Indians Land Texas Tech Outfielder

The first announced member of the 2000 Spokane Indians baseball team hails from a college that has grown accustomed to shipping players to Spokane.

Center fielder Marco Cunningham from Texas Tech has been assigned to Spokane, the Indians announced on Wednesday.

Pitchers Monty Ward (1998) and Jason Gooding (‘97), and infielder Joe Dillon (‘97) also played for Texas Tech before beginning their professional careers in Spokane.

Cunningham was the Kansas City Royals’ 27th-round selection in this week’s amateur draft. The Royals chose just three outfielders before Cunningham.

Of Kansas City’s first nine draft selections, five were high school players or young Puerto Ricans.

The Royals usually don’t assign such youthful players to Spokane, but the Indians would savor a chance to get pitcher Mike Stodolka. The left-hander, a first-rounder out of Centennial High in Corona, Calif., was the fourth player selected overall. Stodolka avoided a long contract negotiation by signing with Kansas City on Tuesday.

Strong candidates for Spokane are catcher Mike Tonis of California, drafted in the second round; catcher Scott Walter of Loyola Marymount, third round; center fielder David DeJesus of Rutgers, fourth round; and right-hander Zach McClellan of Indiana, fifth round.

An intriguing possibility is right-hander Jason Fingers of Arizona State, selected in the 10th round. Fingers is the son of Hall of Fame pitcher Rollie Fingers.

Most Indians players are expected to report by Wednesday. The team’s minicamp will run June 15-19, leading into a June 20 home opener against Eugene.

Spokane plays in the Class A short-season Northwest League.

Prep softball

Longtime West Valley High softball coach Steve Kent has announced his resignation.

Kent, the Eagles’ only softball coach for 21 years, will become an instructor in the district’s Contract-Based Education program.

The Eagles during his tenure won two thirds of their games, a record of 335-168.

Moving into the Frontier League after five years as a Greater Spokane League team, WV was 294-104 with eight seasons of 20 or more wins and two with 19 wins.

The team qualified for 12 state tournaments in the 14 seasons between 1985-98, finishing second twice and third once.

“It’s probably a good time to step away for a little bit,” said Kent of his decision to resign.

Among his reasons, said Kent, was a desire to watch his son, who will attend Central Valley, where Kent is an assistant football coach.

“I’ll get to coach him in football and watch him in track,” said Kent.

The small enrollment of WV playing against larger Idaho schools in the far-flung Border League was another factor.

“Coaching is a demanding way of life. When you’re young and enthusiastic, the bus rides aren’t quite as bad,” said Kent, who spent 13 years as WV’s head football coach through 1997. “It’s been an incredible ride.”

Hockey

A half-dozen ex-junior hockey standouts will return to Spokane July 6-7 to benefit the Spokane Braves.

Travis Green, who went from the Spokane Chiefs to NHL stardom, is among those who’ll take part in an autograph session and silent auction on July 6 at Planet Ice in the Valley, Braves coach Gary Braun said.

Green will be joined by Scott Niedermeyer, Scott Parker, Kevin Sawyer and former Chiefs coach Bryan Maxwell, now of the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Pat Falloon and Jon Klemm from Spokane’s ‘91 Memorial Cup championship team may also take part, with Adam Deadmarsh and Stu Barnes among the other possibilities, Braun said.

A noon golf tournament on July 7 limited to 52 players is set for Prairie Falls Golf Club in Post Falls. A 6 p.m. banquet follows. A $70 entry fee includes a meet-the-pros session Thursday at Planet Ice, 3212 N. Eden, off the Barker Road exit. That also covers greens fees the next day and the banquet dinner that evening.

Entry deadline is June 26. Contact Braun at 893-0505.

Golf

David Fern of Mead High took a sizable lead after two rounds of the American Junior Golf Association Boise/John Dropping Memorial tournament.

Fern, who was tied for the lead after one round, followed up Tuesday’s 68 at Hillcrest Country Club with a 5-under-par 66 at Warm Springs Golf Club.

Fern’s 134 total gives him a six-stroke edge over Clay Ogden of Westpoint, Utah, heading into today’s final round. First-round co-leader Nick Becker of Boise shot 73 to fall into a three-way tie for third place.

“I have two goals for tomorrow,” Fern said. “The first is to focus on my game. The second is to stay away from the trouble spots on the golf course.”

Marty Nauert of Central Valley shot a 75 and is tied for 31st at 151. Alex Prugh of Ferris is at 154 after a second-round 73.

American Legion baseball

George Bell went 4 for 4, with three runs batted in and one run, to lead the Northwest Athletic Blue Devils (4-0) to a 9-7 win over the Silver Lanes Bandits in Senior play at Gonzaga University. Joel Evans added two RBIs and 2-for-3 hitting for the Blue Devils. Kenny Florence of the Bandits (0-4) went 2 for 4 with two RBIs.