WSU’s new baseball clubhouse continues to take shape

A lot of things in our world have stopped or slowed, but one thing that has continued is construction on the new baseball clubhouse at WSU’s Bailey-Brayton Field.

Dubbed the “Back to Omaha” project, it broke ground in October. The $10 million facility is financed 100% through donor support, and almost certainly was a factor in first-year WSU coach Brian Green coming north to take over the program following a successful stint in charge of New Mexico State.

Green tweets about the new facility every week or so, which should give you a sense of how integral he believes it to be in rebuilding the Washington State Cougars into a successful program befitting its historical place in the college baseball landscape — the Cougs’ slide into irrelevance can be almost directly correlated with the rise of facilities at Oregon State, Oregon and Washington.

The Cougars were off to an excellent start in Green’s first season at the helm, sitting at 9-7 before the closure but having won seven of their final nine games. Additionally, sophomore first baseman Kyle Manzardo was emerging as a star — he was hitting .435 with an on-base percentage of .500 and a slugging percentage of .694, leading to his selection as a third team all-American by Collegiate Baseball.

Presuming there is a “next season,” Manzardo will be back with the Cougs — he’s just a sophomore and not yet draft eligible. Joining him and Green is a 2020 class ranked 36th by Perfect Game. That’s higher than Oregon (39), Oregon State (42) and Washington (46).

Recruiting ‘dead period’ extended to July 31

No shock here, but it really sucks for first-year coach Nick Rolovich, who is probably harmed more than most by being unable to have visitors on campus.

WSU wins a ... /checks notes ... MARKETING AWARD??

If you’re of a certain age, the only image that pairs correctly with that news is

But in all seriousness, the award is well deserved — WSU turned that day into a huge deal, and it 100% lived up to the hype in every way possible.

Links

Former Curtis standout, Washington State's career 3-point leader DaVonte Lacy joins Dan Dickau's 'Quarantine Series' podcast - Scorebook Live Washington
Lacy shares his most memorable story about Curtis coach Tim Kelly, tips to high school athletes navigating the recruiting process and compares notes with Dickau on what overseas pro ball looks like.

Pac-12 Football: Ranking the teams by 5-year attendance - Pacific Takes
The Pac-12 ranks for attendance over the past five years are eye-opening

Marching to Madness Episode 497: Washington State head coach Kyle Smith - College Hoops Watch
Topics of discussion include: how the Cougars incorporate zoom calls, how Washington State improved over last year, the dynamic play of C.J. Elleby and Isaac Bonton, Tony Miller’s efficiency in the post, and much more!

1941 NCAA tournament: Bracket, scores, stats, records | NCAA.com
Here's everything you need to know about the 1941 NCAA tournament. This includes the bracket, scores, stats and records.

Ranking Pac-12 Quarterbacks Ahead Of 2020 College Football Season - KSL Sports
10. John Bledsoe/Cammon Cooper, Washington State