Dust Devils play their next road trip at home + Local champs in 4A and 3A track and field
The Tri-City Dust Devils are getting an extra week of games at Gesa Stadium in Pasco.
Originally scheduled to spend the week on the road at Eugene, the Dust Devils (26-25) find themselves back at home because the Emeralds (also 26-25) can’t play at PK Park.
The Oregon Ducks baseball team won its NCAA Nashville Regional to qualify for the Super Regionals, which start on Friday.
The Ducks will play Oral Roberts in a best-of-3 series in PK Park.
Oregon is the main tenant in PK Park, and that’s going to force the Emeralds out. According to the Eugene Register-Guard, the Emeralds could lose $500,000 this week by losing out on those home games.
So the Northwest League and Minor League Baseball has moved the series to Gesa Stadium, beginning Wednesday night.
Eugene will be the home team this week.
The week’s schedule is: single games starting at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights; a doubleheader that starts at 1:30 p.m. Saturday; and a noon first pitch on Sunday.
All Dust Devils season ticket holders can sit in their own seats all week for free, while everyone else can get into the ballpark for just $5 a seat anywhere in the stadium.
Parking will also be free this week.
There will be no nightly promotions, and in-game activities and concessions will be limited.
NCAA track and field
Four Mid-Columbians will be competing this week in the NCAA Track and Field Championships in Austin, Texas.
On Wednesday, College Place graduate Kenneth Rooks — who competes for Brigham Young University — will run in the men’s 3000 meters steeplechase. If he qualifies for the final, that will be Friday.
Nebraska freshman Dash Sirmon (Walla Walla) has qualified for the men’s javelin finals, which will be on Wednesday.
On the women’s side, Ella Nelson — a Walla Walla High School graduate who competes for the University of Oregon — will run in the 800 meters semifinals on Thursday. If she qualifies for the final, that will be Saturday.
Finally, BYU’s Ashton Riner-Lunt (who prepped at Connell High School) is once again competing in the women’s javelin final Thursday.
In 2022, she won the NCAA title in the javelin.
WA high school track and field
It’s been a busy spring for me, so I’m playing catch up on the Washington state high school spring sports championships.
I’ll be touching on the highlights, starting with Class 4A and 3A high school track and field, which was held Memorial Day weekend in Tacoma.
Here’s a recap:
4A BOYS: Richland’s senior Keenan Kuntz was the area’s lone event winner, as the senior won the 100 meters dash in 10.80 seconds.
Kuntz also got a second in the 200 meters in 21.65 seconds.
Chiawana senior Ehzoc Chavez also nabbed a second-place finish, his in the 800 meters, with a personal record time of 1:54.82.
Chavez also teamed up with Michael Mendoza, Carter Kreutz and Jayden Trevino in the 4x400 relay. The Riverhawks crossed the finish line in 3 minutes, 23.35 seconds.
Sunnyside’s Isai Carrera also placed third in the 400 meters. The Grizzlies senior clocked in at 50.15 seconds.
Other top performances included Pasco’s 4x400 relay team of Felix Sabalza, Jesus Guzman, Alex Morfin and Jose Banuelos, which placed fourth; Chiawana senior Kade Smith placing fourth in the triple jump; Kamiakin sophomore Ezra Teeples earning a fourth-place finish in the 3200; Richland junior Elijah Lynch getting fifth in the pole vault; and Richland junior Kooper Schmidt taking fifth in the javelin.
The Richland Bombers placed seventh in the team standings, earning 32 points. Federal Way took the team title with 79.5 points.
4A GIRLS: Hanford junior Landry Allen was the top local standout, earning a first-place medal in the pole vault with a height of 12 feet, 7 inches.
Allen also placed third in them high jump with a leap of 5 feet, 5 inches.
Kamiakin sophomore Aubrey Herrin placed second in the triple jump with a mark of 39 feet, 1.25 inches.
Herrin also teamed with Danica Helms, Kate Christian and Adelyn Mitchell to placed second in the 4x200 relay. The Braves crossed the finish line in 1 minute, 42.71 seconds.
Richland junior Baylee Wroble earned a second place in the javelin with a distance of 136-9.
Kamiakin junior Camia Howard placed third in the shot put with a mark of 38 feet, 9.75 inches.
Other local highlights included a fourth-place finish for Kamiakin senior Reagan Bybee in the javelin; Chiawana senior Emily Dawes was fourth in the discus; Richland freshman Naly Khamlue-Pratt took fifth in the 100 meters; and Chiawana sophomore placed fifth in the shot put.
Kamiakin placed fifth as a team with 38 points. Emerald Ridge won the team title with 67 points.
3A BOYS: Walla Walla had the area’s lone event winner when the 4x100 relay team of Isaiah Roberson, Caleb Morehead, Ian Calhoon and Jake Hisaw crossed the finish line first in a time of 41.99 seconds.
Hisaw — a senior headed to the University of Idaho in the fall — also placed second in the 200 meters (21.86 seconds), and second in the 300 hurdles (37.89 seconds).
Hisaw’s teammate, Brody Hartley, ended his prep career with a second-place finish in the 1600 meters with a time of 4:07.97. Hartley — who will compete for Notre Dame — also finished fourth in the 3200.
Southridge senior Lucien Cone earned a second-place finish in the 100 meters with a time of 10.96 seconds.
Cone was also part of two good finishes with the Suns relay teams.
The team’s 4x100 relay team, consisting of Cone, Ryan Parker, Andrew Dorman and Nicholas Landon, placed fifth; while Southridge’s 4x400 relay team — Cone, Reese Huff, Heston Homme and Liam Stites — finished sixth.
Kennewick junior Jackson Burns earned a third-place finish in the 110 high hurdles, with a time of 14.57 seconds. Burns also nabbed sixth in the 300 hurdles.
Southridge’s Trevor Hoopes placed third in the shot put with a mark of 52 feet, 1.50 inches.
Other top area placers included Southridge junior Carson Condie getting fourth in the shot put, and taking eighth in the discus; Hermiston’s Bradley Hottman taking fourth in the discus; Southridge senior Nicholas Landon placing sixth in the 100; Walla Walla senior Christopher Norris taking sixth in the javelin; Hermiston junior Landon Shilhanek placing sixth in the 400 meters; and Kennewick sophomore Shaun Youngblood placed seventh in the high jump.
As a team, Walla Walla finished third with 42 points. Southridge was fifth with 32. Yelm scored 59 points to take the team title.
3A GIRLS: Hermiston sophomore Avonlea Edwards had the best area placing, finishing second in the discus with a throw of 127 feet, 1 inch.
Walla Walla had two high-placing relay teams. The Blue Devils’ 4x200 relay team of Cami Martin, Ava Nelson, Jailyn Davenport and Ashlyn Nielsen placed third in 1 minute and 43.71 seconds.
Wa-HI’s 4x100 relay team of Kaitlyn King, Davenport, Martin and Nielsen was fourth.
Blue Devils javelin thrower Adisyn Andrews placed sixth; and Hermiston’s 4x100 relay team — Madeline Jared, Alondra Risueno, Karina Ortiz and Dalia Cervantes — finished seventh.
Wa-Hi finished 15th in the team race with 16 points. Kelso won the team title with 53 points.
Jeff Morrow is former sports editor for the Tri-City Herald.
