Mariners Drop Saturday Spring Game 10-5; Hancock Appears Solid in Start
The beating Arizona sun took quite its share of victims for the second day in a row as the San Francisco Giants made the trip over from Scottsdale to Peoria for some Cactus League action against the Seattle Mariners. Chief among those victims this time was Emerson Hancock’s Spring Training ERA as the M’s let a five-run lead become a five-run loss.
But since the score doesn’t matter in February, let’s take a look at some of the few things that might give us the faintest echo of an idea for how the Mariners look going into 2026.
Emerson Hancock shows some life in his first outing of the spring.
Seattle’s pitching lab has seen a lot of success in recent years, with Bryan Woo, Logan Gilbert, and George Kirby turning into key pieces of the Mariners’ arsenal. But so far, that success has not been flowing in Emerson Hancock’s direction. Hancock, who has a career 4.81 ERA, 5.23 FIP, and 1.359 WHIP across 37 appearances (31 starts), enters 2026 with one more shot to become a major league starter.
Huskies Men’s Basketball Can’t Close Out Terrapins On the Road
The Washington Huskies men’s basketball team missed a trio of opportunities to tie or win the game before Maryland’s Andre Mills threw down an alley-oop dagger in a 64-60 loss on Saturday, Feb. 21, at the Xfinity Center.
UW (13-14, 5-11 Big Ten) ended up on the wrong side of a nail-biter, as its struggling defense rose to the surface as a critical issue once again. Maryland (11-16, 4-12 Big Ten) continued its recent success, winning three out of its last five games.
Baseball’s Back: Five Notes from Mariners’ First Spring Training Action of 2026
With blue skies above and many excited fans all around in that picturesque Cactus League ballpark, the Seattle Mariners played their first game of 2026 Spring Training on Friday, Feb. 20. The first day of spring is perhaps the most hopeful time for all 30 teams in any given year, with a nearly clean slate injury-wise and the first harsh reality checks of the regular season still a month and change away.
A quite packed house of 9,956 spectators dotted the Peoria Sports Complex to see the Mariners and Padres both take to their home Spring ball yard. They saw prospects go up against powerhouses in exciting duels and yet also witnessed players trip over each other, lose cans of corn in the sun, and make Little League errors in base coverage. No one got hurt and the game doesn’t count, so both sides came away with a smile in a 7-4 win for Seattle. But what does the first preseason action of 2026 tell us about how things might go when real chips are down for the Mariners?
Michael Arroyo put on a good display at the dish, with a homer and double to power early Seattle production.
Seattle’s system has a fair amount of top-end hitting prospects, and although Colt Emerson and Lazaro Montes headline the system, the crown in Peoria bore witness to another of Seattle’s guys in the farm system. Michael Arroyo, who struggled a bit with his power after his promotion to Double-A in 2025 with a .255/.376/.341 slash line (though this was still a 121 OPS+ where 100 is league average) - and yet decreased his strikeout rate against better pitchers - went into Spring with the chance to show what exactly the Mariners have with him.
Gonzaga WBB Smashes Washington State 75-50 to Remain Atop WCC Standings
Needing to keep pace with the other handful of teams bunched at the peak of the WCC, Gonzaga women’s basketball (20-8, 12-3) took care of business at home Thursday night, dismantling Washington State (5-22, 4-10) by a score of 75-50 to holds its first-place spot with three games remaining in the regular season.
Considering the Bulldogs beat the Cougs by six points the last time these teams squared off three weeks ago, GU certainly brought the correct adjustments and mindset for such a lopsided victory this time around, especially coming off the team’s tough loss on Saturday to LMU that had significant implications on conference seeding. The Zags played a brand of basketball that they intend to continue to build on with the postseason on the horizon — physicality on defense and limiting turnovers.
Gonzaga Bulldozes San Francisco 80-59 at Chase Center
Mark Few’s message to his team all season long has been that ‘every dog will have its day’. When Braden Huff, Gonzaga’s star forward, was sidelined in the middle of January with a left knee injury, the significance of that motto increased substantially. Huff’s running mate in the frontcourt, Graham Ike, was expected to and has held things down from a production standpoint.
But for a period, the Bulldogs struggled to find consistent offense from those alongside Ike with Huff on the bench, lacking the balance needed to truly threaten teams in the half-court.
Now continuing to build off strong performances, the Zags (26-2, 14-1) are getting welcome contributions from several members on the roster game-over-game, most recently disposing of San Francisco (15-14, 7-9) 80-59 to extend their winning streak to four. Even with Ike scoring 22, his eighth straight game of eclipsing 20 points, punishing the Dons who dared him to knock down open mid-range jumpers – and he obliged – the story was about those around him, who provided enough to leave the Chase Center with a blowout victory.
Multiple Redhawks Step Up Off Bench in 60-50 Win Over Beavers
Midway through the first half, the Seattle U Redhawks leading scorer, Brayden Maldonado, exited to the locker room with a lower body injury. Typically, this would spell doom for a mid-major college basketball program, especially one that has struggled as much as Chris Victor’s team has on the offensive side of the court all season long.
But despite the devastating loss for Seattle with Maldonado unable to return to play, it was all hands-on deck for John Christofilis and the Redhawks as they managed to fill that void with 37 points off the bench and come away with the 60-50 win over Oregon State on Sunday night at the Redhawk Center.
Gonzaga Baseball Drops Three of Four in Season Opening Series to Hawai’i
The first games of a baseball season bring anticipation and excitement, but after Gonzaga baseball (1-3) lost three of four games to Hawai’i to open the 2025-26 campaign, the feeling that sets in is frustration.
Even with the Bulldogs’ offense falling dormant for a lot of the set while posting inopportune defense more than they’d like, there was still a chance to flip the result of their time in Mānoa, with two of the games going to extra innings before having a one-run lead entering the ninth of the final contest. Pitching was the highlight of the weekend for the Zags, but the unit dropped the ball late on Monday with a chance to escape the Aloha State with a series split, putting a damper on mostly heroic efforts from the staff to begin the season.
‘Took a Village’: Gonzaga Beats Santa Clara 94-86 to Reclaim First Place in WCC
Things haven’t been as smooth offensively for the Gonzaga Bulldogs (25-2, 13-1) since Braden Huff went down with a knee injury a month ago. The operation has gone stagnant more frequently, which has led to declining defensive play, fewer of the team’s three-point attempts have been falling, and outside of the Zags’ leading scorer, Graham Ike, there has been a lack of consistent production from everyone else. The overall drop-off has led to much tighter wins, not including a devastating loss to Portland last Thursday.
But in GU’s biggest game of the season on the road against Santa Clara (22-6, 13-2), several members of the supporting cast stepped up to the challenge to overcome the Broncos 94-86, snapping their nine-game winning streak and handing them their first home loss of the season to reclaim first place in the WCC.
Gonzaga WBB Takes Down San Diego 66-56, Wins Fifth Straight Game
For not being a particularly stellar defensive team, Gonzaga women’s basketball (19-7, 11-2) is sure in a groove with its back to the basket. After surrendering only 37 and 44 points, respectively, in their previous two games, the Bulldogs captured their fifth straight win by a score of 66-56 over the San Diego Toreros (9-18, 3-11), continuing a run of strong performances defensively.
GU head coach Lisa Fortier has found a formula with her deep rotations, as even if all 11 or 12 players she is checking in aren’t getting substantial minutes, the starters and the first couple off the bench can remain fresh over the course of games. Roles are setting in for each Bulldog to contribute situationally, and it might be the best way to get the most out of this group on the defensive end.
Redhawks’ Explosive Second Half Offense Outpaced by Broncos in 84-72 Defeat
Following a loss Saturday night loss to the Portland Pilots where they scored just 53 points, the Seattle U Redhawks couldn’t afford another sluggish offensive performance going up against the high-powered Santa Clara Broncos, and they heeded the call with one of their best offensive games of the season.
But despite 20 minutes of some of their best offense in the second half, the Redhawks still fell to the Broncos 84-72 Wednesday night at the Leavey Center, continuing to slump in WCC play.
Huskies Humiliated at Hec Ed by Penn State in 63-60 Loss
RIP, University of Washington men’s basketball tournament hopes.
November 3, 2025 - February 11, 2026.
The Huskies’ Big Dance dreams spent the last few weeks on life support. Though there’s still the option of winning the Big Ten tournament to steal an automatic bid, that seems less likely than the New England Patriots rebounding from a 29-7 Super Bowl deficit with 4 minutes remaining against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX.
One may not know for certain it’s over, while being pretty darned sure it is.
Washington State Gets Blown Out By Gonzaga, Loses 83-53 in WCC Rematch
In a game that was never truly competitive, the Washington State Cougars landed on the wrong side of an ugly blowout to the Gonzaga Bulldogs, losing 83-53 on the road.
Coming into the matchup, it was clear the underdog Cougars would need to play a complete 40 minutes to have a chance against the Bulldogs on the road. Instead, it turned into one of their worst performances of the season against the wrong opponent.
From the opening tip, Gonzaga controlled the tempo and exposed Washington State on both ends of the floor. Offensively, the Cougars struggled to find any rhythm. Their shooting was poor, and didn’t generate many high quality shots. Several early turnovers led directly to Gonzaga baskets, allowing the Bulldogs to build momentum quickly.
No. 12 Gonzaga Thrashes Washington State 83-53, Sets Up Crucial Santa Clara Matchup
A day after sliding six spots in the AP Poll, No. 12 Gonzaga played its best basketball in what felt like ages, dominating Washington State at the McCarthey Athletic Center Tuesday night by a score of 83-53. It was as well-rounded a game as GU has put together in several weeks, evidenced by its largest margin of victory since January 21 versus Pepperdine, and the team’s third-biggest win in conference play.
The Bulldogs have a big-time game on the horizon, heading down to Santa Clara to take on the Broncos with a chance to reclaim sole possession of first place in the WCC this Saturday, and after a brutal road loss last week to Portland, the Zags notched a large win on their home floor before the biggest game of the season.
‘Battle Tested’ Seahawks Suffocate Patriots, Cement Place as All-Time Great Defense in Super Bowl Win
Approaching kickoff for Super Bowl LX, there wasn’t cloud in the sky as temperatures hovered around the low 70s, presenting idealistic conditions for the ultimate event in sports.
But then, the Seattle Seahawks’ “Darkside” defense took the field, bringing with them a violent storm that the New England Patriots simply weren’t prepared for and couldn’t weather.
It started with a flash in the form of a Derick Hall sack on the opening series, forcing a punt, followed by thunder as Devon Witherspoon came in unabated to hit Drake Maye and coax an ugly throwaway downfield, again forcing a punt. Lightning struck on the next possession as the cornerback got home this time with teammate Nick Emmanwori also collapsing the pocket, corralling the quarterback after shooting the B-gap untouched for a 10-yard sack that led to a third consecutive punt.
Rapid Reaction: Seahawks ‘Darkside’ Defense Handcuffs Patriots in 29-13 Super Bowl LX Victory
Orchestrating one of the most dominant defensive performances in Super Bowl history, the Seattle Seahawks forced eight punts on their first nine defensive series, locking down the New England Patriots in historic fashion to secure a 29-13 victory and bring the second Lombardi Trophy to the Pacific Northwest.
Overcoming an uncharacteristically inaccurate performance from Sam Darnold, the Seahawks found more than enough offense behind AJ Barner’s 16-yard touchdown catch off a turnover, Ken Walker III’s 135 rushing yards, and five field goals from kicker Jason Myers. A suffocating defensive effort by coach Mike Macdonald’s squad bottled up and frazzled Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, with outside linebacker Derick Hall leading the charge sacking him twice and forcing a fumble that defensive tackle Byron Murphy II recovered in New England territory and Uchenna Nwosu returning an interception for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to start the celebration.
Halftime Observations: Defenses Dominate as Seahawks Lead Patriots 9-0 in Super Bowl LX
With the Lombardi Trophy hanging in the balance, points will apparently be at a premium in Super Bowl LX as the Seattle Seahawks went into halftime nursing a slim 9-0 lead over the New England Patriots behind three Jason Myers field goals and a stingy, suffocating defensive effort.
What stood out from the first two quarters at Levis Stadium?
1. Ken Walker III runs like a Lamborghini on the Levis grass, but the Seahawks can’t get the car into the garage.
Playing in what could be his final game in a Seahawks uniform as free agency approaches next month, a motivated Walker revved up his engine and turned on the accelerators early and often, regularly leaving Patriots defenders in his wake after smooth, explosive cuts and filthy jump cut moves. On the first play from scrimmage, he bounced an inside zone run out wide to the perimeter, out-running multiple defenders towards the sideline before cutting upfield for a 10-yard gain to move the chains, helping start off a successful opening series that ended with Myers’ first field goal from 33 yards out.
Redhawks Drop 54-53 Contest in Sloppy Slugfest vs. Pilots
As the Seattle U Redhawks battled the Portland Pilots on the road on Saturday night at the Chiles Center, neither team played their best basketball with plenty of mistakes made by each team on both sides of the floor. But it was a key Redhawk mistake that ultimately cost them their eighth loss of conference play.
The Pilots, fresh off of an upset win against Gonzaga, trailed 29-17 to Seattle U after 20 minutes in a poor performance in front of the home crowd. In the locker room, Portland head coach Shantay Legans urged his team to play with more effort. Responding favorably to the halftime pep talk, the Pilots fought back and made it a one possession game late in the second half. While the Redhawks had seen their advantage dwindle to a single point, they still led 53-52 with 35 seconds, presenting an opportunity to steal victory from the jaws of defeat.
But as has been the case too often as of late, it wasn’t meant to be in the City of Roses.
Graham Ike Ties Career High in Corvallis, Gonzaga Rebounds With 81-61 Win Over Oregon State
After the Gonzaga Bulldogs fell to the Portland Pilots 87-80 on Wednesday night, Gonzaga Bulldogs star forward Graham Ike guaranteed that what happened in the program’s worst loss in recent memory wouldn’t happen again.
The 6-9 redshirt senior’s statement was in regards to the team’s effort defensively three nights ago, but it could be applied to a couple of other things as well. Losing to the third-worst team in the WCC could be one of them. Falling to Oregon State on the road like the Bulldogs did last season in overtime could be another.
Well, neither of those things occurred on Saturday as GU (23-2, 11-1) put together a 20-point win over Oregon State (13-13, 6-7).
Gonzaga WBB Dismantles Oregon State at Home in Statement 67-37 Win
Two weeks ago, Gonzaga women’s basketball (17-7, 9-2) lost a narrow overtime battle to Oregon State on the road, falling to one of the newest programs added to the WCC for the third time in four games. In these matchups, the victorious team had not won by more than five points and two of the contests went to overtime.
Safely put, these two programs displayed they are about as close to each other as can be. Or at least they have been.
Second Half Struggles Doom Washington State Cougars in Loss to Oregon State
Letting a double-digit lead slip away in a disastrous final 20 minutes in Corvallis, the Cougars missed out on an excellent opportunity to make up ground in the WCC standings.
ALL SEATTLE SPORTS, ALL THE TIME
Explore our latest Seattle sports content by clicking on your favorite team(s) below!
