NORTHWEST NOTES
WSU to play seven home football games four times over next five seasons
PULLMAN — Washington State football has completed its nonconference schedule through the 2021 season and it will have the Cougars playing seven home games in four of the next five years, WSU athletic director Bill Moos announced.
The Cougars have signed contracts with New Mexico State, Northern Colorado, Eastern Washington, Idaho and Portland State, to lock up the nonconference portion through the 2021 season.
Counting the 2017 nonconference, which was announced previously, the Cougars will play seven games in Martin Stadium in four of the next five seasons. WSU’s future nonconference schedules include:
- 2017 – Sept. 2 vs. Montana State (Pullman); Sept. 9 vs. Boise State (Pullman); Sept. 23 vs. Nevada (Pullman)
- 2018 – Sept. 1 at Wyoming; Sept. 8 vs. San Jose State (Pullman); Sept. 15 vs. Eastern Washington (Pullman)
- 2019 – Aug. 31 vs. New Mexico State (Pullman); Sept. 7 vs. Northern Colorado (Pullman); Sept. 14 at Houston
- 2020 – Sept. 5 at Utah State; Sept. 12 vs. Houston (Pullman); Sept. 19 vs. Idaho (Pullman)
- 2021 – Sept. 4 vs. Utah State (Pullman); Sept. 11 vs. Portland State (Pullman); Oct. 23 vs. BYU (Pullman)
In addition to the games through 2021, the Cougars have scheduled home-and-home contests with the following opponents:
- Wisconsin (Sept. 10, 2022 in Madison; Sept. 9, 2023 in Pullman);
- San Diego State (Sept. 7, 2024 in San Diego; Sept. 6, 2025 in Pullman);
- Kansas State (Sept. 12, 2026 in Manhattan; Sept. 8, 2029 in Pullman)
Two Gonzaga pitchers taken
on second day of draft
A pair of star Gonzaga pitchers heard their names called on day two of the 2017 MLB First Year Player Draft on Tuesday.
Senior reliever Wyatt Mills was selected in the third round and 83rd overall pick by the Seattle Mariners, and junior starter Eli Morgan went in the eighth round and 252nd overall to the Cleveland Indians.
Mills worked his way into one of the best closers in the nation during his four years at Gonzaga. This season, the Spokane native posted a 1.79 ERA and minuscule 58/4 strikeout/walk ratio while saving 12 games for the Bulldogs, second-most in a single season in program history. He’s also second in school history with 21 career saves, two coming as a sophomore and seven last year when he first took over as closer. Mills allowed just eight earned runs in 2017, and he finished the season not having allowed a walk in 12 outings and 26.0 innings (since April 2), striking out 40 batters during the stretch. Last year, Mills was drafted in the 17th round by Tampa Bay but opted to return for Gonzaga for a chance to win another WCC title, a goal he helped the Zags achieve by pitching 3.2 scoreless innings and striking out five for the save against BYU May 20.
Morgan earned second team All-America honors from Collegiate Baseball after one of the best seasons by a Gonzaga starter in recent history. Morgan struck out 138 batters as a junior, second-most in program records and third-most in the country after the West Coast Conference Championships. He twice fanned 15 batters this year — one of only four pitchers in the nation with multiple 15-K games – and was four outs away from a perfect game March 17 against Pacific, retiring the first 23 batters he faced and allowing just one hit in nine scoreless innings. In all, Morgan went 10-2 and ranks among GU’s career top three in winning percentage (second; 21-5, .808) and strikeouts (third; 281). In addition to All-America honors, Morgan earned first team All-WCC accolades.
The 2017 MLB First Year Player Draft will end today with rounds 11-40. Selections will begin at 9 a.m. Pacific.
L-C State’s Brogdon selected
by Phillies in 10th round
Connor Brogdon, a 6-foot- senior right-handed pitcher, became only the eighth Lewis-Clark State College baseball player to be drafted in the 10th round or lower since 1999 when the Philadelphia Phillies selected him in the 10th round in the 2017 Major League Baseball draft on Tuesday.
Brogdon was the 293rd pick in the draft and the fourth NAIA player selected overall.