Northwest Notes June 16, 2026
Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 10 hours, 4 minutes AGO
Zags announces matchup with LSU at Arena on Nov. 14
Gonzaga men's basketball and LSU will meet for the first time in program history Nov. 14 at Spokane Numerica Veterans Arena, the Zags announced Monday.
Tickets will go on sale to the public June 26 through Numerica Veterans Arena. Tipoff time and broadcast details will be announced at a later date.
The Bulldogs are 16-6 all-time in games played at the Arena since it opened in 1995, and have won the last seven in the facility.
Last season, the Zags beat Oklahoma 83-68.
Early in the 2022-23 season, GU beat Kentucky 88-72 at the Arena in a top-5 matchup that drew 12,333 fans, the largest crowd ever for any event in the history of the Arena.
The Zags have won seven of their last nine matchups against current members of the SEC, with wins over Oklahoma, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky and Auburn, including last season’s 94-59 victory over Kentucky and 95-85 win over Alabama. Under Bulldog head coach Mark Few, Gonzaga owns 20 wins over current SEC programs.
Further Gonzaga versus LSU game day information will be available at GoZags.com and through Gonzaga men’s basketball social media channels.
WSU baseball coach Choate signs contract extension through 2031
After guiding Washington State to a 2026 Mountain West Conference Championship and the program’s first trip back to the NCAA Tournament since 2010, Cougars baseball coach Nathan Choate has signed a three-year contract extension through the 2031 season, WSU athletic director Jon Haarlow announced Monday.
Washington State finished the season with a 31-28 record, the most wins since the 2010 season, including WSU’s first conference championship since 1976.
“I could not be more excited about coach Choate leading our baseball program well into the future,” Haarlow said. “It has been incredible to watch him reestablish Cougar baseball on a national level, focusing on culture and development both in the classroom and on the field. Coach Choate makes everyone around him better and I'm thrilled for him to lead us in the new Pac-12."
“We look forward to the launch of the Pac-12 and building on this season’s success,” said Choate, who just finished his third season at WSU.
WSU posted an opening-day win at eventual College World Series participant Alabama and beat seventh-ranked Oregon State twice during the season, including in the opening game of the Eugene NCAA Regional.