Shock trade backup QBs with Battle Wings

The Spokane Shock made a move Monday to change backup quarterbacks.

Brian Zbydniewski was traded to the Bossier Shreveport Battle Wings for Kyle Rowley.

Rowley, a 6-foot, 195-pounder from Brown University, is a four-year veteran of the af2. He started the first three games for the Manchester Wolves this season before his rights were traded to the Battle Wings last week.

With Manchester, Rowley completed 61 percent of his passes for 555 yards and 14 touchdowns.

With an injury-shortened 2005 season, Rowley started 12 games for the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Pioneers, throwing for 48 touchdowns. In 2004, he started all 16 games for the Columbus Wardogs, throwing for 4,169 yards and 79 touchdowns, with 14 interceptions, while rushing for eight touchdowns.

“Rowley has a solid resume of experience and he should be an excellent addition to our team,” Shock coach Chris Siegfried said.

Rowley will not join the Shock in time to play in Friday’s game at Everett. He will, however, be eligible to play in the next game, May 20, against the Central Valley Coyotes in Fresno, Calif.

Alex Neist has been the Shock starting quarterback. Derrick Crudup from Miami (Fla.) was signed last week.

Baseball

Washington State hit four home runs during a five-run eighth inning as the Cougars rallied to defeat Utah Valley State 6-5 in a non-conference game Monday afternoon at Bailey-Brayton Field in Pullman.

Travis Coulter opened the decisive inning with a home run, Jim Murphy delivered his team-leading seventh homer, a two-run shot, to draw WSU even at 4-4, and Jeff Miller and Zach McAngus added solo shots.

Utah Valley State (16-34) threatened in the top of the ninth, putting runners at second and third with one out before Josh Williamson, the third Cougars pitcher of the inning, recorded two outs to collect his first save and earn WSU (31-17) a 2-1 series win.

Softball

Region 18 tournament champion North Idaho College landed four players on the first team and two on the second when the All-Region 18 team was announced Monday.

Pitcher Kelcey Cavan, the most valuable player of the Region 18 tournament, was joined on the first team by pitcher Melodee Mildenberger, second baseman Christine Shollenberger from University High School and first baseman Spring Montgomery from East Valley. Cavan is a freshman, the others sophomores.

On the second team were freshman shortstop Angie Boardman of U-Hi and sophomore outfielder Michelle St. John.

NIC will take a 34-18 record into its first national tournament appearance May 18-20 in Plant City, Fla.

Golf

Washington State senior Ryan Witz has received an at-large invitation to compete as an individual at the NCAA Division I men’s West Regional in Tucson, Ariz., May 18-20.

It will be the first NCAA appearance for Witz, an All-Pac-10 honorable mention selection who had five top-10 finishes this spring, including one victory. He’ll be the first Cougars player to compete in the regional since 2002.

Tennis

Ekaterina Burduli, a Washington State sophomore from Tel Aviv, Israel, who had 25 singles victories this season, was named honorable mention for a second straight year on the All-Pac-10 women’s team.

Basketball

Hoopfest, the world’s largest 3-on-3 street tournament, has chosen Gonzaga University All-American Adam Morrison as the face of its 2006 poster.

Morrison, the former Mead star who announced he was leaving GU following his junior season to enter the NBA draft, becomes the fourth Bulldogs player to adorn the Hoopfest poster, which is to be unveiled at a press conference this morning.

Posters will be made available to the general public starting Wednesday.