A Grip on Sports: It seems like a good day to cover a bunch of subjects as varied as rain, transfers, playoffs and disappearing sports

A GRIP ON SPORTS • It’s the middle of the workweek. There is more than enough going on, including many friends and neighbors training for Bloomsday, so let’s get right to it. And see how many miles we can cover this morning.

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• No, we’re not running (or walking or being pushed) Sunday. And, no, the rain in the forecast has nothing to do with it. Other aspects of life will intervene, which isn’t a bad thing. For those of you training and looking forward to the morning as if it’s Christmas in May, don’t worry. Don Kardong still has enough pull to make sure the showers are over before you start to line up. Or maybe he will be handing out umbrellas before the gun goes off.

• If you want to run, how about running to the TV set tonight to watch the M’s play? Or should I type “the first-place Seattle Mariners” as long as I can?

After all, if the injuries continue – Dylan Moore, he of the hot bat, is the latest to be added to the injured list – there might not be enough Mariners to compete.

Even last night’s starting pitcher, Bryce Miller, admitted after a five-inning, no-runs-allowed stint, he wasn’t 100%. He said he has been dealing with a tight back, and it manifested itself in some command and velocity issues.

Yet, five scoreless innings. In a 5-3 home win over the Angels.

As long as Jorge Polanco – two home runs, five RBI – and Andrés Muñoz – 11th save in 11 chances – continue to stay healthy, at least there is still hope.

• Yes, it is April. The last day of the month whose showers are responsible for May’s flowers. But it’s still college basketball season. In a way. An important way.

We see it from Pullman, where David Riley seems to be rebuilding his roster with an eye on positionless players. All of whom look to be long and strong, the type of players who allow the team to switch everything and cause havoc on opposing offenses. And are fun to watch.

We see it at Gonzaga as well, where the transfer watch is starting to put the Zag faithful to sleep. They are not alone, in that regard, not even among their conference’s fans. The school that won the regular season title, Saint Mary’s, has also yet to sign a transfer, even though the Gaels’ portal losses – guard Jordan Ross, to Georgia – were more significant than GU’s.

• Speaking of Saint Mary’s transfers, former Gael Aidan Mahaney, who left before last season for defending national champion UConn, has found his third collegiate “home.” The guard returns to California for his final season, joining a UC Santa Barbara program that has fallen in the Big West’s hierarchy recently.

Mahaney was a star for the Gaels. Had a long-time relationship with coach Randy Bennett. And still bolted for a higher-profile, and better-financed, program. Then basically disappeared, hardly playing the second half of the season.

What’s that old saw about money and happiness?

• The Chiefs are back in action tonight in Portland, trying to extend their Spokane-built 2-0 lead against the Winterhawks. A road win tonight and the WHL’s Western Conference finals would be this close to being over.

Lethbridge was in the same position in the East on Tuesday night and seemed to be well on the way to earning the near-insurmountable lead against host Medicine Hat. The Hurricanes held a 3-0 lead early in the second period and led 5-3 in the third. But the Tigers, trailing 6-5 with 70 seconds left, scored to tie it and won early in overtime on Oasiz Wiesblatt’s goal.

• Sometimes change is dramatic. Easy to spot. Historic. Other times it has a slower, more evolutionary beat. As will be the case concerning Olympic sports among the soon-to-be homes of college athletics’ rich kids on the block.

Those schools who want to run with them, but really can’t afford it, will start cutting expenses in other areas.

Case in point, Tuesday’s decapitation of Utah’s beach volleyball program. The Utes just posted their best season ever in the sport. But they didn’t do it in the now-decimated Pac-12, a place where 75% of the schools offered it. Nope. It came in the Big 12, where only four (of 16) do.

And, as athletic director Mark Harlan pointed out, only a dozen power conference schools now play the sport. With little in the way of momentum for more. So beach volleyball in Salt Lake City is toast. And the scholarship money headed for other female programs.

This is how the non-revenue sports die folks. Not with a bang, not with a whimper. But by just disappearing. One school, one program at a time.   

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WSU: The football season is racing closer, with this week’s announcement of the Cougars’ home start times and TV coverage. Just how will be attending a Gesa Field game be different in the late summer and fall? Greg Woods asked athletic director Anne McCoy about the Martin Stadium fan experience and she said it would be improved. Though she did not go into specifics. There is really only one change that most fans care about, right? When will there be beer sold in the stadium? It’s 2025 for goodness sake. … As we linked above (and here too), Greg profiles the newest men’s basketball addition, 6-foot-8 Texas Tech transfer wing Eemeli Yalaho and examines how he fits in withing Riley’s changing roster. … Elsewhere in the (current, old and future) Pac-12 and the nation, we linked Jon Wilner’s thoughts on the media deal when it ran in the Mercury News yesterday. We link it again today on the S-R site. … Washington is still plying through spring practice. … So is Oregon. … Stanford has added a quarterback who played at Oregon State. … USC has parted ways with its strength and conditioning leader. … UCLA is trying to put together a competent defensive line. … What does the transfer portal reveal about Arizona State? … What did the NFL draft say about Arizona? … And, finally, what did the contract extension say about Boise State and coach Spencer Danielson? … San Diego State added an offensive lineman from Washington. … How does the media deal for next season impact the schools joining in 2026? … In basketball news, there have been a lot of additions to the Washington men’s roster. There has also been a recent subtraction. … Oregon State is rebuilding its roster with more additions this week. … Colorado had depth problems last season. It is trying to fix that. … Arizona may have depth issues next season thanks to the NBA draft. … The Oregon State women have been adding to their collection of Australian players. … Arizona is finishing up its new staff.

Gonzaga: Yes, there is a really early bracket projection available from ESPN’s Joe Lunardi. Jim Meehan tells us he has the Zags as a sixth seed and the WCC’s lone representative. … Elsewhere in the WCC, Santa Clara product Brandin Podziemski credits his time with the Broncos for his recent NBA success.

EWU and Idaho: Around the Big Sky, Lunardi’s first projection picks the Vandals to win the conference’s automatic berth. … Sacramento State, what with the addition of Shaquille O’Neal as general manager along with Mike Bibby as head coach, will have something to say about that. As long as the high-profile transfers – the latest is former prep wunderkind Mikey Williams – can play together. … Montana State is betting on a transfer who is moving up a level. … In football news, former Montana State quarterback Tommy Mellott talks about being drafted by the Raiders. … Idaho State wasn’t hit that hard by the portal.

Preps: Cheryl Nichols has the roundup of Tuesday action from softball, baseball, boys soccer and tennis. … Girls flag football is a sanctioned sport in the state. The Seahawks lent a lot of support to make that a reality.

Chiefs: We mentioned the Chiefs’ assignment tonight in Portland above. And linked Dave Nichols’ preview of the game. We link it here too just in case.

Indians: Dave also has this coverage of Spokane’s never-in-it 7-1 loss at Tri-City.

Mariners: Polanco has been red hot. He’s hitting .392, his OPS is better than 1.200 and has 25 RBI in 78 plate appearances. The now-designated hitter – he’s banged up just enough to keep him out of the defensive lineup – is carrying the offense. … We linked the story on Moore’s injury above. And here too. … The four-homer game. Rarer than a perfect one. And, yet, underappreciated. Discuss. This story does. … Muñoz is a cat lover. And he’s helping them.

Seahawks: What will the 53-man roster look like? The depth chart? It’s too early to tell for sure but, hey, that hasn’t stopped anyone before. … The draft did reveal a lot about the franchise’s goals and direction. … With few options, the Hawks re-signed a veteran nose tackle.

Kraken: The PWHL is coming to Seattle. For the 2025-26 season. The league announced the news Wednesday. The Kraken will help make it happen.

Sounders: Jordan Morris is still recovering from his injury.

Horse racing: Racehorses have interesting names. We can offer this ranking of those attached to this year’s Kentucky Derby hopefuls.

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• It really won’t rain on the Bloomsday crowds, will it? It has before, sure, but it’s such an institution these days, it should be immune. Then again, there is that one bible verse about rain falling on the just and unjust alike. When you gather 30,000 people in one place, there is sure to be both types. Until later …