Quick hits
Classroom champions
The WIAA has announced the spring academic champions, and the Spokane area is well represented.
The only 4A program honored was Ferris High’s girls track team (3.817 grade point average). In the 2A ranks, Medical Lake’s baseball team (3.654), Chewelah’s boys golf team (3.810) and Pullman’s boys tennis team (3.570) were all honored. In the 1A ranks, Colfax’s girls track team (3.780) and Kettle Falls’ softball team (3.740) were named. At the B level, St. George’s girls tennis (3.631) was honored.
The awards are given to the team with the highest average team GPA from the previous grading period.
Republic loses key player
If Republic, the top seed from the District 7 B baseball tournament, is going to survive the first two rounds of the state tournament this weekend, it will have to do it without an all-Panorama selection. Center fielder Adam Hancock was involved in a collision at first base in Monday’s district tournament that left him with a ruptured spleen, which was removed that night. Hancock is expected to be in the hospital a couple of more days, according to Republic head coach Ted Torzewski.
“He’s doing OK,” Torzewski said. “He was kind of one of our studs, hitting almost .500, and when the ball got hit out there (to him), it was an out.”
Republic plays Asotin at 10 a.m. Saturday at Mead High School, with the winner playing the Northport/Pateros winner for a final four spot.
Around the leagues
Great Northern: If Pullman and Lakeside are to repeat last year’s feat of two GNL teams in the state baseball semifinals, they’ll have to weather some tough CWAC foes this weekend. Lakeside (14-9), led at the district tournament by six hits by Cody Reeves, and a win and a state-clinching save from Tony Smith, opens with CWAC No. 4 Quincy (11-10-1) at Parker Field in Yakima at 10 a.m. If the Eagles win, they’d likely face the CWAC’s top seed, Ephrata (21-3).
Pullman (17-6), which swept its way through the district tournament behind six hits from Chris Snyder and a pair of wins by Ryan Druffel, opens with Naches Valley (19-4) at University High at 1 p.m. The Rangers are the third seed out of the CWAC. With a win, the Greyhounds would likely face East Valley-Yakima (20-3), the CWAC’s No. 2 team.
This afternoon’s softball semifinals will put the winner just a Saturday win away from the State 2A tournament, with Pullman (13-8) visiting Medical Lake (16-5) and Chewelah (14-7) at Colville (15-0).
Northeast A: It’s a busy week in the NEA. Newport (21-0) baseball opens the State 1A tournament Saturday in a 1 p.m. matchup in Wenatchee against Cle Elum, District 5’s fourth seed. Meanwhile, Colfax, the NEA and District 7’s No. 2 seed, plays Warden, District 5’s No. 2, at 10 a.m. at Moses Lake. … District softball play begins Saturday at Colfax, with No. 1 Colfax taking on Newport and No. 2 Kettle Falls playing No. 3 Freeman.
State B baseball: Five local teams open the state tournament at three sites Saturday, needing to win two to make the state semifinals next weekend in Yakima.
Republic (22-4), the top seed from District 7, is facing a little adversity (see above), but has won seven straight, all wins by Zach or Derek Gianukakis. Lind-Ritzville (18-3) opens with La Salle of Union Gap at Davis High in Yakima, with the winner facing the Orcas Island/Liberty Christian winner. Northport (18-5) finished fourth at the District 7 tournament after winning the Panorama title, and it opens with the top seed from District 6, Pateros, at Mead in the same four-team bracket with Republic and Asotin.
Nine of the last 10 state B semifinals have included a District 7 team, but the district hasn’t had a title since the 1982-83 Republic teams. Since then, it’s become DeSales and everybody else, as the Irish have won 13 of 14 state titles.
District 7 B softball: The district tournament continues Saturday at Kettle Falls, with four state tournament berths on the line. Selkirk (16-5), Liberty (18-6), Inchelium (19-1), Odessa (21-2) and Curlew (17-4), all state tournament teams last year, return to the district tournament. Inchelium and Selkirk are the Panorama’s top two seeds and Davenport (19-5) and Odessa earned the Bi-County’s top two.
District 9 B softball: Colton (17-1), the only Whitman County team to make the state tournament last year, is a win away Saturday in Pasco from another trip. The Wildcats knocked off Prescott in the opening round Tuesday. Asotin (11-13), Tekoa-Oakesdale/Rosalia (13-8) and Garfield-Palouse (15-8) all lost and will have to win three games to earn the third berth from District 9.