No headline
Indians to send five
to All-Star Game
The Northwest League announced on Wednesday that five Spokane Indians have been selected to represent the Northwest League against the Pioneer League in the All-Star Game at Memorial Stadium next Tuesday.
Designated hitter Blaine Crim, catcher David Garcia, relief pitcher Daniel Robert, outfielder Kellen Strahm, and starting pitcher Ricky Vanasco were all chosen to represent Spokane in the mid-summer classic. Crim will start as the Northwest League’s designated hitter.
This is the second-consecutive season that the Indians have had five All-Star representatives. The past two seasons have been the most selections since 2014 when eight Indians were named NWL All-Stars. The five selections this season are tied with the Hillsboro Hops for the most representatives from a single team.
Eastern quarterback Barriere named
to Payton Award watch list
The Eastern Washington University football program knows a thing or two about the Walter Payton Award.
Junior quarterback Eric Barriere has been selected by STATS as one of 25 players in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision to be selected to the Walter Payton Award Watch List, announced Wednesday.
Barriere took over as EWU’s starter midway through the 2018 season and helped lead the Eagles to the cusp of the NCAA Division I title, going 8-1 as a starter before EWU fell in the title game. He passed for 24 touchdowns and rushed for another eight in a total of 14 games played as a sophomore.
He is joined on this year’s watch list by fellow Big Sky Conference players Troy Andersen (Montana State), Case Cookus (Northern Arizona), Jake Maier (UC Davis) and Charlie Taumoepeau (Portland State). The Eagles don’t play MSU or UC Davis in the regular season, but will host Northern Arizona on Nov. 2 and Portland State three weeks later.
Also on the list were a pair of players from Jacksonville State, which EWU plays on Sept. 14 at Jacksonville, Ala.
Junior quarterback Zerrick Cooper passed for JSU school records of 3,416 yards and 32 touchdowns in 2018, and senior wide receiver Josh Pearson was the FCS co-leader and set the school record with 17 touchdown receptions in 2018. Both players were first team All-Ohio Valley Conference performers last season.
Eastern has previously had three Walter Payton Award Winners — wide receiver Cooper Kupp in 2015, quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell in 2011 and quarterback Erik Meyer in 2005. The Eagles are the only FCS program with three Payton winners since 2000.
Castle named interim coach
of Whitworth softball
Bob Castle, a former Whitworth assistant softball coach and a former Assistant Athletics Director, will take over as interim head softball coach through the completion of the 2020 schedule, according Whitworth athletic director Tim Demant. Jamie Brunner, a former Pirate player and All-NWC honoree, will continue as an assistant coach.
“We are excited to have people of the caliber of Bob Castle and Jamie Brunner who are willing and able to step into this leadership role on short notice and guide our team into this season,” Demant said. “They desire to impact the lives of our student-athletes, which is so much a part of the mission and vision of Whitworth University and our athletics department. They also possess the experience and expertise to continue our pursuit of championships.”
Castle was an assistant coach for previous head coach Cristal Brown from 2015 through 2018. Brown was hired at Idaho State on Monday. During that time he was part of three consecutive Northwest Conference titles (2015, 2016, 2017). Castle also worked as a softball umpire for 14 years, including 11 years at the collegiate level. He umpired games in the Big Sky Conference, Western Athletic Conference and Pac-12.