Northwest Notes

St. Maries grad Turner to

play baseball at Williston State

WILLISTON, N.D. - Outfielder D.J. Turner, who hit .417 this season as a senior at St. Maries High, has committed to play baseball at NAIA Williston State, Teton coach Shawn Cote announced.

Turner had two home runs, 28 RBIs, 30 hits, 29 runs scored and six assists for the Lumberjacks this season.

"It has been my dream to play college baseball ever since I could walk, and I cannot thank coach Cote and the rest of WSC enough for giving me this opportunity," Turner said in a school news release.

"DJ is a very athletic player that will help us add depth to our outfield," Cote said. "We graduated six outfielders this year so he definitely will help fill the void."

Turner plans to major in kinesiology.

Interim commish Hurd

named WAC commissioner

DENVER - The Western Athletic Conference announced Jeff Hurd as its commissioner, effective immediately.

The appointment came following the conclusion of the summer meeting of the conference's board of directors. Hurd had served as the league's interim commissioner since March 2012.

Hurd, who becomes the sixth commissioner in the WAC's 51-year history, joined the WAC staff in August 1985, and has served in various capacities during his tenure. He was the conference's senior associate commissioner prior to being named to replace former commissioner Karl Benson on an interim basis.

Hurd also spent seven years as the director of public relations for the Missouri Valley Conference and three years as sports information director at the University of Tulsa.

Hurd is a graduate of the University of Missouri's School of Journalism.

The WAC becomes a nine-member conference effective July 1, when it welcomes the addition of six new institutions to current members Idaho, New Mexico State and Seattle University. The new members are Cal State Bakersfield, Chicago State, Grand Canyon University, the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Texas-Pan American and Utah Valley University.

Whitworth AD leaving

to return to Illinois State

SPOKANE - Aaron Leetch announced he is stepping down as Whitworth University athletic director to return to Illinois State, and President Beck Taylor has named longtime staff and faculty member Melinda Larson as the Pirates' interim AD.

Leetch served Whitworth as AD for two years. He oversaw the completion of three key facility upgrades: the renovated baseball facility - including the addition of a FieldTurf infield, the Aquatic Center locker rooms and the resurfacing of Boppell Track.

Larson has served Whitworth for 18 years and leads the Pirates' award-winning sports medicine department as head athletic trainer and associate professor.

Larson will begin her duties immediately and the process and timeline for selecting Leetch's ongoing replacement is still to be determined.