Randy Arozarena’s Mammoth Fifth Inning Homer Reverses Hitting Woes, M’s Beat Stros 9-6
The look on Andrés Muñoz’ face told it all as Leo Rivas stepped on third to complete the final out: exhaustion and catharsis.
It was a feeling that reverberated around Mariners country as the team won its first game and nearly a week, put more than two runs on the board for the first time in a few days, and had a solid defensive showing after scores of innings full of botched glovework.
The Astros’ struggling pitching and the Mariners’ struggling offense both showed early on Friday.
Ichiro’s statue unveiling outside T-Mobile Park on Friday night encountered an unusual mishap: the bat cracked and bent at the handle as the tarp was taken off to unveil it.
It was the proverbial picture that said a thousand words about the Mariners offense. Over the first 13 games, the Mariners had failed to score before extras in four of them. The whole batting crew had looked about as lost as three Roman legions in the Teutoberg Forest.
Analysis: What Does Underlying Data Say about Mariners’ Hitting Abyss?
There have been a lot of bad results with the bat in the first 13 games the Mariners have played in 2026, and for every bad result, there are 1,000 ways to quantify and describe it: worst in the league in average (.184), on-base percentage (.280), and slugging percentage (.301). The league’s second-lowest hard-hit rate (34.2%) and highest whiff rate (32.9%). Bat speed declines for Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodríguez, Josh Naylor, and others.
But with 149 games left to go, how much of this is actually meaningful and predictive? How much of it is pure noise?
The top lines are too early to tell right now; any answers will come from underlying data.
There isn’t much that can be told from the first 13 games as to which disappointing slash stats are because a good player is in a slump and which are because the player is plain overmatched. Both Aaron Judge and Willi Castro entered Friday with a .222 batting average, but it’s safe to say that their career OPSes of 1.025 and .696, respectively, are good indicators of who is more likely to get hot.
Jerone Morton Departs as Cougars Continue to Lose Talent to Transfer Portal
The transfer portal has struck again for Washington State, as the Cougars have now lost two of the four remaining players from the 2025-2026 season.
According to 247Sports, both Jerone Morton and Brunel Madzou have entered the transfer portal, leaving the Cougars with only one scholarship player - Dominik Robinson - still on the roster from last year’s team.
Seattle Storm Free Agency Tracker: Signings, Departures and Rumors
As expected, WNBA free agency began this week and quickly picked up steam once it started rolling. The Seattle Storm are already looking at making an entirely new team heading into the 2026 season.
Veterans are on their way out, and it remains to be seen how much interest the team will get from unrestricted free agents. More than two-thirds of the WNBA players are free agents, and a lot of money will be moving around under the new CBA.
Teams have to act fast ahead of the WNBA Draft on Monday, April 13, to see how their rosters will look before making rookie selections.
Official 30/Local Visits Tracker: Who Have Seahawks Met With Leading Up to 2026 NFL Draft?
With the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in the rearview mirror and free agency well underway, the Seattle Seahawks and all 32 NFL teams are in the midst of scheduling and conducting their pre-draft top-30 visits.
In this process, each NFL team can bring in up to 30 players to their respective facilities for interviews and meetings with coaches as well as medical examinations and physicals. In addition, teams can also bring in local players for official visits, which do not count as one of the top-30 visits. While these on-site meetings are only part of the evaluation process leading up to the three-day event, they can play a critical role in determining where each player ends up on draft weekend.
Which players have already met with the Seahawks or are scheduled to come to town for top-30 visits and local visits before the 2026 NFL Draft?
Kraken Snap Skid with Shootout Win Against Vegas
It looked like the same story.
The Vegas Golden Knights executed a 4-on-2 rush, finished off by Brett Howden just 1:11 into the third period at Climate Pledge Arena on Thursday to put the Seattle Kraken down 3-1.
After losing 10 of their past 11 games, including five straight in regulation entering Thursday, the Kraken’s playoff hopes are only alive in a minute mathematical sense. Crumbling down the stretch, unable to find the urgency needed to string together positive results, Seattle could only be expected to pack it in once again.
However, after Berkly Catton benefited from a fortuitous bounce to cut it to 3-2, Bobby McMann tied the game midway through the third period. The Kraken played through an eventful overtime period before Matty Beniers and Catton scored in the shootout to lift Seattle to a 4-3 win.
Nneka Ogwumike Leaving Storm, Skylar Diggins May Follow
Veteran forward and unrestricted free agent Nneka Ogwumike will not be returning to the Seattle Storm for the 2026 season and is receiving strong interest from the Los Angeles Sparks in free agency, per ESPN’s Alexa Philippou.
Ogwumike confirmed her departure from the Storm with a farewell post to the franchise on social media. She has also met with the Minnesota Lynx, per Philippou.
The Storm may be losing multiple of their premier veterans, as point guard Skylar Diggins is also reportedly in talks with the Chicago Sky, per Beta Basket’s Roberta F. Rodrigues.
Huskies Rebuilt Defensive Line Taking Shape During Spring Ball
A lot of things have changed since Elinneus Davis boarded a plane for the first time in his life to visit a school 1,400 miles away from his hometown of Moorhead, Minnesota.
Since that June day in 2022, he’s seen coaches come and go, along with every defensive lineman he got to know when he started practicing in 2023. For the second straight year, the Washington Huskies football team will feature a defensive line with mostly new faces.
He’s used to the changes, just like when he learned to handle air travel. It’s not easy at first, but one gets used to it.
Redhawks Star Will Heimbrodt Focused on ‘Little Things’ to Take Next Step After Breakout Season
Remaining poised after taking a crash course as a key reserve during his redshirt freshman season, Will Heimbrodt understood a larger role would be in his grasp coming into his third season on campus with the Seattle Redhawks. He simply needed to capitalize on the opportunity.
Doing just that, Heimbrodt earned himself his first full-time starting gig rolling into his sophomore season, ready to take flight on a team with high aspirations entering the West Coast Conference. With several of his former teammates graduating, the Redhawks were counting on him to become a staple in their lineup, feeling like coach Chris Victor and the coaching staff had even more confidence in him than he did.
Heimbrodt played well in spring practices, staying consistent with his training throughout the summer and by Seattle’s first game against the University of Denver, Heimbrodt received the call as a starter for the first time. Helping lead his team to an 84-73 win, he finished the game with 24 points on 9-14 shooting, eight rebounds, and two blocks, putting the rest of the conference on notice early.
Seahawks Leaving No Stone Unturned Looking at Talented Cornerback Class in 2026 NFL Draft
Slated to pick last in the first round by virtue of winning Super Bowl LX, the Seattle Seahawks could go any number of directions on the opening night of the 2026 NFL Draft, including trading out of the round entirely to recoup additional selections in later rounds.
But while the Seahawks have other needs such as edge rusher and running back that could be addressed early with their first selection, regardless of whether they stick and pick or trade down, if the team’s reported official 30 visits serve as any indication, cornerback appears to be at the top of general manager John Schneider’s wish list. Out of 18 players reported so far to fly out to Seattle, seven of them played corner at some point during their collegiate careers.
This shouldn’t necessarily come as a surprise development, as the Seahawks lost four-year starter Riq Woolen to the Eagles in free agency and while they did retain Josh Jobe on a three-year contract, coach Mike Macdonald has limited experience to lean on behind All-Pro Devon Witherspoon and Jobe on the depth chart. Third-year defender Nehemiah Pritchett has started one game in his career, veteran Shemar Jean-Charles spent all of last year on the practice squad and has two career starts, and free agent signee Noah Igbinoghene has started 17 out of 69 games played, hardly living up to his first round billing after being drafted 30th overall by the Dolphins in 2020.
Mark Machtolf Makes History as Gonzaga Baseball Keeps Rolling
After another week of games, Gonzaga baseball (17-14, 6-3 WCC) continues to play a well-rounded brand of baseball. The Zags have now won four of their last five and 10 of their last 12 after taking two out of three from Pepperdine (10-22, 5-4 WCC) and sweeping a two-game midweek set with Washington (15-18, 6-6 Big Ten).
During this stretch, a historic milestone was reached while a portion of the pitching staff pieced together stellar efforts.
Vibes are high for the Bulldogs heading to a big weekend series against Portland, so what has driven even more success as of late?
Mark Machtolf Gets Career Win No. 638, Becomes All-Time Gonzaga Leader
Now, after GU finished off its second victory over UW, head coach Mark Machtolf sits at 640 career wins. But Saturday’s 4-3 win versus the Waves not only clinched the series, but Machtolf’s spot atop the mountain as he passed his predecessor, Steve Herz, who secured 637 wins during his 24-year tenure in Spokane and is honored in the current stadium’s name.
Major Domino Falls: Kraken and Ron Francis Part Ways as Franchise Seeks ‘New Direction’
Ron Francis will be stepping down as the Seattle Kraken’s president of hockey operations at the end of the 2025-26 regular season, which will conclude on April 16. The move was announced by the team on Wednesday, described as a mutual agreement between Francis and Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke.
It is not a firing, as both sides framed it as the right time for a “thoughtful transition” and a chance for the organization to “move in a new direction.”
Francis, 63, had been with the Kraken since July 2019 as the franchise’s very first general manager. He built the team from scratch, overseeing the expansion draft, hiring the first coach, setting up the AHL affiliate, and navigating the team launch amid the COVID era. He deserves credit for helping get this franchise off the ground.
Three Trade-Down Scenarios for Seahawks During 2026 NFL Draft
It’s well-documented that the Seahawks have just four draft picks in the upcoming 2026 draft. That could mean the Seahawks aren’t enthused about the depth of the talent pool in this class. Whatever it means, it’s because they shipped fourth and fifth round picks to New Orleans for Rashid Shaheed (worth it). Cleveland agreed to send their 2026 sixth rounder for Seattle to send them Nick Harris and a seventh rounder.
Roy Robertson-Harris went to the Seahawks from the Jaguars, to whom Seattle shipped a sixth round pick.
For that reason, Seattle has just four picks in the first, second, third, and sixth rounds.
As we know, John Schneider is one of the bigger wheeler-and-dealers on draft day. He’s as savvy as any general manager in the NFL when trading down in the draft. By virtue of the Seahawks winning the Super Bowl, they own the last pick of the first round.
Will Schneider opt to gain another pick or two and sacrifice his first-round pick in the process? It’s certainly possible.
Let’s explore three scenarios for the Seahawks trading down to recoup a pick or two later in the draft.
Sounders Stumble in Monterrey, Drop First Leg of Concacaf Quarterfinal vs. Tigres
The Seattle Sounders were looking for the sound of silence at Estadio Universitario in Monterrey, Mexico on Wednesday night. But in the 79th minute of their Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals first-leg duel with Liga MX side Tigres UANL, all they got was a deafening scene. Fans jumped in unison as their team had just scored a second goal to make it 2-0 and fought for a third, as the Sounders went on to suffer their first loss in any competition since February.
The Sounders will return to Lumen Field for the first time since Feb. 22 on April 15 to see out the second leg of the fixture, down 2-0 with a full week to lick its wounds.
Mariners Trajectory Rapidly Approaches Inflection Point with Fifth Straight Loss
Despite an impressively bad two-decade playoff drought to begin the millennium, the Mariners haven’t been in the habit of fully burying themselves three weeks into the year, usually waiting until May to let everything fall apart in their down years, missing the mark in September during their good years, and crashing into the last wall like George Russell in Singapore in their great years.
But inexplicably yet unsurprisingly, the proverbial team bus looks like it’s being steered by a tumbleweed through a baker’s dozen games in 2026. The team’s stellar pitching has carried them to four wins, but a combination of atrocious defense and somehow worse hitting dropped their ninth game of the year (and fifth in a row) on Wednesday afternoon.
Seattle suffered their third (kind of fourth) shutout of the season, barely avoiding getting no-hit by MacKenzie Gore and co.
The Mariners offense, team-wide, has been having the kind of performance where 105 mile an hour groundouts to short are hopeful signs because the team is usually hitting 75 mile an hour groundouts to first.
Which Players Have Seahawks Drafted After Official 30 Pre-Draft Visits?
With the 2026 NFL Draft less than three weeks away in Pittsburgh, the Seattle Seahawks and all 32 teams are tying up loose ends and finishing official visits with a variety of prospects. These on-site meetings allow players to meet with coaches and personnel staff as well as undergo medical examinations and physicals.
So far, the Seahawks have been linked to 15 prospects for official 30 visits, including multiple potential first-round targets such as Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood and Missouri defensive end Zion Young.
In terms of relevance, the majority of players who fly out to Seattle for these pre-draft visits won't be drafted by the team, as only 26 of their 137 draft choices since 2011 have been used on players reported to make those visits, or just 18.9%. However, recent history suggests at least one of their slated four picks in this year’s draft will be a player who visited the team facility this spring, while several others could be signed as priority undrafted free agents or brought in for a tryout at rookie minicamp. These visits offer plenty of significance for general manager John Schneider and the front office, and that trend continued even after the arrival of Mike Macdonald as Pete Carroll’s successor.
Looking back at their past 15 drafts, with 2021 being excluded due to most visits being done virtually because of COVID protocols, which players who reportedly attended official “30” visits at the VMAC wound up being drafted or signing with the team?
Familiar Culprits Waste Kirby Complete Game as M’s Drop Fourth Straight
The Mariners fielded their first full top-depth lineup of the 2026 season on Tuesday, but it didn’t lead to much production on the offensive side of the ball. The defense - this time, even standout defender Cole Young, though through positioning and not bad glovework per se - continued giving away runs to the Mariners’ opponents on the way to a one-run loss thanks to said baffled bats.
Kirby worked very efficiently early in the game, but yet more hibernating hitters and letdowns on defense gave him his first career loss to Texas.
Brendan Donovan hit a home run on the very first pitch of the game. Cal Raleigh had an excellent two-out piece of hitting against a top-edge fastball, driving it into center for an RBI single. That was the only hit with runners in scoring position, bringing the team’s RISP slash line down to .216/.327/.371.
But with a guy on the mound with a career 1.04 ERA against the Texas Rangers, those two runs still gave them a shot.
Huskies Talented, Inexperienced Receivers Battle for Roles During Spring Ball
The Washington Huskies football game at Wisconsin last season served as the low point for many.
For receiver Rashid Williams, it was the lowest of the low.
After setting himself apart during 2025 spring and fall camps, Williams earned the starting “Z” receiver position and opened the season with four catches in a 38-21 win over Colorado State. A week later he caught a 27-yard pass on the offense’s first play against UC Davis that ultimately served as the beginning of the end when he broke his collarbone at the end of the play.
That was a low, but things would get lower. After two months of healing and rehab, Williams came back, ready to regain his place in the Huskies offense as the 6-2 team tried to get back into the College Football Playoff conversation. Williams never made it onto the field at Camp Randall, though. He suffered a second injury during practice when his hand got caught in a teammate’s facemask.
Season over.
Washington State Names Jon Harrlow as Permanent Athletic Director, Removes Interim Label
Washington State University athletics has officially named Jon Haarlow as its full-time athletic director, promoting him after he served in the interim role since November.
Haarlow stepped in as interim AD following the dismissal of former athletic director Anne McCoy. Prior to that, he had been serving as the university’s senior associate athletic director and chief financial officer since 2021, where he built a reputation for strong financial leadership and strategic planning.
Storm Core Ezi Magbegor, Extend Reserved Qualifying Offers to 2 Others
The Seattle Storm made a trio of qualifying offers on Tuesday as they attempt to retain Ezi Magbegor, Mackenzie Holmes and Zia Cooke, per the WNBA’s transaction wire.
Seattle extended a core qualifying offer to Magbegor, which is a one-year, fully guaranteed deal valued at the new supermax figure of $1.4 million. It does not guarantee Magbegor will sign for that amount, but it does give Seattle exclusive negotiating rights.
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