THE FRONT ROW with MARK NELKE: Manzo, Casey, LMU and Circling Raven

Forbes magazine isn’t normally the first stop for sporting news. 

But Forbes.com recently ran a story suggesting Kyle Manzardo, the former Lake City High star, “May Be The Secret Sauce in Cleveland Guardians’ Lineup.” 

“Manzardo may be flying under the radar. Like he’s a bit of a secret,” writes Bernie Pleskoff, a former major league baseball scout.

For one thing, Pleskoff notes, Manzardo “isn’t a big presence at 5-11, 205 solid pounds.” 

But ... 

“This just in — Manzardo can flat out hit.” 

Wearing his scouting hat, Pleskoff ranks Manzardo’s “hit tool” as well above average, and his “power tool” as well above average in home run potential. 

Manzardo spent roughly two months with the Guardians last year, spanning two stints.  

This year, he figures to be with the big club all season. 

“To this old scout,” Pleskoff writes, “Manzardo is such a good hitter, he can be very consequential in a lineup that includes Steven Kwan, Jose Ramirez and Lane Thomas.” 

Other thoughts from Pleskoff ... 

“With a sweet, measured stroke, Manzardo goes to the plate to hit. He isn’t looking to walk. 

“Manzardo can drive the ball to both gaps, with a strong frame, and good hitting mechanics. 

“Very quiet at the plate, Manzardo has the ability to track the pitch well out of the pitcher’s hand, and has good patience and solid plate discipline. 

“A good contact hitter, Manzardo is very capable of driving in runs while hitting behind players like Kwan, Ramirez, and probably Thomas. 

“For this observer, Kyle Manzardo is the ideal first baseman of the future to help Guardians fans feel less of a sting from losing Josh Naylor.” 

CASEY STANGEL is Senior Woman Administrator at the University of Nevada. 

You may remember her as the former Lake City High softball star, who went on to play at Missouri and the University of Washington, reaching the College World Series as a senior with the Huskies. 

After a stint working with the baseball program at Vanderbilt University (which included a College World Series title in 2019), and a year as Vanderbilt’s director of football operations in 2020, Stangel landed in Reno. 

Nevada athletic director Stephanie Rempe hired Stangel in 2022, and Casey oversees nine Wolf Pack sports, including football, men’s basketball, baseball and softball.  

"I've been doing this for 30 years," Rempe said, in a story published by NevadaSportsNet.com. "Casey Stangel is by far the best athletic administrator I have ever been around. She has the ability to interact with our coaches in a way that that no person her age should be able to do. She is one that picks up the ball and gets it over the finish line. She just has this balance. She's super positive. She's pretty phenomenal. I feel incredibly lucky that we have her on our staff." 

SAD TO see one of Loyola Marymount’s NCAA tournament records fall the other night. 

When Alabama made 25 3-pointers in a Sweet 16 victory over BYU on Thursday, it broke the previous record of 21, set by LMU in that memorable 149-115 rout of Michigan in the second round in 1990. 

That was a happy/sad time. 

I remember being in the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, watching LMU, with Hank Gathers, Bo Kimble and Jeff Fryer as sophomores, play in the NCAA tournament in 1988. No one knew what to make of the Lions at that time, especially after they beat Wyoming 119-115 in the first round. 

Two days later, LMU got back-doored off the court by North Carolina, but the legend was beginning. 

Two years later, as seniors, they were ready to make another run — though that would have never happened in today’s college basketball world, where players come and go every year due to NIL. 

Back then, too, the West Coast Conference wasn’t run by Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s. 

LMU was the team during those years — so much so that when Gathers tragically collapsed and died during a WCC tourney semifinal, the league gave the automatic NCAA bid to the Lions. 

Who could forget Kimble shooting his first two free throws lefthanded — in honor of his friend Gathers — in a first-round win over New Mexico State in Long Beach. 

Then, two days later, that mesmerizing thrashing of the defending national champion Wolverines.  

There are two stretches of college basketball games I will never forget. 

There was the second half of Houston-Louisville, in the 1983 Final Four, featuring several amazing minutes of fast breaks, blocked shots and dunks — one seemingly more impressive than the one before it. 

The other was the second half of LMU-Michigan, where the Lions buried the Wolverines under a barrage of steals and 3-pointers.  

At least Fryer’s record of 11 3s in that game still stands — just to keep the memory of LMU alive, at least in the NCAA record books. 

CIRCLING RAVEN Golf Club in Worley is scheduled to open for its 21st season April 4 (weather permitting), and with its first woman golf pro in course history, Katie Ochoa. 

Ochoa played golf at Whitworth University, and was a golf instructor in Spokane. 

According to a news release, Ochoa has long had a special place emotionally for the tribe-owned property and is thrilled to come full circle, so to speak — her paternal grandmother was a Coeur d’Alene tribal member.  

“I heard all the stories about my grandma coming here when it was just a bingo hall,” she said. “My family developed a weekly outing at the casino, not just for gambling but to spend time together. Every time I hear the resort’s ‘Welcome Home’ greeting, it brings me back to those days.” 

The new Director of Golf at Circling Raven is Don Rasmussen, previously director of instruction at the club. 

According to a release, Rasmussen was recognized as a Golf Digest "Best Instructor" in Washington from 2021 to 2024. He was also named San Diego Chapter PGA Teacher of the Year in 2015. He has given over 60,000 golf lessons over his 35 years as a pro, and served as a men’s and women’s head golf coach at the NCAA Division I level for several years. 

“We get players from all over the country,” Rasmussen said, “and it’s my hope that when they go home, they can't help but tell others about their incredible golf experience here.” 

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 208-664-8176, Ext. 1205, or via email at mnelke@cdapress.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @CdAPressSports.