Patriots Earn State Berth With Victory Over Spokane Valley
The Palouse Patriots A secured a spot in the Washington State American Legion baseball state tournament Sunday after defeating the Spokane Valley Bombers 11-8 in a decisive regional matchup. The victory propels the team into the state competition despite an overall record of 14-18 heading into postseason play.
Carson Thomas led the Patriots’ offensive attack against Spokane Valley with three hits and two RBIs. Cooper Wells contributed two hits including a double and drove in two runs while taking the mound for 2⅓ innings, allowing two hits and recording one strikeout. Brody Pfaff added three hits to the Patriots’ effort in the win.
The Patriots’ path to the state tournament included a lopsided loss to the West Kootenay Aces, who defeated Palouse 24-6 in another regional contest. Despite the setback, Markus Hauck, Keegan Caessens, Aidan Owusu, and Carson Thomas each collected one hit and drove in a run against the Aces.
Palouse will open state tournament play Saturday at 4 p.m. against Medical Lake, marking the first of what the team hopes will be multiple matches in the statewide competition.
Regional Baseball Results: Merchants and Twins Split Contests
In Idaho B state semifinal action, the Orofino Merchants B advanced with a 5-2 victory over the Idaho Falls Tigers. Tovin Lundgren paced the Merchants’ offense with three hits and one RBI. On the mound, Riggins Tondevold pitched five innings, struck out five batters, and surrendered no runs on four hits to secure the win. The Merchants carry a 7-14 record into their next competition.
The Lewis-Clark Twins split a doubleheader against the Corvallis Marketmen, winning the first game 6-1 before falling 7-15 in the nightcap. Zavier McFee was strong in Game One, pitching six innings and allowing one unearned run on two hits. Ty Collins and Cal Robbins each contributed two and one hits respectively, with Collins recording one RBI and Robbins also driving in a run.
In Game Two, Cody Ells provided offensive firepower for the Twins with two hits—including a double—and three RBIs. The Twins maintain a 21-11 record on the season.
Vandals Football Positioned in Big Sky Preseason Rankings
The University of Idaho football program earned seventh place in the Big Sky Conference coaches’ preseason poll, landing five votes behind sixth-place Southern Utah. In the Big Sky media preseason poll, Idaho was ranked sixth overall.
Montana State, the University of Montana, and UC Davis occupied the top three positions in both polls, establishing themselves as the favorites heading into the 2026 season. The Vandals’ ranking reflects expectations for competitive play in the FCS conference this fall.
Washington State Basketball Lands Top-Tier Recruit
Washington State University men’s basketball added its first member to the 2027 recruiting class Monday when Jaylen McLaughlin, a three-star point guard from Bothell High School, committed to the Cougars. McLaughlin is ranked as the second-best basketball prospect in Washington in his recruiting class and holds the No. 39 national ranking for point guards. Nationally, he ranks No. 226 overall among recruits.
The 6-foot-3, 160-pound guard averaged 29 points per game last season and was pursued by several programs including Arkansas State, Toledo, Eastern Washington, and Cal State Fullerton before choosing Washington State.
Additionally, WSU women’s basketball promoted Ula Motuga to assistant coach. Motuga spent five years as a player for the Cougars, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 2022 and a master’s degree in 2024. During her playing career, Motuga appeared in more games than any other player in program history and ranks eighth all-time in rebounds. She helped lead the Cougars to the Pac-12 Tournament championship in 2023. Prior to joining the WSU coaching staff, Motuga spent two seasons on the Nevada women’s basketball coaching staff. The Australian native from Logan City brings both playing and coaching experience to her new role.