Coaches tab Whitworth for third

Northwest Conference football coaches have predicted that the Whitworth Pirates will finish third this season.

For the first time in nine years, Linfield was not chosen as the preseason favorite as defending champion Willamette took that honor.

Following Whitworth in the poll are Pacific Lutheran, Menlo, Puget Sound and Lewis & Clark.

Baseball

The Spokane RiverHawks were knocked out of the postseason picture in the West Coast League after the Kelowna Falcons defeated the visiting Wenatchee AppleSox Tuesday night.

Those two teams will meet in the East Division finals.

Spokane plays at Moses Lake tonight before wrapping up its season with three games against Wenatchee at Avista Stadium, beginning Friday.

Women’s soccer

The University of Idaho was picked to finish eighth in the Western Athletic Conference coaches poll.

Utah State was picked as the favorite.

•Gonzaga has been selected to finish sixth in the West Coast Conference coaches poll.

Portland is the preseason favorite.

Volleyball

Gonzaga has been picked in a coaches poll to finish tied for seventh in the upcoming WCC season.

Defending champion San Diego was picked to win again.