Friday's game postponed, rescheduled until July 22

The Knights have rescheduled Friday night's game against the WCL Portland Ports at Goss Stadium for a to-be-determined time on Sunday, July 22, due to the forecast of rain and unseasonably cold temperatures.

We don't want our fans sitting out in rain and 45-degree temperatures. And thanks to All Family Vision Care, the Ports, our Omaha Room guests (H-P), and to anyone else we've inconvenienced with this late notice, for understanding.

All tickets for Friday's game will be honored on July 22; season-ticket holders should use their June 22 tickets on that night. The Scout OverKnighter planned for Friday night will also be rescheduled on another to-be-determined night.

The Knights apologize for the late notice. For more information or for any questions, call the Knights office at 541-752-5656.

Finally, an off day

Finally, an off day, after playing on 13 straight nights. And of course, the weather is beautiful, because we don't have a home game.

We're back at it on Friday, against the Ports of WCL Portland at Goss Stadium. It's All Family Vision Care $1,000 Dash for Cash night, with all kids 12 and under eligible to participate. We've got Saturday off, and then we are back at it at 6:05 Sunday with another nonleague game against the Portland Ports.

Then, we start seven league games against Bellingham and Kelowna on Tuesday, June 26. That stretch will conclude with our annual Fireworks Night, which this year is set for July 2. Tickets are going fast, so stop down and see us at the WWHQ in downtown Corvallis.

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We lead the West Division by 3.5 games over Bend. In fairness, we've played four more games, but we're also one ahead in the loss column so even if the Elks win those four games we'd still be in first.

Third baseman Caleb Whalen of Portland is tied for second in the WCL with 15 RBIs. Rob Dittrick of Pacific University has a league-high three wins and ranks seventh in ERA (1.21). George Perez of Grand Canyon is fifth in ERA at 1.13.

We've strengthened our club recently with the addition of pitchers Mitch Patito and Taylor Starr, and who knows, we might have one or two other moves up our sleeve before all is said and done. There's lots of baseball still to be played, and we won't be resting.

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First baseman Taylor Ard (2009) of the Everett AquaSox was 2-for-4 with a triple, a run and an RBI on Wednesday in a 9-8, 13-inning victory over Spokane to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors. Everett is Seattle's affiliate in the Class A (short) Northwest League.

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Speaking of our minor league ex-Knights, here's our weeekly roundup of our alums in minor-league baseball (all stats through Wednesday's games):

NICK AKINS, Dodgers (2007): The former Vanguard outfielder is hitting .227 (10-44) with no homers and three RBIs for the Great Lakes Loons in the Class A Midwest League.

DAYTON ALEXANDER, Athletics (2011): The former Feather River College outfielder is hitting .111 (1-9) with one RBI for Vermont in the Class A New York-Penn League.

BO ALTOBELLI, Twins (2010): The ex-Texas Tech catcher has been assigned to Elizabethton in the Class A Appalachian League but has not yet played.

TYLER ANDERSON, Rockies (2009): Now with the Asheville Tourists in the Class A South Atlantic League, the ex-Oregon star is 5-1, 3.14, with 26 strikeouts in 48.2 innings.

MATT ANDRIESE, Padres (2009): Now with Lake Elsinore in the Class A California League, the pitcher from UC Riverside is 4-3, 3.39, with 55 strikeouts in 66.1 innings.

TAYLOR ARD, Mariners (2009): Now with Everett in the Class A Northwest League, the ex-Washington State first baseman is hitting .333 (7-21) with no homers and four RBIs.

CODY BARTLETT, Blue Jays (2007): Now playing for the Class A Gulf Coast Blue Jays, the ex-Washington State infielder is hitting .000 (0-4), with no homers or RBIs.

CARTER BELL, Diamondbacks (2009): Now with Visalia in the Class A California League, the former Oregon State infielder is hitting .250 (41-164) with one homer and 17 RBIs.

DANIEL BIBONA, Cardinals (2007): Now with the Batavia Muckdogs in the Class A New York-Penn League, the pitcher from UC Irvine is on the 7-day disabled list.

MICHAEL BLAKE, Diamondbacks (2010): Now with Missoula in the Class A Pioneer League, the ex-Mt. Hood/Hawaii pitcher is 0-0, 0.00, with two strikeouts in 1.1 innings.

ALEX BURG, Giants (2008): Now with San Jose in the Class A California League, the former Washington State catcher/infielder/outfielder is hitting .212 (22-104) with four homers and 16 RBIs.

MATT DUFFY, Giants (2010): The former Long Beach State infielder is hitting .263 (5-19) with no homers or RBIs for Salem-Keizer in the Class A Northwest League.

JOHN ESHLEMAN, Giants (2008): The San Jacinto JC infielder, now with the double-A Eastern League Richmond Squirrels, has scored one run in one game but does not have an at-bat.

ROCKY GALE, Padres (2007, 2009): The former Portland catcher is hitting .167 (6-36) for Lake Elsinore in the Class A California League, with no homers and two RBIs.

DREW GARCIA, White Sox (2007): Now with Charlotte in the triple-A International League, the former UC Riverside infielder is hitting .205 (26-1237), with one homer and 16 RBIs.

SAM GAVIGLIO, Cardinals (2009): Now with Quad City in the Class A Midwest League, the ex-Oregon State pitcher is 3-5, 5.03, with 40 strikeouts in 62.2 innings.

DEAN GREEN, Tigers (2008): Now with West Michigan in the Class A Midwest League, the former Oklahoma State/Barry infielder is hitting .306 (67-219), with nine homers and 38 RBIs.

CHRIS JOHNSON, Giants (2011): Now at Salem-Keizer in the Class A Northwest League, the ex-Portland pitcher is 1-0, 9.00 with no strikeouts in one inning.

D.J. JOHNSON, Diamondbacks (2008-09): Now with Visalia of the Class A California League, the former Mt. Hood/Western Oregon pitcher is 0-0, 7.36, with four strikeouts in 3.2 innings.

KYLE KRAUS, Red Sox (2009-10): Now with Lowell in the Class A New York-Penn League, the former Portland pitcher is 0-0, 0.00, with two strikeouts in one inning.

SCOTT LYMAN, Marlins (2010): The ex-UC Davis star is 0-0, 15.00 with the Class A Gulf Coast League Marlins, with three strikeouts in three innings.

THOMAS McCARTHY, White Sox (2010): Now with Great Falls in the Class A Pioneer League, the ex-Kentucky third baseman is hitting .333 (1-3) with no homers and no RBIs.

ADAM MELKER, Cardinals (2008-09): Now with Springfield in the double-A Texas League, the former Cal Poly outfielder is hitting .243 (36-148), with two homers and 11 RBIs.

JIM MURPHY, Phillies (2007): Now with Clearwater in the Class A Florida State League, the former Washington State infielder is hitting .269 (60-223), with six homers and 44 RBIs.

JAMES NYGREN, Marlins (2009): Now with Greensboro in the Class A South Atlantic League, the ex-Oregon State pitcher is 2-1, 4.50, with 10 saves and 17 strikeouts in 32 innings.

EDDIE OROZCO, Cubs (2008-09): Now with the Arizona Rookie League Cubs, the former UC Riverside pitcher has not yet made an appearance.

JOSH OSICH, Giants (2008): Now with San Jose in the Class A California League, the ex-Oregon State pitcher is 0-0, 2.31, with a save and 13 strikeouts in 12.2 innings.

GREG PEAVEY, Mets (2008): Now with Binghamton in the double-A Eastern League, the ex-Oregon State pitcher is 3-3, 5.22, with 37 strikeouts in 60.1 innings.

NICK STRUCK, Cubs (2010): Now with Tennessee in the Class AA Southern League, the former Mt. Hood pitcher is 7-6, 4.09, with 62 strikeouts in 77 innings.

ANDREW SUSAC, Giants (2009): Now with San Jose in the Class A California League, the ex-Oregon State catcher is hitting .243 (41-168), with four homers and 24 RBIs.

NOT YET ASSIGNED: OF Mitch Haniger (2010), Cal Poly (Brewers); LHP Mark Trentacosta (2011), UC Irvine (Cardinals).

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The WCL is already in Kelowna, B.C., and is expanding to Victoria, B.C., for 2013. There's a possibility the league could consider adding a third team in that province, in Kamloops. Here are the details, from the Kamloops This Week newspaper.

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That's all for today. We'll be back on Friday.

Friday's game rescheduled

The Knights have rescheduled Friday night's game against the WCL Portland Ports at Goss Stadium for a to-be-determined time on Sunday, July 22, due to the forecast of rain and unseasonably cold temperatures.

We don't waznt our fans sitting in rainy, 45-degree weather, and there's a much better chance of great weather on July 22. Thanks to the Ports, to H-P, which had the Omaha Room, and to the Boy Scouts and All Family Vision Care for being so co-operative!

All tickets for Friday's game will be honored on July 22; season-ticket holders should use their June 22 tickets on that night. The Scout OverKnighter planned for Friday night will also be rescheduled on another to-be-determined night.

The Knights apologize for the late notice. For more information or for any questions, call the Knights office at 541-752-5656.

A's won't sign Gorton

We've got some disappointing news to announce this morning.

Former Knights star catcher Ryan Gorton of Oregon State, a key player in our drive to the 2011 West Coast League championship, apparently has a knee injury that will prevent him from signing with the Oakland Athletics.

The A's selected Gorton in the 31st round of the recent MLB draft, and they quickly agreed to terms. However, his routine physical before everything became official turned up a tear in his right knee, so the A's withdrew the offer and did not sign him. More details are available here.

Former Knights (2010)/OSU pitcher Matt Boyd still has not signed with Cincinnati. They selected him in the 13th round of the draft. Otherwise, all the ex-Knights taken in the draft have been signed.

* Pitcher Kyle Kraus (2009-10, Boston) is with the Lowell Spinners in the New York/Penn League.

* Pitcher Chris Johnson (2011, San Francisco) and infielder Matt Duffy (2010, San Francisco) are with Salem-Keizer and first baseman Taylor Ard (2009, Seattle) is with Everett, in the Northwest League.

* Catcher Bo Altobelli (2010, Minnesota) is with Elizabethton in the Appalachian League.

* Infielder Thomas McCarthy (2010, White Sox) is with Great Falls in the Pioneer League.

* Pitcher Eddie Orozco (2008, 2009) of UC Riverside signed with the Cubs on Monday and been assigned to the Arizona Rookie League Cubs.

* Outfielder Mitch Haniger (2010, Milwaukee) and pitcher Mark Trentacosta (2011, St. Louis) have signed but not yet been assigned to a team.

Also, some unassigned Knights from 2011 have been assigned. Pitcher Michael Blake (2010, Diamondbacks) is with Missoula in the Pioneer League and outfielder Dayton Alexander (2011, Athletics) is with Vermont in the NY-P League.

We'll update all our ex-Knights minor leaguer in Thursday's blog.

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Former Knights Matt Duffy (2010) and Chris Johnson (2011) of the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes share today's Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors for Tuesday.

Duffy, of Long Beach State, was 1-for-3 with a run and Johnson, of Portland, earned his first professional victory in a 4-1 triumph over the Boise Hawks at Volcanoes Stadium.

So, congrats to both players.

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Some news from around the West Coast League:

KELOWNA: Falcons' pitcher Brandon Marris has been named the WCL Player of the Week. Here are the details from the WCL website.

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That's it for today. Don't forget we play at Cowlitz tonight; you can listen to the game on KEJO-AM 1240, starting at 6:25 p.m.

More roster moves

We've made three more roster moves today as more of our full-time Knights arrive in Corvallis.

Ten-day signees Caylen Clardy of the College of the Siskyous, Tyler Campbell of Lake Oswego High and Beau Fraser of Portland were released on Monday to make our roster easier to manage.

Clardy hit .333, with six RBIs; Campbell hit .135, with four RBIs, and Fraser hit .162, with a homer and five RBIs. We thank them for their contributions, as they're a big reason we got off to such a fast start without our full-time players.

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Attention Diamond Club members: The Meet the Team Barbeque is set for 5 p.m. Sunday at Goss Stadium. Please RSVP to 541-752 5656 if you plan to attend, and how many guests (@ $13 apiece, including a GA ticket) you plan to bring.

It should be a fun evening. See you there!

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Monday night with Corvallis schools still in session and last night's cold and breezy conditions held the crowd down to 718, our lowest of the season. We've drawn 7,391 fans for six dates, an average of 1,232 per night.

We're still 898 fans ahead of last year at a corresponding date, with a big homestand to come, starting with Friday night's All Family Vision Care $1,000 Kids Dash for Cash. Now we just need the weather to cooperate!

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Former Knights' catcher Bo Altobelli (2010) of Texas Tech has signed with the Minnesota Twins, who selected him in the 21st round of the recent draft. He has been assigned to the Elizabethton (W.Va.) Twins of the Class A (rookie) Appalachian League. They start their season tonight, at Danville (Va.).

Pitcher Matt Boyd of Oregon State (Cincinnati) and pitcher Eddie Orozco of UC Riverside (Cubs) are the only two unssigned players of the 14 former, current or future Knights who were selected in the draft. We'll update the averages of all our minor leaguers on Thursday.

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Infielder Drew Garcia (2007) of UC Riverside and the Charlotte Knights was 2-for-4 with a run in a 5-3 win over Columbus on Monday to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors. Chaarlotte is the Chicago White Sox affiliate in the triple-A International League.

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That's all for today. Make sure to catch tonight's game at Cowlitz on KEJO AM 1240.

Back home, for a night anyways

No, we haven't been on the road for the entire month of June. It just seems that way.

We've played 10 of our first 15 games on the road, which makes our 11-4 record all the more impressive. We're home tonight, against Bend in the finale of a three-game series that started with two tilts in Central Oregon, but then we take off again for two more games at Cowlitz on Tuesday and Wednesday.

We'll finally be in Corvallis for a long homestand starting on Friday. By that time we'll have played 12 of our first 18 games on the road.

We've won seven games in a row heading into tonight's game with the Elks. It's SNAP Fitness Miser Monday; show your SNAP Fitness member card to purchase a GA ticket for only $3.

Three-year Knight Mitch Patito of UC Riverside gets the start tonight, making his 2012 season debut. See you at the ballpark!

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We've trimmed our roster a bit as our full-time players from Oregon State, Oregon and the California schools have now reported.

Pitchers Chris Bishop of PLU and Alex Keenan of George Fox and outfielder Tristan Metcalf of Mt. Hood CC, all 10-day signees, have been released. They did a great job for us and we wish them the best.

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Our two wins over the Elks increased our lead in the all-time regular-season series to 35-18 overall and to 17-11 in Bend. We're 13-5 against the Elks in regular-season games at Goss Stadium.

We've also won three out of four playoff series against the Elks and lead 6-5 in the postseason.

We have outscored our opponents 46-11 during our seven-game winning streak. We're hitting .300 over than span, with a 0.86 team ERA. We've allowed just six earned runs in our last seven games.

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Our attendance contines to be good, even though school is still in session and the summer weather hasn't really arrived yet. We've drawn 6,673 for five games, an average of 1,335 per opening. We're 1,509 fans ahead of last year after five games.

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Former Knights' outfielder Mitch Haniger (2010) of Cal Poly has signed with the Milwaukee Brewers for $1.2 million. He was the 38th overall selection in the 2012 MLB draft.

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Former Knights pitcher Tyler Anderson (2009) of the Asheville Tourists went the distance on Sunday in a 2-0 loss to Lexington to win the Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day award. He allowed two earned runs on five hits, and had one strikeout. Asheville is Colorado's affiliate in the Class A South Atlantic League.

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Some news from around the West Coast League:

BELLINGHAM: Bellingham catcher/outfielder Jarel Lewis of the College of Idaho led the Bells to five wins last week and was named the WCL Co-Player of the Week. Here are the details, from the WCL website.

WENATCHEE: AppleSox pitcher Lawrence Chew was named the WCL Co-Player of the Week. Here are the details, from the Wenatchee website.

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That's all for today. See you at the ballpark tonight, and on Friday!

The Chicken's at Goss Stadium tonight

The Famous San Diego Chicken returns to Goss Stadium for tonight's 6:40 p.m. game with the Walla Walla Sweets. Don't miss the best act in sports, the one and only Chicken.

Tickets are available online, or at the stadium starting at 6 p.m. Reserved seats are $11, GAs are $5, and you can also use your 10-game punchcards, of course.

So we will see you at the stadium. The Chicken is a sports legend, and is not to be missed!

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San Jose catcher Alex Burg, our 2008 MVP, was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs on Thursday in a 6-5 win over Modesto to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors. San Jose is San Francisco's affiliate in the Class A California Leagbue.

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Here's our weeekly roundup of Corvallis Knights in minor-league baseball (all stats through Wednesday's games):

NICK AKINS (2007): The former Vanguard outfielder has been re-assigned to the Ogden Raptors in the Pioneer League. They have not yet started their season.

TYLER ANDERSON (2009): Now with the Asheville Tourists (A, Rockies), the ex-Oregon star is 5-0, 3.32, 25 strikeouts in 40.2 innings. He became the first former Corvallis Knight to be drafted in the first round in 2011.

MATT ANDRIESE (2009): Now with Lake Elsinore (A, Padres) in the California League, the pitcher from UC Riverside is 4-3, 3.39, with 55 strikeouts in 66.1 innings.

CARTER BELL (2009): Now with Visalia (A, Diamondbacks) in the California League, the former Oregon State infielder is hitting .250 (41-164) with one homer and 17 RBIs.

DANIEL BIBONA (2007): Now with the Batavia Muckdogs (A, Cardinals) in the New York/Penn League, the pitcher from UC Irvine is on the 7-day disabled list.

ALEX BURG (2008): Now with San Jose (A, Giants) in the California League, the former Washington State catcher/infielder/outfielder is hitting .204 (20-98) with three four homers and 16 RBIs.

JOHN ESHLEMAN (2008): The San Jacinto JC infielder is on the 7-day disabled list on the double-A Eastern League Richmond Squirrels.

ROCKY GALE (2007, 2009): The former Portland catcher is hitting .167 (6-36) for Lake Elsinore of the Class A California League, with no homers and two RBIs.

DREW GARCIA (2007): Now with Charlotte (AAA, White Sox) in the International League, the former UC Riverside infielder is hitting .194 (21-108), with one homer and 15 RBIs.

SAM GAVIGLIO (2009): Now with Quad City (A, Cardinals) in the Midwest League, is 3-5, 5.03, with 40 strikeouts in 62.2 innings.

DEAN GREEN (2008): Now with West Michigan (A, Tigers) in the Midwest League, the former Oklahoma State/Barry infielder is hitting .306 (67-219), with nine homers and 38 RBIs.

D.J. JOHNSON (2008-09): Recently promoted to Visalia of the Class A California League, the former Mt. Hood/Western Oregon pitcher is 0-0, 4.50, with two strikeouts in two innings.

SCOTT LYMAN (2010): The ex-UC Davis star has been assigned to the Jamestown (N.Y.) Jammers of the Class A short-season New York/Penn League. They have not started their season.

ADAM MELKER (2008-09): Now with Springfield (AA, Cardinals) in the Texas League, the former Cal Poly outfielder is hitting .246 (34-138), with two homers and 11 RBIs.

JIM MURPHY (2007): Now with Clearwater (A, Phillies) in the Florida State League, the former Washington State infielder is hitting .274 (59-215), with six homers and 44 RBIs.

JAMES NYGREN (2009): Now with Greensboro (A, Marlins) in the Florida State League, the ex-Oregon State pitcher is 2-1, 4.50, with 10 saves and 17 strikeouts in 32 innings.

JOSH OSICH (2008): Now with San Jose (A, Giants) in the California League, the ex-Oregon State pitcher is 0-0, 2.53, with a save and 12 strikeouts in 11.2 innings.

GREG PEAVEY (2008): Now with Binghamton (AA, New York Mets) in the Eastern League, the ex-Oregon State pitcher is 3-2, 5.23, with 32 strikeouts in 51.2 innings.

NICK STRUCK (2010): Now with Tennessee (AA, Cubs) in the Southern League, the former Mt. Hood pitcher is 7-6, 4.09, with 62 strikeouts in 77 innings.

ANDREW SUSAC (2009): Now with San Jose (A, Giants) in the California League, the ex-Oregon State catcher is hitting .247 (40-162), with four homers and 23 RBIs.

NOT YET ASSIGNED: OF Dayton Alexander (2011), Feather River CC (Athletics); INF Cody Bartlett (2007), Washington State (Blue Jays); P Michael Blake (2010), Mt. Hood/Hawaii (Diamondbacks).

We had 14 more players with Knights connections drafted this year. So we'll include them in our roundup once they are assigned a team and begin playing.

We do know that:

* Pitcher Kyle Kraus (2009-10) will play at Lowell in the New York/Penn League (A, Red Sox).

* Pitcher Chris Johnson (2011) and infielder Matt Duffy (2010) will play at Salem-Keizer in the Northwest League (A, Giants).

* First baseman Taylor Ard (2009) will play at Everett in the Northwest League (A, Mariners).

* Infielder Thomas McCarthy (2010) will play at Great Falls in the Pioneer League (A, White Sox).

Victoria ... Victoria. Victoria, Toria

Pardon me for channeling my inner Kinks. But the big news about the West Coast League's expansion to that fine Canadian city for the 2013 season has the Knights excited for the immediate and long-term future of our league.

Here are some details, from the Victoria Times Colonist newspaper.

And here's the official announcement, from WCL president Ken Wilson:

"Victoria, British Columbia is officially a member of the West Coast League, to begin play with the 2013 season.

"Our owners are thrilled to have Victoria as the 10th member of our league," said WCL president Ken Wilson. "It's a large, thriving market that has always supported baseball, and we have terrific owners that are excited at the opportunity."

The team will be owned by British Columbia businessmen John McLean and Dwight Willett.

"In choosing a location for our franchise, we were drawn to Victoria for a variety of reasons," said McLean. "An impressive baseball history dating back to 1866, strong grass roots baseball organizations, impressive fan support for past franchises and teams and a high quality ball park made this an easy decision."

Victoria has been home to numerous professional baseball franchises, including a stint as a New York Yankee farm team in the 1940s. The city last had professional baseball in 2010.

"We are thrilled to welcome the West Coast League to Victoria," said Mayor Dean Fortin. "The Capital City welcomes the return of baseball to Royal Athletic Park with open arms and I look forward to great community support for the team."

The team will conduct a name the team contest in the near future.

My suggestion? Well, how about this, from a guy who also suggested the "Sweets" for Walla Walla when that expansion franchise was awarded - the Victoria Ehs? They are Canadian, eh?

Either way, welcome to the league, gentlemen.

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We've got some updates on two of our drafted future/former Knights, and a roster move:

* Westview High School senior Carson Kelly, a projected 2012 Knight and an Oregon signee, has signed with the St. Louis Cardinals. They selected him in the second round of the MLB draft. Here is more on the story from The Oregonian.

* Washington State first baseman Taylor Ard (2009) has signed with the Seattle Mariners. He was a seventh-round draft choice.

* Pitcher Kendall Motes of Mt. Hood CC, a 10-day signee, has been released. He was 0-0, 2.25 in four innings over two appearances. He will now play for the Swift Current, Alberta, Indians in Canada's Western Major Baseball League.

* Outfielder Connor Hofmann of Oregon, pitchers Carlos Rodriguez of Oregon State, Mitch Patito and Trevor Frank of UC Riverside and catcher Nate Esposito of OSU will be on the roster for Friday's series finale against Walla Walla.

* Pitchers Dylan Stuart and Antonio Gonzales of UC Riverside, infielders Chris Rabago of UC Irvine and Greg Mahle of UC Santa Barbara report on Monday, and outfielder Nate Blackham of Washington State goes full-time with the end of his summer school term.

So, we'll finally be at full strength.

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Former Knights pitcher Jimmie Sherfy (2011) of Oregon was named a second-team National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association All-American. Here are the details, from The Oregonian.

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Former Knight James Nygren (2009) of the Greensboro Grasshoppers got his 10th save of the season on Wednesday to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors. Greensboro is Miami's affiliate in the Class A South Atlantic League.

Nygren pitched 3.1 shutout, hitless innings, and had two strikeouts. Greensboro won 14-2, but it was only 4-2 when Nygren entered the game.

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That's all for today. Normally we'd update the stats of our minor leaguers but we've got to get ready for tonight's game, so we'll wait until Friday.

Remember, it's a Block 15 Thursday tonight, and the San Diego Chicken comes to town on Friday. Don't miss what could be the final Corvallis appearance by a sports legend.

Finally, we're playing at home!

We really haven't been on the road that long, it just seems that way when eight of your first 10 games are played away from the friendly confines of Goss Stadium.

Well, that ends tonight. The Knights return home for a three-game series with the Walla Walla Sweets. All three games start at 6:40, and we have something special planned for each night.

* Tonight is Philomath Chamber of Commerce Night. It's also a Seniors Night ($2 GA tickets for our 60-plus fans). Popcorn is only $2. Cal Poly freshman pitcher Bryan Granger makes his Knights' debut tonight as our starter.

* Thursday is our first Block 15 Thursday, presented by KLOO-FM. The popular local brewpub will feature a special brew at a discounted price, and it's also a $1 hot dog night. Knights' veteran Max Beatty of Pacific Lutheran makes his return as a starting pitcher after a battle with cancer this past winter and spring.

* On Friday night, the Famous San Diego Chicken returns for an encore performance. Make sure to see a living sports legend!

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Some news about our minor-league Knights:

* Former Knights first baseman/pitcher D.J. Johnson (2008-09), now a reliever in the Arizona organization, has been promoted to the Class A (advanced) Visalia Rawhide of the California League. He was 2-4, 3.08 with four saves with the South Bend Silver Hawks of the Class A Midwest League. He'll be teammates with ex-Knight Carter Bell (2009) at Visalia.

* The Chicago White Sox have assigned former Knights infielder Thomas McCarthy (2010) of the University of Kentucky to the Great Falls Voyagers of the Class A (rookie) Pioneer League. They drafted him last week.

* The New York Mets have released former Knights' pitcher Dustin Emmons (2009-10). He was 2-0, 3.78 at Kingsport of the Class A (rookie) Appalachian League in 2011 after playing at UC Riverside.

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A quick check of MLB.com shows that two more Knights' alums who were selected in the 2012 draft have signed.

Pitcher Kyle Kraus (2009-10) of Portland has agreed to terms with Boston, and shortstop Matt Duffy (2010) of Long Beach State has signed with San Francisco.

They join the aforementioned McCarthy, pitcher Mark Trentacosta (2011, UC Irvine, St. Louis) and Chris Johnson (2011, Portland, San Francisco) and catcher Ryan Gorton (2011, Oregon State, Oakland) as signees from the latest draft.

Outfielder Mitch Haniger (2010, Cal Poly, Milwaukee), catcher Bo Altobelli (2010, Texas Tech, Minnesota), pitchers Eddie Orozco (2008-09, UC Riverside, Cubs) and Matt Boyd (2010, Oregon State, Cincinnati), and first baseman Taylor Ard (2009, Washington State, Seattle) have not yet signed, according to MLB.com.

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Speaking of Knights' minor leaguers, former Oregon star Tyler Anderson gave up two runs on five hits and had five strikeouts in seven innings for Asheville in a 6-3 win over Greenville to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors.

Asheville is Colorado's affiliate in the Class A South Atlantic League. Anderson became the first Corvallis Knight to be drafted in the first round in 2011.

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Mitch Patito returning for his third year!

It's always nice to come to work the day after we've won a game, and we really needed last night's 5-4 win at Cowlitz after losing three straight at Wenatchee.

Not much on the docket today. We finish up a long, five-game road trip tonight at Cowlitz, and then start a three-game series against Walla Walla at 6:40 p.m. Wednesday at Goss Stadium. It will be nice to be back home again.

And remember, Thursday night is a Block 15 Thursday, with special discounted prices on our Knights Summer Ale, and on Friday night the San Diego Chicken makes a return appearance. So don't miss either night!

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We've got another roster move, one that should be popular with our fans.

UC Riverside pitcher Mitch Patito is returning for a third season. He was 3-4 with a 3.96 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 50 innings as a combo starter/reliever for the Highlanders this spring.

Mitch also played for us in 2010 and 2011, and played well. He was 1-1 with a 3.22 ERA, two saves and 19 strikeouts in 22.1 innings in 15 games last summer, and was 0-0, 1.38 in 2010, with eight saves and 29 strikeouts in 26 innings.

Welcome back, Mitch!

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UC Santa Barbara first baseman/pitcher Greg Mahle, a 2012 Knight who will join us on June 18, was recently named a freshmen All-American by Louisville Slugger Collegiate Baseball, and a second-team freshman All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

Mahle hit .347 (66-190), with 35 RBIs, and was 3-4, 3.88 as a pitcher, with four saves and 45 strikeouts in 46.1 innings.

Congrats to Greg!

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Catcher Andrew Susac of the San Jose Giants was 1-for-4 with an RBI in a 12-8 loss to Inland Empire to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors. The Giants are San Francisco's affiliate in the Class A California League.

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Some news from around the West Coast League:

KELOWNA: Nine players with ties to the Falcons were selected in the recent MLB draft. Here are the details, from the Kelowna website.

WENATCHEE: Thirteen former AppleSox were selected in the recent MLB draft. Here are the details, from the Wenatchee web site. One of those draftees, Ryan Gorton of Oregon State, also played for the Knights in the WCL.

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That's all for today. See you on Wednesday, when we host Walla Walla at 6:40 p.m. And don't forget, tonight's 6:35 game at Cowlitz is on KEJO-AM 1240.