Wood Bat Classic begins Thursday
The annual Spokane/Coeur d’Alene 4th of July Legion Wood Bat Classic tournaments begin Thursday at 15 venues in the region.
There are 28 teams in the senior division and 50 in the junior and U-16 divisions.
The Napoleon (Ohio) River Bandits, who qualified for the American Legion World Series last year, are in the senior field. Most of the local teams, including Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls, are in the tourney.
Senior teams will play at five sites – A.K. Jackson Field (Shadle Park), Rogers, Post Falls, Thorco Field (Coeur d’Alene) and Hart Field.
The senior final will be Sunday at 2 at A.K. Jackson Field. The junior final will be Sunday at 2 at CdA.
“We are so proud of the Wood Bat Classic and its history in this region,” tourney director Mike Padden said of the tournament that began about 40 years ago. “It’s like apple pie and fireworks on the Fourth of July. It’s tradition.”
All-State teams
The Washington State Baseball Coaches Association announced its 2014 All-State teams.
Players from the area who were named to first teams were: Steven Machtolf (Gonzaga Prep), 4A; Drew Rasmussen (Mt. Spokane), 3A; Gage Burland (East Valley), 2A; and Patrick Jacobs (Colfax) and Jake Phipps (Freeman), A-B.
Named to the second teams were: Anthony Gosline (G-Prep), Alex Jondal (Ferris), Karver Pate (Lewis and Clark) and Tim Yoshihara (Ferris), 4A; Sawyer Sims (Cheney), Tanner Therian (Pullman) and Connor Eggleston (Clarkston), 2A; and Donavan Tesch (Wilbur-Creston), A-B.
Track
Central Valley is the site for the USATF Region 13 Junior Olympic meet for Washington, Idaho and Oregon athletes Thursday through Sunday.
The decathlon and hepathlon will be held on Thursday and Friday, CV girls coach Geoff Arte said, with the final two days similar to a regular meet.
Action begins Thursday and Friday at 9 a.m. and 8:30 on Saturday and Sunday.
Arte said about 803 athletes ranging from 8 to 18 years old are signed up. The top five in each event qualify for nationals, which is July 21-27 in Houston.
The meet is free to the public.
Racquetball
Megan Carver of Spokane and Nick Birnel of Bellingham combined to go 3-0 in round robin play to win the Under 12 mixed doubles national title at the 2014 Wilson Junior Olympic Racquetball Championships at the Highlands Ranch Recreation Center in Highlands Ranch, Colorado.
Carver is the second-ranked singles player in the nation for U-12.
Football
The East defeated the West 12-7 at Moses Lake in the all-state game featuring 4A and 3A players.
Gonzaga Prep quarterback Kevin Thomas scored on a 7-yard broken play to give the East a 12-0 lead in what would turn out to be a defensive slugfest.
G-Prep coach Dave McKenna coached the East.
“It was a great experience,” McKenna said.
McKenna said Beau Byus of Central Valley, Quinn Zerba of North Central and J.D. Boden of CV all played well.
• J.T. Phelan of East Valley caught two touchdown passes to lead the East past the West 27-12 in the 20th Earl Barden All-Star Classic at East Valley High in Yakima.
Phelan was named the East’s offensive most valuable player. The game features some of the top 2A through B players statewide.
Quarterback Andrew Graham of Cheney threw two TD passes, one to Phelan. Graham completed 4 of 6 attempts for 54 yards.
Phelan finishes with three catches for 20 yards. Kian Genteman of Freeman caught one pass for 11 yards. Max Laib, also of Freeman, had three rushes for 5 yards.
Softball
The two local teams in the field, Spokane Crash and Spokane Diamonds, tied for fifth place in the ASA 18-U A Regional National Qualifier last weekend at the Merkel Sports Complex.
Crash had a 2-2 record and the Diamonds were 0-3.
NW Nitro (3-0) from Newberg, Oregon, was declared the champion with Blast ’96 (4-1) from Tigard, Oregon, second.
To expedite their travel home, the two Oregon teams opted not to play the championship game.
Montana Avalanche from Missoula was third and the Washington Angels from West Richland were fourth. Both finished 2-2.