Tennis upsets no. 10 UCLA, while the baseball team gives up three touchdowns

Good morning Coug fans. One week from today is the spring football game, and I’m looking forward to watching football in Pullman once again. The last time I did that, it was snowing. This time, it might be raining. We just can’t catch a break with Mother Nature, it seems.

Anyway, I’m not here to talk about football. WSU Athletics had an up and down day yesterday. First, the baseball team welcomed the Oregon Ducks for the first game of a Mom’s Weekend series.

Gardner Minshew II was even there to throw out the first pitch:

Unfortunately, the celebration stopped there, because WSU gave up 21 runs—21!—and could only muster a field goal themselves. Eleven of Oregon’s 21 runs came in the sixth inning alone. Check out this box score. Yikes.

Ten different Ducks had RBIs.

I guess the optimist in me says 21 runs still counts as one win, so there’s that. The Cougs and Ducks battle again today starting at 12:05 p.m.

OK, let’s move on to the good news.

The WSU tennis team—the most interesting sports team at WSU, in my opinion—knocked of no. 10 UCLA yesterday in Pullman. It was the team’s best win in program history.

Why is the tennis squad the most interesting, you might be wondering? That’s because all nine members of the team are international players, and only one is from North America (Savanna Ly-Nguyen, who’s from Brampton, Ontario).

The Cougs are now 18-7 overall.

Football

Why it could make a lot of financial sense for the top 100 teams to break from the NCAA - CBSSports.com
If the top programs negotiated their own media rights as a collective unit, they could create a windfall.

Mike Leach says he’s never had a dumb quarterback - oregonlive.com
WSU coach sounds off during spring football.

The Alex Grinch story: From high school tennis player to defensive guru – The Athletic
Grinch says he wasn’t much as a tennis player in high school in Ohio, but he did learn the value of playing smart, effective defense.

Baseball

Cougars Drop Series-Opener against Oregon - Washington State University Athletics
Saturday's game has been moved up to 12:05 p.m.

Tennis

Cougars Upset No. 10 UCLA, 4-2 - Washington State University Athletics
Win over No. 10 UCLA is the highest-ranked victory in program history.

Basketball

WSU hoops hires: Kyle Smith makes it official on two assistants
Jim Shaw and Derrick Phelps named WSU basketball assistant coaches.