Sunblock Required: Huskies Non-conference September Slate Scheduled for Daytime
Get your sunblock ready.
There will be no Dawgs after dark for the Washington Huskies football team during the first three home games.
The Big Ten announced TV times for the first three weeks of the season, and it includes a few anomalies for UW. First, there are no true night games for the Huskies during the first three weeks, which are all home non-conference games. And with college football starting the regular season a week before the NFL, the season-opening Apple Cup will be played on a Sunday, making it three games in 14 days at Husky Stadium.
M’s Move Within Striking Distance of Division Lead with Win over A’s
Tuesday night was the first time the 2026 Mariners followed up a win of six or more run differential with a win of three or more run differential. Those benchmarks are largely meaningless in and of themselves, but they showed that the team finally managed to string together two largely complete victories, Tuesday’s a solid 4-1 win.
With a lead in hand for nearly the whole contest, the M’s did well to keep the powerful Athletics lineup off the board and away from any sort of comeback; not once after the first did the hosts have the tying run at the plate. But most of all, the team finally showed life against a side of the mound they have been vexed by for a grueling stretch of time.
The Mariners Jump-started their offense against a debutant Sacramento southpaw.
It’s no secret that the Mariners have been horrendous batsmen against left-handers, coming into the game with a .190/.277/.315 slash line against southpaws going into Tuesday’s game. The A’s sought to exploit this fact with quite the bold move: calling up lefty pitching prospect Gage Jump from Triple-A in order to be able to face the M’s on their weaker side.
Analysis: Why Continue Piggyback When Tactic Lacks Intended Benefit?
From the score of the game itself, the Mariners’ performance on Monday against the A’s was as good as they could hope for. Seattle took advantage of some defensive miscues in the top of the third to scratch across a pair of runs before the wheels flew off Sacramento starter Aaron Civale’s bus with two outs and the team wound up with a 6-0 lead before the end of the frame and a 9-2 win by the end of the game.
But that explosion of runs papered over some clear tension as the team continued to use its tactic of piggybacking two of their six starters. To be abundantly clear, the tension itself isn’t the main reason why the idea is flawed - that would be the self-imposed constraints on player usage - but given that it seems to have been adopted in order for such tension to be avoided, the uneasiness was notable and instructive.
Bryce Miller had spun a gem given his pitch limitations on Tuesday, May 19, going 5 ⅔ innings in the first of Seattle’s attempted piggybacked starts. The game fell apart in the ninth as the M’s tried to stretch the piggyback beyond the point where it made sense, but Miller’s performance itself during that game was a good sign.
He's In: Cristian Roldan Makes USMNT Cut Ahead of World Cup
The saga is over.
Cristian Roldan was one of 26 players named to the United States Men's National Team for the June FIFA World Cup after months of speculation on whether the 30-year-old would make the cut. Roldan, who has notched 45 caps with the USMNT, enters the largest sporting event in the world alongside stars like Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie. He's the only Sounder projected to play in this year's World Cup.
Roldan made the cut in Qatar in 2022 as the U.S. finished in the Round of 16, but never got on the pitch. If his form is good enough to get minutes this time around, local fans will get a chance to see him when the U.S. takes on Australia in the group stage on June 19 at Lumen Field (AKA Seattle Stadium for the next month and a half).
The USMNT will take on Senegal on May 31 and Germany on June 6 in friendlies as it ramps up.
With the eye of former skipper Gregg Berhalter in the past, Roldan's versatile skillset in the defending midfield captured the attention of new USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino in recent months as he made practically every camp the team has put on.
Analysis: What to Watch as Seahawks Kick Off OTAs
Taking the next step towards a new season, the Seattle Seahawks will open the final phase of their offseason program with the start of OTAs, partaking in the first open session to media on May 26.
With three open sessions and 10 total practices scheduled in the next two weeks before mandatory minicamp in mid-June, here are five storylines to watch heading into OTAs at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center:
1. Brian Fleury begins his journey as a first-time play caller with massive shoes to fill.
This time last spring, after dismissing Ryan Grubb just one day after missing the playoffs in 2024, the Seahawks handed the keys to their offense to Klint Kubiak, who held previous experience as an NFL play caller with the Vikings and Saints. That courtship ended up being a home run for the franchise and the coach, as Seattle finished in the top five in the league in points scored and set a team record for points scored in a single season. That success ultimately led to Kubiak being hired as the new coach of the Las Vegas Raiders in February, and while nobody could have reasonably expected such a triumphant one-and-done scenario to play out, there were signs that his scheme would bring out the best in quarterback Sam Darnold and company in OTAs.
It’s Time for Dan Wilson, Mariners to End Platoon Obsession
The Seattle Mariners began this season with a clear plan to cycle through several players. A “platoon” in baseball is defined as a “a managerial strategy where two players share a single defensive position, alternating starts based on the handedness of the opposing starting pitcher.”
For example, the Mariners signed Rob Refsnyder this offseason to mash against left-handed pitching. When Seattle faced a right-handed starter, Dominic Canzone and Luke Raley would be in the lineup with Refsnyder on the bench.
But after 55 games, now closer to the halfway point of the season than the season opener, it’s time to ditch this approach.
Washington State Draws Oregon State on Friday to Start NCAA Tournament Play
The NCAA Tournament returns to Eugene this weekend with a regional field that features familiar ex-Pac 12 rivals, a future conference matchup, and two of the Washington State Cougars biggest games in years.
Washington State will open regional play on Friday against Oregon State at PK Park, home of top-seeded Oregon. The Cougars will then continue in the double-elimination regional format against either the Ducks or Yale Bulldogs, depending on the outcome of Friday’s opening games.
The Eugene Regional carries an unusual amount of Pac-12 history. Three schools with previous conference ties are grouped together as college athletics continues to shift through conference realignment. Oregon now competes in the Big Ten after the collapse of the Pac-12, while Oregon State spent the past two baseball seasons competing as an independent before agreeing to officially rejoin the rebuilt Pac-12 next year alongside Washington State. The regional gives the weekend a familiar West Coast feel despite the changing conference landscape.
Hounds Domesticate Seawolves in Chicago with 57-17 Beatdown
With the Seawolves taking on the undefeated Chicago Hounds on Sunday, there were only two ways the game was going to go. Either the Seawolves would hand the best team in the MLR a complete stunner on their own turf, or the Hounds would take care of business in front of their own fans and go to 8-0 on the 10-game season.
The clearly more likely outcome was the one that wound up happening. Although the Seawolves put in admirable effort and relatively limited their mistakes (especially in the first half), the same energy deficit that sunk them quickly at home against the Hounds sunk them on the road against that same team, only a little slower, steadier, and without a red card on Seattle.
When Seattle had the ball, things looked a little bit more even. Progress was slow but clear, but they pushed forward slowly and grinded out the occasional holes. The backfield especially had moments of electricity, while Ezekiel Lindenmuth’s return from red card suspension went well in the front row.
More College Football is Good, So Washington Huskies' Fans Should Be All in on 24-Team Playoff
“Why do you hate football so much?”
I pulled myself away from aiming at the cue ball on a pool table at a long-since-gone sports bar called The Endzone along Highway 99 in Kent, Washington, and looked up to see if the old guy was talking to me.
I say “old,” but back in 1998, he was probably younger than I am now. He wore a Don James-style purple Huskies hat with a yellow “W,” and had the requisite 1990s goatee. He stared at me, awaiting my response. Turns out he’d heard my rant about college football bowl games. My buddies and I were in our mid-20s, back when we knew everything.
“Huh?” I asked.
“You said there are way too many bowl games,” he said. “Why do you hate football so much?”
Gonzaga Joins Staggering Field in Expanding 2026 Players Era Tournament
The Gonzaga Bulldogs will be seeking redemption in the expanded Players Era Tournament. Roster shakeups at Kansas State and high-profile matchups with Baylor, Alabama, and potential rematches with tournament champion Michigan set the stage for an electric preseason showdown in Las Vegas. Emerald City Spectrum reporter Howard Woodard highlights the Zags’ challenging non-conference schedule, featuring dates with Purdue and Duke, and explores how a blend of returning talent and incoming transfers position Gonzaga as a top-10 contender. He examines the Players Era tournament’s new two-week format, bracket predictions, tougher competition, and which matchups could ignite new rivalries.
Sounders Hopes Dashed by Late LAFC Winner Before World Cup Break
It was all going to plan for the Seattle Sounders through eight games.
Sitting at 6-1-1 with the best defense in the league, head coach Brian Schmetzer’s squad looked to insert itself into the top of the Supporters Shield Race with a road game against flailing Sporting Kansas City and a three-match homestand coming.
Instead of thriving on the schedule, Seattle went 1-1-2 heading into a key road date with a struggling LAFC squad (7-5-3), fresh off three losses, on the final Sunday before the June World Cup Break.
Seattle managed to play a scoreless game through 85 minutes, bringing on offensive subs late to try and steal three points. But it was the home team that notched the win, as midfielder Timothy Tillman came out of nowhere late to slam a cross-goal service past Andrew Thomas for the win.
Seattle dropped to 7-3-3 and into sixth place out west with nearly two months to go before its return to play against Portland on July 16.
Washington State Baseball Wins Mountain West, Earns NCAA Tournament Bid
The Washington State Cougars baseball team is officially headed back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010 after defeating San Diego State 14-4 Sunday afternoon to win the Mountain West Championship. The Cougars earned the conference’s automatic bid and completed one of the program’s biggest turnarounds in recent history.
The Cougars entered their winner take all game with a 29-26 overall record and finished second in the Mountain West standings with a 15-9 conference record, trailing only San Diego State in the standings. After finishing 18-36 a season ago, Washington State returned much of the same roster and turned that experience into a postseason run that few expected.
Washington State opened the conference tournament Friday night with a 5-1 win over Air Force to advance to the semifinals. On Saturday, the Cougars faced top-seeded San Diego State and pulled off a 14-9 upset to move into the championship game undefeated.
San Diego State stayed alive later that day by defeating Air Force 11-8 in an elimination game, setting up a rematch with Washington State on Sunday. Because the Cougars had not yet lost in the double-elimination tournament, the Aztecs needed to beat Washington State twice to claim the championship and NCAA Tournament berth.
Instant Takeaways: Storm Trample Mystics in Awa Fam’s Debut
Rookie No. 3 pick Awa Fam made her WNBA debut, and the Seattle Storm carried their momentum from Friday’s win into a 97-85 victory over the Connecticut Sun on Sunday, May 24, at Climate Pledge Arena.
Still without Ezi Magbegor and Dominique Malonga, the Storm finally got the second of their two prized rookie draft pick on the court for the first time. Katie Lou Samuelson also made her season debut, playing her first game for the Storm since 2021.
The final score makes it look closer than it was. This was a game the Storm dominated from the end of the first quarter to the final buzzer, making it by far their best game of the season against a quality opponent.
Kraken the Ice: How Can Seattle Execute ‘Prolific” Offseason?
The Seattle Kraken eye a “prolific offseason" with a new regime in charge after missing the playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons, but will bold words translate to pivotal on-ice upgrades?
On a new Kraken the Ice podcast, Emerald City Spectrum writer Nick Lee breaks down the Kraken’s ambitions, highlighting key offseason tasks like re-signing Bobby McMann and leveraging two first-round draft picks for maximum impact, potentially looking to acquire a proven scoring blue liner via trade. The discussion explores possibilities on defense and offense, including spotlighting prospects such as Chase Reid, Ethan Belchetz, and Dax Rudolph to bolster Seattle’s roster. Can management deliver meaningful roster changes, and will hard decisions - such as potentially moving Shane Wright - help reset the franchise’s direction?
Washington State Lands Pair of Commitments for 2027 Recruiting Class
With the 2026 season still months away, recruiting for the class of 2027 is already beginning to take shape in Pullman. New Washington State Cougars head coach Kirby Moore has wasted little time putting together the foundation of his first full recruiting class, landing five commitments early in the cycle.
Two of those early pledges come from the West Coast, representing important additions on both sides of the ball as Moore looks to establish the future identity of the program heading into a new-look Pac-12 conference.
What stands out about Wazzu’s two most decorated recruits signed so far in the 2027 recruiting cycle?
Mariners Show Mediocre Makeup, Roll Over Dead in 5-0 Defeat to Royals
Friday’s game, a 5-0 loss for the Mariners, was over in the first inning. It didn’t matter how many ostensibly good hitters were in the lineup, and it wouldn’t have mattered if Cal Raleigh had been healthy and swinging. George Kirby got the benefit of the baseball world’s decision in eons past to go with ERA instead of RA/9, therefore getting the quality start. In fairness to him, an error (this time J.P. Crawford quite literally dropping the ball while standing on second base when Cole Young sent him a toss for a force out, rather hilariously charged as a throwing error on Young) directly led to that first inning becoming a three-run frame instead of a one-run frame, but Kirby didn’t do well to avoid contact in those situations, with far too much tilted chucking down the pipe.
Royals starter Stephen Kolek cruised from the first inning to the last, becoming the fourth pitcher league-wide to log a complete game shutout. Simply by throwing strikes and forcing the Mariners to make contact, the hurler broke them down as a light touch breaks a rust-ridden nail. Despite striking out only two batters, the Mariners got just four hits in 32 at-bats. Outside of Luke Raley and Cole Young, they got none. The team barely even looked sharp enough to be in the defending-everything-means-defending-nothing zone of bad hitting; they simply appeared to give up right off the rip.
Perhaps that is a little inaccurate. After all, when Raley and Young knocked a pair of one-out singles in the top of the second, the M’s had the beginnings of some sort of rally. It was quickly snuffed out as Dominic Canzone swung at a changeup in the dirt and grounded into a double play.
No Reason to Worry About Devon Witherspoon’s Future With Seahawks Beyond 2026
Close to two months after the team opted to pick up his fifth-year option, the Seattle Seahawks have yet to ink star cornerback Devon Witherspoon to a lucrative multi-year extension, creating questions about when the two sides will strike a deal as the 2026 season rapidly approaches.
From Seattle’s perspective, not having a new contract in place with the former top-five draft choice isn’t a result of not trying or not being interested in rewarding him with a well-earned raise as one of the highest paid players at his position. As reported by Emerald City Spectrum back in March after the team picked up options for Witherspoon and receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, general manager John Schneider and the front office had already been in extension discussions with representatives for both players prior to that point, agreeing to a record-breaking four-year, $168.6 million deal with the latter on March 23.
Now two months after Smith-Njigba signed the dotted line to become the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL, Witherspoon still does not have a new deal of his own, however. According to Brady Henderson of ESPN, the two sides do not appear to be “close to an agreement” at this point, a revelation that may make a large portion of the fan base feel uneasy about the situation.
It’s possible Witherspoon and his agency made their desires to make him the highest-paid cornerback in football known right out of the gate and unlike with Smith-Njigba, the Seahawks balked at such an investment, instead countering with their perceived contract value for the All-Pro. Drawing such a line in the sand has been known to irk a star player or two over the years and can certainly complicate matters trying to get the two sides back on track towards a new deal.
WATCH: Reign Break Scoreless Streak, Beat Expansion Boston 2-1
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Qasim Ali breaks down a 2-1 win for the Seattle Reign over the Boston Legacy (2-6-3) on Friday night. Seattle improved to 4-4-2 and broke a five-game scoreless streak thanks to goals from Sofia Huerta and Maddie Dahlien, conceding a late stoppage-time goal to spoil a clean-sheet performance.
M’s Take Close, Stable Pitcher’s Duel to Begin Road Trip in Kansas City
The Mariners have seen games take wild courses in Kauffman Stadium over the past few years, but on Friday night, it was remarkably stable. Both teams struggled quite a bit at the plate, leading to a low-scoring pitcher’s duel, but one home run for the visitors led to Seattle taking a 2-0 lead and the M’s bullpen went all according to plan.
Logan Gilbert threw nearly six shutout innings, recovering from his seven-run disaster against the Padres.
The last time Logan Gilbert had gone out to the mound, he had thrown 21 of his 27 first pitches for strikes, yet the San Diego Padres jumped on them for seven runs in total. Gilbert threw 15 of 21 first pitches for strikes on Friday, yet he kept the opposing Royals scoreless.
Talking with the media before the game, manager Dan Wilson downplayed concerns that the Mariners’ strike-throwing had allowed hitters to sit on and ambush early strikes.
“We do attack the zone, we do want to get ahead, and I think it’s a different at-bat when you do,” Wilson said before Friday’s game. “I think the good always outweighs the bad when it comes to that.”
Of course, the devil is in the details. Looking at a map of these first pitches, with those against San Diego on the left and those against Kansas City on the right, there are a couple things that are clear.
Gonzaga Baseball Loses Twice in Scottsdale, Eliminated From WCC Tournament
Despite cruising through the regular season conference slate by winning 22 of 27 games, Gonzaga baseball (35-19) sputtered during the WCC tournament in Scottsdale, falling twice in the double-elimination style bracket.
First punched in the mouth by Saint Mary’s, the Zags were defeated 13-4 on Thursday, but still had the security blanket of playing another game. But instead of taking advantage of its position as the No. 1 seed, GU lost again on Friday, unable to complete a comeback against San Francisco after falling behind early. Each of the team’s two first-team All-WCC starters didn’t provide the outings they’ve grown accustomed to logging, while the offense also lacked juice and cohesion, specifically in the power department.
The ramifications of the Bulldogs’ early departure from the conference tournament are severe: even as a top-50 team in the country per RPI heading into the postseason, the WCC was a one-bid league more likely than not. By not winning a game in Arizona, the Zags might’ve played themselves out of any shot at an at-large bid, which would mean their season is already over.
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