NORTHWEST NOTES: April 10, 2020

| April 10, 2020 1:10 AM

More schools to light up

tonight for senior class

Add Post Falls High, Kellogg and Wallace to those schools turning the lights on tonight to pay tribute to their high school senior athletes, especially those missing their spring sports seasons.

In North Idaho, #BeTheLightID is scheduled to take place at 8:20 p.m.

Schools will turn on the lights in their outdoor stadiums at that time, and fans are invited to drive by the stadiums — remaining in their cars — to honor the class of 2020, which saw its spring sports season cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Coeur d’Alene, Lake City, Lakeland, Timberlake, Sandpoint, Priest River and Clark Fork announced plans to do the same on Wednesday. The lights will also be on at The Fields at Real Life Ministries in Post Falls, which is used for soccer.

Mullan High, which does not have lights at John Drager Field, is encouraging its fans to drive around the field twice with headlights on bright and honking their horns. Events for Kellogg will be held at Teeters Field, and at Sather Field in Silverton for Wallace fans.

#BeTheLightID is scheduled to take place in other states as well. Spring sports events and practices have been suspended since March 17 by the Idaho High School Activities Association. The Idaho State Board of Education has issued a “soft closure” of all schools for the remainder of the school year, but the IHSAA has yet to officially pull the plug on the spring sports season.

Mather joining Reds as

assistant hitting coach

Joe Mather, who was born in Sandpoint and played for the Coeur d’Alene Lumbermen American Legion baseball program in 2001, will join the Cincinnati Reds coaching staff as assistant hitting coach, president of baseball operations Dick Williams announced.

Mather, who will work alongside new hitting coach Alan Zinter, spent the past five seasons in the player development department of the Arizona Diamondbacks, including last year as the team’s field/hitting coordinator.

Mather, 37, joined the Diamondbacks in 2015 and spent two seasons managing Missoula of the Pioneer League, then coached at Class AA Jackson in 2017 before managing at Class A Visalia in 2018.

The third-round pick of the St. Louis Cardinals in 2001 first-year player draft, Mather made 229 appearances for the Cardinals, Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves from 2008-2012.