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Bayley, Grove
fall short in
U.S. Open qualifiers
Lakeland High product Derek Bayley shot a 71 to two shots out of second-place in the first stage U.S. Open at TimberRidge Golf Course on Wednesday in Caldwell.
Michael Baldeck won the tournament with a 68, and Andrew Hess won on the third hole of a three-way playoff to advance to a Sectional Qualifer.
In Brewster, Wash., North Idaho College golf coach Russell Grove came up short in a playoff for the final two spots to a sectional, finishing with a 70.
The 2019 U.S. Open Championship is June 13-16 at Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links.
Gonzaga’s Fortier named USA Women’s Junior National Team trials court coach
Gonzaga women’s basketball coach Lisa Fortier has been selected as one of four court coaches for the 2019 USA Basketball Junior National Team trials, May 16-20 at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.
The trials will be used to select the 2019 USA Basketball Women’s U19 World Cup and U.S. Pan American Games teams.
“The opportunity to work with USA Basketball is one that I am thrilled and honored to be a part of,” Fortier said. “The commitment, dedication and pride that comes from representing your country is something that I am truly looking forward to experiencing.”
Fortier joins Aaron Johnston (South Dakota State), Nikki McCray-Penson (Old Dominion) and DeLisha Milton-Jones (Pepperdine) as court coaches; all four were chosen by the USA Basketball Women’s Junior National Team Committee for their first USA Basketball coaching assignment. Fortier, along with Johnston, McCray-Penson and Milton-Jones, will assist the USA 19 and U.S. Pan American Games coaching staffs with on-court drills and skills sessions and help coach scrimmages throughout the trials weekend.
Fortier guided Gonzaga to a 29-5 record and a second-round appearance in the NCAA Tournament this past season.
Fortier is the second coach in program history to be chosen as a representative of USA Basketball. Former head coach Kelly Graves was also selected to represent USA Basketball during the 2012 and 2013 summer seasons.
Idaho Big Sky football
schedule announced for 2020-23
The Big Sky Conference announced future league football schedules for the 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 seasons.
The four-year rotation features eight-game conference schedules played over nine consecutive weeks each season, including annual meetings with two protected rivals. Idaho’s protected rivals are Eastern Washington and Montana.
The Vandals will play each Big Sky opponent home and away at least once during the four-year cycle. In addition to the annual games against the Eagles and Griz, Idaho drew three meetings with Idaho State, Montana State, Northern Arizona and UC Davis between 2020 and 2023.
Idaho will host the Lumberjacks and Bobcats twice during the stretch, while traveling to Pocatello and Davis two times.
As in previous seasons, Big Sky teams still have the option to schedule fellow league members in nonconference games. Idaho has one such game with Eastern Washington slated for the coming 2019 season (Sept. 21).
Idaho does not play Idaho State in 2021, but they could schedule a nonconference game that year, ala Idaho vs. Eastern this coming season.
IDAHO FUTURE BIG SKY
FOOTBALL SCHEDULES
2020
Sept. 26 — BYE
Oct. 3 — at UC Davis
Oct. 10 — Portland State
Oct. 17 — at Eastern Washington
Oct. 24 — Montana
Oct. 31 — Northern Arizona
Nov. 7 — Southern Utah
Nov. 14 — at Montana State
Nov. 21 — at Idaho State
2021
Sept. 25 — at Sacramento State
Oct. 2 — BYE
Oct. 9 — UC Davis
Oct. 16 — at Cal Poly
Oct. 23 — at Weber State
Oct. 30 — Eastern Washington
Nov. 6 — Montana State
Nov. 13 — at Montana
Nov. 20 — Northern Colorado
2022
Sept. 24 — Montana
Oct. 1 — at Portland State
Oct. 8 — Idaho State
Oct. 15 — BYE
Oct. 22 — Sacramento State
Oct. 29 — at Eastern Washington
Nov. 5 — at Southern Utah
Nov. 12 — Northern Arizona
Nov. 19 — at Northern Colorado
2023
Sept. 23 — at UC Davis
Sept. 30 — Weber State
Oct. 7 — at Montana
Oct. 14 — Eastern Washington
Oct. 21 — BYE
Oct. 28 — at Idaho State
Nov. 4 — Cal Poly
Nov. 11 — Montana State
Nov. 18 — at Northern Arizona
Idaho becomes new league “rival” for EWU starting in 2020; Eags to play Griz less
frequently
The Big Sky Conference announced its league football schedules for the 2020 through 2023 seasons, and as a result the Eastern Washington University football team will play Idaho on a regular basis and Montana less regularly. The schedules were approved by the league athletic directors.
All 13 Big Sky teams will continue to play eight conference games with four at home and four on the road. Each team will have two “rivals” it will play each season. Over the course of the four years, each Big Sky team will play each other a minimum of two times.
Idaho, which re-joined the Big Sky last year, will be one of EWU’s league rivals, along with Portland State. The Eagles will host Idaho in the 2020 and 2022 seasons, and PSU in 2021 and 2023.
Montana, EWU’s former rival prior to the return of Idaho, is now in the rotation with the other 10 league schools. Thus, EWU will host Montana just once in that four-year span (on Oct. 3, 2020), while going to UM on Oct. 8, 2022, and not playing the Griz in both 2021 and 2023. Thus, unless a non-conference game is scheduled, EWU will have played Montana at Roos Field just once in a seven-year span from 2017 to 2023.
On the positive side, Eastern’s 2020 schedule is an anomaly, with the Eagles hosting Idaho, Montana and Montana State in the same year — the first time in EWU history that will have taken place. Eastern also hosts Montana State in 2023 and plays in Bozeman in 2021, but does not play the Bobcats in the 2022 season.
As in previous years, Big Sky teams still have the option to schedule league members in non-conference games. The nine-week conference schedule features a bye week for each team, while Root Sports will continue to produce a Game of the Week.
BIG SKY FOOTBALL RIVALS
FOR 2020-2023
Cal Poly — Sacramento State and UC Davis
Eastern Washington — Idaho and Portland State
Idaho — Eastern Washington and Montana
Idaho State — Portland State and Weber State
Montana — Idaho and Montana State
Montana State — Montana and Northern Colorado
Northern Arizona — Northern Colorado and Southern Utah
Northern Colorado — Montana State and Northern Arizona
Portland State — Eastern Washington and Idaho State
Sacramento State — Cal Poly and UC Davis
Southern Utah — Northern Arizona and Weber State
UC Davis — Cal Poly and Sacramento State
Weber State — Idaho State and Southern Utah
EASTERN WASHINGTON
FUTURE FOOTBALL SCHEDULES
Includes non-conference games previously announced
2020
9/5/20 — at Florida
9/12/20 — Western Illinois
9/19/20 — Northern Arizona
9/26/20 — at Southern Utah
10/3/20 — Montana
10/10/20 — at Northern Colorado
10/17/20 — Idaho
10/24/20 — Weber State
10/31/20 — at UC Davis
11/7/20 — Montana State
11/14/20 — Bye
11/21/20 — at Portland State
2021
9/4/21 — OPEN (FBS)
9/11/21 — Jacksonville State
9/18/21 — at Western Illinois
9/25/21 — Portland State
10/2/21 — Bye
10/9/21 — at Montana State
10/16/21 — Southern Utah
10/23/21 — at Cal Poly
10/30/21 — at Idaho
11/6/21 — Sacramento State
11/13/21 — at Northern Arizona
11/20/21 — Idaho State
2022
9/3/22 — at Oregon
9/10/22 — Open
9/17/22 — Open
9/24/22 — Northern Colorado
10/1/22 — Bye/Open
10/8/22 — at Montana
10/15/22 — UC Davis
10/22/22 — at Portland State
10/29/22 — Idaho
11/5/22 — at Idaho State
11/12/22 — at Weber State
11/19/22 — Cal Poly
2023
9/2/23 — Open
9/9/23 — Open
9/16/23 — Open
9/23/23 — Bye/Open
9/30/23 — at Northern Colorado
10/7/23 — Montana State
10/14/23 — at Idaho
10/21/23 — Portland State
10/28/23 — at Sacramento State
11/4/23 — at Southern Utah
11/11/23 — Northern Arizona
11/18/23 — Weber State
Hook named Indians
manager for 2019 season
SPOKANE — The Spokane Indians announced Kenny Hook as manager for the upcoming 2019 season. Hook becomes the seventh manager for the Indians since Spokane became an affiliate of the Texas Rangers in 2003.
The new Indians skipper is in his sixth season with the Texas Rangers and is quite familiar with Avista Stadium. Hook served as the Indians’ hitting coach during the 2016 season when Spokane won the first half NWL North Division. That season Spokane ranked second in the league for both home runs (43) and on-base percentage (.342), while also finishing third in batting average (.258).
After Spokane, Hook has continued to serve as a hitting coach for Texas Rangers’ affiliates over the past two seasons. He coached in Class-A with the Hickory Crawdads in 2017 and in Advanced-A last season on staff with the Down East Wood Ducks.
The Texas-native previously managed two seasons in Independent baseball with the Kansas City T-Bones. He also spent time coaching with Maple Woods Community College. Hook played collegiately for Crowder College in Neosho, Mo., and Benedectine College in Atchinson, Kan.
Cougars sign Noah Williams,
son of former WSU great Guy
PULLMAN — Noah Williams, a 6-foot-5, 192-pound guard from O’Dea High in Seattle, has signed a national letter of intent and will join the Washington State men’s basketball program beginning with the 2019-20 season, Cougar coach Kyle Smith announced.
“He has been a priority for us since we were hired,” Smith said. “Noah brings a winning pedigree as he was a state champion this past season at O’Dea High School. He is a big lead guard who can disrupt opponents with his length and size. We hope he can be a building block for our future.”
Son of former Cougar basketball standout Guy Williams, Noah Williams helped lead O’Dea to the 2019 Washington 3A boys’ basketball state championship as a senior, as he was named the game MVP with 19 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists in the title game victory over Mt. Spokane. Williams averaged 17.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 4.7 assists as a senior as he picked up ALL-USA Washington Boys Basketball Second Team, All-Metro League, All-Region, All-State and honorable mention All-America honors.
A four-time All-Metro League honoree, Williams averaged 15.7 points, 5.2 assists and 3.3 steals as a junior and 16.8 points, 4.5 assists and 2.9 steals as a sophomore. As a freshman Williams averaged 10.3 points, 3.6 assists and 2.5 steals as he helped lead O’Dea to the State championship game.
A two-sport athlete, Williams played wide receiver on O’Dea’s football team for two seasons, where he was a two-time All-Metro League honoree and helped lead his team to two state championship games (2017 and 2018) as the team won the 2017 3A state championship.
Williams’ father, Guy, played at WSU for two seasons, 1981-82 and 1982-83, where he averaged 13.8 points and 6.8 rebounds over his WSU career after transferring from San Francisco. In an injury-shortened season in 1982-83 he was named NABC District 14 second team and Honorable Mention All-America by The Sporting News after averaging 18.8 points and 8.9 rebounds per outing in 15 games. He scored a then-WSU record 43 points against Idaho State on Jan. 3, 1983, which still ranks third on the Cougars’ single-game list. The Cougars advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament that season.
WSU men’s basketball team to
play in 2019 Cayman Islands Classic
Washington State’s men’s basketball team will compete in the 2019 Cayman Islands Classic, Nov. 25-27, 2019 at John Gray Gymnasium at George Town, Grand Cayman, it was announced.
“With this field, we will be tested to say the least,” WSU coach Kyle Smith said. “In addition, I love to snorkel…It is always great for our young men to experience different climates and cultures. No one on our team has ever been to the Cayman Islands, which should offer up lifelong memories.”
The Cougars will be joined by Colorado State, George Mason, Loyola Chicago, Nebraska, New Mexico State, Old Dominion, and South Florida. WSU played New Mexico State at last year’s Las Vegas Classic and Loyola Chicago two years ago at the Paradise Jam. WSU’s first round opponent will be announced at a later date.
Washington State marks the first Pac-12 school to participate in the Cayman Classic, which is in its third year. Last year Creighton won the tournament, while Cincinnati won the first tournament in 2017.