2 Tri-Cities grads selected on last day of MLB draft + The Ams release 2023-24 schedule
The Mid-Columbia saw two of its young athletes get the call on Tuesday, the third and final day of the Major League Baseball draft, from two teams.
Southridge outfielder Max Martin, who has signed with the University of Oregon, was selected by the Texas Rangers in the 11th round of the 20-round event.
Martin, who is playing this summer in the West Coast League for the Walla Walla Sweets, went to Texas as the 321stoverall pick.
Max is the younger brother of Mason Martin, also a Southridge High graduate.
Mason Martin was selected in the 17th round of the 2017 draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
He is currently playing first base for the Altoona Curve, the Pirates’ Double-A affiliate in Pennsylvania.
Meanwhile, Richland High pitcher Spencer Green was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 19th round (580thoverall pick).
Green is a 6-foot-4, 190-pound right-hander who has dominated on the mound these last few seasons for the Bombers.
Signings and offers
Preston Vine-Close (Chiawana) has spent the last three seasons at Grays Harbor Community College playing baseball. The outfielder recently announced he’ll continue his college career by transferring to Benedictine Mesa University in Arizona.
▪ Malia Ruud, Chiawana’s standout girls basketball post player, has received another scholarship offer. The University of California San Diego has offered Ruud, who will just be a junior this coming school year.
▪ Hanford’s Claire Nguyen has signed to play women’s soccer this fall for Whitworth University in Spokane.
▪ Chiawana quarterback DJ Duran, who will be a senior this fall for the Riverhawks, has received an offer to play next year at Montana Western University.
▪ Kamiakin baseball infielder Kellen Berg has committed to playing for Central Washington University this coming school year.
Hockey
It looks like Tri-City Americans fans might become big Boston Bruins followers this coming NHL season.
The Bruins, who had the best regular-season record among all NHL teams this past season, already had former Ams defenseman Brandon Carlo in the fold.
Carlo is in the midst of a 6-year deal, and he’ll be paid $4.7 million this coming season.
But last week, the Bruins signed forward Morgan Geekie to a 2-year, $4 million deal. Geekie spent the last two seasons with the Seattle Kraken.
Finally, defenseman Parker Wotherspoon — who has been with the New York Islanders the last couple of seasons — signed with Boston on a 1-year deal for $750,000.
▪ Last week, the Tri-City Americans released their 2023-24 Western Hockey League schedule.
The season opens on Sept. 22 with a road game at Prince George, British Columbia — the place the Ams finished their year at when the fell to the Cougars in April in the first round of the WHL playoffs.
Tri-City will play back-to-back games at PG on Sept. 22 and 23, then visits Spokane on Sept. 30 before hosting the Everett Silvertips on Oct. 7 for their home opener.
Other highlights will include the annual New Year’s Eve game against the Spokane Chiefs, and eight games (four road, four home) against new U.S. Division opponent Wenatchee.
Last month, the WHL Board of Governors approved the sale of the Winnipeg Ice to David and Lisa White, who owned the Wenatchee Wild franchise of the BCHL.
The Whites moved to have the BCHL team made inactive and will have the WHL franchise instead.
Here is the Americans’ entire regular season schedule (home games all capitals, all game times Pacific):
SEPTEMBER
22 — at Prince George, 7 p.m.; 23 — at Prince George, 6 p.m.; 30 — at Spokane, 6:05 p.m.
OCTOBER
7 — EVERETT, 6:05 p.m.; 13 — BRANDON, 7:05 p.m.; 14 — KAMLOOPS, 6:05 p.m.; 15 — at Portland, 5 p.m.; 18 — WENATCHEE, 7:05 p.m.; 20 — KELOWNA, 7:05 p.m.; 22 — EVERETT, 4:05 p.m.; 25 — at Everett, 7:05 p.m.; 27 — at Kamloops, 7 p.m.; 28 — at Kamloops, 6 p.m.
NOVEMBER
1 — VANCOUVER, 7:05 p.m.; 4 — SPOKANE, 6:05 p.m.; 7 — KELOWNA, 7:05 p.m.; 10 — KAMLOOPS, 7:05 p.m.; 11 — PRINCE ALBERT, 6:05 p.m.; 15 — at Wenatchee, 6 p.m.; 17 — WENATCHEE, 7:05 p.m.; 21 — SEATTLE, 7:05 p.m.; 24 — VICTORIA, 7:05 p.m.; 25 — at Vancouver, 7 p.m.; 28 — SASKATOON, 7:05 p.m.
DECEMBER
1 — PRINCE GEORGE, 7:05 p.m.; 2 — VANCOUVER, 6:05 p.m.; 3 — at Wenatchee, 4 p.m.; 8 — at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.; 9 — WENATCHEE, 6:05 p.m.; 15 — at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.; 16 — at Victoria, 6:05 p.m.; 27 — PORTLAND, 7:05 p.m.; 30 — at Spokane, 6:05 p.m.; 31 — SPOKANE, 6:05 p.m.
JANUARY
5 — at Lethbridge, 6 p.m.; 6 — at Medicine Hat, 6 p.m.; 9 — at Swift Current, 6 p.m.; 11 — at Edmonton, 6 p.m.; 12 — at Red Deer, 6 p.m.; 14 — at Calgary, 1 p.m.; 19 — SEATTLE, 7:05 p.m.; 20 — at Seattle, 6:05 p.m.; 21 — at Everett, 4:05 p.m.; 24 — at Wenatchee, 6 p.m.; 26 — PORTLAND, 7:05 p.m.; 27 — PRINCE GEORGE, 6:05 p.m.; 31 — EVERETT, 7:05 p.m.
FEBRUARY
3 — SPOKANE, 6:05 p.m.; 4 — at Portland, 5 p.m.; 7 — at Wenatchee, 6 p.m .; 9 — at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.; 13 — SEATTLE, 7:05 p.m.; 16 — SPOKANE, 7:05 p.m.; 17 — at Spokane, 6:05 p.m.; 19 — at Kelowna, 2:05 p.m.; 23 — MOOSE JAW, 7:05 p.m.; 24 — REGINA, 6:05 p.m.
MARCH
1 — VICTORIA, 7:05 p.m.; 2 — KELOWNA, 6:05 p.m.; 6 — at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.; 8 — WENATCHEE, 7:05 p.m.; 10 — at Seattle, 5:05 p.m.; 12 — at Vancouver, 7 p.m.; 15 — at Portland, 7 p.m.; 16 — at Spokane, 6:05 p.m.; 22 — PORTLAND, 7:05 p.m.; 23 — SPOKANE, 6:05 p.m.; 24 — at Everett, 4:05 p.m.