Northwest Notes: Aug. 27, 2014
Press fall sports preview to publish Thursday
This is not just a football tab, folks.
Sure, the Press' annual fall sports special section will preview the area's high school football teams.
But it will also have previews on the area's high school volleyball, boys and girls soccer, cross country and swimming teams, as well as the North Idaho College volleyball and men's and women's soccer teams.
Look for the special section in Thursday's newspaper.
Motum signs with Utah Jazz
Former Washington State men's basketball standout Brock Motum has signed with the Utah Jazz as a free agent, the organization announced. Per team policy, financial terms were not released.
Motum (6-foot-10, 245 pounds) spent the 2013-14 season with the Granarolo Bologna of the Italian SerieA League, averaging 8.3 points and 3.3 rebounds while shooting 50.6 percent from the field. He also participated in the 2014 NBA Summer League with the Jazz in Las Vegas, where he appeared in five games and averaged 8.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.
Spokane to host 2015 all-star game between Northwest, Pioneer leagues
SPOKANE - The Spokane Indians announced that the 2015 All-Star Game will be hosted at Avista Stadium on Tuesday, Aug. 4.
The game will mark the fourth time the NWL has held the midsummer classic, and the second that Spokane has played the host. But in 2015, a historic new twist is being added to the mix.
The all-star game will pit the top talent from the eight-team Northwest League against the best players from the eight-team Pioneer League. In all, 14 Major League Baseball franchises will be represented in the first meeting between the two leagues.
The Northwest League will feature players from Spokane, Everett, Tri-City, Vancouver, Boise, Eugene, Hillsboro and Salem-Keizer. The Pioneer League features: Billings, Missoula, Great Falls, Helena, Grand Junction, Ogden, Idaho Falls and Orem.
Spokane hosted the all-star game in 2004 as part of the NWL's 50th anniversary, and it wasn't until 2013 the annual game returned.
In this year's all-star game, at PK Park in Eugene, two teams of Northwest League all-stars played to a 10-inning scoreless tie.
Indians, Rangers extend player development contract
The Spokane Indians announced the team has reached an agreement to extend the player development contract with their Major League affiliate, the Texas Rangers, for two more years.
The contract will be for the 2015 and 2016 seasons.
The Indians originally became a Rangers' affiliate in 2003. Since the teams have partnered, Spokane has won three Northwest League Championships (2003, 2005 and 2008).
There have been 42 Indians to make the major leagues since the affiliation began.
Ivie named boys basketball coach at Priest River High
Nick Ivie, the sports writer of the Priest River Times, has been named boys basketball coach at Priest River High, replacing Heath Hartwig, who resigned after one season.
Ivie, a 2002 graduate of Priest River, has worked at The Times since 2007, and coached at the junior high level last season.
Priest River finished 1-20 last season, 0-6 in the Intermountain League.