SPORTS 4-30

NBA:

The Trail Blazers enter the offseason after another first round playoff exit. The franchise recently got some social media roasting over some of the money-saving measures implemented by new team owner Tom Dundon, including reportedly low-balling contract negotiations with interim head coach Tiago Splitter.

Portland also has decisions in free agency with Robert Williams III as their most notable unrestricted free agent.

After his playoff performance, Big Rob may have played himself into a bigger contract than Dundon wants to pay.

The team is over the salary cap with the bulk of that going to Jrue Holiday and Jerami Grant. Both could be traded.

The Blazers don’t have a pick, as of now, in June’s NBA Draft.

Then, there’s the anticipated return of Damian Lillard coming back from Achilles injury next season.

Lots of decisions for Dundon and whoever he has in the Blazers front-office.

COLLEGE:

In the continuing saga embroiling Oregon State’s Athletic department Kyle Bjornstad, former owner of Dam Nation, is suing Blueprint Sports, claiming the company owes him 155-thousand dollars from the sale of his NIL business.

The dispute follows Oregon State’s decision to end its contract with Blueprint.

Bjornstad is asking for payment and an apology.

U of O MBB:

The Oregon men's basketball team continues to add to next season's roster. The Ducks received a commitment from Boston College transfer guard Fred Payne. In 31 games with the Eagles this season, Payne averaged 15.8 points and four-point-two rebounds.

LOCAL:

Central Oregon Community College’s two long-running spring race events are happening on the Bend campus in May: the four-mile Jungle Run on May 7, and the two-mile, 465-step Storm the Stairs on May 19. Both are scholarship fundraisers for COCC. Register at cocc.edu/sports

SPORTS 4-29

NBA:

The Trail Blazers couldn’t keep pace with the Spurs last night, falling 114 – 95 and losing their first round series in San Antonio.

Portland’s season ends better than pre-season expectations, and certainly better than expected when their coach was arrested after their first game of the season.

They were also ranked 3^rd for most missed games due to injuries.

There are likely to be several off-season moves made by new team owner Tom Dundon, including the status of interim head coach Tiago Splitter.

We’ll unpack more of the Blazers options and outlook for next season the rest of this week.

COLLEGE BASEBALL:

Number 13 Oregon got a nice win over Gonzaga yesterday afternoon at PK Park.

The Bulldogs came into the contest ranked 33^rd in the RPI metric used to determine playoff seeding.

Number 6 Oregon State beat UT – Rio Grande Valley.

The Beavers and Vaqueros play again tonight.

SOFTBALL:

Oregon is ranked 11^th in the latest coaches’ poll and 15^th by USA Softball.

The Ducks have a huge regular season series-finale at number 6 ranked UCLA starting Friday.

LOCAL:

The Cascade Cycling Classic Criterium is back in downtown Bend on Sunday, June 21.  The prize purse for the Pro Men and Women’s field is the biggest purse for a one-day race in the U.S.  Equal payout between the pro men and the pro women of $20,000.  The pro racers and the junior racers need host housing for June 20th and June 21st.  Race information including sponsorship, volunteer and host housing opportunities can be found at www.cascadecyclingclassic.com

The University of Oregon has Happy Hour with head football coach Dan Lanning on May 19^th at Worthy Brewing in Bend.

SPORTS 4-28

NBA:

The Trail Blazers are in a 3 – 1 hole to the Spurs in their best of 7 first-round playoff series.

Portland coach Tiago Splitter spoke to the media on the situation the team finds itself in:

‘We’ve been in situations like this before throughout this season. Of course now is the playoffs, but we’ve been in situations where we have to win every game that we have in front of us. And we’re going to fight, one by one.’

Game 5 is back in San Antonio tonight.

Tip-off set for 6:30.

COLLEGE BASEBALL:

Poll-a-palooza.

Oregon moved up in the rankings following the sweep of Penn State and a mid-week win over OSU.

They’re ranked 11^th in Perfect Game, 13 in D1 Baseball, the Writers poll has them 14^th, and the coaches slot them 21^st.

The Ducks play Gonzaga this afternoon at PK Park.

Oregon State is ranked 5^th by the Writers and Baseball America. D1 Baseball, Perfect Game, and the Coaches poll put them 6^th.

The Beavers host UTRGV for games today and tomorrow. That’s the Vaqueros from the University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley.

FOOTBALL:

Former Oregon Running Back Noah Whittington went undrafted this past weekend but has signed a free-agent deal with the Houston Texans. Whittington was an honorable mention all-Big 10 Conference last season when he led the Ducks in rushing yards.

Tackle Isaiah World also signed an undrafted rookie free agent deal with the Los Angeles Chargers.

World was honorable mention all-Big 10 for the Ducks last season.

Also, the Pac 12 has released its updated logo.

The main difference in describing it for radio is the ‘A’ in Pac is now pointy at the top, where as the old one was leveled flat.

Otherwise, it’s mostly the same.

The conference press release says ‘new league, same legacy.’

The new Pac 12 conference with nine teams, eight that play football, officially launches July 1^st after the end of the current sports season.

SPORTS 4-27

NBA:

The Trail Blazers are in a 3 – 1 hole to the Spurs in their best of 7 first round playoff series.

Portland blew two big leads in both games 3 and 4, and let San Antonio take a commanding advantage.

Yesterday’s 114 – 93 loss had Deni Avdija lead the team with 26 points. Avdija got into an altercation with the Spurs’ Stephon Castle when he took exception to Castle shoving the ball into his chest.

Game four also set an NBA record for the biggest point swing in a loss with 38. Portland led by 17 at the half, and lost by 21.

Game 5 is back in San Antonio tomorrow night.

COLLEGE BASEBALL:

The 19^th ranked Ducks swept Penn State to win another Big 10 series.

6^TH ranked Oregon State swept Hawai’i.

SOFTBALL:

Number 12 Oregon won their three-game series with a win over Ohio State yesterday.

Oregon State got a win yesterday for a series win over Seattle U.

NFL DRAFT:

Oregon had seven players selected.

OL Emmanuel Pregnon went in the third round to Jacksonville, DB Jadon Canady and LB Bryce Boettcher were taken in the 4^th round. The 6^th round saw WR Malik Benson and OL Alex Harkey have their names called.

The Seahawks ended up with deals giving them eight picks after entering the draft with four.

NFL experts gave Seattle a B grade for their selections, noting they filled most of their needs.

SPORTS 4-24

NBA:

The Trail Blazers go into Game 3 with the best of 7 first-round series against the Spurs tied up after stealing game 2 

As of this writing, San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama is Questionable to play tonight after suffering a concussion in Tuesday’s game.

Despite social media speculation following a video the Trail Blazers released Wednesday, Damian Lillard remains out with his Achilles tear.

Although there’s still a sliver of hope for Rip City as head coach Tiago Splitter did not completely rule out Dame playing in this series.

Tip off tonight is at 7:30 at the Moda Center.

Sunday’s Game 4, also in Portland, tips at 12:30.

COLLEGE BASEBALL:

The 19^th ranked Ducks have Penn State in for a three-game series at PK Park starting tonight.

6^TH ranked Oregon State welcomes Hawai’i starting this afternoon.

SOFTBALL:

Number 12 Oregon has a three-game series with Ohio State starting tonight.

Oregon State plays their final home-series taking on Seattle U beginning tonight.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL:

It’s Spring Game Saturday in Corvallis and Eugene.

New Beavers head coach JaMarcus Shephard is eager to show-off what his team has been working on the past few months. Kickoff from Reser is at Noon.

Oregon looks to reload for another championship run behind a stacked roster of returning starters including quarterback Dante Moore and incoming transfers including QB Dylan Raiola.

KBND coverage of the Ducks’ Spring game starts at 1 tomorrow afternoon.

NFL DRAFT:

Oregon Tight End Kenyon Sadiq was picked at 16 by the New York Jets, and DB Dillon Thieneman was taken 25^th overall by the Chicago Bears.

More Ducks could be selected in tonight’s 2^nd and 3^rd round.

LOCAL:

Arena Football tomorrow night at the First Interstate Bank Center at the Fairgrounds in Remond. The Oregon Lightning host the Albany Firebirds with a 6 pm kickoff.

Central Oregon Community College’s two long-running spring race events are happening on the Bend campus in May: the four-mile Jungle Run is May 7, and the two-mile, 465-step Storm the Stairs is May 19.?
??Both are scholarship fundraisers for COCC.

SPORTS 4-23

NBA:

The Trail Blazers evened up the best of 7 series against the Spurs at a game apiece following Portland’s three-point win Tuesday.

Scoot Henderson erupted for 31 points to lead all scorers.

San Antonio center Victor Wembanyama is in concussion protocol after hitting the floor hard in the early part of game 2.

His status is not certain. We will likely know more later today.

Game 3 is tomorrow at the Moda Center.

COLLEGE BASEBALL:

The 6^TH ranked Beavers lost to the 19^th ranked Ducks at Coleman Field at Goss Stadium last night.

Oregon State pitchers Albert Roblez and Dax Whitney were each recognized with selections to midseason watch lists this week.

Roblez has been selected for the Stopper of the Year and Pitcher of the Year watch lists. Whitney is also on the Pitcher of the Year list.

SOFTBALL:

Number 12 Oregon beat Oregon State last night to sweep the rivalry series this season.

U of O FOOTBALL:

The Oregon football team added to its 2027 recruiting class. Four-star quarterback Will Mencl committed to the Ducks on Wednesday. The Chandler, Arizona native chose UO over offers from Miami and Washington, among others.

NFL DRAFT:

The Seahawks are looking to trade out of tonight’s First Round.

The Super Bowl champs have the last pick at number 32, and only four total picks.

As far as position needs go: running back, Edge Rusher, and Cornerback are thought to be the most pressing.

Oregon Tight End Kenyon Sadiq and DB Dillon Thieneman could have their names called tonight.

SPORTS 4-22

NBA:

The Trail Blazers evened up the best of 7 series against the Spurs at a game apiece following Portland’s 106 – 103 win.

Scoot Henderson led the way with 31 points, playing arguably his best game with the franchise, and many players came up clutch including Robert Williams III, and Jrue Holiday.

San Antonio was without star center Victor Wembanyama for much of the game after hitting is face on the floor after stumbling while driving to the basket. Wemby entered concussion protocol and his status will be questionable.

Game 3 is Friday at the Moda Center.

COLLEGE BASEBALL:

RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) this week:

Oregon State is down a spot to 12^th.

Oregon is down one to 27^th.

The 6^TH ranked Beavers host the 19^th ranked Ducks at Coleman Field at Goss Stadium today. First pitch at 5:35.

SOFTBALL:

OSU visits Eugene to play Oregon today. The Ducks are ranked number 12 in the Coaches poll and 14 by USA Softball this week.

First Pitch at 6 from Jane Sanders Stadium.

NFL:

The Seahawks are looking to trade out of the First Round of tomorrow’s Draft. The Super Bowl champs have the last pick at number 32.

General Manager John Schneider and Head Coach Mike Macdonald said at a press conference Monday the team would like to move back to get more picks, trading with a team who wants to move up in the first round.

Seattle currently has four picks over the entirety of the draft after trading two picks this previous season for kick returner Rashid Shaheed.

Meantime, while the ‘Hawks have been holding offseason work-outs this week.

SPORTS 4-21

NBA:

The Trail Blazers are down 0 – 1 in the best of 7 series against the Spurs.

As Portland regroups fans are wondering about how much new owner Tom Dundon is willing to spend on the team now that the more than 4-billion dollar purchase of the franchise has been approved.

Various reports say the team is looking to pay its next head-coach well below the league minimum.

The figure being mentioned is what assistant coaches typically earn.

Two-way players who won’t play in this play-off series didn’t travel with the team; every other team brings those players who aren’t on playoff rosters.

There are also rumblings the radio and TV broadcasts could be down-sizing.

And fans are upset the Moda Center won’t have promotional playoff T-Shirts for this Friday’s playoff game.

Color-coordinated free play-off shirts are a staple at NBA arenas. The Spurs fans had a great look Sunday.

Dundon was also criticized by fans and media early on over cost-cutting measures when he purchased the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes .

Game 2 is tonight in San Antonio.

Tip off is at 5.
 

COLLEGE BASEBALL:

It’s poll-palooza Tuesday.

Oregon State is ranked 5^th in Baseball America, and they’re 6^th in D1 Baseball, Perfect Game and the Coaches’ and Writers’ polls.

The Beavers earned their 30^th victory last weekend, marking 17 straight seasons with at least 30 wins.

Oregon is ranked in four of the five polls: 16^th in the Perfect Game poll, 18^th by the Writers, 19 in D1 Baseball, and 21^st by the Coaches.

Also, Ryan Cooney was named Big 10 Co-player of the week for his big offensive outing over the weekend.

The Beavs host the Ducks tomorrow (Wed) at Goss Stadium.

OSU MBB 

The Oregon State men's basketball team lost a trio of players to the transfer portal. Guards Dez White and Isaiah Sy as well as center Johan Munch departed the program on Monday. OSU has now lost 12 players to the portal this offseason.

SPORTS 4-20

NBA:

The Trail Blazers fell in Game 1 of their first round playoff series in San Antonio. The 111 – 98 final puts Portland in an 0 – 1 hole in the best of 7 series.

They made a run in the third quarter to get close but ultimately didn’t have enough fire power to compete with the Spurs.

Game 2 is tomorrow night.
Also, Blazers’ breakout star Deni Avdija is a finalist for the NBA’s Most Improved Player.

Game 3 of the best of 7 series will be at the Moda Center Friday.

COLLEGE BASEBALL:

19th ranked Oregon slugged their way to a victory on the road at Illinois yesterday clinching another conference series.

The Ducks continue to roll in the Big 10 sitting in 4^th place.

6th ranked Oregon State won their series against Cal State Fullerton taking the rubber match 10 – 2 yesterday. Those 10 runs on a season-high 16 hits.

The Beavers evened the series Saturday following a dramatic 8^th inning comeback that included a go-ahead grand slam.

The Beavs host the Ducks Wednesday at Goss Stadium.

SOFTBALL:

Number 13 ranked Oregon swept 23rd ranked Washington for their 14^th straight Big 10 series win going back to last season. The Ducks are 3^rd in the conference standings.

Oregon State was swept on the road by Saint Mary's.

Next, OSU visits Eugene Wednesday.

LOCAL:

The Salmon Run Saturday in Bend drew hundreds of runners for the half marathon, 10K and 5K.

SPORTS 4-17

NBA:

The Trail Blazers lost two of their three regular season meetings with San Antonio.

The most recent L coming on a two-point defeat last week.

Although star center Victor Wembenyama sat out with an injury in each of the three contests.

He will be a tough matchup for Blazers bigs Donovan Clingan and Robert Williams III.

Portland coach Tiago Splitter told the media yesterday Wemby  would be a main focus for the whole team defense.

Game one is set for Sunday night in San Antonio with a 6 pm tip-off.

Game 3 of the best of 7 series will be at the Moda Center next Friday.

COLLEGE BASEBALL:

6th ranked Oregon State host Cal State Fullerton for a three-game series starting this afternoon.

Beavs stud Friday Pitcher Dax Whitney takes the mound at Coleman Field at Goss Stadium.

19th ranked Oregon is on the road at Illinois playing the Illini for the first time in a conference series.

The Ducks continue to roll in the Big 10 having won 20 of their 22 series since joining last season.

SOFTBALL:

Number 13 ranked Oregon plays 23rd ranked Washington for a three game series in Eugene as the Ducks recognize 60 years of softball with a tribute all weekend.

Oregon State is on the road for a trio of games over the weekend, facing the Saint Mary's Gaels.

LOCAL:

The Salmon Run is tomorrow in Bend.

The half marathon, 10K and 5K is in its 38^th year with the starter pistol firing at 9 tomorrow morning going along the Deschutes River trail, starting and finishing at Riverbend park.

SPORTS 4-16

NBA:

The Trail Blazers play-in win at Phoenix propels them into the first round of the playoff, fulfilling a 2021 trade-requirement giving the Chicago Bulls their first round pick this year.

The Blazers were an unlikely play-off contender when the season began last fall when head coach Chauncey Billups was arrested after the first game for being part of an alleged illegal gambling operation.

Now the team goes to the 62-win San Antonio Spurs for a first round-series.

The Blazers are not favored to win it.

Game one is set for Sunday night in San Antonio.

Game 3 of the best of 7 series will be at the Moda Center on Friday the 24^th.

Tickets for the first Portland Trail Blazers playoff games since 2021 are rising fast. The Blazers secured the seventh seed in the Western Conference after beating the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night. They will face Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio spurs in a seven game series, with at least two games guaranteed at the Moda Center. Game one of the series is set for Sunday in San Antonio, while games three and four at Moda are set for April 24th and 26th. Tickets are already on sale for the games in Portland, ranging from as low as 133-dollars for upper deck seats and as high as 38-hundred-dollars for courtside seats.

COLLEGE BASEBALL:

Baseball America has released this week’s projected field of 64 for this year’s NCAA Tournament.

The 6th ranked Oregon State Beavers could host their own regional in Corvallis, matched up with Gonzaga and maybe Oklahoma.

19th ranked Oregon is slotted as a two seed in the Austin Texas regional.

This projection is subject to change.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL:

The OSU men’s team has signed Center Yabi Aklog.

Head coach Justin Joyner announced Wednesday, Aklog will join the Beavers as a freshman four-star recruit out of Sammamish, Washington.  The Beavers returned only one scholarship player from last season.

Oregon State is adding one of the West Coast Conference's best three-point shooters. Legend Smiley committed to the Beavers Wednesday after transferring from the University of San Francisco. During his freshman season with the Dons, the six-five guard shot 42-percent from behind the arc. Smiley will be reunited with former USF assistant Michael Plank at OSU.

Oregon’s team was similarly decimated by transfers. UO head men’s coach Dana Altman cited less NIL money available to pay players as one of the reasons for the player exodus.  The Ducks have recently signed Boise State forward Andrew Meadow, who will be entering his Senior season.

##

SPORTS 4-15

NBA:

The Trail Blazers 114 - 110 win in Phoenix sends them to the 7^th seed and a matchup against the San Antonio Spurs Sunday.

Portland started off hot and built a lead, let that slip away near the end of the 3rd quarter, then fell behind to start the 4th.

But the team battled back, getting defensive stops when they counted.

Deni Avdija once again came up huge, scoring 41 points in last night’s play-in game to lead all scorers.

The veterans with major playoff experience, Jrue Holiday and Jerami Grant, also reached double figures in scoring.

Grant returned to the line-up after being injured for much of the end of the regular season.

It’s the first time in four years Rip City goes to the playoffs.

COLLEGE BASEBALL:

The game between the 6th ranked Oregon State Beavers and 19th ranked Oregon Ducks was postponed last night. 

OSU freshman pitcher Tyler Bellerose was involved in a car accident Monday that resulted in a serious medical condition according to the Beavers Baseball social media.

Softball:
Oregon State plays at Portland State today.

SPORTS 4-14

NBA:

The Trail Blazers are in Phoenix for tonight’s play-in game.

The scenario: If the Blazers win, they move up to the 7th seed in the playoffs facing 2-seed San Antonio.

If the Blazers lose, they have to play the winner of tomorrow’s game between the LA Clippers and Golden State Warriors to claim the 8th seed.

The Suns are slight favorites over Portland.

Tip-off at 7 with the game broadcast on Amazon Prime Video.

COLLEGE BASEBALL:

Civil War Baseball in Hillsboro tonight.

Both squads are ranked nationally with more than just state-bragging rights on the line. A Ducks win helps them when it comes a look at the postseason seedings. OSU needs every win against good teams it can’t get.

The Beavers slipped a spot down to 7th in the RPI, a key metric in postseason seeding.

With the voters’ polls this week Oregon State moved up in the polls to number five by Baseball America and the Writers. D1 Baseball dot com, the Coaches, and Perfect game have them sixth.

Oregon is up to number 19 in the Coaches poll and D1 Baseball. The Ducks lost the first game to OSU earlier this season in Eugene.

First pitch tonight on the neutral site at Hillsboro Hops Ball Park is 6:05

LOCAL:

The 38th Bend Salmon Run is Saturday at Riverbend Park.

SPORTS 4-13

NBA:

The Trail Blazers held off Sacramento 122 - 110 last night to take possession of the 8^th spot in the Western Conference, and finish the season at 42 – 40.

That sets up Portland to play at Phoenix tomorrow in the play-in game. If the Blazers win, they move up to the 7^th seed in the playoffs facing 2-seed San Antonio.

If the Blazers lose, they have to play the winner of tomorrow’s game between the LA Clippers and Golden State Warriors to claim the 8^th seed.

It's the first winning-season for the Trail Blazers in five years.

COLLEGE BASEBALL:

21st ranked Oregon hung on yesterday to beat number 19 ranked Nebraska and win the three-game series against the Cornhuskers.

The 7th ranked Beavers swept Cal Poly over the weekend battling the elements as much as a scrappy Mustangs squad. It took a walk-off base hit yesterday to complete the three-game sweep.

SOFTBALL:

Number 15 ranked Oregon swept their series at Maryland. The Ducks have won 8 straight.

OSU won their series against Pacific, 2 games to one.

LOCAL:

Yesterday’s Bend Marathon saw over two thousand runners cross a finish line competing in the marathon, half-marathon, 10K, and 5K distances.

NBA:

The Trail Blazers final two games can determine where they finish in the Western Conference. First up they’re looking to hold on to the 8^th spot over the Clippers. If they lose they have the 9^th spot in the play-in tournament. A win means Portland will have a tie-breaker advantage over Los Angeles and can take the 8^th spot with a win Sunday to finish the season.

Good news: Shaedon Sharpe is listed as questionable to play after a lengthy injury rehab from earlier this season.

Tip off against the Clippers is at 7 tonight from the Moda Center.

COLLEGE BASEBALL:

The 7^th ranked Beavers have a series against Cal Poly starting tonight.

21^st ranked Oregon has number 19 ranked Nebraska at PK park for a three game series starting today.

SOFTBALL:

Number 15 ranked Oregon starts a three-game series at Maryland today. The Ducks have been dominating the Big 10 conference with a record of 10 -2.

OSU’s series against Pacific begins with a double-header today due to anticipated bad weather Sunday in Corvallis.

LOCAL:

Central Oregon Community College and Oregon State University-Cascades play the inaugural “La Copa del High Desert,” Sunday at COCC’s Bend campus.

Both schools are recruiting their own players from students and staff for the match.

SPORTS 4-9

NBA:

The Trail Blazers couldn’t keep pace with the Spurs last night losing 112 – 101.

Deni Avdija finished with a game high 29, and all the Blazers starters reached double figure scoring but they got little bench support.

Portland leaves San Antonio falling back to .500 at 40 – 40 on the season with a huge game for their play-in positioning against the LA Clippers tomorrow night at the Moda Center.

COLLEGE BASEBALL:

21^st ranked Oregon fell to Portland yesterday making for back-to-back losses against the Pilots going back to last week.

The Ducks start a series with number 19 ranked Nebraska tomorrow.

Oregon State righthander Dax Whitney moves into the number one spot for the Baseball America top MLB Draft prospects for 2027. Whitney has been one of the most dominant pitchers in the country this season. Baseball America notes he would be this year’s top prospect if he were eligible for the draft.

The 7^th Beavers have a series against Cal Poly starting tomorrow.

SOFTBALL:

Number 17 ranked Oregon is among the top 10 in easy innings. The Ducks are 7^th in the number of 1-2-3 innings by its pitching staff. They’re at Maryland for a series starting tomorrow.

OSU’s series against Pacific will start with a double-header tomorrow due to anticipated bad weather Sunday in Corvallis.

SPORTS 4-8

COLLEGE BASEBALL:

Oregon State fell behind early and lost 7 – 6 to Washington State yesterday.

The 7^th ranked Beavers leave Pullman with a split, heading back to Corvallis for a series Friday.

21^st ranked Oregon plays at Portland today.

The Ducks will try to avenge last week’s loss to the Pilots.

NBA:

The Trail Blazers look to be getting a couple of injured players back shortly. Both Shaedon Sharpe and Vit Krejci have been upgraded to Doubtful for tonight’s game against the Spurs.

That hopefully means they will be probable for Friday’s big game against the Clippers.

More positive news for Portland’s chances tonight: Spurs star Victor Wembanyama is doubtful with a rib injury.

Blazers in San Antonio tipping off at 6:30.

SOFTBALL:

Oregon’s Elon Butler is the Baseball America Player of the week. Butler is the first Duck to ever hit for the cycle when she helped the team beat Iowa Saturday. She leads the team in most offensive categories, and is among leaders in the conference and nation.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL:

OSU men’s head coach Justin Joyner, fresh off helping Michigan win the National Championship is rounding out his assistant hires. The coach sent a message to Beaver nation from Indianapolis after the championship saying he was going to be in Corvallis ready to ‘get after it.’

SPORTS 4-7

NBA:

The Trail Blazers let a late lead slip and fell 137 – 132 in overtime to the Nuggets last night. Portland drops a half game behind the Clippers for the 8^th spot while snapping the three-game winning streak.

Toumani Camarra led the team with 30 points but fouled out down the stretch.

Next up for the Blazers is a trip to San Antionio tomorrow.

COLLEGE BASEBALL:

Oregon State whooped Washington State yesterday 18 – 0 using a nine-run 3^rd inning to end the game after 7 innings while one-hitting the Cougars. The midweek series finishes today in Pullman.

The Beavers moved up in the rankings again this week. D1 Baseball, the Coaches, the Writers, and Baseball America polls have them 7^th. Perfect Game rates the Beavs 9^th.

The Ducks are 8 – 4 in the Big 10 conference, and slipped a little in the various rankings. Oregon is 20^th in the Coaches and Perfect Game poll, D1 Baseball has them 21^st, and the writers rank them 22^nd.

The U of O plays Portland tomorrow.

SOFTBALL:

Two Ducks were recognized for their play helping Oregon sweep the Iowa Hawkeyes last weekend: Elon Butler is the Big Ten Player of the week and Taryn Ho is Freshman of the Week.

SPORTS 4-6

NBA:

The Trail Blazers are in 8^th place, a half game ahead of the Clippers in the Western Conference entering play today.

Portland has won three straight games to run their record to 40 – 38 but the Nuggets have won 8 straight and are looking to move up in the standings themselves.

Game 79 of the 82-game season is in Denver tonight.

Tip-off at 6.

COLLEGE BASEBALL

Number 15 Oregon lost their series against Michigan. The Ducks are 8 – 4 in the Big 10.

Number 9 Oregon State got a three-game sweep at Lamar University in Texas to run their record to 24 - 6. Next up the Beavers travel to the Palouse to take on Washington State for a midweek double dip starting this afternoon.

SOFTBALL:

Number 18 ranked Oregon swept Iowa in three games.

Oregon State avoided the sweep against Santa Clara.

SPORTS 4-3

NBA:

The Trail Blazers were able to pull away from the Pelicans for a significant win last night. The 118 – 106 final over New Orleans puts Portland into prime position over the Clippers for the play-in tournament with 4 regular season games remaining including another matchup with the Clippers a week from tonight.

COLLEGE BASEBALL

Number 9 Oregon State took game one of the three-game series at Lamar University in Texas yesterday. Game 2 is today.

The number 15 Ducks were shutout by Michigan in game one of their series.

SOFTBALL:

Oregon State lost to Santa Clara in game one of their series.

Number 18 ranked Oregon is at Jane Sanders Stadium hosting Iowa today through Sunday.

NFL:
The Seattle Seahawks will be on this summer’s Hard Knocks. The HBO Training Camp series will have a defending Super Bowl champion featured for the first time on the long-running program.

SPORTS 4-1

NBA:

The Trail Blazers got a huge win against the Clippers 114 – 104 last night. Portland led most of the way with Jrue Holiday scoring a game high 30, and Deni Avdija adding 28.

That puts the Blazers a half game behind the Clips for the 8^th spot in the Western Conference.

The two teams are fighting for play-in game position the rest of the way.

New Orleans visits the Moda Center tomorrow night.

College Baseball:

Both ranked Oregon Schools were upset last night!

Number 9 Oregon State was crushed by Washington 18 - 2. It was the largest margin of loss this century.

The Beavers head back on the road to Beaumont Texas for a series at Lamar University starting tomorrow.

The number 15 Ducks were shut out by Portland 3 – 0 yesterday. Oregon also had their weekend schedule moved up yesterday. They’re in action tomorrow against Michigan due to expected weather conditions in Ann Arbor on Sunday.

Also yesterday, Ducks’’ left-handed pitcher Miles Gosztola was named the Big Ten Conference Pitcher of the Week for his performance against San Diego last week where he threw a one hitter in 6.2 innings.