Vandal men add

home-and-homes with Summit League opponents

MOSCOW — Some scheduling questions moving forward for Idaho men’s basketball have been answered, as a handful of Big Sky and Summit League schools have joined forces to create an annual series of matchups between the conferences.

Four members from each conference, including Eastern Washington, Montana and Montana State from the Big Sky, will play each other in home-and-homes over the next four years. The Summit League will be represented by North Dakota, North Dakota State, Omaha and South Dakota State.

Next season will see the Vandals host Omaha and travel to North Dakota. North Dakota will be leaving the Big Sky following the 2017-18 season to join the Summit League.

The Vandals will head to South Dakota State and host North Dakota State in year two. Years three and four will be the returns from years one and two.

Former Gonzaga

assistant named

Boise State baseball coach

BOISE — Gary Van Tol, twice an assistant coach at Gonzaga, was named head baseball coach at Boise State on Tuesday, BSU athletic director Curt Apsey announced.

Van Tol has spent the last 10 seasons in the Chicago Cubs organization, working as a minor league coach both for the Boise Hawks and, most recently, the Eugene Emeralds. During that time, he worked with current big leaguers Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, Willson Contreras, Ian Happ, Albert Almora, Jr., Paul Blackburn, Zack Godley and others, helping develop players and staff in the championship culture of the Chicago Cubs.

He will be the first baseball coach for the Broncos since the sport was discontinued in 1980, and has been tabbed to help rebuild the program that will begin play in the 2020 season.

Van Tol brings to Boise State a wealth of 27 years of baseball coaching experience, 17 collegiately and 10 professionally. Van Tol managed the short season ‘A’ Northwest League Boise Hawks to the playoffs, falling to the Vancouver Canadians in the Northwest League championship in 2013, and to the eventual league champion Hillsboro Hops in 2014.

Van Tol was an assistant coach at Gonzaga from 2005-08, his second stint at the university after coaching there from 1991-93. During his time in Spokane, Van Tol worked with Mike Redmond, former World Series champion and manager for the Miami Marlins, and current bench coach for the Colorado Rockies with former Madison High graduate Clayton Mortensen. He also helped in the recruitment of eventual major leaguers Steve Ames, Cody Martin and Tyler Olson.

USA Track & Field Masters Outdoor Championships coming to Spokane area in ’18

CHENEY — Roos Field at Eastern Washington University will be the site of the USA Track & Field Masters Outdoor Championships in the summer of 2018.

The youngest competitors will be 30 years old, but athletes in their 80s, 90s and even older have competed in the past. In 2017, this event had a 102-year-old competitor.

The USATF Masters Outdoor Championships includes track events, race walking and men’s and women’s outdoor pentathlons. Nearly 1,000 competitors and 1,500 spectators are expected. There are no qualifying standards for USATF Masters Championships. Anyone can compete who meets the minimum age of 30. USATF Inland Northwest and Spokane Sports Commission worked in partnership to bring this event back to the Spokane area.