LCSC coach Cheff retiring

College baseball: Ed Cheff, the coach of the Lewis-Clark State College baseball team, is retiring after 34 years and 16 NAIA World Series titles.

Cheff, 67, intends to retire effective Sept. 1.

He will be replaced by Gary Picone, who will also keep his duties as athletic director.

Cheff had a 1,705-430-2 record with LCSC for a .799 winning percentage. His win total ranks second only to Wichita State’s Gene Stephenson’s 1,724 wins with the same program in all of college baseball. His win total is fourth all-time among all college baseball coaches.

“I’ve coached players who seldom played to those that went on to play in the big leagues,” Cheff said in a statement “And while roles on every team were different for each player, I was continually appreciative of how, collectively, they became quality teams made up of great teammates.”

OSU guard will transfer to GU

Women’s basketball: Haiden Palmer, a 5-foot-8 guard at Oregon State who made the Pac-10 All-Freshman team, is transferring to Gonzaga.

Palmer, from Moreno Valley, Calif., will have to sit out a season under transfer rules. She started all 31 games was the No. 2 scorer for OSU at just more than 10 points a game.

She was part of the exodus of players who left LaVonda Wagner’s program, which led to her firing a month ago after five years. Two players remain from last year’s roster, including Lewis and Clark grad Brittany Kennedy.

OSU hired successful Division III coach Scott Rueck of George Fox on Wednesday.

Dave Trimmer

Sounders top Timbers with PKs

Soccer: The Portland Timbers got a taste of their coming big-league rivalry before losing to the Seattle Sounders in a third-round U.S. Open Cup match in Portland on Wednesday night.

The Sounders, who won 4-3 on penalty kicks, will play the Los Angeles Galaxy in the quarterfinals.

Sounders midfielder Nate Jaqua, a native of Eugene who played at the University of Portland, put Seattle up 1-0 in the 13th minute. The Timbers, who join MLS next season, tied it in the 38th on Bright Dike’s goal.

During the penalty kicks, the Timbers fell behind 3-2 when Ross Smith missed, but Patrick Ianni missed for the Sounders. Rodrigo Lopez beat Kasey Keller to keep the Timbers in it, but Zach Scott beat Steve Cronin to win it.

Associated Press