Although shorthanded, Indians open camp today

The “mini” part of minicamp will be apparent when the Spokane Indians begin their eight-day practice schedule today at Avista Stadium.

The Indians expect to be limited to12 players when second-year manager Darryl Kennedy gathers the team for a 10 a.m. meeting. On-field baseball drills should last from 10:30 to 2 p.m.

The small turnout can be attributed to the lateness of the college baseball season and amateur draft. Major League teams completed drafting Tuesday and are hurriedly signing first-year players for rookie and short-season Class A leagues such as Spokane’s Northwest League.

Spokane’s parent team, the Texas Rangers, should start sending draftees to Spokane by this weekend.

Most minicamp practices will start at 10 a.m. The workouts are free and open to the public.

Spokane, the defending NWL champion, opens the season June 18 with a three-game set at Boise. The Indians’ home-opening series is June 21-25 against defending West Division champion Salem-Keizer.

College administration

Former Eastern Washington University director of athletics John Johnson has been hired as senior associate athletics director at Washington State University, WSU director of athletics Jim Sterk announced.

Johnson will oversee WSU’s athletic foundation operations and coordinate the external administrative areas.

Johnson has served as Weber State University’s director of athletics since 1997. The EWU graduate served at Eastern from 1993-97.

Sterk said raising money for student-athlete scholarships will be high on Johnson’s agenda. Johnson will begin his new job in July.

Hockey

Former Spokane Chiefs goaltender Barry Brust signed a professional contract with the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League, the Chiefs announced.

Terms of the three-year, entry-level contract were not disclosed.

Brust is the Chiefs’ all-time leader in games played as a goaltender (162) and minutes played (9,207). The Westbank, British Columbia, native was traded last season to the Calgary Hitmen and finished his four-year Western Hockey League career with 10,655 minutes played, 13th on the all-time list.

Brust, 20, was named the Chiefs’ player of the year in 2002, when he set a franchise record with a 2.58 goals-allowed average and a save percentage of .912. Brust’s 64 career wins are third on Spokane’s list.

Brust was a third-round selection of the Minnesota Wild in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. Brust became an unrestricted free agent, able to sign with any NHL team, when he and the Wild didn’t reach an agreement by June 1.

Softball

University High’s Jessica Keeton accepted a scholarship to play at North Idaho College, Cardinals coach Don Don Williams announced.

“I am confident Jessica will help contribute to the success of our program,” Williams said. “I am looking forward to having her on our team.”

Keeton was a first-team, all-Greater Spokane League catcher when the Titans won the State 4A title in 2003. Keeton was selected an all-GSL honorable mention this year.

Track and field

Rain and lightning wiped out nearly all of the opening day of competition at the NCAA championships in Austin, Texas.

Fans and competitors were evacuated from Mike A. Meyers Stadium three times because of lightning nearby, and a constant — often heavy — rain drenched the track and those trying to compete there.

With lightning flashing all around and the infield a virtual marsh, all but a few of the day’s events were called off about 7:45 p.m. CDT.

Only the preliminaries of the women’s 400-meter relay and one event of the heptathlon were completed. The NCAA was going to attempt to complete the women’s javelin qualifying and two more heptathlon events — the high jump and shot put. No area athletes were entered in those events.

Before the meet, Idaho senior Jan Eitel withdrew from the men’s 3,000 steeplechase because of a strained calf muscle suffered at the Big West Conference championships.

Eitel had the nation’s 11th-fastest time in the event this season. He completes his Vandals career with the second-best 3,000 steeplechase (8:43.91) in school history.