Washington State University Athletics
Washington State Cougars - Baseball
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Baseball team takes 3-1 record into Posse Stadium to face Gonzaga.
February 16, 1999
NEXT WEEK:
Fri., Feb. 26 - WSU at SJSU, 2:30 p.m., Municipal Stadium, San Jose, Calif.
Sat., Feb. 27 - WSU at SJSU, 1:00 p.m., Municipal Stadium, San Jose, Calif.
Sun., Feb. 28 - WSU at SJSU, 1:00 p.m., Municipal Stadium, San Jose, Calif.
LAST WEEK:
Fri., Feb. 12 - WSU 21, NMSU 7, Askew Field, Las Cruces, NM
Sat., Feb. 13 - WSU 7, NMSU 9, Askew Field, Las Cruces, NM
Sun., Feb. 14 - WSU 23, NMSU 14, Askew Field, Las Cruces, NM
Mon., Feb. 15 - WSU 22, NMSU 10, Askew Field, Las Cruces, NM
THIS WEEK:
Fri., Feb. 19 - WSU vs. Gonzaga, 2:00 p.m., Posse Stadium, Pasco, Wash.
Sat., Feb. 20 - WSU vs. Gonzaga, 1:00 p.m., Posse Stadium, Pasco, Wash.
Sun., Feb. 21 - WSU vs. Gonzaga, 1:00 p.m., Posse Stadium, Pasco, Wash.
WSU LINEUP (3-1, 0-0) (TENTATIVE)
1B - RAY HATTENBURG, Jr. (.478, 11 H, 10 RBI, 1 HR)
Zach Bode, Jr. (.500, 2 H, 1 R, 6 RBI, 1 HR)
2B - BOYD ROBERTSON, Sr. (.286, 4 H, 4 RBI, 1 HR)
Jeron Gates, Fr. (.667, 4 H, 4 R, 1 RBI, 1 HR, 2 2B)
SS - SHAWN STEVENSON, Jr. (.348, 8 H, 5 RBI, 3 2B)
Jeron Gates, Fr. (.667, 4 H, 4 R, 1 RBI, 1 HR, 2 2B)
3B - DAVID PERREIRA, Jr. (.474, 9 H, 6 RBI, 2 HR)
Ray Hattenburg, Jr. (.478, 11 H, 10 RBI, 1 HR)
LF - DUSTY EDLER, RS-Sr. (.333, 4 H, 2 RBI, 1 2B)
Evan Hecker, Fr. (High School Last Season)
CF - STEVE GLEASON, Sr. (.118, 2 H, 1 RBI)
Micah Banton, RS-Jr. (.250, 1 H, 1 2B, 2 RBI)
RF - JASON GROVE, So. (.545, 12 H, 13 RBI, 4 HR)
Brad Philley, RS-So, (.714, 5 H, 3 R, 2 RBI)
C - JEFF SCHERER, Sr. (.636, 14 H, 11 RBI, 2 HR, 6 2B)
Ryan Smith, Jr. (.857, 6 H, 4 RBI, 2 3B, 1 2B, 5 R)
DH - STEVE CURRAN, Jr. (.125, 1 H, 2 RBI, 1 HR)
Zach Bode, Jr. (.500, 2 H, 1 R, 6 RBI, 1 HR)
Ryan Smith, Jr. (.857, 6 H, 4 RBI, 2 3B, 1 2B, 5 R)
P1 - WADE PARRISH, Jr. (L, 1-0, 1.50 ERA, 6.0 IP)
P2 - JAMAAL GAINES, Sr. (R, 0-1, 14.54 ERA, 4.1 IP)
P3 - TODD MELDAHL, Jr. (L, 0-0, 27.00 ERA, 2.2 IP)
P4 - LANAKILA NILES, RS-Fr. (R, 1-0, 3.60 ERA, 5.0 IP)
R1 - Matt O'Brien, Jr.(L, 1-0, 0.00, 4.0 IP, 1 APP)
COUGAR DIAMOND NOTES
COUGS LOOK TO CONTINUE HITTING WAYS AGAINST ZAGS: The Washington State baseball team got off to a quick 3-1 start after outscoring the New Mexico State Aggies 73-40 in a four-game weekend series.
This week the Cougars will try to continue its hot hitting and clutch pitching against regional rival Gonzga in a three-game series to be played at Posse Stadium in Pasco, Wash. Games will be played Friday at 2 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m.
In the season opening series in New Mexico, sophomore Jason Grove and senior catcher Jeff Scherer led a hitting attack that saw the Cougs pound out 83 hits.
Grove (Walla Walla, Wash.) recorded 12 hits in the series and is now hitting at a .545 clip for the season. He has connected on four home runs, including three in the third game of the NMSU series. The sophomore sensation hit his three home runs in consecutive at-bats and two in the first frame.
Scherer (Kennewick, Wash.) had an unbelievable week at the plate going 14-for-22 (.636) with six doubles and two home runs. In one stretch of at-bats he was 10-for-11 with six doubles and a home run.
All around it was a good weekend for the Cougar bats and a bad one for the Cougar record books. WSU twice equaled its single-game mark with 25 hits. Scherer tied two records with his three doubles in a game and six hits. Ryan Smith (Port Orchard, Wash.) nearly hit for the cycle Sunday and tied a record with two triples in a game. Grove became the first Coug to hit three home runs in consecutive at-bats since Mike Miller did in 1983.
It was also a good week for Cougar newcomers. Freshman infielder Jeron Gates (Seattle, Wash.) was 4-for-6 with two doubles and a home run in his debut as a starter. Left-handed relievers Sean Donlin and Matt O'Brien were also impressive in their debuts. Donlin, a freshman from Woodinville, Wash., pitched four innings not giving up an earned run. O'Brien, a transfer from Edmonds CC, pitched four innings of scoreless relief Sunday to pick up the win.
LHP Wade Parrish had a solid '99 debut giving up two runs in six innings to pick up the win Friday. Freshman Lanakila Niles (Pearl City, Hawai'i) got the start in the series finale. Niles was dazzling in five innings of work, striking out eight while walking only one.
Gonzaga comes into the series with a 1-2 record after opening the season with the University of Portland. WSU was 6-2 against the Zags last year.
NEW PAC-10 FORMAT: The 1999 season marks a new era in Pacific-10 Conference baseball as the disbanded the former North and South divisions to form one unified league. Portland State dropped its program following the '98 season leaving only three teams in the Northern Divison. This year nine Pac-10 schools (Oregon does not have a team) will make up the Pac-10 baseball league with each team playing a 24-game schedule, with the regular season champion earning the league's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. WSU will play Oregon State, Cal, and UW twice, but only one of the series will count towards the league standings.
WSU MOUND ROTATION
(Probable)
FRI Wade Parrish (LHP)
SAT Jamaal Gaines (RHP)
SUN Todd Meldahl (LHP)
COACH FARRINGTON: In his four years at the helm of the Cougar baseball
team Farrington has posted a 92-131 record…in his first year with WSU his
squad won the Pac-10 North crown and he was named the league coach of the
year…before coming to WSU in the summer of 1994 Coach Farrington spent 11
seasons as the coach of Lower Columbia College in Longview, Wash …at the JC
level Farrington posted a 280-149 record, with three NWAACC titles…he was
the National Junior College Coach of the Year in 1992…at Washington State
he has coached 17 players who are currently in the minor leagues and Mike
Kinkade in the majors.
THE COACHING STAFF: Buzz Verduzco has been onboard as a Cougar assistant coach since 1990…he is a 1985 graduate of WSU where he played baseball for Bobo Brayton…his 67 games played in '85 is a WSU record…former major leaguer Russ Swan joined the coaching staff in 1998…Swan spent 11 seasons in the majors with Seattle, Cleveland, and San Francisco.
103 YEARS OF COUGAR BASEBALL: Baseball, the first sport played at Washington State University in 1892, completed its 103rd season of diamond action in 1998…during its first 103 seasons, WSU baseball teams won 65.8% of their games, posting a 2,202-1,170 record…WSU was 11-1 in 1892…the Cougars did not field baseball teams in 1893-94-95-97.
THE COUGS VS. THE ZAGS: The Cougars and Gonzaga Bulldogs have become regional foes since their first meeting in 1911…the Cougs hold a 154-67 advantage in head-to-head meetings with one tie between them…last season WSU was 8-2 against the Zags…in Pasco last season WSU took two out of the three games at Posse Stadium.
OLERUD RANKS SEVENTH AS "PLAYER OF THE CENTURY": Washington State baseball great John Olerud was recently ranked seventh as
college baseball's "Player of the Century" by Baseball America. The top 10
players of the century were voted on by fans, coaches, and baseball writers
and are listed below:
1. Pete Incaviglia (Oklahoma State)
2. Bob Horner (Arizona State)
3. Robin Ventura (Oklahoma State)
4. Burt Hooten (Texas)
5. Dave Winnfield (Minnesota)
6. Shell Stephenson (Wichita State)
7. John Olerud (Washington State)
8. J.D. Drew (Florida State)
9. Eddie Bain (Arizona State)
10. Derrick Tatsuno (Hawaii)
MEDIA INFORMATION:
Baseball Contact: Jeff R. Evans
SID Phone: (509) 335-2684
SID Fax: (509) 335-0267
E-Mail: jrevans@wsu.edu
Website: www.wsu.edu/athletics
Address: Bohler Addition 195
P.O. Box 641602
Pullman, WA 99164-1602
Press Conference: Head Coach Steve Farrington will hold a weekly press
conference every Tuesday at 1:30...if you are interested in participating
please call the WSU Sports Information Office at (509) 335-2684.
Player Interviews: If you wish to talk to any of the Cougar baseball players for interviews, please contact Jeff R. Evans.
The Players……
STEVENSON FILLING SHOES OF A BIGGER MAN: Junior shortstop Shawn Stevenson (Everett) enters his third season as a Cougar starter…last season he started 48 of WSU's 49 games and hit .328 with nine home runs as the Cougs leadoff hitter…over the summer he traveled to Mass., where he played for the Wareham Gatemen in the Cape Cod League…he hit .265 with a wood bat and in the field led all shortstops with a .974 fielding percentage…awarded the Sylvia and Bert Bigelow Award for team MVP honors…in Baseball America's preseason college baseball issue, Stevenson was named the top shortstop in the Pac-10…Stevenson is the Cougar record holder for consecutive games with a hit (28)…in the NMSU series Stevenson was 8-for-23 with three doubles and he is 4-for-4 in stolen bases.
THE SENSATIONAL SOPHOMORE: Sophomore Jason Grove (Walla Walla, Wash.) had himself quite an opening week in New Mexico going 12-for-22 at the plate with four home runs and 13 RBIs…in the third game of the series he connected on three home runs, tying a Cougar record last accomplished by Casey Kelley in 1998…two of his three home runs came in the first inning and all three were in consecutive at-bats…Grove was 5-for-7 in the season opener…for his spectacular play Grove was a top finalist for the Collegiate Baseball national player of the week…Grove is coming off a spectacular freshman year in which he was named an honorable mention freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball…Grove hit .323 last season with 12 home runs and 13 doubles…in the outfield he had eight assists and a .982 fielding percentage…in the summer Grove played for the Kelowna Grizzlies in the Pacific International League where he hit 15 home runs…next summer he will follow in Stevenson's footsteps to play for Wareham in the Cape Cod League.
| 1999 PRESEASON PAC-10 POLL (Record) | |
| 1. Southern California | (1-3) |
| 2. Stanford | (3-3) |
| 3. Washington | (0-0) |
| 4. Arizona State | (11-3) |
| UCLA | (4-5) |
| 6. California | (3-5) |
| 7. Arizona | (9-0) |
| 8. Oregon State | (3-0) |
| 9. Washington State | (3-1) |
AS SOLID AS SCHERER: Senior catcher Jeff Scherer (Kennewick, Wash.) had an opening week in New Mexico he soon won't forget…Scherer was 14-for-22 with six doubles and two home runs…he tied two school records in a 6-for-7 performance Sunday…his six hits and three doubles equaled Cougar records…in the series finale with NMSU he was 3-for-5 with two home runs and another double…in one string of at-bats he was 10-for-11 with six doubles and a home run …he also threw out two would-be Aggie basestealers…his six doubles already doubles his total from all of last season…Scherer started the first half of the '98 season behind the plate before moving to designated hitter because of elbow problems…he hit .276 in 98 at-bats last season.
IRON MAN GLEASON: Two-sport star Steve Gleason (Sr., Spokane, Wash.) had a breakthrough year on the diamond last season when he hit .290 with six triples and six home runs…he started 35 games primarily in center field…his six triples ranked only one behind the school record of seven…on the gridiron Gleason was third on the team with 70 tackles…he was sidelined midway through the season with a knee injury…in WSU's '97 Rose Bowl season Gleason started every game at linebacker and was a honorable mention all-Pac-10 pick…thus far in '99 he has struggled at the plate with only two hits in 17 at-bats…he has struck out eight times and is now tied for sixth on the all-time record list with 98 career strikeouts.
THE CANDADIAN CONNECTION: Two of the Cougars most dominating relievers hail from Alberta, Canada…Les McTavish (Jr., Slave Lake) and Reggie Rivard (Jr., Bonnyville) tied for the team lead last year with 19 pitching appearances each…McTavish ended the season with a 3-2 record and the team's top ERA of 4.79…Rivard led the Cougar pitching corps with four saves and with a dominating fastball will again be looked to as the closer…Rivard has taken to the mound once in '99 and McTavish has seen duty twice.
ALL-TIME NCAA DIVISION I VICTORIES: Washington State baseball coaching legend Chuck "Bobo" Brayton's 1,162 victories ranks ninth all-time among NCAA coaches:
| Name | School | Yrs | Won | Lost | Pct |
| 1. | Cliff Gustafson, Texas | 29 | 1,427 | 373 | .792 |
| 2. | Rod Deadeux, USC | 45 | 1,332 | 571 | .699 |
| 3. | Ron Fraser, Miami (Fla.) | 30 | 1,271 | 438 | .742 |
| 4. | Jack Stallings, Georgia South.* | 38 | 1,229 | 767 | .615 |
| 5. | Al Ogeltree, Texsas-Pan Am* | 41 | 1,217 | 713 | .631 |
| 6. | Augie Garrido, Texas* | 30 | 1,204 | 558 | .663 |
| 7. | Chuck Hartman, Virginia Tech* | 39 | 1,200 | 609 | .663 |
| 8. | Gene Stephenson, Wichita St.* | 21 | 1,165 | 346 | .770 |
| 9. | Bobo Brayton, WSU | 33 | 1,162 | 523 | .689 |
| 10. | Bill Wilhelm, Clemson | 36 | 1,161 | 536 | .683 |
| * = Active coach | |||||
ISLAND FEVER: Three members of WSU's 1999 baseball squad come from paradise, literally…Micah Banton, Lanakila Niles, and David Perreira…Perreira (Jr., Ewa Beach, Hawaii) transferred to WSU from the University of Hawaii in August and is penciled in as the starter at third base…Perreira can also play second, catcher, and fill the designated hitter role… Banton (Jr., Honolulu) is a speedy outfielder who will see backup duty in all three outfield positions…Niles (RS-Fr., Pearl City, Hawaii) is a crafty right-hander with four pitches…he could see duty out of the bullpen and spot-starting opportunities.
GRANDPA ROBERTSON: At 25 years of age, senior second baseman Boyd Robertson (Richland, Wash.) could very well be the oldest player in collegiate baseball…born 10/28/73, Robertson attended Pacific University out of high school, then went on a two-year church mission to Brazil for the 1993-94 and 1994-95 academic years…Robertson attended one year of junior college at Columbia Basin College before arriving at WSU in 1997…after a transfer mandated redshirt season in '97, Robertson played in 40 games (32 as a starter) in 1998 and hit .276…Robertson started three of the Cougs' first four games, hitting .286 with four RBIs and his second career home run.
FRESHMEN PHENOMS: So far 1999 has proved to be a great year for freshmen on the Cougar baseball squad…Niles was spectacular in his starting debut striking out eight in five innings to earn his first collegiate win…lefty Sean Donlin (Woodinville, Wash.) has been dominating out of the bullpen giving up only four hits and no earned runs in four innings of work…Jeron Gates made his first collegiate start in the NMSU series finale and went 4-for-6 with two doubles and a home run…pitcher/designated hitter Tyson Thompson also saw mound duty in the Cougs' opening series…freshman Evan Hecker (Seattle, Wash.) will also see action in the outfield.
HORMEL FOODS CLASSIC: When the WSU baseball team ventures to Minneapolis March 5-7 for the 15th annual Hormel Foods Baseball Classic, they will be competing against three of the top collegiate baseball programs in the nation…the Cougs play No. 1 Florida State and No. 2 Wichita State (Collegiate Baseball Poll) in consecutive games…WSU also plays the University of Minnesota in the opening game of the tournament…the Golden Gophers were ranked 29th in the preseason poll…all games will be played in Minneapolis Metrodome, the home of the Minnesota Twins major league baseball team.
THE ACE FROM OTHELLO: Junior Wade Parrish (Othello, Wash.) continued his form against NMSU that he showed as an all-league performer from a year ago…Parrish threw six innings, allowing just one earned run and struck out five…Parrish was the Cougars' leading pitcher in '98 with a 8-3 record and 4.93 ERA.
SMITTY: After a shoulder surgery during high school, Ryan Smith (Port Orchard, Wash.) has finally reached the potential the Cougar coaching staff has been expecting of him…he will platoon at catcher with Scherer and see designated hitter duty…Smith opened the season on a hot note going 6-for-7 against New Mexico State…he fell just a home run short of the elusive cycle Feb. 14, but tied a school record with two triples…Smith was 2-for-2 in the series finale…he has hit six career home runs in his two-year WSU career.
NEWCOMERS CONTRIBUTE: Newcomers third baseman David Perriera, left-handed reliever Matt O'Brien, and outfielder Micah Banton have all been huge assets for the Cougars this season…Perreira has started all four games at the hot corner and his hitting .474 with two home runs…O'Brien earned the win Feb. 14 after shutting down NMSU out of the bullpen…at one point in his debut, O'Brien retired nine in a row…Banton is 1-for-4 as a Coug with a double to his credit…pitcher Tony Dawson (Oakland, Calif.) and Justin Nakaishi (Syracuse, Utah) have also seen playing time.
BIONIC MAN II: Senior outfielder Dusty Edler (Yakima, Wash.) comes from a family of strong Cougar heritage…his brother Dave Edler was an All-America player at WSU in 1978 playing third base, outfield, designated hitter and pitcher…for his utility role he was coined with the nickname "The Bionic Man"…Dave Edler then went on to play in the major leagues for the Seattle Mariners from 1981-83…Dusty can play any of the outfield positions for the Cougs, but will open the season as the starting left fielder…Dusty was selected in the 48th round of the 1994 amateur baseball draft…in three starts for the Cougs in '99 Edler is 4-for-12 with a double and two RBIs.
WSU ON THE RADIO: All Washington State baseball games are broadcast by Houser Communications in Colfax...airtime is five minutes before the start of the game...all games are scheduled to air on KCLX (1450 AM) with Rich Buel of the Tri City Posse calling the action.
HATTIE: An ankle injury sidelined junior Ray Hattenburg (Spokane, Wash.) early in the '98 season, and he never recovered to regain his '97 stroke that saw him hit .339 (58-171)…in '98 he hit .279 and two home runs…now a junior Hattenburg is 100% and ready to return to his old ways…an outfielder for the past two seasons, Hattenburg has moved to the infield and will start at first base and see action at third…Hattenburg opened 1999 with a bang going 11-for-23 while starting every game at first base…he pushed 10 runs across the plate, already halving his total from all of last year…he made only one error in 30 chances in his debut at first base.
COUGS IN THE MINORS: At the end of the 1998 minor league season, 19 Cougars were wearing professional uniforms...they included:
| Todd Belitz | P | St. Petersburg | A | Tampa Bay |
| Ken Cameron | OF | Arkansas | AA | St. Louis |
| Eric Estes | P | Mobile | AA | San Diego |
| Jason Goligoski | SS | Tulsa | AA | Texas |
| Burdette Greeny | P | Helena | R | Milwaukee |
| Jason Hairston | OF | Macon | A | Atlanta |
| Terrel Hansen | 1B | Chico | -- | Independent |
| Mark Hendrickson | LHP | Dunedin | A | Toronto |
| Jim Horner | C | Orlando | AA | Seattle |
| Kyle Kawabata | P | Clearwater | A | Philadelphia |
| Casey Kelley | 1B | Boise | A | Anaheim |
| Mike Kinkade | 3B | Norfolk | AAA | N.Y Mets |
| Tom McGraw | P | Ottawa | AAA | Montreal |
| Chad Miles | P | Lakeland | A | Detroit |
| Robert Ramsey | P | Trenton | AA | Boston |
| Rob Ryan | OF | Tucson | AAA | Arizona |
| Mark Small | P | Okla. City | AAA | Texas |
| Ole Vigeland | P | Pulaski | R | Texas |
| Dave Wheeler | P | Kingsport | R | N.Y. Mets |
PHILLEY PHANATIC: Two-sport star Brad Philley (Puyallup, Wash.) took a year layoff from baseball, but played against NMSU like he never left the field…in his first action in the opener, he was 1-for-2, recording his first hit since April 13, 1997 against the University of Washington…in his first start of the year Feb. 15, Philley was 4-for-5 with two RBIs…Philley starts as an outside liebacker on the WSU football team.
DRAFTED COUGARS: Five members of the Cougar Baseball team were drafted by
Major League baseball teams following high school graduation. They are:
Tony Dawson - Oakland, 19th round, 1997
Dusty Edler - Toronto, 48th round, 1994
Todd Meldahl - NY Mets, 29th round, 1996
Brad Philley - Philadelphia, 33rd round, 1996
Tyson Thompson - Pittsburgh, 23rd round, 1998
GONZAGA INFORMATION:
1999 Record: 1-2
1998 Record: 16-34
Conference: West Coast
Vs. WSU: 2-6
Baseball SID: Oliver Pierce
E-Mail: opierce@gonzaga.edu
Phone: (509) 323-6373
Head Coach: Steve Hertz (498-501-1) in 19 years
Assistants: Mark Machtolf, Travis Jewett
THESE GUYS CAN COACH TOO: Steve Curran and Zach Bode spend their summers
not playing baseball, but coaching it...the Cougar players helped coach
Chaffey Baseball Club in Seattle...Chaffey is regarded as one of the best
summer baseball progams in the state of Washington...Curran and Bode are
alumni of the Chaffey program...Boyd Robertson and Jamaal Gaines helped
coach a Pony League team in Pullman...reliever Les McTavish was the
pitching coach for the Lethebridge, Alberta Legion team.
CWS AND THE PAC-10: Capturing College World Series titles is nothing new for Pacific-10 Conference teams. Conference clubs have won the national baseball title 24 times since the CWS started in 1947, including 17 times in the last 31 years. In all, Pac-10 teams have played for the title 33 times, with 10 second-place finishes. At the CWS last year, Arizona State and Southern Cal combined for 35 runs before USC came away with a 21-14 win. It was the Trojans 12th CWS title all-time. The only years at least one Pac-10 team did not qualify for the CWS were 1969-89-91-96.
COUGS IN THE MAJOR LEAGUES: Last year five former Cougar baseball players dotted the rosters of major league clubs. Aaron Sele of the Texas Rangers had a breakthrough season in '98 as he was selected to his first all-star game. John Olerud nearly became the first player to ever win a batting title in both the American and National League… The following players are listed with the teams they played with in '98 and their statistics:
| 1998 STATS | POS | TEAM | AVG. | HR | G | AB |
| Scott Hatteburg | C | Boston | .276 | 12 | 112 | 359 |
| Mike Kinkade | 3B | NY (N) | .000 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| John Olerud | 1B | NY (N) | .354 | 22 | 160 | 557 |
| 1998 STATS | POS | TEAM | W-L | ERA | G | SO |
| Aaron Sele | RHP | Texas | 19-11 | 4.23 | 33 | 167 |
| David Wainhouse | RHP | Colo. | 1-0 | 4.91 | 10 | 3 |
1998 - A SEASON OF RECORDS: In 1998 Casey Kelley (Ellensburg, Wash.) etched his name into the record books with a Washington State and Pac-10 North record 25 home runs. The record mark broke John Olerud's 1988 record of 23. An amazing fact is 20 of his 25 long balls sailed to left field, his opposite field. Kelley finished ranked third nationally with .51 home runs per game and was named third team All-America by Collegiate Baseball…Kelley also set the record for 63 strikeouts in a season…Steve Gleason hit six triples, one off the school record of seven.
1998 COUGARS ON ALL PAC-10 NORTH TEAM: Four players from the 1998 squad were named to the Pac-10 North all-conference team. Scott Randall became a two-time selection with a team leading .358 batting average. Casey Kelley, Wade Parrish, and Greg Mitchell were also named to the team in recognition of their excellent seasons. Mitchell and Kelley combined to hit 40 of the Cougs' 97 home runs and Parrish finished second in the league with eight wins.
THE CHAFFEY CONNECTION: One of the most highly regarded select baseball programs in the state of Washington has become a feeding ground for current Cougar baseball players. Chaffey Construction participates annually in the nation's best tournaments. The Seattle-based team has graduated several current Cougs including Zach Bode, Steve Curran, Ryan Smith, Tyson Thompson, Jeron Gates, Sean Donlin, Wes Falkenborg, and Kevin Harasimowicz.
ONE TOUGH SCHEDULE: The NCAA doesn't compile a power ranking for college baseball, but if the 1999 WSU baseball schedule was put to a vote, it would be one of the toughest in the country…in all WSU will play six teams in Baseball America's top 25 and eight teams in Collegiate Baseball's top 30…the Cougars received one vote in the Baseball Weekly/ESPN Coaches Poll.
| Team | CB | BA | BW |
| Arizona State | 22 | 12 | 10 |
| Arizona | 15 | 19 | NR |
| Florida State | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Stanford | 9 | 5 | 6 |
| UCLA | 29 | NR | NR |
| USC | 12 | 6 | 11 |
| Washington | 21 | 23 | 24 |
| Wichita State | 2 | 3 | 5 |
STEVENSON BREAKS SCHOOL RECORD: Junior shortstop Shawn Stevenson surpassed John Olerud as the record holder for most consecutive games with a hit in the early part of the 1998 season...the switch hitting leadoff hitter ended his streak March 6, 1998 with an 0-for-4 day against Ohio State...the streak ended at 28 games which dated back to April 13th of the '97 season in a game against Lewis-Clark State....Olerud set the previous mark of 22 games in the 1988 season in which he was voted Baseball America's player of the year...during the streak Stevenson hit .384 (48/125).
COUGS ADD TO WARDROBE: The Washington State baseball team will be making a
fashion statement when they take the field this Spring. The Cougars have
added a white, sleeveless jersey that will be accompanied with a crimson
undershirt. The Cougars now have five sets of uniforms to take the field
in. They include home whites and pinstripes, and crimson and gray mesh
jerseys for the road. The Cougs will also feature an alternate white cap
this year in addition to the standard crimson cap. Here is how the Cougs
have faired in each set of uniforms:
White Home: 0-0
White Sleeveless: 0-0
Pinstripe: 1-0
Crimson Mesh: 2-0
Gray Mesh: 0-1
COUGS MAKE SWITCH AT BAILEY FIELD: For the first time in recorded Cougar
baseball history, the baseball squad will stand guard down the first base
line instead of the customary third base dugout. Coach Farrington made the
switch during the '98 season to utilize the better bullpen in right field
and to avoid distractions from the concession stand in left field.
THE PROGRAM: The Washington State baseball program is one filled with a
history of success, pride, and achievements. Among the facts:
89 winning seasons
Only 14 losing seasons in 103 years
41 conference championships
Five College World Series appearances
22 NCAA appearances
24 no-hitters
Four coaches over the last 66 years
Nine first-team All-Americans
One college baseball player of the year
131 first-team all-league selections since '47
