Quick hits
LOOKING AHEAD
The spring playoffs are in full bloom, with only May showers getting in the way.
Track and field hits the ground running today and Friday with the 4A and 3A district meets at University High. The 3A baseball regional with the Mid-Valley League is already into its second round with two of the three Greater Spokane League schools winning their first-round games. The 4A district baseball tournament started Wednesday at Avista Stadium. Softball begins this afternoon at Whitworth College. Golf is deciding its eight state participants in each gender while tennis will have its regional participants decided by Friday.
Rain willing.
GSL games of interest
Softball
Today, Mead (17-3) vs. Gonzaga Prep (12-8), 3 p.m.; Mt. Spokane (16-4) vs. Central Valley (13-7), 5 p.m., Whitworth
The winners earn a spot in next weekend’s 4A regional with the Big Nine. The losers are out. The GSL had its most balanced season, so anything can happen. The district playoffs continue Friday and finish Tuesday, with those days’ games deciding seeding.
Saturday, North Central (10-9) vs. East Valley (8-12), noon; West Valley (6-14) vs. Clarkston (6-14), 2 p.m., University High
Four 3A teams play to eliminate one (the loser of the Clarkston vs. WV game). The other three teams are playing for regional seeding.
Baseball
Friday, Shadle Park vs. highest remaining seed from Wednesday, 4 p.m.; Mt. Spokane vs. lowest-remaining seed from Wednesday, 7 p.m., Avista Stadium
Saturday, Friday losers and winners play 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Friday’s games begin the double-elimination portion of the District 8 4A tournament that qualifies two teams to state openers. Winners play for the district title. On Tuesday the two remaining teams play for the second state berth.
Boys soccer
Saturday, Mt. Spokane at Pasco, 1 p.m.; Wenatchee at Central Valley, 6 p.m.
The two GSL schools are making their first State 4A appearances on Saturday. Because of district outcomes, both the GSL and Big Nine second-place league finishers are the hosts. Also, Cheney is hosting WV-Yakima for the second State 3A berth.
Track
The 4A and 3A District 8 meet at U-Hi will start today and finish Friday, with most finals on the second day.
LOOKING AROUND
The 4A regional softball tournament with the Big Nine is next weekend. There will be four GSL schools and four Big Nine schools. Where it will be is still undecided. If Eastmont is one of the four Big Nine schools, the regional will be held at Sterling Park in East Wenatchee. If Eastmont (11-9) doesn’t advance from district, the regional will be at TRAC in Pasco. … There were a couple of notable track performances in the state last week, highlighted by Bellarmine Prep distance star Brie Felnagle. A week after losing to Becca Noble of Rogers in the 800-meter run, Felnagle ran laps of 71.4 seconds, 73.1, 71.3 and 65.1 – which adds up to 4:40.9 for the 1,600, tying the state all-time best established by Issaquah’s Deanna Coleman in 1978. Noble and Felnagle are chasing Coleman’s 800 record of 2:04.7. Junior Whitney Hooks of Cascade-Everett threw the shot put 48 feet, 5¾ inches, which is No. 3 all-time in the state. Prosser’s Nectaly Barbosa ran the 800 in 1:50.7, which is fifth all-time.