Cougar baseball knocks off Washington

After struggling for an extended stretch in March, April is proving to be a much better month for the Washington State baseball team. The Cougars knocked off Gonzaga on Tuesday and followed that win up with a 3-2 victory against Washington on Thursday.

WSU fell into an immediate hole thanks to a leadoff home run from the Huskies. UW led 2-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning and 2-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh. That's when J.J. Hancock came through with a game-tying triple. He would score the go-ahead and eventual winning run when Jack Strunc drove him in. Hancock had a great game, finishing 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. His two hits were both for extra bases with a double and the triple in the seventh.

Starter Sean Hartnett pitched 6-1/3 innings allowing two runs on four hits. The bullpen did a solid job to work through trouble with closer Ian Hamilton slamming the door shut for his ninth save of the season.

The Cougars have now won four of their last five games and are back to .500 at 16-16 on the season. The Cougars are likely still well off the pace for what it would take to get into the NCAA Tournament. Teams making the tournament usually win about 70 percent of their games. The good news for WSU is the Cougars have 24 games remaining, including plenty of opportunities to pick up good wins. It's still an uphill battle, but WSU is playing well at the moment and can hopefully keep rolling.

*****

Football:

Video: Mike Leach after practice | The Spokesman-Review
Video: Mike Leach after practice

WSU offense overtaking defense at the midway point | The Spokesman-Review
Today was practice No. 7, so we're almost halfway through spring ball at Washington State and the offense is hitting its stride.

Five Questions with Darryl Paulo | The Spokesman-Review
Five Questions with Darryl Paulo

Cougar Football Continues Spring Practice, Day 7 - Washington State University Official Athletic Site
Washington State football continued spring practice Thursday afternoon with a two-hour workout in fullp pads on Rogers Practice Field and in Martin Stadium.

WSU spring football: Cougars find punting alternatives - The Spokesman-Review
While there are no punters listed on the Washington State football spring roster, the Cougars must have somebody do it. The group of specialists that special teams coach Eric Mele cobbled together for the sake of getting through drills – and compete to start next season – includes the team’s kicker, a linebacker and a Jugs machine.

Baseball:

Hancock Leads Cougars Past Huskies - Washington State University Official Athletic Site
J.J. Hancock had a pair of extra-base hits and Ian Hamilton tied WSU’s career record with his 24th save as Washington State rallied for a 3-2 victory over Washington in a Pac-12 Conference game Thursday night at Bailey-Brayton Field.

Men's basketball:

Lacy to Play in Portsmouth Invitational Tournament - Washington State University Official Athletic Site
Washington State University men’s basketball senior DaVonté Lacy is one of 64 college basketball seniors selected to participate in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (P.I.T), which takes place, Wednesday, April 8 through Saturday, April 11 at Portsmouth, Va.

WSU Athletics:

Director of Athletics Bill Moos Podcast - Washington State University Official Athletic Site
During his latest podcast, conducted Thursday morning, Director of Athletics Bill Moos shares his memories of Mom's Weekend and looks ahead to this weekend's activities in Pullman.