Northwest Notes April 12, 2024

WSU women's basketball coach Ethridge signs contract extension through  2029-30 season

PULLMAN — Washington State women's basketball coach Kamie Ethridge, who has guided the Cougars to four straight postseason tournament appearances, has signed a contract extension through the 2029-30 season, interim director of athletics Anne McCoy announced Thursday.

"Since her arrival in 2018, Kamie has solidified Washington State women's basketball as a destination where student-athletes can receive a world-class education while competing at the highest levels," McCoy said.

After seeing its win total increase each season under Ethridge, Washington State continued its winning trend with a second straight 20-win season in 2023-24. In 2022-23, she led the program to the first Pac-12 title in any WSU female team sport by winning the 2023 Pac-12 championship in Las Vegas, navigating the Cougars from the Pac-12 basement to Pac-12 champions in just five short seasons.

"I am honored to have my contract extended another year,"  said Ethridge, 95-90 overall through six seasons at Washington State. "Establishing WSU as a perennial top-20 program, competing for conference championships, advancing to the NCAA Tournament, and positioning our program to compete in Sweet 16s and beyond will continue as the goals and standards for our program."

Since coming to Pullman, Ethridge has led the Cougs to the 2023 Pac-12 Championship, earned a berth as a No. 1 seed in the inaugural 2024 Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament, made three straight NCAA Tournament appearances (2021, 2022, 2023), and set program records for most wins in a regular season with 23 victories in 2022-23, breaking the 44-year-old single-season program record of 21 wins set by the 1978-79 team, and then tying that 21-win mark in the 2023-24 season.

Ethridge is 95-90 overall through six seasons at Washington State. Her 95 wins are the most by a sixth-year coach in WSU women's basketball history. Ethridge was named the 2022 Pac-12 Coach of the Year by the media after guiding the Cougars to 19 wins in 2021-22. The Cougs posted a school-record second-place finish in the Pac-12 standings in 2021-22 after winning a program-record 11 Pac-12 games. The Cougars' 36 Pac-12 wins collected over the last four seasons (2020-24) are the seventh-most Pac-12 wins by a school.

Ethridge came to Pullman following four seasons as head coach at Northern Colorado, where she won 83 victories and led the Bears to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2017-18, her final season at UNC.

Boise State signs transfer point guard from conference foe San Jose State

BOISE — Boise State men’s basketball announced the addition of point guard Alvaro Cardenas. Cardenas, from Granada, Spain, is a transfer from San Jose State with one year of eligibility remaining, and was one of the top-rated point guards in the transfer portal, according to On3.

The addition of Cardenas gives Boise State four of the top eight returning players in the Mountain West, according to Bart Torvik: Tyson Degenhart (1), Chibuzo Agbo (3), O’Mar Stanley (4) and Cardenas (8).

As a junior, Cardenas averaged 13.1 points and 5.7 assists per game, and shot 38.5% from 3-point range.

Indians offer Pitch, Hit & Run event April 27 at Avista Stadium

SPOKANE — The Spokane Indians and a local youth baseball organization, Spokane Rawlings Tigers, are teaming up to host a free Pitch, Hit & Run event at Avista Stadium on Saturday, April 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Major League Baseball Pitch, Hit & Run (PHR) events provide boys and girls an opportunity to showcase their baseball and softball skills. Participants will be tested on their ability to pitch for accuracy, hit for distance, and run for speed with the opportunity of earning a chance to attend and compete for a PHR Championship during the 2024 MLB World Series

Space is limited to the first 20 registrants in each age division. There are four age divisions (7/8, 9/10, 11/12, 13/14) for both softball and baseball (8 divisions total). No equipment is necessary. Participants are welcome to bring their own bats, if they wish.

Information: https://spokaneindians.leagueapps.com/events/4170134