Wildcats baseball fourth in preseason poll
MIKE MAYNARD | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 8 months AGO
Max Bledy (12), Brandham Ponce (19) and Logan Blank (28) celebrate during their game against Montana State Billings last season. The Wildcats host their first home game of the season against MSU on Feb. 27.
COURTESY PHOTO/ALEX FLOHR/CWU ATHLETICS
ELLENSBURG — The Central Washington Wildcats baseball squad was ranked fourth in the Greater Northwest Conference preseason poll Thursday, according to statement by GNAC.
According to a statement by CWU Athletics, the Wildcats look to build on last year's GNAC tournament appearance and take another step forward under Head Coach Desi Storey. According to the GNAC’s statement, Storey has led the Wildcats for 35 seasons, holding a career record of 730-846-2. Since the conference was formed in 2002, his 316 league victories are the most of any GNAC coach as he begins his 25th season in the GNAC era.
The Wildcats return a core of players who gained playoff experience last season. With a wave of newcomers adding depth and competition across the roster, CWU enters the year focused on consistency, development, and finishing stronger in conference play, the statement said.
Among the key returners are outfielder Logan Blank and infielder Andre Garza, who saw consistent action last season and now step into more prominent leadership roles. Blank returns as one of the most experienced everyday position players on the roster, while Garza provides stability in the infield after logging meaningful innings in conference play.
On the mound, CWU brings back several arms that gained valuable experience in 2025. Kellen Berg returns after handling high-leverage situations out of the bullpen, while pitchers such as Drake Anderson, Garet Hagy, Kaden Haffner, and Logan Thompson give the Wildcats a familiar foundation across the pitching staff. Catcher Braden Zadow and outfielder Max Bledy also return, offering defensive versatility and depth.
That returning nucleus will be joined by a sizable group of newcomers, signaling a shift toward youth and development. The incoming class includes a mix of freshmen and first-year Wildcats who add depth at nearly every position. Freshmen Jacob Nadeau, Xavier Espindola, Kyler Malnar, Jonathan Rominger, and Logan Lipscomb bolster the position-player group.
According to the GNAC’s statement, the 2026 GNAC Baseball Championships will run May 7-8 at Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho. The top-three teams in the 2026 GNAC regular-season standings will earn spots in the conference tournament, with the winner claiming the GNAC’s automatic berth into the 2026 NCAA West Region Championships.
The Wildcats open their season on the road in a quadruple header with Stanislaus State on Jan. 31. Their first home game is on Feb. 27 at noon against Montana State Billings, which will also be their league opener for the GNAC.
ARTICLES BY MIKE MAYNARD
Ross, Char sisters power Mavs past Vikings
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks (1-5) earned a much-needed win Tuesday as they defeated the Selah Vikings 2-0 at Lions Field. For Head Coach Alysha Overland, this moment wasn’t a matter of if, but when. “We definitely needed it; we were due for one,” Overland said. “We've been putting in a lot of hard work, even in the games we've been putting in hard work. Just haven't gotten the results. This one feels good. Feels like we're hopefully turning the corner now and putting the work that we're putting into practice into the game.” The Mavericks got on the board early, finding the back of the net within the first five minutes of the game. From there, they kept up the pressure in the attack, missing a couple shots on goal while preventing Selah from creating pressure of their own.
Huskies passing game difference maker in victory over Eagles
SEATTLE — The University of Washington Huskies (3-0) defended home field 48-16 against the Eastern Washington Eagles (1-3) Saturday in the final non-conference matchup of the season for both teams. “Thought we did some good things on offense today,” Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch said during the postgame press conference. “There was a couple times that I thought we had some opportunities that we didn’t execute (on), but I felt for the most part we played the type of offense I’d like us to play. Defensively, very disappointed in the penalties. That is not okay to have 100 yards in penalties and multiple drives were kept alive because of penalties. We're too talented on defense to let our emotions get the best of us.”
Basin volleyball roundup, Sept. 15-22
MOSES LAKE — As the end of September draws near, so does the first month of Basin volleyball. Many teams over the past week navigated stiff non-league games as they look to set themselves up for a strong second half to the 2026 season. See below how your favorite teams fared last week.