COUGARS CONTINUE ROAD TRIP WITH SERIES AT UTAH
Washington State (10-37-1, 2-21-1 Pac-12) continues its trip to Utah with a three-game series at Utah (12-32, 4-23 Pac-12) running Thursday through Saturday. All three games will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks.

PROBABLE STARTERS
Ky Bush | Fr. | LHP | 0-4, 12.15 ERA, 32 K, 33.1 IP vs. David Watson | Fr. | RHP | 1-0, 8.00 ERA, 23 K, 27.0 IP    
A.J. Block | Jr. | LHP | 0-7, 6.30 ERA, 56 K, 60.0 IP vs. TBA
Brandon White | Fr. | RHP | 2-7, 6.02 ERA, 44 K, 49.1 IP vs. Dustyn Schramm | Fr. | RHP | 1-4, 6.42 ERA, 32 K, 40.2 IP

ON DECK
The Cougars return to Bailey-Brayton to host a three-game series with Arizona running Thursday through Saturday.

FOLLOW ALONG
Cougar baseball fans can follow all the season's action on the Washington State baseball official twitter page @CougBaseball, instagram page @Coug_Baseball and wsucougars.com. Links to live stats and radio streams will be available at the baseball schedule page on wsucougars.com. 

ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE
Washington State entered the week with a 10-37-1 overall mark and 2-21-1 in Pac-12 Conference play after dropping all three contests to No. 1 UCLA in Pullman last weekend. WSU owns series wins at Nevada, against CSUN and claimed the season series with Gonzaga after taking two of three. Centerfielder Danny Sinatro leads the team with a .298 batting average and infielder Dillon Plew paces the team with 12 doubles, four home runs and 28 RBI while freshman righthander Zane Mills leads the team with 25 appearances, tied for ninth in the Pac-12 and tied for third-most by a Cougar freshman in program history.

COUGAR NOTES
TEAM
•  WSU claimed the season series from Gonzaga, 2-1, for the first time since 2011
•  WSU owns nationally ranked recruiting classes in 2 of the last 3 seasons (2016 - No. 28 and 2018 - No. 32)
•  WSU has seen 17 players make their WSU debuts in 2019  (12 freshmen including 7 pitchers)
•  WSU played its first 11 games on the road, the longest stretch to open the season since 2006 (12 games)
•  WSU was the only team in the country to throw two no-hitters in 2018, first WSU team to do so since 1976
•  Marty Lees and pitching coach Dan Spencer were assistants on Oregon State's National Title teams (2006-07)
•  Assistant coach Jim Horner played for the Cougars (1993-96), earned All-Pac-10 honors as an OF in 1996 

PLAYER
•  Cougar Legend John Olerud (1987-89) was inducted into the 2019 Pac-12 Hall of Honor in early March
•  RHP Brandon White was named Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week (2/26) (at Santa Clara, W, 6.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 K)
•  WSU owns three players with connections to the state of Utah; 
- Freshman LHP Ky Bush is from Fremont HS in Ogden, Utah
- Sophomore RHP Hayden Rosenkrantz played his HS senior season at Cottonwood HS in West Jordan, Utah
- Junior LHP A.J. Block's parents Tony and Tanya both played basketball at Utah in the early 1990's
•  The 2019 roster features 4 sets of HS teammates; 
    Kennewick HS (Dillon Plew, Trent Sellers), Lake City HS (Kodie Kolden, Kyle Manzardo)  
    W.F. West HS (Tyson Guerrero, Brandon White), Carson HS (Abel Carter, Bryce Moyle)

ABOUT UTAH
Utah enters the series with a 12-32 overall record after dropping a 10-3 contest to BYU Tuesday evening and with a 4-23 record in Pac-12 Conference play after dropping all three games at Washington last weekend. WSU leads the all-time series with Utah 23-13 despite dropping two of three in last year's series in Pullman. The Cougars are 8-6 all-time in Salt Lake City and have won the last two series played in Salt Lake City after taking two of three in 2017.

YOUNG COUGS AMONG PAC-12 LEADERS
WSU has seen 17 players make their debuts this season including 12 freshmen. Here is where a couple of freshmen rank among all freshmen in the Pac-12 Conference.
49.1 - RHP Brandon White's 49.1 innings pitched are 6th-most among Pac-12 freshmen
44 - White's 44 strikeouts are tied for 3rd-most among Pac-12 freshmen, needs 2 more strikeouts to move into tie for 5th in WSU history for freshman single-season strikeouts
36 - RHP Zane Mills' 36 strikeouts are 6th-most among Pac-12 freshmen
32 - LHP Ky Bush and LHP Tyson Guerrero own 32 strikeouts, tied for 9th among Pac-12 freshmen 
26 - DH/1B Kyle Manzardo's 26 RBI are 6th-most among Pac-12 freshmen
25 - RHP Zane Mills owns 25 appearances, 2nd-most among Pac-12 freshmen and tied for the 3rd-most by a Cougar freshman pitcher in program history
20 - 3B Kodie Kolden owns 20 RBI, 8th-most among Pac-12 freshmen hitters
10 - Manzardo recorded a 10-game hitting streak earlier this season
8 - Manzardo's 8 doubles are tied for 5th-most among Pac-12 freshmen
6 - WSU freshmen combine for 6 HR, tied for 3rd-most in the Pac-12 behind Arizona (23) and Cal (10)

WHITE'S NO-HIT OUTING EARNED NATIONAL, PAC-12 HONORS
Freshman pitcher Brandon White was named the Pac-12 Conference Pitcher of the Week Feb. 26. White was also named among the National Pitchers of the Week by Collegiate Baseball Magazine. White earned his first career win in his first career start Feb. 21 at Santa Clara after firing 6.1 no-hit innings with nine strikeouts and no walks in a combined one-hit shutout win, 10-0. The Chehalis, Wash. native retired the first 15 batters he faced before the leadoff hitter in the sixth inning reached on a Cougar fielding error but was thrown out trying to steal second base later in the inning. White, a 14th-round pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2018 MLB Draft, is the first Cougar freshman pitcher to earn Pac-12 weekly honors since Ryan Walker in 2015.

COUGS RECEIVE PRESEASON RECOGNITION
D1Baseball.com released its Top 2019 Prospects and a couple Cougars received recognition. Junior left-handed pitcher A.J. Block entered 2019 rated No. 25 among the Top Pac-12 2019 Prospects and No. 167 nationally. Three were named among the Top Pac-12 Impact Freshmen; RHP Brandon White (No. 12), LHP Ky Bush (No. 35), INF Kyle Manzardo (No. 38). White was also named among the Top-100 Impact Freshmen in the country, No. 85).

ANOTHER NATIONALLY RANKED RECRUITING CLASS
Washington State's 2016 incoming class was rated No. 28 by D1baseball.com and this year's 2018 class (this year's newcomers) was rated No. 32 in the country by Collegiate Baseball. The Cougars 2018 signing class features 21 newcomers including 12 who earned All-State honors, one Junior College All-American and a pair of high school signees who were selected in the Major League Baseball Draft.

2019 SIGNING CLASS (will be here this fall AND play spring, 2020)
Anthony Amicangelo (OF, RS-Jr.)    Bremerton, Wash. (Johnson County CC)
Sam Ballard (LHP, Jr.)    Alton, Ill. (Parkland College)
Jason Bugni (C, Fr.)    Ellensburg, Wash. (Ellensburg HS)
Bryson Hashimoto (INF, Fr.)    San Diego, Calif. (Sante Fe Christian HS)
Brady Hill (OF, Fr.)    Spokane, Wash. (Mt. Spokane HS)
Joseph King (C/RHP, Fr.)    Redwood City, Calif. (Woodside HS)
Tyler Magin (RHP, Fr.)    Phoenix, Ariz. (Desert Vista HS)
Will Simpson (1B/OF, Fr.    Sammamish, Wash. (Skyline HS)
Drew Stahl (INF, Fr.)    Highlands Ranch, Colo. (Mountain Vista HS)
Noah Stecher (INF, Fr.)    Vancounver, Wash. (Hockinson HS)
Micky Thompson (LHP, Fr.)    Portland, Ore. (Century HS)
Justin Van De Brake (OF, Jr.)    Yakima, Wash. (Tacoma CC)

BOARD OF REGENTS APPROVES BASEBALL PROJECT - BTO
The Washington State Board of Regents Friday approved Project: BTO (Back to Omaha) Jan. 25, the baseball facility project to modernize and upgrade Bailey-Brayton Field. "Gaining approval for this project, which is funded solely on private donations, is a testament to a lot of hard work by many people, " said Washington State Director of Athletics Pat Chun. "Upgrading Bailey-Brayton Field was a necessity and provides Marty Lees and his staff the opportunity to attract top talent to Washington State, develop current talent, and return the program to a place of prominence." The state-of-the-art facility renovation and enhancement will cost approximately $10 million. 100 percent of the project costs will be covered through private donations. WSU Athletics was able to secure nearly $2 million in new gifts and pledges over the past 12 months to reach the $10 million goal. The project will feature a locker room, coaches offices, team meeting rooms, a players lounge, as well as recognition of Cougar Baseball's storied history. Construction is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2019, with completion in time for the 2021 baseball season. "What a great day to be a Coug," said WSU Head Coach Marty Lees. "Thank you to the Board of Regents, our administration, alumni, donors and fans. This will provide a tremendous boost to our current and future players and we couldn't be more excited for what the future holds surrounding Cougar Baseball."

JOHN OLERUD NAMED TO 2019 PAC-12 HALL OF HONOR
The Pac-12 Conference announced the 2019 class to be inducted into the Pac-12 Hall of Honor. Washington State's representative was legend John Olerud, the Pac-12 Conference's Baseball Player of the Century. During his three seasons in a Cougar uniform, Olerud (1987-89) had one of the finest careers of any Cougar student-athlete, in any sport, in Washington State history, rewriting the WSU record books and becoming the only Cougar baseball athlete ever to be named College Athlete of the Year. In 1988, Olerud became the only player in NCAA history to win 15 games on the mound and hit 20 home runs in the same season, going 15-0 with 23 home runs that year. Still holding numerous WSU records, Olerud went 26-4 overall with a 3.17 ERA over 241.1 innings during his three seasons, hitting .434 for Washington State. He set two Pac-10 records and 10 Pac-10 North marks, highlighted by his sophomore season when he was named Athlete of the Year by Baseball America. In January prior to his junior year at WSU, Olerud suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage, a type of brain seizure. He missed the first 28 games of the spring season, but returned to hit .359 for WSU over the final 27 games. Prior to his senior season, Olerud signed a contract with Toronto and went directly to the Major Leagues. In 1993, he became the first Blue Jay to win a batting title, hitting .363. Olerud played for Toronto, the New York Mets and Yankees, Seattle and Boston during his 17-year career, winning back-to-back World Series titles with Toronto in 1992 and 1993. In 2001 he joined his father, John Sr., in the WSU Athletics Hall of Fame, and is a member of the College Baseball, State of Washington and Inland Northwest Sports Halls of Fame. The John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award, given annually by the College Baseball Hall of Fame, was named in his honor and in 2016, he was named the Pac-12 Conference Player of the Century, selected by a 36-member blue ribbon panel of experts selected by the conference.

MLB DRAFT PICKS UNDER MARTY LEES
Since Marty Lees arrived at Washington State for the 2016 season, 10 Cougars have been drafted: 
2016, Ian Hamilton, RHP, 11th round, Chicago White Sox
2016, Layne Bruner, LHP, 18th round, Baltimore Orioles
2016, Trek Stemp, 2B, 29th round, Tampa Bay Rays
2017, Damon Jones, LHP, 18th round, Philadelphia Phillies
2017, Shane Matheny, 3B, 23rd round, San Francisco Giants
2017, Colby Nealy, RHP, 35th round, Los Angeles Dodgers
2018, Parker McFadden, RHP, 16th round, Baltimore Orioles
2018, Scotty Sunitsch, LHP, 18th round, Milwaukee Brewers
2018, Ryan Walker, RHP, 31st round, San Francisco Giants
2018, Justin Harrer, INF,  35th round, Pittsburgh Pirates

Below is a list of current Cougars who were drafted out of high school:
2016, Danny Sinatro, OF, 40th round, Cleveland Indians
2016, A.J. Block, LHP, 39th round, Chicago Cubs
2017, Jack Smith, INF, 39th round, Seattle Mariners
2018, Brandon White, RHP, 14th round, Los Angeles Dodgers
2018, Ky Bush, LHP, 40th round, Kansas City Royals

WHO'S GONE?
The Cougars return four position starts and two pitchers from its weekend rotation in 2019. 
Here are a couple of significant losses:
Blake Clanton (DH) - Graduated, All-Pac-12 HM, .350, 13 2B, 10 HR, 35 RBI
Justin Harrer (OF) - Drafted, 35th RD, Pittsburgh, 11 HR, 30 RBI
JJ Hancock (OF) - Graduated, .278, 7 2B, 3 HR, 23 RBI, 4 SB
Scotty Sunitsch (LHP) - Drafted, 18th RD, Milwaukee, All-Pac-12 HM, 6-4, 3.74 ERA, 84.1 IP, 74 K, No-Hitter at ORE
Ryan Walker (RHP) - Drafted, 31st RD, San Francisco, 23 APP, 4-4, 5 SV, 46.1 IP, 47 K
Parker McFadden (RHP) - Drafted, 16th RD, Baltimore, 15 APP, 1-1, 3.56 ERA, 30.1 IP, 46 K

ABOUT ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH / PITCHING COACH DAN SPENCER 
Dan Spencer oversees WSU's pitching staff and reunited with Lees as the two spent four seasons together at Oregon State, winning back-to-back College World Series titles in 2006 and 2007. Spencer coached three seasons with the New Mexico Lobos after serving the previous four years as the head coach of Texas Tech, compiling a 115-112 record. Before joining Texas Tech for the 2008 season, Spencer spent 11 seasons at Oregon State as the Beavers hitting coach (1997-2003) and pitching coach (2004-2007). He began his head coaching career at Green River Community College (1992-96) in Auburn, Wash. In 1992 and 1994 he was named the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges Coach of the Year. A native of Vancouver, Wash., Spencer received his bachelor's degree in history from Portland State University in 1990. He and his wife, Susie, have three children: Wade, Logan, and Elizabeth.

ABOUT ASSISTANT COACH JIM HORNER
Jim Horner, a first-team All-Pacific-10 player for the Cougars in 1996, jumped at the opportunity to return to the Palouse after managing the Seattle Mariners Double-A affiliate Jackson Generals (Tenn.) for the 2014 season and the first half of the 2015 campaign. Horner owns seven-plus years of managerial experience, serving as the skipper of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Seattle – Low-A) from 2006-07 and the High Desert Mavericks (Seattle - High-A) from 2008-10 and 2013. In 2009, he was named California League Manager of the Year and Seattle Mariners Staff Member of the Year after guiding the Mavericks to South Division first and second half titles. From 2011-12, Horner coached two seasons at Texas Tech as the hitting coach under then head coach Dan Spencer. Horner joined the coaching ranks immediately after completing a nine-year professional playing career, all with the Mariners' organization. He was a catcher in the Seattle farm system from 1996-2004. In 2000, Horner reached the Triple-A level with the Tacoma Rainiers. Horner played at Washington State for coaches Bobo Brayton (1993-94) and Steve Farrington (1995-96). The Twin Falls, Idaho native earned first-team All-Pac-10 Conference honors as a senior after leading the Cougars with a .332 batting average. Horner was also named the Pacific-10 Conference Medal Winner for Washington State as WSU's top male student-athlete and received all-academic honors while earning a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. Jim and his wife, Katie, have four children: daughters, Madison and Reagan, and sons, Jackson and Tyler.