CougCenter, a Washington State Cougars community

Derek Jones, WSU's career leader in home runs, will officially embark on his professional career with the Colorado Rockies, who made the outfielder their eighth round pick on Tuesday.

WSU baseball got a major boost on Monday when only junior pitcher Adam Conley was able to agree to terms on a pro contract, as sluggers Derek Jones and Taylor Ard will now return to school.

Is there hope for recovery in 2012? The answer is yes. (Isn't it always?) We look at who the players are who could step up to get WSU baseball back in the postseason.

It's been assumed that the offense was the source of WSU baseball's underachievement this year. Turns out, that's an incorrect assumption. We show you why.

With half of the MLB First-Year Player Draft now in the books, WSU has already equaled its total of players drafted in 2010 when Derek Jones, Taylor Ard and Matt Argyropoulos joined Adam Conley as Cougars who will have the opportunity to move on to the professional ranks.

In what was a season of disappointment for the WSU baseball team, there was one enormous bright spot: Redshirt sophomore first baseman Taylor Ard, who was named to the All-Pac-10 team today.

After squeaking by Dallas Baptist in the finale of the two-game series on Tuesday, 8-7, WSU finished up the homestand by sweeping Utah Valley State, culminated by a 16-2 whipping of the Wolverines on Sunday. Next up: No. 20 Fresno State.

The WSU baseball team opened the season by winning two of its first three. Today's win was in true Cougar fashion: A come-from-behind job keyed by a seventh-inning homer by Taylor Ard.

CougCenter brings you the best of what's around the Internet this morning, including Nick Witherill's destination, a couple of baseball awards, and some video of the new WSU uniforms in action on EA Sports' NCAA Football 2010.