Welliver to defend boxing title again

Chauncy Welliver doesn’t stay idle for long.

The Spokane heavyweight will be back in the ring Saturday in Kansas City, Mo., to defend his World Boxing Council Continental Americas title in a 12-rounder against Byron Polley of nearby St. Joseph’s, Mo.

It’ll be Welliver’s fifth defense of the belt he won 15 months ago. The 28-year-old is on a streak of 12 straight victories, the last three by stoppage, and has run his record to 47-5-5 while maintaining the No. 9 ranking worldwide by the WBC.

Polley, 31, carries a record to 24-11 into the fight, but has lost three of his last four to boxers with a combined record of 44-2. All 24 of Polley’s victories have come in either Missouri or Kansas.

Baseball

Washington State University pitcher Paris Shewey signed a free-agent deal with Houston and will report to the Astros’ Gulf Coast League rookie team in Kissimmee, Fla.

Shewey, of Redmond, Wash., tied for the Pacific-10 Conference lead with 10 saves this season.

Golf

Chris Williams (University of Washington/Moscow High) and playing partner Daniel Miernick, from the University of Oregon, won their first match and had their second match delayed by thunderstorms at the Palmer Cup in Greenwich, Conn.

Williams and Miernick defeated Europeans Robert Karlsson and Nick MacAndrew 4 in 3 in the morning. They trailed their second match when play was suspended. The match will pick up this morning.