferson-4th Street intersection.

We will play 33 more home games in 31 dates this summer, resuming with the June 14 opener against Kelowna. So do not miss out!

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Some news from the West Coast League:

The West Coast League Player of the Week and Pitcher of the Week for June 3-5 are redshirt freshman catcher Chris Ceballos of the Yakima Valley Pippins and sophomore pitcher Kris Jackson of the Bend Elks.

Jackson, who pitched at Chemeketa CC the past two years, was part of a combined no-hitter on June 4 as he and lefty Logan Hatley of Linn-Benton CC did not allow a single hit in the Elks 6-0 home win vs. the Corvallis Knights. Jackson pitched eight innings, walked two and struck out 6. Bend starting pitching dominated Corvallis as the Elks starters threw 22.1 innings of scoreless baseball over the three-game series.

Ceballos led Yakima Valley to a series sweep at Wenatchee. The Cal State-Fullerton catcher led an offense that scored 23 runs over its opening three games, going 5-for-13 with two walks, four doubles and four RBIs.

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That is all for today. Now that the season has started, we will be blogging four days a week. See you on Thursday.


Tough weekend in Bend for Knights

June 6, 2016

Happy Monday, everyone.

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It was a tough weekend in Bend for your Corvallis Knights against the defending West Coast League champions. We dropped 2 of 3, were no-hit on Saturday, and scored just two runs in 27 innings.

But it's a long season, we generally pitched well, and reinforcements are on the way in the form of more of our full-time players, so we will get going soon. This week we are off to Bellingham for a Tuesday-Thursday series against the Bells, then we head over to Wenatchee for a Friday-Sunday series with the AppleSox.

Then we finally head back to Corvallis for our June 14 WCL home opener against Kelowna, and a six-game homestand that includes a June 18th Fireworks Night.

Our projected starting pitchers at Bellingham are Washington State freshman lefty Ryley Widell on Tuesday; San Francisco junior righty Grant Goodman on Wednesday and Grand Canyon freshman righty Jacob Wong on Thursday.

You can catch all the games on KEJO-AM 1240 if you can't be there, with Mike Parker calling the action.

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Alum Ryan Gorton (2011) has been released by the Oakland A's after four years as in their minor-league system as a catcher/pitcher. He reached as high as double-A. Ryan played at Oregon State and was a key member of our 2011 WCL championship club, with two homers in the Championship Series sweep of Walla Walla.

Ryan hit .205 (45-220) with a homer and 11 RBIs in 69 games as a catcher in 2013-14, and then was 2-2, 4.86 in 23 games as a pitcher in 2014-16, with four saves and 34 strikeouts in 33.1 innings. He played in the Arizona Rookie League, the New York-Penn League, the California League, the Midwest League and the Texas League.

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San Antonio (AA Texas, Padres) outfielder Nick Torres (2012) was 3-for-4 with a homer, a double and an RBI in a 4-3 loss to Arkansas on Sunday to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors. He raised his average to .306.

Honorable mention went to:

* Mobile (AA Southern, Diamondbacks) reliever Jimmie Sherfy (2011) struck out one and earned his fifth save with a scoreless ninth inning in a 2-0 win over Birmingham. He lowered his ERA to 0.82.

* Charlotte (A Florida State, Rays) outfielder Cade Gotta (2011) was 2-for-4 with a run in a 3-2 loss to Tampa.

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Our 2016 season tickets are still on sale and may be purchased over the phone at 541-752-5656; by e-mail at [email protected], or online by clicking here. You can also get tickets at the WWHQ of the Corvallis Knights, on Jefferson Avenue in downtown, just east of the Jefferson-4th Street intersection.

We will play 33 more home games in 31 dates this summer, resuming with the June 14 opener against Kelowna. So do not miss out!

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That is all for today. Now that the season has started, we will be blogging four days a week. See you on Tuesday.


Knights open WCL season tonight at Bend

June 3, 2016

Happy Friday, everyone.

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Your Corvallis Knights are off to Bend today for our West Coast League opener against the Elks, the defending WCL champions. The game starts at 6:35 p.m. at Vince Genna Stadium; we also play the Elks at 6:35 p.m. on Saturday and at 5:05 p.m. on Sunday. If you can't be there, tune in to KEJO-AM 1240 and check out Mike Parker's call of all the action.

Our projected starting pitchers are Washington State freshman Trenton Dupre (tonight); Clark College sophomore Chris Carns (Saturday), and Dixie State freshman Aaron Pope (Sunday).

Please click here for more on our weekend opponent, from the Bend Bulletin newspaper.

We will return to Corvallis after Sunday night's game. We have a day off on Monday, and then head north for three games at Bellingham (Tuesday-Thursday) and three more at Wenatchee (Friday-Sunday). We are off on June 13, then have our WCL home opener against Kelowna on June 14.

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Alum Kevin Flemer (2013) is playing for La Crosse in the Northwoods league this summer. He joined us before his freshman year at Oregon State and helped us win a WCL championship. He has since transferred to California.

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Lynchburg (A Carolina, Indians) reliever Trevor Frank (2012) pitched a scoreless ninth for his fifth save and had one strikeout in a 4-2 win over Wilmington on Thursday night to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention went to:

* Arkansas (AA Texas, Angels) reliever DJ Johnson (2008-09) had two strikeouts in a scoreless inning in a 4-0 loss to Corpus Christi.

* Erie (AA Eastern, Tigers) DH Dean Green (2008) was 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI in a 6-5 win over Binghamton.

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Our 2016 season tickets are still on sale and may be purchased over the phone at 541-752-5656; by e-mail at [email protected], or online by clicking here. You can also get tickets at the WWHQ of the Corvallis Knights, on Jefferson Avenue in downtown, just east of the Jefferson-4th Street intersection.

We will play 33 more home games in 31 dates this summer, resuming with the June 14 opener against Kelowna. So do not miss out!

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Some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League:

* The Victoria HarbourCats have made an upgrade to Royal Athletic Park by installing field level box seating. A total of 44 seats were installed in the area behind home plate between the two dugouts. The new seating will be in front of the first row of the grandstand. Please click here more on that story, from the Ballpark Digest website.

* The Walla Walla Sweets, impacted by an unusually high number of players headed to NCAA regionals, have added 10 10-day players: Three pitchers, three catchers, an infielder, and two outfielders. Please click here for more on that story, from Our Sports Central.

* Please click here for a complete West Coast League preview, from the league site. Also, please click here for team-by-team capsules from the Daily News of Kelso-Longview, the home paper for the Cowlitz Black Bears.

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That is all for today. Now that the season has started, we will be blogging four days a week. Have a great weekend and we will see you again on Monday.


Record crowd for SEA Day at Goss

June 2, 2016

Happy Thursday, everyone.

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We had a successful opening day on Wednesday as a record crowd of more than 3,300 attended our fifth annual PEAK Internet Science, Engineering & Art Day game against the independent Portland Sea Dogs at Goss Stadium.

Presented by the OSU Colleges of Science and Engineering, SEA Day enabled elementary school students from Albany, Alsea, Clatskanie, Corvallis, Dallas, Jefferson, Lebanon, Monmouth, Monroe, Newport, Salem, Silverton, Sweet Home, Tangent and Toledo to enjoy a day of baseball, science, engineering, art and technology.

Here is more on that story, from the Corvallis Gazette-Times.

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We are off to Bend on Friday to open the 2016 WCL regular season against the Elks, the defending WCL champions. The game starts at 6:35 p.m. at Vince Genna Stadium; we also play the Elks at 6:35 p.m. on Saturday and at 5:05 p.m. on Sunday. If you can't be there, tune in to KEJO-AM 1240 and check out Mike Parker's call of all the action.

Our projected starting pitchers are Washington State freshman Trenton Dupre (Friday); Clark College sophomore Chris Carns (Saturday), and Dixie State freshman Aaron Pope. (Sunday).

We will return to Corvallis after Sunday's game. We are off Monday, and then head out for Bellingham (Tuesday-Thursday) and Wenatchee (Friday-Sunday). We are off on June 13, then have our WCL home opener against Kelowna on June 14.

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Four alums playing at Oregon State have earned Pacific-12 Conference postseason honors. Catcher Logan Ice (2014) was named the Defensive Player of the Year and second baseman Nick Madrigal (2015) was named Freshman of the Year and joined Ice on the all-Defensive Team. Ice, Madrigal, and sophomores KJ Harrison and Christian Donahue, Madrigal's teammates on the 2015 Knights, were also first-team selections.

Here is more on that story, from OSUbeavers.com.

Oregon reliever Stephen Nogosek (2013) also earned first-team all-Pac-12 honors. Washington State pitcher Ryan Walker (2015) earned honorable mention. Here is the complete all-star team, from the Pac-12.

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Six alums/ 2016 Knights earned Big West Conference postseason honors. UC Irvine infielder Cole Kreuter (2015, 2016) was a first-team selection; pitchers Justin Calomeni of Cal Poly (2014), Elliot Surrey (2013) of UC Irvine and Austin Sodders (2014) of UC Riverside were second-team selections.

UCR's Michael Farris (2015, 2016) and UC Santa Barbara's Clay Fisher (2015) earned honorable mention. Here is the complete all-star team, from the Big West.

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Charlotte (AAA International, White Sox) first baseman Danny Hayes (2010) was 1-for-5 with two RBIs and his eighth homer of the year in a 5-3 win over Syracuse on Wednesday night to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention went to:

* Sacramento (AAA Pacific Coast, Giants) catcher Andrew Susac (2009) was 2-for-5 with a double and a run in a 6-5 loss at El Paso. Catcher Rocky Gale (2007, 2009) was also 2-for-5 for the victors.

* Mobile (AA Southern, Diamondbacks) outfielder Mitch Haniger (2010) was 1-for-5 with a two-run homer, his fifth of the season, in a 7-3 win over Pensacola. Reliever Jimmie Sherfy (2011) struck out the side for Mobile in the ninth and lowered his ERA to 1.13.

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Our 2016 season tickets are still on sale and may be purchased over the phone at 541-752-5656; by e-mail at [email protected], or online by clicking here. You can also get tickets at the WWHQ of the Corvallis Knights, on Jefferson Avenue in downtown, just east of the Jefferson-4th Street intersection.

We will play 33 more home games in 31 dates this summer, resuming with the June 14 opener against Kelowna. So do not miss out!

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Some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League:

WCL alum Jeff Bohling of Gonzaga was named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year. He played for the Kitsap BlueJackets in 2014 and for Kelowna in 2013. Please click here more on that story, from the WCL website.

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That is all for today. Now that the season has started, we will be blogging four days a week. So, we will see you again on Friday.


Knights open 2016 season on Wednesday

May 31, 2016

Happy Tuesday, everyone.

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Our 2016 season opens at 10 a.m. tomorrow (Wednesday), and we expect more than 3,000 fans will jam Goss Stadium for the fifth annual PEAK Internet Science, Engineering & Art Day game against the independent Portland Sea Dogs.

Presented by the OSU Colleges of Science and Engineering, SEA Day enabled elementary school students from Albany, Alsea, Clatskanie, Corvallis, Dallas, Jefferson, Lebanon, Monmouth, Monroe, Newport, Salem, Silverton, Sweet Home, Tangent and Toledo to enjoy a day of baseball, science, engineering, art and technology.

See you there!

Then, on Friday we are off to Bend to open the 2016 WCL regular season against the Elks, the defending WCL champions. The game starts at 6:35 p.m. at Vince Genna Stadium; we also play the Elks at 6:35 p.m. on Saturday and at 5:05 p.m. on Sunday. If you can't be there, tune in to KEJO-AM 1240 and check out Mike Parker's call of all the action.

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We won't have a full-fledged roster sheet/program for tomorrow's game. But here is our regular Flashback feature for June 1:

JUNE 1, 2012: Catcher Austin Barr blasted a game-winning grand slam in the eighth-inning to propel Corvallis to a 6-4 win at Walla Walla in its season opener. Reliever Robb Dittrick earned the win with 3.2 innings of scoreless relief.

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Alums Justin Calomeni of Cal Poly (2014), Elliot Surrey (2013) of UC Irvine and Angel Landazuri (2014) of UC Riverside were each nominated for Big West Conference Pitcher of the Week honors for May 23-29, but were not selected.

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Charlotte (AAA International, White Sox) first baseman Danny Hayes (2010) was 1-for-5 with two RBIs and his seventh homer of the year in a 6-5 win over Syracuse on Monday night to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention went to:

* Lynchburg (A Carolina, Indians) reliever Trevor Frank pitched a scoreless inning and got his first win of the season in a 5-3 victory over Salem. Teammate David Armendariz (2011) was 1-for-4 with his first homer of the season.

* Greensboro (A South Atlantic, Marlins) pitcher Ben Wetzler (2011) allowed one run in three innings, had five strikeouts and got the win in a 4-3 victory over Lexington.

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Our 2016 season tickets are on sale and may be purchased over the phone at 541-752-5656; by e-mail at [email protected], or online by clicking here. You can also get tickets at the WWHQ of the Corvallis Knights, on Jefferson Avenue in downtown, just east of the Jefferson-4th Street intersection.

We will play 34 home games in 32 dates this summer, starting on Wednesday with the annual nonleague game against the Portland Sea Dogs. Our WCL opener is June 3 at Bend; our WCL home opener is June 14 against Kelowna. So do not miss out!

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Some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League:

The Victoria HarbourCats have signed two more players to 10-day contracts to help them get off to a strong start in the early season while some players are still completing their college campaigns. Both are Canadian prospects. Please click here more on that story, from the Our Sports Central website.

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That is all for today. Now that the season has started, we will be blogging four days a week. So, we will see you again on Thursday.


Alums Whalen, Lockwood, Duffin honored

May 27, 2016

Happy Friday, everyone.

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Our 2016 season opens next Wednesday and we expect more than 3,000 fans at Goss Stadium for the fifth annual PEAK Internet Science, Engineering & Art Day game against the independent Portland Sea Dogs.

Presented by the OSU Colleges of Science and Engineering, SEA Day enabled elementary school students from Albany, Alsea, Clatskanie, Corvallis, Dallas, Jefferson, Lebanon, Monmouth, Monroe, Newport, Salem, Silverton, Sweet Home, Tangent and Toledo to enjoy a day of baseball, science, engineering, art and technology.

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Alums Caleb Whalen (2012) and Jackson Lockwood (2014) of Portland earned West Coast Conference all-academic honors this week. Whalen was a first-team pick; Lockwood earned honorable mention. Please click here for full details.

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Alum Joe DeRoche-Duffin (2013-14) of the University of Connecticut was named Player of the Year in the American Athletic Conference earlier week. Duffin enjoyed a breakout senior spring season where he blasted 17 home runs, collected 52 RBIS and posted an impressive .574 slugging percentage. Please click here for full details.

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Charlotte (AAA International, White Sox) first baseman Danny Hayes (2010) was 2-for-3 with two runs and his sixth homer of the year in a 6-5 win over Syracuse on Thursday night to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention went to:

Sacramento (AAA Pacific Coast, Giants) catcher Andrew Susac (2009) was 1-for-3 with two RBIs in a 6-1 win over Colorado Springs.

Richmond (AA Eastern, Giants) pitcher Chase Johnson (2011) had one strikeout in a scoreless inning and got his first hold in a 4-1 win over Binghamton.

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Our 2016 season tickets are on sale and may be purchased over the phone at 541-752-5656; by e-mail at [email protected], or online by clicking here. You can also get tickets at the WWHQ of the Corvallis Knights, on Jefferson Avenue in downtown, just east of the Jefferson-4th Street intersection.

We will play 34 home games in 32 dates this summer, starting on June 1 with the annual nonleague game against the Portland Sea Dogs. Our WCL opener is June 3 at Bend; our WCL home opener is June 14 against Kelowna. So do not miss out!

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

Here is our final update on the college stats of our 2016 position players:

EMILIO ALCANTAR: The Lewis-Clark State outfielder, a returnee from 2015, is hitting .333 (4-12) in four games, with one RBI. He's had a broken hand but should be ready for the summer season.

ANDY ATWOOD: The Oregon State infielder is hitting .222 (4-18) in 21 games, with no homers and three RBIs.

CAMERON BISHOP: The UC Irvine first baseman/pitcher, a returnee from last season, is hitting .186 (8-43) in 31 games, with nine RBIs.

MICHAEL FARRIS: The UC Riverside infielder, another holdover from 2015, is hitting .248 (41-165) in 50 games, with a homer and 22 RBIs.

ROMAN GARCIA: The junior infielder from the University of San Diego is hitting .313 (26-83) in 28 games, with three homers and 12 RBIs.

CODY HAWKEN: The Portland outfielder hit .206 (23-117) in 35 games, with four homers and 17 RBIs. His season is over.

RILEY HELLAND: The San Francisco infielder hit .262 (17-65) in 33 games, with no homers and seven RBIs. His season is over.

MATT KELLY: The Portland infielder hit .138 (8-58) in 24 games, with no homers and two RBIs. His season is over.

COLE KREUTER: The UC Irvine infielder, a returnee from 2015, is hitting .297 (63-212) in 53 games, with a homer and 26 RBIs.

STEPHEN KWAN: The Oregon State outfielder is hitting .232 (13-56) in 32 games, with seven RBIs.

COOPER MOORE: The Cal Poly infielder is hitting .200 (18-90) in 33 games, with 11 RBIs.

KYLE NOBACH: The Oregon State outfielder is hitting .273 (39-143) in 47 games, with two homers and 24 RBIs.

ANDREW REICHENBACH: The George Fox catcher hit .347 (51-147) in 39 games, with seven homers and 39 RBIs. His season is over.

GREG SAENZ: The Grand Canyon infielder is hitting .278 (30-108) in 38 games, with a homer and 13 RBIs.

CALEB SMITH: The Linn-Benton outfielder, a 10-day signee, hit .288 (38-138) in 41 games, with no homers and 18 RBIs.

ADAM TAYLOR: The Concordia shortstop, a 10-day signee, hit .248 (38-153) in 50 games, with a homer and 16 RBIs. His season is over.

ZAK TAYLOR: The Oregon State catcher is hitting .125 (1-8) in seven games, with three RBIs.

TAYLOR TRAVESS: The Mt. Hood CC infielder hit .305 (39-128) in 40 games, with 20 RBIs.

PARKER WOODLEY: The outfielder from Clark CC, a 10-day signee, hit .296 (45-152) in 40 games, with four homers and 30 RBIs. His season is over.

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Some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League:

* The Walla Walla Sweets have signed pitchers Cole Henderson (RHP/3B, Nevada), Ryan Anderson (LHP, Nevada) and Joe Heineman (RHP, Baylor) for the 2016 season. Please click here more on that story, from the Our Sports Central website.

* The Bellingham Bells have added multiple 10-day players to the 2016 roster. The ten-day player class consists of five pitchers, a catcher, three infielders and two outfielders. Here is more on that story, from the Our Sports Central website.

* The Wenatchee AppleSox have completed their coaching staff. Here is more on that story, from the Our Sports Central website.

* The Victoria HarbourCats have added to their 20167 roster by adding two 10-day signees. Here is more on that story, from the Our Sports Central website.

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That is all for today. News gets a little harder to find in the offseason, so we will now just be blogging on Tuesdays and Fridays until the season starts. Have a great weekend; we will see you again on Tuesday.


Five Knights in Frontier League

May 24, 2016

Happy Tuesday, everyone.

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The independent Frontier League season is underway, and five former Corvallis Knights made opening-day rosters.

Frontier League alums are pitcher Colin Feldtman (2013) of the Lake Erie Crushers; pitcher Scott Schultz (2013) of the Schaumburg Boomers; infielder Grant Fink (2011) of the Washington Wild Things; infielder Seth Heck (2013) of the Gateway Grizzlies, and infielder Carter Bell (2009) of the Joliet Jammers.

For more on the Frontier League, please click here.

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Alum Nick Ruppert (2013) of Dartmouth earned honorable-mention all-Ivy League honors for the third year in a row. He hit .315 in 20 league games, with a homer and four RBIs.

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Cameron Bishop of UC Irvine, a 2015 alum who will return in 2016, and Austin Sodders (2014) of UC Riverside were nominated for Big West Conference Pitcher of the Week honors for May 15-21, but were not selected.

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South Bend (A Midwest, Cubs) reliever Casey Bloomquist 92013) had one strikeout in two scoreless innings and earned his fourth save in a 6-3 win over Lake County on Monday night to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Honorable mention went to:

Greensboro (A South Atlantic, Marlins) pitcher Ben Wetzler (2011) gave up two runs in three innings, had two strikeouts and earned his first save in a 9-2 win over Delmarva.

Arkansas (AA Texas, Angels) pitcher DJ Johnson (2008-09) had one strikeout in a scoreless inning and lowered his ERA to 2.61 in an 8-3 loss to Springfield.

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Our 2016 season tickets are on sale and may be purchased over the phone at 541-752-5656; by e-mail at [email protected], or online by clicking here. You can also get tickets at the WWHQ of the Corvallis Knights, on Jefferson Avenue in downtown, just east of the Jefferson-4th Street intersection.

We will play 34 home games in 32 dates this summer, starting on June 1 with the annual nonleague game against the Portland Sea Dogs. Our WCL opener is June 3 at Bend; our WCL home opener is June 14 against Kelowna. So do not miss out!

Remember, our June 1 opener against the Portland Sea Dogs on PEAK Internet Science, Engineering & Art Day at Goss Stadium is sold out. Presented by the OSU Colleges of Science and Engineering, SEA Day enabled elementary school students from Albany, Alsea, Clatskanie, Corvallis, Dallas, Jefferson, Lebanon, Monmouth, Monroe, Newport, Salem, Silverton, Sweet Home, Tangent and Toledo to enjoy a day of baseball, science, engineering, art and technology.

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Now that the college season is well underway it is time to update the stats of our incoming Knights. We will do the pitchers today and the position players on Friday.

CAMERON BISHOP: The UC Irvine lefty, a returnee from last season, is 5-5, 4.55 in 14 games, with 59 strikeouts in 59.1 innings.

CHRIS BURKHOLDER: The Dartmouth righty was 2-1, 2.97 in 19 games, with two saves and 37 strikeouts in 39.1 innings. His season is over.

CHRIS CARNS: The 10-day signee from Clark College was Carns was 4-4, 3.35 in 11 games, with 60 strikeouts in 53.2 innings. His season is over.

CRAIG COLEN: The Cal Poly righty, a returnee from 2015, is 0-0, 2.73 in 14 games, with 24 strikeouts in 26.1 innings.

BRANDEN CUTSFORTH: The Treasure Valley CC righty, a returnee from 2015, was 5-4, 2.57 in 22 games, with eight saves and 53 strikeouts in 66.1 innings. His season is over.

TRENTON DUPREE: The Washington State lefty is 0-4, 6.44 in 22 games, with 21 strikeouts in 36.1 innings.

TY FOX: The Western Nevada CC sophomore righty is 4-5, 4.13 in 20 games, with six saves and 53 strikeouts in 48 innings. His season is over.

JACOB FRICKE: The Western Oregon lefty went 3-3, 2.25 in 18 games, with 24 strikeouts in 32 innings. His season is over.

GRANT GOODMAN: The San Francisco righty is 1-4, 11.72 in 12 games, with 15 strikeouts in 17.2 innings.

KYLE HATTON: The UC Santa Barbara lefty is 3-1, 4.21 in 12 games, with 32 strikeouts in 47 innings.

TANNER HOWELL: The Dixie State righty was 0-0, 8.53 in seven games, with one strikeout in 6.1 innings. His season is over.

CODY HOFF: The Linn-Benton CC righty was 0-1, 6.11 in nine games, with 19 strikeouts in 17.2 innings. His season is over.

CHASE KAPLAN: The Western Nevada CC lefty, a returnee from 2015, was 8-1, 4.54 in 17 games, with a save and 45 strikeouts in 75 innings. His season is over.

SLATER LEE: The Cal Poly righty, a returnee from 2015, is 2-1, 6.37 in 13 games, with 24 strikeouts in 29.2 innings.

AARON POPE: The Dixie State lefty was 3-2, 3.98 in nine games, with 27 strikeouts in 40.2 innings. His season is over.

HAZAHEL QUIJADA: The UC Riverside lefty is 0-1, 4.91 in 11 games, with five strikeouts in 11 innings.

CAMERON RICHMAN: The Portland righty is 1-3, 5.00 in 23 games, with 23 strikeouts in 27 innings.

RYLEY WIDELL: The Washington State lefty is 1-2, 8.85 in 14 games, with 23 strikeouts in 20.1 innings.

JACOB WONG: The Grand Canyon righty is 2-3, 4.28 in 18 games, with 28 strikeouts in 54.2 innings.

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Some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League:

The Victoria HarbourCats have finalized their coaching staff for the 2016 West Coast League season. The staff is led by returning head coach Graig Merritt, who guided the team to a franchise-best 29 wins in 2015, as well as returning assistants Joe Meggs and Andrew Wilson. New additions include Joe Fabre and Kelly Norris-Jones. Please click here for more on that story, from the Our Sports Central website.

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That is all for today. News gets a little harder to find in the offseason, so we will now just be blogging on Tuesdays and Fridays until the season starts. Have a great week; we will see you again on Friday.


Knights add trio of 10-day signees

May 20, 2016

Happy Friday, everyone.

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Some more roster news to report as the season draws closer.

The Knights have added three 10-day signees: Sophomore outfielder Parker Woodley and sophomore pitcher Chris Carns of Clark College in Vancouver, Wash., and junior infielder Adam Taylor of Concordia.

Woodley is from Canby, where he played for former Knight JJ Stolsig. He will play at Portland next year after hitting .294 in 38 games, with four homers and 27 RBIs.

Carns is 4-3, 3.37 in 11 games, with 58 strikeouts in 50.2 innings. He pitched at Seattle University in 2015 and was 2-2, 3.00 in 17 games, with 19 strikeouts in 18 innings. He is from Decatur High in Federal Way, Wash.

Taylor started at short for Concordia this past spring and hit .248 (38-153) in 50 games, with a homer and 16 RBIs. The San Diego native, who played at The Rock Academy, earned NAIA West Region Gold Glove honors in 2015.

Welcome to the Knights, guys.

Also, pitcher Nicholas Strange of Tacoma CC has a knee injury and will not play for us this summer, as expected.

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Alum Logan Ice (2014) of Oregon State is one of 15 semifinalists for the 2016 Johnny Bench Award, given annually to the nation's top collegiate catcher.

A junior, he is batting .336 with 12 doubles, five triples, seven home runs and 39 RBIs heading into this weekend's series at USC. Defensively, he has a .992 fielding percentage and has thrown out better than 40 percent of attempted base stealers.

The three Johnny Bench Award finalists will be announced June 6. The winner will then be announced at the 19th Annual Greater Wichita Sports Banquet on June 30, 2016.

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Alum Ben Wetzler (2011), now known as Ben Holmes in pro baseball, is having a great season with at Greensboro, Miami's franchise in the Class A South Atlantic League. Please click here for the full details, from reporter Jeff Mills of Greensboro.com.

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Speaking of Ben Wetzler, he allowed one hit and had two strikeouts over three scoreless innings in a 4-2 win over Hagerstown on Thursday night to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors. He lowered his ERA to 0.53.

Honorable mention went to:

San Antonio (AA Texas, Padres) outfielder Nick Torres (2012) was 2-for-4 in an 8-4 loss to Corpus Christi.

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Our 2016 season tickets are on sale and may be purchased over the phone at 541-752-5656; by e-mail at [email protected], or online by clicking here. You can also get tickets at the WWHQ of the Corvallis Knights, on Jefferson Avenue in downtown, just east of the Jefferson-4th Street intersection.

We will play 34 home games in 32 dates this summer, starting on June 1 with the annual nonleague game against the Portland Sea Dogs. Our WCL opener is June 3 at Bend; our WCL home opener is June 14 against Kelowna. So do not miss out!

Remember, our June 1 opener against the Portland Sea Dogs on PEAK Internet Science, Engineering & Art Day at Goss Stadium is sold out. Presented by the OSU Colleges of Science and Engineering, SEA Day enabled elementary school students from Albany, Alsea, Clatskanie, Corvallis, Dallas, Jefferson, Lebanon, Monmouth, Monroe, Newport, Salem, Silverton, Sweet Home, Tangent and Toledo to enjoy a day of baseball, science, engineering, art and technology.

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

Time to update the stats of our incoming Knights. We will do the position players today (Thursday's games not included).

EMILIO ALCANTAR: The Lewis-Clark State outfielder, a returnee from 2015, is hitting .333 (4-12) in four games, with one RBI. He's had a broken hand but should be ready for the summer season.

ANDY ATWOOD: The Oregon State infielder is hitting .235 (4-17) in 19 games, with no homers and three RBIs.

CAMERON BISHOP: The UC Irvine first baseman/pitcher, a returnee from last season, is hitting .190 (8-42) in 30 games, with nine RBIs.

MICHAEL FARRIS: The UC Riverside infielder, another holdover from 2015, is hitting .258 (40-155) in 47 games, with a homer and 20 RBIs.

ROMAN GARCIA: The junior infielder from the University of San Diego is hitting .325 (26-80) in 26 games, with three homers and 12 RBIs.

CODY HAWKEN: The Portland outfielder is hitting .206 (22-107) in 32 games, with three homers and 16 RBIs.

RILEY HELLAND: The San Francisco infielder is hitting .246 (14-57) in 30 games, with no homers and five RBIs.

MATT KELLY: The Portland infielder is hitting .151 (8-53) in 22 games, with no homers and two RBIs.

COLE KREUTER: The UC Irvine infielder, a returnee from 2015, is hitting .295 (59-200) in 50 games, with a homer and 23 RBIs.

STEPHEN KWAN: The Oregon State outfielder is hitting .295 (13-44) in 29 games, with six RBIs.

COOPER MOORE: The Cal Poly infielder is hitting .209 (18-86) in 31 games, with 11 RBIs.

KYLE NOBACH: The Oregon State outfielder is hitting .275 (38-138) in 44 games, with two homers and 24 RBIs.

ANDREW REICHENBACH: The George Fox catcher hit .347 (51-147) in 39 games, with seven homers and 39 RBIs. His season is over.

GREG SAENZ: The Grand Canyon infielder is hitting .274 (29-106) in 37 games, with a homer and 12 RBIs.

CALEB SMITH: The Linn-Benton outfielder, a 10-day signee, is hitting .288 (38-138) in 41 games, with no homers and 18 RBIs.

ADAM TAYLOR: The Concordia shortstop, a 10-day signee, hit .248 (38-153) in 50 games, with a homer and 16 RBIs. His season is over.

ZAK TAYLOR: The Oregon State catcher is hitting .143 (1-7) in six games, with three RBIs.

TAYLOR TRAVESS: The Mt. Hood CC infielder is hitting .315 (39-124) in 39 games, with 20 RBIs.

PARKER WOODLEY: The outfielder from Clark CC, a 10-day signee, is hitting .294 (42-143) in 38 games, with four homers and 27 RBIs.

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Some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League:

The Bellingham Bells have signed 6-foot-9 right-hander Tyler Palm of Oakland (Mich. ) University, a native of West Branch, Mich. Please click here for more on that story, from the Our Sports Central website.

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That is all for today. News gets a little harder to find in the offseason, so we will now just be blogging on Tuesdays and Fridays until the season starts. Have a great weekend; we will see you again on Tuesday.