Quick hits

Heather Bowman, MVP of the State 4A girls basketball tournament for champion Lewis and Clark, will play in the 13th Annual Les Schwab Northwest Shootout.

The Shootout includes girls and boys all-star games played between senior basketball players from Washington and Oregon. It will be played April 2 at the University of Portland’s Chiles Center.

Oregon has won nine of the previous 12 boys games. The girls are tied at six apiece.

Bowman, a member of four Tigers state-qualifying teams, three of them placers, finished her career with a record 1,564 points.

Volleyball concept on hold

The 2006 WIAA Dairy Farmers of Washington State Volleyball tournaments won’t be in the Tacoma Dome.

A story in The News Tribune in Tacoma said a “major act” was booked into the Dome that will displace the all-classification tourney.

According to a press release from WIAA, Everett, Spokane, Yakima and the Tri-Cities have agreed to host the tournaments next year.

Traveling team

An on-going drainage problem on its baseball field has forced Ferris to adopt a home schedule that includes several different sites.

“It’s day by day,” said Ferris activities coordinator Bob Crabb of the locations.

The Saxons played Tuesday at Whitworth. Today and tomorrow, games will be at Gonzaga Prep. Crabb has also contacted Avista Stadium, Eastern Washington University and Community Colleges of Spokane about availability.

“We’ve always had a drainage problem at Ferris,” said Crabb. “They’re going to dig out the bad spot in center field. We hope we’re on it after spring break. Whether we are, I don’t know.”

Two triple plays

Softball, a sport noted for pitching no-hitters and double-digit strikeouts, rarely is acclaimed for its defensive gems. But on successive days this week Greater Spokane League teams recorded triple plays.

Mead turned one on Monday against University, and Cheney backed that Tuesday with one against East Valley.

Around the area

Great Northern: The baseball outlook in the GNL begins with Pullman, as the Greyhounds started four juniors and two sophomores in their State 2A championship win, 7-3 over Lakewood. Four of those players made the GNL all-league team. Chewelah finished fourth at the state tournament, but has to replace a pair of first-team starting pitchers, including league MVP A.J. Proszek. In softball, Colville, undefeated in league last year, will begin this season with a new head coach, and will look for someone to help replace the void left by league MVP Melissa Rice, now pitching at Oregon. The Indians still return a handful of all-leaguers, as do Chewelah and Medical Lake.

Northeast A: Spring has sprung in the NEA, as 2005 state runner-up Newport began its baseball season with a 9-0 win over Idaho 3A Timberlake on Tuesday. Last year’s league softball champion, Freeman – which made the consolation semifinals in the State 1A tournament – split a doubleheader with 2A Medical Lake Monday. League play doesn’t kick into gear until April.

Bi-County: Lind-Ritzville baseball returns two first-team all-leaguers from last year’s undefeated Bi-Co champs and fourth-place state finisher. Liberty’s softball team advanced the furthest from the Bi-Co, making the consolation quarterfinals and going 2-2 at the State B tournament.

Panorama: Northport graduated only three seniors from its third-place state baseball finisher, and looks to repeat as champions after tying atop the league with Republic last year. A pair of softball teams return a load of players from state qualifiers, as Inchelium (1-2 at state with three seniors) and Curlew (1-2 with two seniors) have a great chance to improve on last year’s finish. Those two teams meet Tuesday at 1 p.m. in a doubleheader in Curlew.

Whitman County: Baseball and softball teams have another week of non-league games scheduled before kicking off league play March 31. Reigning WCL champion Asotin and second-place Colton both earned State B baseball berths in 2005. … Colton will try to defend its WCL softball title and return to state, where it lost to Mossyrock in the quarterfinals. St. John-Endicott, which cancelled the second half of its league schedule last year because of lack of players, appears to be back with a full schedule.