Newport Sponsor Building Women’s Baseball Team

Willy Hutchinson, creator of Pend Oreille County’s “field of dreams,” is at it again. Hutchinson built a women’s softball field in his Newport-area hay field in 1993 and sponsors a league and three softball teams. Now he’s recruiting to form a women’s baseball team.

“This is where the women wear hats,” he said. “They’re really going to have to be skilled ballplayers.”

Hutchinson began advertising last week for players from the Spokane-Coeur d’Alene area to supplement the seven who have expressed interest. He said former Seattle Mariners and Spokane Indians catcher Bud Bulling has agreed to be the pitching and catching coach.

The team would be one of only a few in the country and would have to pick up games wherever it could. Hutchinson said he envisions playing American Legion boys teams and men’s 35-and-older teams.

“If we play five games, I’ll consider it a good first season,” he said.

Hutchinson, 51, owns a Newport title insurance company and sponsors off-beat cultural events in his hay field - including poetry hollering and Greek tragedies - as well softball and volleyball teams.

Baseball/softball

Gonzaga University’s annual Bulldog Winter Baseball/ Softball Camp will be Dec. 21-23 in the Martin Centre.

The camp, with GU baseball coach Steve Hertz and his staff and players providing the instruction, will offer a choice of three daily sessions - 9 a.m.-noon, 1-4 p.m. and 5-8 p.m. The camp will emphasize hitting, defense, base running and pitching, with each camper receiving a personal player evaluation. Campers must be aged 6-18.

Cost is $75 by mail prior to Dec. 1 ($65 for five or more in the same envelope) and $80 by mail after Dec. 1 ($70 with five or more in the same envelope).

Info: Bulldogs baseball office, 328-4220, ext. 4226.

College scene

Notre Dame junior Katie King, a 1994 graduate of Gonzaga Prep, had her third top-10 finish of the fall to lead the Irish to eighth place in the San Diego State Fall Classic golf tournament Oct. 29.

King, who had a second-place finish in the Illinois State Classic and was seventh in the Northwestern Invitational, carded a final-round 6-over-par 78 to tie for eighth. She has 78.11 stroke average this fall.

Football

Tammy Addington of St. Maries, Idaho, won the girls 14-15-year-old division in the Seattle Seahawks’ team final of the NFL Gatorade Punt, Pass & Kick competition last Sunday in the Kingdome.

Addington, who also won the sectional in Spokane, had a total of 248 feet, 9 inches for one pass, one punt and one kick with distance and accuracy measured. Her score will be compared with those of the winners in her division from the other 29 NFL teams. The top four boys and girls in each age division will advance to the PPK finals in early January during an AFC playoff game.

This is the first year girls have competed separately in their own division.

Jess Trampush of Chewelah was the only other Spokane sectional winner with a top-five finish in Seattle, getting fourth at 237-3 in boys 12-13.

Miscellany

The Pullman Greyhound Booster Club will hold its annual benefit dinner-auction Nov. 19 in the high school.

A meal catered by Basilio’s Italian Cafe for $4 per person begins at 5:30 p.m. The silent auction begins at 6 with the oral bidding at 7. Proceeds support Pullman High School sports and non-sports activities.

Auction item donations are still being accepted.

Info: Pam Harbour, (509) 334-0562; or Ellen Eng, (509) 334-2636.

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