This weekend a few hours up highway 97 in tri-cities is the 56th annual HAPO Columbia Cup hydroplane boat race. The action begins today with airshows and vintage hydroplane races on the Columbia River and the weekend concludes Sunday afternoon with the main event. Get details on https://waterfollies.com/

The Bend Elks are back in the losers column after falling 10-7 to Ridgefield in the rubber match of the series. The Elks Elijah Jackson and Jude Hall each hit home runs in the losing effort as Bend fell to 25-20 on the season.

With just nine regular season games left, Bend is six and a half games out of the second-half division lead, however, would make the playoffs if the season ended today. In the new West Coast League playoff format, the teams with the third and fourth best overall records in each division make the postseason, and the Elks are in fourth with a three-game lead over Yakima Valley.

Bend returns home tonight to host the Portland Pickles. The first pitch is at 6:35 and you can get tickets at https://www.bendelks.com/

DK Metcalf will be sticking in Seattle for the foreseeable future.  According to ESPN, the wide receiver and the Seahawks have agreed to a three-year, 72-million dollar extension.  The deal includes 58.2-million dollars guaranteed, and a 30-million dollar signing bonus, which is the highest ever for a receiver.  Metcalf had reported to training camp on Tuesday but did not participate in the team's first practice.  The 64th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft has caught 216 passes for 3,170 yards and 29 touchdowns over his first three seasons.  

The Seahawks are missing a member of their defense in training camp.  Seattle head coach Pete Carroll said Thursday that safety Jamal Adams will be out as he seeks other opinions on a left-hand issue.  Adams underwent surgery this offseason to fuse two fingers on his hand after multiple dislocations but seems to be dealing with ongoing issues.  Carroll didn't give a timetable for Adams return.  The 26-year-old has dealt with injuries over the past two seasons and was limited to 12 games in both 2020 and 2021.  

The NASCAR Cup Series will head to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard.  Kurt Busch will once again be absent from racing as he continues to deal with concussion-like symptoms.  He will be replaced by Ty Gibbs.  Ex-Formula One racer Daniil Kvyat will make his NASCAR Cup Series debut at the Indianapolis Road Course.  Chase Elliott will be looking for a second straight victory after winning at Pocono last week.  

In the Big Leagues last night the Seattle Mariners dropped the series opener to Houston 4-2. Those two teams rematch this afternoon at 5.

Elsewhere the Oakland A’s are back after an off day yesterday. The Athletics find themselves in Chicago challenging the White Sox. The first pitch is at 5:10.

Finally, the San Francisco Giants finally earned a win after defeating the Cubs 4-2. This ended a seven-game losing streak for the Giants. The teams meet again tonight at 7:15

At the AAA American Legion State baseball tournament the Medford Mustangs earned their 17th state championship with a 14-2 win over the Post 6 Barbers. The Mustangs will represent the state of Oregon at the Northwest Regional tournament in Gillette, Wyoming. That tournament begins on August 3rd, and the American Legion World Series begins on the 11th in Shelby North Carolina.

The Single-A, the Redmond American Legion ball club earned a state title after beating the Ole Athletics of Eugene last weekend. They are headed to the class A Northwest Regional in Utah.

The Bend Elks earned a 7-3 win last night over the Ridgefield Raptors. With the three-game series tied after two, the Elks look to claim the final meeting between the teams tonight at 6:35. 

The Elks will be back at Vince Genna Stadium tomorrow night when they welcome the Portland Pickles. Bend only has six home games left so grab your tickets at https://www.bendelks.com/
 

In Major League Baseball the Seattle Mariners completed the sweep of the Texas Rangers with a 4-2 win yesterday. The M’s are 54-45 and 10 games back of the division-leading Astros. Seattle meets Houston tonight at 5 to kick off a four-game series.

The Oakland A’s earned a win over those Astros yesterday 4-2. The Athletics visit the south side of Chicago to play the White Sox tomorrow. 

The San Francisco Giants lost again to the Diamondbacks 5-3. That’s seven straight losses for the giants since the all-star break. San Fran is 48-50 and 3.5 games back of the third wild card spot in the National League. They host the Cubs tonight at 6:45.

The Kraken are bringing back one of their top goal scorers from last season.  Seattle announced it re-signed forward Ryan Donato to a one-year, 1.2 million dollar deal.  Donato scored a career-high 16 goals last season and also tallied 15 assists through 74 games.  The 26-year-old scored the Kraken's first ever game in their regular season opener against the Vegas Golden Knights last year.  

K.J. Wright is hanging up his cleats as a member of the Seahawks.  Seattle signed the veteran linebacker to a ceremonial one-day contract so that he could retire with the team he began his NFL career with.  Wright spent the first 10 years of his career with the Seahawks before playing for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021.  The 33-year-old was selected in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL Draft, and retires as the third-leading tackler in the history of the Seahawks' franchise.  Wright was a key piece to the Legion of Boom defense that help Seattle win Super Bowl 48.  

The Bend Elks lost to Ridgefield last night 10-1. The only run of the ballgame for the Elks came in the top of the 6th inning when Evan Scavatto singled to center field to bring home Michael Ball.

With this loss, Bend drops to 24-19. They have lost seven of their last 10 and have fallen even further back in the playoff race in the Southern Division. The Elks are 5.5 games back with just 11 games to go. The Corvallis Knights are in first place and Yakima Valley is just a half game back.

Tonight the Elks are back in Ridgefield for the second of three against the Raptors. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:35, and you can find live stream information at https://www.bendelks.com/

The AAA American Legion baseball tournament continues in Roseburg today. Yesterday saw two teams eliminated from title contention as Roseburg was sent packing after a 3-1 loss at the hands of the Post 6 Barbers, and Sherwood was ousted after losing 14-4 to Medford.

The two finalists, Medford, and the Barbers meet this afternoon at 2 pm to decide a state champion. Medford is still without a loss, so if they can’t get it done in game one, there will be a second shot at 5 pm.

Medford is hunting their 17th pennant, while a Portland area team hasn't won a title since 1998.

The Pac 12 released its preseason all-conference team. Oregon had Alex Forsyth and t.J. Bass named to first-team offense and Brandon Dorlus and Noah Sewell named to first-team defense.  Beavers linebacker Omar Speights made first-team defense.

The Ducks are also losing some more players ahead of next season.  Linebacker Adrian Jackson Jr. And cornerback Donj'rael Brooks have left the Oregon football program. Brooks was a reserve cornerback and didn't play in a game during his time with the ducks.  Jackson had one sack over three seasons at Oregon. 

Yesterday the Seattle Mariners were walk-off winners against the Rangers 5-4. Carlos Santana hit a sac-fly to end the game. The Mariners hope to break out the brooms against Texas today at 12:40.

The Oakland A’s beat the Houston Astros last night 5-3. Chad Pinder hit a grand slam in the third inning and the Athletics plated one more in the 8th for good measure. Oakland has a chance to sweep the Astros today at 12:30

The San Francisco Giants are looking to right the ship against the Diamondbacks today after a 7-3 loss yesterday. The Giants have lost six straight since the all-star break and are now 48-49. San Francisco meet the Diamondbacks today at 12:40, before heading home for an eight-game home stand tomorrow.

A Seahawks running back is calling it quits at the age of 27.  The NFL Network reports Chris Carson will retire due to a neck injury.  A seventh round draft pick by Seattle in 2017, Carson posted back-to-back one-thousand yard seasons in 2018 and 2019.  He started 48 games for the Seahawks over his five-year career, scoring 31 touchdowns.  Injuries limited Carson to just four games in 2021.  

The Bend Elks return to West Coast League action tonight in Ridgefield, Washington to challenge the Raptors. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:35.

Bend is 4-6 in their last 10 WCL contests and 4.5 games back of the South Division leading Corvallis Knights with just 12 regular season games left. The Elks return home on Friday to host the Portland Pickles. Find ticket information by visiting https://www.bendelks.com/
 

The AAA American Legion baseball tournament continues in Roseburg today. The defending state champion Eugene Emerald Challengers were eliminated at the hands of the host team Docs 5-4, while the Medford Mustangs downed the Post 6 Barbers of Hillsboro 7-6 in 11 innings. The Salem Dodgers were also eliminated by Sherwood 8-6.

Today the Roseburg Doc Stewarts meet the Post 6 Barbers in an elimination game at 3pm. Meantime Medford could eliminate Sherwood at 6 pm tonight, but the Mustangs have already secured a spot in the championship in this double elimination structure. The Mustangs are hunting for their 17th legion state championship.

NFL training camps are getting underway for teams across the league.  The Seahawks are having both rookies and veterans report to camp today.  Seattle waited to start camp as some other teams kicked off camp last week.  The Seahawks will kick off their preseason schedule on Saturday, August 13th against the Steelers in Pittsburgh. 

The Seattle Mariners beat the Texas Rangers last night 4-3. Ty France hit a home run and picked up three hits in the winning effort. Game two of the three-game set is tonight at 7:10.

Tony Kemp and Skye Bolt homered as the Athletics topped the Astros 7-5 in Oakland. The two teams rematch tonight at the colosseum at 6:40.

And the D'backs handed the Giants their fifth straight loss since the all-star break with a 7-0 shutout win in Phoenix. The Giants are now 48-48, currently two-and-a-half games out of the final NL wild card. The Giants challenge Arizona again tonight at 6:40.

In MLB draft news, Pac 12 player of the year Jacob Melton signed his deal with the Houston Astros. The 64th overall selection in the draft will head to West Palm Beach, Florida to the Astros spring training facility. 
 

WNBA star Brittney Griner will testify in her Moscow drug trial tomorrow.  Griner has been detained in Russia for months after she was found at the airport with less then a gram of cannabis she says was medically prescribed in the U.S.  In Russia, it could carry up to 10 years in prison.  Griner and her lawyers appeared in court earlier today to present evidence and she's expected to be cross-examined tomorrow.  Griner has already pleaded guilty to the drug charge in hopes of getting a shorter sentence or possibly released in a prisoner swap with the U.S.

On Thursday last week, Bend North little league won the Oregon State Tournament and is now one step away from the little league World Series. Bend will represent Oregon at the West Regional in San Bernardino California. Play begins on August 6th against state champions from Alaska, Idaho, and Washington.

In the Single-A Legion Tournament, the Redmond Sunwest legion squad won the State title! Redmond now heads to Utah for the regional tournament.

The Bend Elks have tonight off before returning to West Coast League play tomorrow. The Elks begin a series in Ridgeview.

With 12 games to go, Bend is 4.5 games back of the Corvallis Knights and Yakima Valley Pippins for first place in the South Division. Corvallis has won 8 straight ball games. They also claimed a playoff spot already as the First Half division winners. Yakima Valley has surged in the standings after winning 4 straight.

Bend’s next home game is Friday night when they host the Portland Pickles. Get ticket information at https://www.bendelks.com/

It was a busy weekend across the state for youth baseball. The Babe Ruth 18u Pacific Northwest Regional wrapped up yesterday in Klamath Falls with the host team Falcons claiming the title with an 8-4 win. Klamath won all five games at the tournament to advance to the Babe Ruth World Series in Ephrata Washington.

Elsewhere, the American Legion Baseball State Tournament continues in Roseburg today. Day 3 today sees two of the eight teams face elimination, and the nightcap features the Medford Mustangs meeting Portland Eastside with the winner guaranteed a title game spot. In the other semifinal, the host Roseburg Docs take on defending state champion Eugene.

In the big leagues, the Seattle Mariners were swept by the Astros this weekend and picked up an 8-5 loss last night. The M’s still hold the third wild card spot in the American League and host the Rangers tonight at 7:30. The Mariners are also getting some good news on the status of their rookie All-Star.  Seattle manager Scott Servais said Sunday that Julio Rodriguez is considered day-to-day and might avoid a stint on the injured list.  The outfielder had undergone an MRI for his left wrist injury and it showed no structural damage

The Oakland A’s lost last night to those Texas Rangers 11-8. The Athletics turn around and welcome Houston tonight at 6:30.

Finally, the San Francisco Giants were dealt three losses by the Dodgers over the weekend, falling 7-4 yesterday. The Giants are in Arizona tonight to challenge the Diamondbacks at 6:40.

Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch will not be keeping their first and second place status after the NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono.  Hamlin, who had finished first, was disqualified after failing post-race inspection as well as Busch, who finished second.  Instead, original third place finisher Chase Elliott is being awarded with the win.  Tyler Reddick is now the second place finisher while Daniel Suarez is third.  Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson round out the top five.

The Bend Elks picked up their 6th straight loss after falling to Ridgefield 8-6. The Raptors jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning and knocked bend starter Grant Faris off the bump after 2.2 innings. Bend plated 4 runs in the 7th and one more in the 9th but fell short to earn their 18th loss of the season.

A look at the standings reveals the Elks to be in a tie for last in the second half at 5-8. The Portland Pickles hold a 2 and a half-game lead over Ridgefield for the second playoff spot in the South Division. Corvallis claimed the first entry after capturing the first-half league title.

Bend has a chance to right the ship tonight in game 2 of a 3 game set with Ridgefield. Kids get in free tonight at Vince Genna Stadium. The first pitch is at 6:35.

The World Athletics Championships is still being dominated by the United States. The Americans have raked in 18 medals in 5 days with 6 gold placements. Ethiopia and Kenya each have 6 total medals. 

The event continues this afternoon at 3:20 with the women's javelin throw. Find coverage on NBC and affiliates.
 

The MLB first-year player draft concluded yesterday and two more Oregon State Beavers were drafted. OSU’s Jake Pfennings was the 18th pick in the 13th round to the Oakland Athletics while DJ Carpenter was the 21st selection in the 14th round to St. Louis. He will join teammate Cooper Hjerpe who was also picked by the Cardinals. 

The State of California might try to keep UCLA from leaving the Pac-12.  UCLA and cross-town rival, privately-run USC announced last week they plan to join the Big 10 in 2024 but UCLA didn't provide advance notice to the University of California Board of Regents.  The Board governs the University of California school system and Governor Gavin Newsom, who chairs the Board, said on Monday the state is looking into legal action.  There are reports that UCLA likely didn't need formal approval by the Board of Regents and had support for the move from some Board members.
 

The U.S. women's national team got some revenge on Canada with a 1-nil win in the CONCACAF W Championship in Mexico.  Alex Morgan scored the lone goal on a penalty late in the second half as the Americans avenged their 1-nil loss to Canada in the semifinals of last year's Summer Olympics.  The U.S. women clinch a spot in the 2024 Olympics in Paris with the victory.

The World Athletics Championships continue this week and the Americans still hold a commanding medal advantage. The United States has earned six gold pieces and 15 medals overall. Ethiopia is second in the event with just six placements through four days.

The event continues this afternoon at 5:15 with women's 400-meter hurdles.

The Bend Elks return home tonight for West Coast League play as the Ridgefield Raptors visit Vince Genna Stadium. Bend is currently on a five-game skid and 5.5 games back of the South Division-leading Portland Pickles.

This game tonight kicks off a six-game homestand for Bend with the series against Ridgefield ending Thursday night, then welcoming the Northwest Academy Stars for a three-game exhibition set. 

Tonight is $2 Tuesday at Vince Genna Stadium where admission is $2, $2 fountain drinks, and $2 hot dogs are available! Get promotional ticket information at https://www.bendelks.com/

The Major League Baseball first year player draft continued yesterday with rounds three through ten. Oregon outfielder Anthony Hall was selected 130th overall by the New York Yankees while the Braves selected Adam Maier with the 215th pick. 

Three Oregon State Beavers were picked yesterday with Will Frisch going 173rd to the Cubs, Wade Meckler was tabbed at 256 to the Giants. Two picks later Gavin Logan went to Arizona. The draft continues today 11.
 

A potential partnership between the Pac-12 and Big 12 conferences is coming to an end.  ESPN reports the two conferences have ended talks to form a partnership.  The Big 12 reportedly cited revenue as a roadblock for a possible deal, along with "a multitude of reasons."  Top league officials had been discussing the partnership over multiple zoom calls in the last couple weeks.  Talks were prompted after the Big 12 lost Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC and the Pac-12 lost USC and UCLA to the Big Ten.  
 

Football season is here.  NFL training camps get underway this week as rookies from multiple teams are due to show up before veterans begin reporting for duty this weekend and into next week.  The Hall of Fame game featuring the Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders is scheduled for August 4th.  Preseason games will follow throughout August before the Buffalo Bills visit the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams to kick off the season on September 9th.

The High Cascade 100 mountain bike race saw Kyle Trudeau win for the second consecutive time. Trudeau completed the 100-mile race in 6:41:15. Rebecca Fahringer took gold for the women at a time of 8:29:20.

The Bend Elks remained on tilt this weekend after being swept by the Portland Pickles. The Elks have picked up five straight losses and are six games back of the South Division lead. The Pickles are now 11-1 in the second half and have won nine straight. The Corvallis Knights have already clinched a playoff spot after they won the 1st half-division title. 

The Elks have tonight off to rest up before a six-game homestand beginning tomorrow the West Coast League’s Ridgefield Raptors visit Vince Genna Stadium for a three-game series, then the Northwest Stars come to town for three exhibition games to close the week. Get ticket and promotional information by visiting https://www.bendelks.com/

Yesterday was the MLB first-year player draft and Oregon State ace Cooper Hjerpe was drafted 22nd overall to the St. Louis Cardinals. Also for the Beavs, Pac 12 player of the year Jacob Melton was selected 64th to the Astros and Justin Boyd was picked 73rd to the Reds.

For the Ducks, infielder Josh Kasevich was selected 60th to the Blue Jays.

The draft resumes with round 3 at 11 am today.

In the big leagues, the All-Star break begins today with the Home Run Derby at 5 pm.

Yesterday, the Seattle Mariners beat the Texas Rangers 6-2 to earn their 14th straight win.  The winning streak is the longest going into an All-Star break in Major League history, and propels the M’s to just a half-game back of the Rays for the top American League wild-card spot. Also, Mariners first baseman Ty France has earned a spot on the All-Star team, batting .337 this season.

Elsewhere in the show, the Oakland A’s took two of three against the Astros including a 4-3 win last night. 

Meantime the San Francisco Giants won three of four against the brewers with a 9-5 victory yesterday. 

Yesterday was also the MLB first-year player draft and the Oakland Athletics selected Daniel Susac in the first round. Susac was a catcher for the Arizona Wildcats. The Mariners picked Cole Young, a shortstop from North Allegheny high school in Virginia. And the giants got Reggie Crawford from Connecticut

The draft resumes with round 3 at 11 am today.

In the NBA, the Portland Trailblazers were crowned champions of the 2K23 Summer League in Vegas. The Blazers beat the Knicks 85-77 in the title game. Brandon Williams led the team in scoring with 22 points and Summer League MVP Trendon Watford added 19 in the winning effort.

Tomorrow morning is the 14th annual High Cascades 100 mountain bike race. Over 300 racers will take part in the 100-mile race that begins at the Bend Athletic Club. There are five aid stations along the way and through the journey, cyclists will gain over 9,000 feet of elevation. The race begins at 5:30 tomorrow morning.

The Bend Elks lost to Walla Walla 9-8 in 10 innings last night. This loss drops the Elks to 22-14 overall on the season and two and a half games out of first place. 

The Portland Pickles still hold the South Division lead after a 4-0 victory over Springfield last night. Portland takes a six-game win streak into a weekend series with the Elks beginning tonight at 7. 

Portland has promotions at Walker Stadium all three nights of the series with Friday being Rockin the Walk night with performances from Portland artist Nick Normal. Saturday is The Dude night, and Sunday is Trailblazers night. Get tickets and promotional information at https://www.portlandpicklesbaseball.com/

There are only 6 home games left for the Elks this season. Bend returns to Vince Genna Stadium on the 19th to host Ridgefield. Find ticket and promotional information at https://www.bendelks.com/

In hockey news, two former Portland Winterhawks became members of NHL franchises yesterday. Chase De Leo signed a two-way deal with the Anaheim Ducks, while Tyler Wotherspoon will be joining the New Jersey Devils on a two-year contract.

In the big leagues, the Mariners remain one of the hottest teams in baseball after a 6-5 win over the Rangers. The M’s have won 11 straight and now hold sole possession of the second American League Wild Card spot. Seattle meets the Rangers again tonight at 5.

The San Francisco Giants fell to the Brewers 3-2 in 10 innings. Milwaukee swatted 13 hits against the Giants pitching staff to hand San Francisco their 43rd loss of the season. They are in third place in the NL West, 13 games behind the Dodgers

The Oakland A’s had yesterday off but tonight they are in Houston to play the AL West leading Astros. The first pitch is set for 5:10

The World Athletics Championships kick off this morning in Eugene at Hayward Field. Oregon22 as it is called is the world's biggest track and field event outside of the Olympics. Nearly 2,000 athletes will compete for gold in Track Town USA and you can watch live coverage of the 10-day event on NBC and affiliates.

The National High School Golf Associations National Invitational wrapped up yesterday. Summit High School’s golf team took third place in South Carolina at Pinehurst Resort. The Storm finished 27 over while Rivers Academy from Georgia won the event at 11 over.

The Bend Elks were stuffed by Walla Walla last night to the tune of a 9-2 loss. Walla Walla scored in each of the first 5 innings including plating four runs in the 5th frame. 

Bend is 22-13 and one game back of the South Division leading Portland Pickles, and tied with Corvallis for that second spot. Tonight the Knights are in Edmonton for the rubber match of a three-game set after losing 3-1 last night. Meantime the Pickles are on a five-game winning streak and play the Springfield Drifters tonight. You can grab live box scores at https://westcoastleague.com/

The Elks challenge the Sweets in the series finale tonight at 6:35. Find live stream information at https://www.bendelks.com/

In Major League Baseball the Seattle Mariners have rung up 10 straight wins after taking both games of a doubleheader in the Nation's Capital. Game one went the way of the M’s 6-4 and Seattle took the nightcap 2-1. The Mariners are 47-42 and visit the Texas Rangers this afternoon at 5. 

Also for Seattle, rookie sensation Julio Rodriguez will be participating in Monday's Home Run Derby. 

The Oakland A’s fell to the Rangers yesterday 5-2. The A’s have this afternoon off before visiting the Astros on Friday. 

Elsewhere the San Francisco Giants beat the Diamondbacks in walkoff fashion 4-3. Brandon Crawford was the hero as the Giants earned their 45th win of the year. They are in third place in the NL West. Next up for the Giants is a home game against the Brewers. The first pitch tonight is at 6:45.

Olympic silver medalist Nigel Amos was suspended from competing in the World Athletics Championship yesterday after testing positive for GW1516 which can modify the body's metabolism but is not approved for human use. The event begins tomorrow in Eugene.

NHL Free Agency began yesterday and the Seattle Kraken made a splash with the signing of Andre Burakovsky. The 27-year-old Austrian was with the Avalanche last season when they captured the Cup. He autographed a five-year $27.5 million dollar deal. The Kraken also added Justin Schultz, Martin Jones, Magnus Hellberk and Brogan Rafferty. They also signed the number four overall pick Shane Wright to a four-year deal.

The Bend Elks racked up 15 hits en route to a 13-7 victory over the Walla Walla Sweets. 

The Elks blasted four home runs in the winning effort including Beau Sylvester who leads the team in that metric with six homers on the season. Sylvester is also topping the West Coast League for RBI with 33 on the campaign.

Bend (22-12) is still a half-game back of Portland for the South Division lead and tied with Corvallis for runner-up. Tonight the Pickles challenge Springfield after grabbing a 10-1 win yesterday. Elsewhere the Knights meet Edmonton this evening after a 5-0 shutout win last night. Each game begins at 6:35 and you can follow box scores on https://westcoastleague.com/

The Elks remain in the 'Emerald State' tonight to play the Sweets. The first pitch is set for 6:35 and live stream information is available on https://www.bendelks.com/

In the show, the Seattle Mariners were scheduled to play the Nationals yesterday however, due to inclement weather that game was postponed to today. Now the M’s and the Nat’s meet for a doubleheader beginning at 9 AM this morning. Game two is tentatively set for 3 PM. Seattle has run a string of eight straight wins while the Nationals have lost four consecutive contests.

The Oakland A’s downed the Rangers 14-7 in 12 innings. The A’s exploded for eight runs in the final frame helped by a Chad Pinder grand slam. The rubber match of the three-game set is this afternoon at 5. 

Meantime, the San Francisco Giants crushed the Diamondbacks 13-0. The Giants have a chance to win the series today at 12:45. Also for the Giants, starting pitcher Carlos Rodon was named a National League All-Star replacement for Milwaukee closer Josh Hader. The All-Star game is next Tuesday in Los Angeles.

In Eugene, city officials voted 7-1 on Monday to continue negotiations with the University of Oregon to expand the Autzen Stadium Complex. The University announced plans last fall to construct a 170,000-square-foot indoor football practice facility. The Ducks also say the expansion is privately funded. 

 A Las Vegas judge is allowing blood alcohol tests as evidence in the case of former Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs the Third.  He's accused of driving over 150-miles-per-hour while drunk, causing a crash that killed a 23-year-old woman and her dog last year.  He's charged with driving under the influence resulting in death and reckless driving.  Ruggs refused to take a field sobriety test at the scene of the accident.  His preliminary hearing to determine if he will stand trial in state court is set for September 7th.

Former President Donald Trump is hosting two tournaments of the Saudi-funded LIV Tour this year.  Trump's National Golf Club Bedminster will host its first tournament later this month.  In October, the LIV Tour will wind up its season at Trump's signature course in Florida, Trump National Doral Miami.  The tournaments are expected to pump millions of dollars into Trump's golf empire.  The LIV Tour is controversial for a number of reasons, particularly that's it's funded by Saudi Arabia.  The kingdom has a poor human rights record and a group of Saudi Operatives murdered Washington Post columnist and Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul nearly four years ago.
 

The West Coast League is packed with action tonight with three teams within a half-game of the Southern Division lead with three weeks to go. The Bend Elks, Portland Pickles, and Corvallis Knights are battling for top position tonight.

In Edmonton, Canada tonight the defending league champion Knights meet the River Hawks. The first pitch is at 6:35 PM. 

The Pickles are in the Willamette Valley tonight to visit the Drifters. The first pitch in Springfield is also set for 6:35 PM and you can follow the league-wide action on https://westcoastleague.com/

For the Bend Elks, it's a date with the Walla Walla Sweets tonight at 6:35 PM. 

Bend, 21-12 embarks on a six-game road trip and will return to Vince Genna Stadium on the 19th to play Ridgefield. Get ticket and promotional information by visiting https://www.bendelks.com/

Monday night in the NBA Summer League in Vegas the Portland Trailblazers downed the Knicks 88-77. 

Portland was led in scoring by Trendon Watford with 18 points on 6-11 shooting and 2nd round draft pick Jabari Walker added 16 with 13 boards. New York's leading scorer was Quentin Grimes who poured 24 on the Blazers.

Portland has the next couple of days off before playing Houston on Thursday. The tipoff is at 6:30 PM on NBA TV.

In Major League Baseball tonight the Mariners look to grab their ninth straight win against the Nationals. Gametime is 4:05 PM.

The Oakland A’s lost to the Rangers 10-8 last night. Oakland has the worst record in baseball at 29-59. They challenge Texas again this afternoon at 5 PM.

Meantime, the San Francisco Giants collected a loss against the Diamondbacks 4-3. Game two of the three-game set is this evening at 6:45 PM.

(Los Angeles, CA)  --  Workers at Dodger Stadium are threatening a strike ahead of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Los Angeles next week.  Some 99-percent of the nearly 15-hundred concession workers at Dodger Stadium have voted to authorize a potential strike, with the union asking for a new contract and saying they could walk off the job at any time.  The L.A. Times says this covers food servers, bartenders, suite attendants, cooks and dishwashers ahead of the Home Run Derby on Monday the 18th and the All-Star Game on Tuesday the 19th.

(Washington, DC)  --  Federal officials are investigating possible antitrust violations by the PGA Tour in relation to its newest golf rival.  The Tour confirmed the news to the Wall Street Journal.  The Department of Justice's antitrust division has reached out to players' agents.  More than a dozen players, including household names like Phil Mickelson, were suspended for joining the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit.  A PGA Tour spokesman said it dealt with another federal probe nearly 30 years ago and they expect to prevail again.

The prep softball All-State teams were announced last week and three local student-athletes earned honors. In the 5A classification Ridgeview Senior Teegan Reems earned 1st-Team recognition and fellow Raven Maddie Godfrey got 3rd-Team praise. 

In the 4A class, Madras Sophomore Lily Moses collected 2nd-Team honors and Culver Junior Shaunti Rosales earned placement on the 2A 3rd-Team.

Kilby Jones of Ridgeview and Tylee Crossit each were honorable mentions along with Hope King and Natalie Lockey from Madras.

The Bend Elks took two of three against the Corvallis Knights over the weekend, capping it off with a 10-7 win yesterday afternoon. 

The Elks swatted 13 hits and Brady Kasper launched his third homer of the season to lift his squad to victory. 

With this series win, Bend pulls to a tie with Corvallis and the Portland Pickles for first place in the Southern Division. All three teams have tonight off but tomorrow, Portland visits Springfield, Corvallis meets Edmonton, and the Bend Elks challenge Walla Walla.

The first pitch tomorrow in Washington is scheduled for 6:35 and you can find more information online at https://www.bendelks.com/

Moving to the NBA, the Portland Trailblazers beat the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday 85-68. Portland’s next summer league game is against the Knicks. The tip-off is tonight at 8 pm on ESPN 2.

In other blazers news, Damian Lillard signed the dotted line for 2 more years and $122 million. The contract kicks in in 2025 when he will earn 58 million, then 62 more in 2027.

Lastly, for the blazers, the 7th overall pick Shaedon Sharpe will sit out the rest of summer league after a small labral tear in his shoulder. The rookie will be reevaluated in 8-12 days.

In the Big Leagues yesterday the Mariners got their eighth straight win after edging the Blue Jays 6-5. The M’s scored two runs in the 8th off of a Carlos Santana home run which was his second of the day. Seattle held on and with that win, they are tied with Toronto for the third wild card spot in the newly expanded MLB playoffs.

Elsewhere, the A’s collected a loss against Houston 6-1. The San Francisco Giants exploded for 12 runs against the Padres and earned a shutout win.

Tonight the A’s play the Rangers and the Giants host the Diamondbacks.
 

Free Agent and most recently a Seahawk Duane Brown was arrested at LAX after he was found with an unloaded gun at a screening station. He is due in court again on August 3rd.

The Bend Elks rode a seven-run 8th inning to a 9-4 victory over the Walla Walla Sweets.
 
Riley Kasper from Saddleback Community College in Vallejo, California hit a 3-run blast in the big 7th inning for his 2nd home run of the season.

Bend is now 19-10 on the season and has sole possession of second place in the South Division and is just one game back of the defending champion Corvallis Knights. The Knights visit Vince Genna Stadium tonight which kicks off a three-game weekend series.

This is the first meeting between the two squads this season, but in 2021 Bend won the season series 4-2. 

The first pitch tonight is scheduled for 6:35 and you can find live stream and ticket information at https://www.bendelks.com/

In the NBA Summer League last night the Portland Trailblazers were bested by the Detroit Pistons 81-78. Portland was led in scoring by Keon Johnson who poured 21 points on Detroit on 8-17 shooting.

Jaden Ivey led the way for the pistons with 20 points.

Next up for Portland is a date with the New Orleans Pelicans tomorrow. Tip-off from Vegas is set for 7 pm on ESPN 2.

In the Big Leagues, the Seattle Mariners earned their fifth straight win with an 8-3 beatdown of the Blue Jays. With this win, the M’s pull to .500 on the season with a 42-42 record. They are still 13 games back of the division-leading Astros. Seattle hosts Toronto again tonight at 7:10.

The Oakland A’s had last night off but return to action tonight when they welcome the Houston Astros. The first pitch is at 6:40.

The San Francisco Giants fell to the Padres last night in walk-off fashion 2-1. The Giants have dropped eight of their last 10 games and have slid to 11.5 games behind the NL-West leading Dodgers. San Francisco challenges the Padres again tonight at 6:40.

(Las Vegas, NV)  --  The Raiders are breaking new ground for an NFL front office.  Las Vegas announced on Thursday it's hired Sandra Douglass Morgan to be its new team president.  Morgan becomes the first ever Black woman to hold that title for an NFL franchise.  She joins the team after working as the chairwoman and executive director of the Nevada Gaming Control Board.  Raiders owner Mark Davis said in a statement that Morgan's "experience, integrity and passion for this community will be invaluable to our organization."  

(Monterrey, Mexico)  --  The United States women's national soccer team is heading back to the World Cup.  The squad shut out Jamaica 5-nil in the CONCACAF-W Championship on Thursday.  Sophia Smith scored twice within the first eight minutes to put the U.S. up early.  Rose Lavelle, Kristie Mewis, and Trinity Rodman all added goals in the second half in the win.  By winning the W Championship, the United States clinches a spot in the 2023 World Cup and the 2024 Summer Olympics.

The Bend Elks racked up 13 hits en route to an 8-1 victory over Walla Walla Wednesday night. 

The Elks jumped out to a one-run advantage in the first inning and never looked back. Designated hitter Beau Sylvester hit his fifth home run of the season to lift his team to victory.

Bend, 17-10 is tied with Ridgefield for third place in the South Division and just one game behind the Corvallis Knights who lead the way. The Portland Pickles are just a half-game back of Corvallis.

The Elks meet Walla Walla tonight in the rubber match of this three-game series. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:35. You can follow the action by visiting https://www.bendelks.com/

The Oregon Lacrosse Classic begins on July 15th at Pine Nursery Park and Big Sky Park. In the eighth edition this year, the OLC has been acquired by Adrenaline Lacrosse, a group that hosts lacrosse events in 10 states. 

To learn more about the Oregon Lacrosse Classic visit https://www.adrln.com/event/oregon-lacrosse-classic/

On the Major League diamond, the Oakland A’s fell to the Blue Jays 2-1. Oakland stays home to face the division-leading Astros tomorrow at 6:40.

The San Francisco Giants rode a 3-run 9th inning to a 7-5 victory over the Diamondbacks. The Giants get out of Arizona surrendering two of three and will visit the Padres tonight at 6:40.

The Mariners return home tonight to host the Blue Jays. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:10.

In NBA summer league action the Portland Trailblazers meet the Detroit pistons in las vegas. Tip-off is scheduled for 9 pm.

Portland also officially announced the acquisitions of Jerami Grant from Detroit and Gary Payton II from free agency. The blazers also released point guard Eric Bledsoe who was guaranteed 3.9 million dollars had he remained with the team.

Lastly, former Portland Trailblazers head coach Mike Schuler passed away at the age of 81 yesterday. Schuler was the head coach from 1986-1989.

(Los Angeles, CA)  --  Trayce Thompson hit a three-run homer as the Dodgers took down the Rockies 5-3 in Los Angeles.  Julio Urias gave up just one run over six innings to earn the win.  The Dodgers are 50-and-29.  Los Angeles sends right-hander Mitch White to the mound tonight.  

(Los Angeles, CA)  --  The Sparks are extending their winning streak after beating the Phoenix Mercury 78-75 at Crypto-dot-com Arena.  Nneka Ogwumike [[ OH-gwoo-muh-kay ]] scored a game-high 23 points and collected nine rebounds.  Liz Cambage added 19 points for the Sparks, who have rattled off three straight victories.  Los Angeles improved to 10-and-11 and hosts the Seattle Storm on Thursday night.  
 

(Undated)  --  The Seahawks and Trail Blazers aren't going up for sale just yet.  Jody Allen, the chair of the Seahawks and Trail Blazers and trustee of the Paul G. Allen Trust, released a statement on Tuesday saying that neither team is currently for sale.  Allen has led both franchises since her brother and former team owner, Paul Allen, died in October 2018.  Jody acknowledged the eventual sale of the franchises, which is in accordance to Paul's wishes and trust plans.  She added that "my long-term focus is building championship teams that our communities are proud of."  

(Los Angeles, CA)  --  The Sparks are taking on one of the WNBA's top teams.  Los Angeles hosts the Seattle Storm tomorrow night at Crypto-dot-com Arena.  The Sparks come off a 78-75 win over the Mercury and have rattled off three straight victories.  The team is hoping to get back some players after Chennedy Carter, Kristi Toliver, Rae Burrell and Brittney Sykes all missed Monday's win.  Los Angeles sits seventh in the WNBA at 10-and-11.  

(San Francisco, CA)  --  The Kings and Warriors are done with their first slate of Summer League games. Sacramento beat the Lakers 87-75, while Golden State fell to the Heat 94-70 at the California Classic Summer League.  The Kings finished 3-and-oh, while the Warriors lost all three of their games.  Both teams now head to Las Vegas this weekend.  Sacramento takes on the Magic on Saturday afternoon, while Golden State faces the Knicks on Friday night.  

(Los Angeles, CA)  --  The Lakers had a busy opening day of free agency.  Los Angeles reportedly has agreed to deals with former Spurs guard, former Warriors forward Juan Toscano-Anderson, and free agent center Damian Jones.  ESPN also reports the Lakers are reportedly monitoring the Kyrie Irving situation in Brooklyn as forward Kevin Durant has requested a trade from the organization.

(San Francisco, CA)  --  The Giants are at home tonight.  San Francisco will host the Chicago White Sox.  Alex Cobb takes the mound for the Giants.  Lance Lynn starts for Chicago.  San Francisco is 40-and-34.

Finally, it's the last weekend of horse racing in Southern Oregon at the Josephine County Fairgrounds in Grants Pass, sunday and monday, wrapping up the 8-meet summer season.

Post times both days are at 1pm.

The overnight entries and live video streaming is available online at racingontherogue.org

The Circut comes to Prineville July 23rd.

After a day off, and after losing two out of three games at home to the Westcoast league's north division leading Bellingham Bells, the Bend Elks are on the road in far northern Washington state.

Bend plays a 3-game series in Wenatchee beginning tonight.

The Elks enter the series just 1-game out of first place in the south division of the W-C-L behind the Corvallis Knights who lost at Springfield last night, 3 to 1.

Wenatchee blasted Kelowna, 13 to nothing, salvaging a near series sweep to the Falcons.

The Elks travled all day yesterday to face the Apple Sox tonight with first pitch set for 635.

Wenatchee sprt, an 11 and 13 record. Bend owns the third best overall league record with a 15 and 9 mark.

You can follow the weekend series online at 'Bend Elks.com

The elks return home for a 6-game home standing beginning wednesday hosting the sweets of Walla Walla, then welcoming Corvallis, the defending champions, one week from tonight.

The new rival professional and rather controversial, and rather wealthy golf tour teed off yesterday in Portland at Pumkin Ridge Golf Course outside of Hillsboro.

'Liv Golf Portland' with a record purse of 25-million dollars enters the second day of competition of the 54-hole tournament.

Today's shot-gun second-round start begins at 1pm, and is not televised by NBC in the United States, but can be followed online by streaming it, or viewed on Facebook and You-Tube.

Unlike the PGA, Liv Golf has a 12-four man teams with the overall winner pocketing 4-million dollars, and each member of the winning team collecting 750-thousand.

Among the big names in Portland anre Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, Brooks

(kepp-kuh) Koepka, Bryson (day-sham-boe) Dechambeau, and Lee Westwood.

Carlos Ortiz is the early leader at 5-under par 67. Dustin Johnson is one shot back. Mickelson 3-over.

The final round is tomorrow, beginning at 1pm.

Liv Golf was greeted yesterday by protestors, angry at the Saudi goverment  and the financial backers of the tour for it's involvment in the '9-11' attack.