Buckenberger Jr. Among Candidates To Coach U.S.

Clarence “Fuzzy” Buckenberger Jr., whose resume includes two national championships, has been nominated as a candidate to be the manager of the United States men’s major modified softball team for the 1998 Summer World Games.

“It’s quite an honor,” said Buckenberger, who pitched for Spokane’s Western Truck Brokers team that won the 1987 Amateur Softball Association men’s major modified national championship, then managed the 1995 Brymile team of Spokane to the title.

“But this can’t happen unless you have good people around you, like the players and my parents, who have been supportive. I’ve been lucky,” he added.

Buckenberger’s last two Brymile teams have compiled a 70-3 record, finishing fourth in the 1996 national tournament. Additionally, his Brunette Sportswear women’s team has placed third at nationals the last two years.

The manager for Team USA will be announced in February. Buckenberger, who is also the Spokane ASA commissioner, is one of three candidates.

Baseball

Eastern Washington University’s 13th Holiday Baseball Camp, designed for players from 7th grade through junior college, will be Dec. 27-30 in Cheney.

Cost is $225 for a resident camper, $150 for a commuter, with a $10 discount if five or more send in their registrations together.

Info: Jim Wasem, Camp Director, 1812 5th Street, Cheney, WA 99004.

Bowling

North Bowl, Sports Page Lanes and Valley Bowl are among the 34 bowling centers in Washington serving as local qualification sites for the $250,000 Miller Doubles Challenge Bowling Tournament.

Lake Bowl in Moses Lake and Lancer Lanes in Clarkston are also included.

Bowlers 21 and older are eligible. Entry fee is $15 per team and qualifications run through Jan. 5.

Half the teams will advance to the regional finals Jan. 18-19 at North Bowl, with one of every five there moving on to the state finals Feb. 2 at Valley Bowl. The state winner advances to the finals March 21-23 at Sam’s Town Lanes in Las Vegas.

Basketball

Former Cougars coach George Raveling received the Honorary Alumnus Award from the Washington State University alumni association Nov. 8 in Los Angeles.

Raveling, now a free-lance sports commentator and motivational speaker who lives in L.A., was honored for 11 years of service to WSU. He compiled a 167-136 record from 1973-83. He had one secondplace conference finish and three thirds.

“George may not have created Cougar Spirit, but he certainly embraced it,” said alumni association president Ann Edlund.

College scene

Three members of the Washington State football team have earned Pacific-10 Conference All-Academic honors.

Bryan Chiu, a senior offensive guard with a 3.30 grade-point average in sports management, and Jason McEndoo, a junior offensive guard with a 3.21 GPA in history, made the first team. Freshman linebacker Steve Gleason of Spokane (Gonzaga Prep), 3.16 in business, was honorable mention.

Huron (S.D.) State senior running back Jason Baldwin of Spokane (Mead), who spent most of this season as a blocker, was honorable mention on the All-South Dakota-Iowa Conference football team.

Huron coach Tyler Sisco told The Plainsman newspaper in Huron, “Coaches have a lot of respect for him. He hasn’t whined about not getting carries, just does his job. He’s someone we’ll miss.”

Baldwin will start in the conference all-star game in April in Minneapolis.

Robert Barlow of Spokane (Lewis and Clark), the all-time leading ground-gainer in Greater Spokane League football, rushed for 404 yards and four touchdowns on 66 carries as Dixie Junior College went 8-1.

Barlow played fullback, blocking for Rodrick Johnson, who carried 301 times for a school-record 2,091 yards and 23 touchdowns. The year before, Johnson was the fullback for current University of Washington star Cory Dillon.

“He did quite well,” Dixie coach Greg Croshaw said of Barlow. “If he does OK academically, which is his challenge, he has a great chance to be my tailback next year.”

He separated a shoulder midway through the season. When he returned, because of other injuries, he was used at linebacker.

Four members of the Washington State volleyball team were accorded AllAcademic honors in the Pac-10.

Stephanie Papke, a junior, 3.32 GPA in exercise science, was first team. Wendy Rouse, sophomore, 3.91, exercise science, and Jennifer Stinson, sophomore, 3.61, elementary education, were second team. Shannon Wyckoff, junior, 3.36, elementary ed, was honorable mention.

Allie Wright of Spokane, a senior at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, has repeated on the All-Frontier Conference volleyball team. The Shadle Park High School and North Idaho College graduate is a 5-foot-10 middle hitter.

Michelle Babcock, a 5-8, senior outside hitter at Western Montana in Dillon, also earned first-team All-Frontier. She was a conference all-star at Community Colleges of Spokane before transferring.

Zach Ham of Spokane returned from a week on the sidelines with a separated shoulder to score his second goal for the Bowling Green hockey team in a 5-3 loss to Michigan State.

Golf

Hilary Prugh, who helped Ferris win a State AAA championship as a sophomore, has signed a letter-of-intent with Montana State. The three-time All-GSL selection was on the Saxons’ championship team in 1995 and the runner-up team last spring.

Soccer

The Washington-East Olympic Development Program will hold tryouts for girls born between 1978 and 1983 on Dec. 14-15 at Hanford High School in Richland.

Registration is at 9 a.m. Dec. 14 with sessions from 9:30 a.m.-noon and 1:30-4:30 p.m. both days. Cost is $5.

Info: Marian Cummings, (509) 448-1065.

Miscellany

The Eagle Athletic Association/Cheney Chamber of Commerce Fall Auction Mania is scheduled for Friday, 6-10 p.m., at Pence Union Building on the Eastern Washington campus in Cheney.

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased through the Eagle Athletic Association (359-2463), Cheney Chamber (235-8480) or Ben Franklin Store in Cheney.

Last year’s event raised $15,000 for athletic scholarships and chamber activities.

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