Valley Baseball Select Teams To Be Formed
An adjunct to Spokane Valley Baseball will provide an additional outlet for the serious youth player.
Beginning this year, said league director Mike Asan, the organization will form additional teams for its better 11-12 and 13-14-year-old players.
“It is going to be called Spokane Valley Select Baseball,” said Asan. “We want a missing link between recreation ball and those who want more.”
The plan, said Asan, will be for league board members to conduct tryouts and select teams during spring break. Players will come from teams within Spokane Valley Baseball who will be required to play two-thirds of the games for their league team.
Knowledgeable coaches will be chosen to head the select teams.
“We want good coaches,” said Asan. “We have to have guys who can bring players up.”
Rich Rasmussen has joined the SVB league board and will find opponents and tournaments for the select teams to play.
Those games will be on weekends in addition to the regular league schedules.
Players will pay an additional fee and be given another uniform.
“It will give our guys a chance to play better ball clubs,” said Asan.
“What we are going to try and do is get them two tournaments in the summer. A lot of teams pass through on their way to somewhere and would like to play a doubleheader on Sundays.”
The baseball league’s regular format will continue as in years past for the majority of Valley players. The number of select teams will depend upon demand and quality of prospects.
“The criteria is to have better ball clubs,” said Asan. “We will not fill a mediocre team.”
All good things must end
Central Valley’s boys basketball players were unbeaten until Thursday night. Then they met a player they couldn’t contain and dug a first-half hole that ultimately proved too much to bear.
CV lost for the first time in 16 outings, 51-50 to Gonzaga Prep on Greg Johnson’s length-of-the-floor drive and basket as time expired.
Johnson’s ball-handling and scoring staked the team to a 16-point first-half lead. His third-quarter scoring helped Prep slow CV’s comeback.
CV had trailed 30-14 at halftime, but only 44-41 two minutes into the fourth quarter when Kyle Boast scored back-to-back baskets, one a 3-pointer.
Bryan Depew, who scored 18 points, tied the game with a rebound put-back and free throw with 1:36 remaining. CV led for only the second time when Boast found Patrick Libey alone with eight-seconds to go.
It was just enough time for speedy Valleyite Johnson. He dribbled past three defenders and launched his game winner with a second remaining.
CV, now 15-1 overall, and the 13-3 Bullpups meet again next Friday at Gonzaga Prep.
Titans find life
University’s boys basketball team found life when Kyle Gazaway had a career game.
The Titan sophomore made four 3-point baskets for a season best 13 points during the team’s 49-36 must-win over Shadle Park.
The victory pulled the team to within two games of the sixth-place Highlanders and kept their playoff light flickering.
The two meet again next Friday at Shadle.
No layins? No sweat
Raeanna Jewell couldn’t buy a third-quarter layin as CV’s girls lost a nine-point halftime lead to trail Gonzaga Prep by three points.
But she scored seven points, including two free throws and a 3-point basket to rally the GSL co-leading Bears to a 49-43 lead and its ultimate 58-50 win Thursday over the third-place Bullpups.
Jewell’s efforts and clutch scoring by Jenny Wilson, that included two 3s and a steal and layin, helped the 14-2 Bears withstand the taller Bullpups’ upset bid.
Jewell and Marisa Liepman each scored 17 points and Wilson added 12.
One down, two to go
University’s 62-54 girls basketball win Thursday over Shadle Park gave the Titans a playoff boost.
The win left them tied for fifth place, one game out of third. U-Hi has games upcoming Tuesday against co-third place Ferris and Friday at co-fifth place Shadle.
Crissa Poole led the team with 15 points. Vanessa Shelton and Rheanna Arnold each finished in double figures.
Girls basketball clinic today
West Valley High School will host its Future Lady Eagle Basketball Clinic on successive Saturdays beginning this morning.
Today’s session from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. begins with registration, followed by instruction.
Next Saturday the clinic will conclude with instruction, games and contests, also beginning at 11 a.m.
The clinic is free. A T-shirt may be purchased for $10.
Shot putter improves best
Central Valley state placing shot putter Heather Harding threw a personal best 38-10 to win her high school age group at the University of Washington.
Harding’s previous best was a 38-5 put while placing seventh in the 4A track meet last year as a sophomore.