Inside The Numbers: Why Cougars Faltered to Disappointing 12-20 Season
The Washington State Cougars’ 2025-26 season came to an ugly end Friday night with a 74-68 loss to the Portland Pilots in Las Vegas, finishing the year at 12–20 overall and going one-and-done in the WCC Tournament.
The Cougars had won the first two matchups against the Pilots earlier in the year, but were unable to complete the season sweep when it mattered most. The loss capped off what was ultimately a disappointing campaign for Washington State, which followed a familiar pattern from the previous season: a promising start that slowly unraveled during the second half of the year.
Down the stretch, the Cougars struggled mightily. They finished just 4–11 in their final 15 games and went only 1–8 in there last nine in WCC play. It was the program’s first sub-.500 finish since the final season under former head coach Ernie Kent, when Washington State went 11–21 overall in 2018-19.
Gonzaga Baseball Falls Just Short in Series to Creighton, Drops to 4-9
In an extremely close series, Gonzaga baseball (4-9) found itself on the wrong end in two out of three one-run contests in Omaha. Taking on Creighton (5-7), rain pushed the Bulldogs into playing three games in a little over 24 hours. And although the Zags staged one comeback during the set, they couldn’t complete another in the rubber match, resulting in their fourth consecutive series loss to open the season.
A new face joined GU’s rotation and turned in the team’s best outing from a starter over the weekend, while a certain freshman phenom continued to make headlines. But on the other end, Gonzaga’s offense continued to struggle to string hits together more than once during a game, ultimately not being able to flip enough slim deficits around to steal the series.
What transpired in yet another losing weekend for the Zags?
Analysis: Predicting How Seahawks’ 2026 Free Agency Period Will Unfold
Beginning their title defense a little over a month after capturing the Super Bowl LX crown, the Seattle Seahawks will have no shortage of challenging decisions to make with the start of a new league year on March 11 and other teams looking to steal several marquee players from their roster in free agency.
Will general manager John Schneider be able to keep most of Seattle’s big name free agents and run it back in 2026? Or will Ken Walker III, Rashid Shaheed, and others bolt with more lucrative opportunities elsewhere? And could a few big splashes be on tap supplementing the roster without outside free agents?
Redhawks Blow Chances Late, Fall to Tigers 61-58 in WCC Tournament
Seattle U had three looks late to tie their third round battle against Pacific on Saturday night. A missed Will Heimbrodt layup, missed Brayden Maldonado layup, and a missed Maldonado three will all continue to play in the Redhawks heads as they head back home following a 61-58 loss at Orleans Arena that ended their season earlier than hoped.
In the first half, Seattle looked like it was in the driver’s seat. Junseok Yeo led the Redhawks with nine first half points, but in his matchup with Pacific’s Elias Ralph, he picked up his second foul, forcing head coach Chris Victor to take him out with about five minutes left before halftime. After Yeo’s substitution, the Tigers stormed back. They closed out the half on a 16-1 run, fueled by six Seattle turnovers.
As a result, Seattle trailed 32-29 at halftime after leading for much of the half, but Victor’s squad kept the game within at least two possessions until the six-minute mark. The Tigers strung together a 10-0 run off the back of three Seattle turnovers to push the lead to 53-43. This sequence of miscues dug a hole that proved to be too big for the Redhawks to climb out of, though they certainly made a valiant effort to do so in the closing minutes.
10 Over/Under Predictions for the Seattle Mariners in 2026
The Seattle Mariners are set to begin one of the most anticipated seasons in franchise history. After getting closer to the World Series than ever before, Seattle has some serious momentum heading in 2026.
With that, let’s set the table for the 2026 MLB season with 10 Mariners-themed “over/under” scenarios and dive into whether or not the M’s will hit the over.
Huskies Men’s Basketball Erases 21-Point Deficit, Still Falls to Oregon in Regular Season Finale
Hannes Steinbach’s 20-point double-double in the second half alone helped erase a 21-point Oregon lead, but the Ducks’ late-game heroics sealed the Huskies’ fate in an 85-79 loss in the final game of the regular season on Saturday, March 7, at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene.
The defeat sealed UW men’s basketball’s fate as the No. 12 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, setting them up for a game against No. 13 USC in the third round on Wednesday, March 11.
UW finished the regular season 15-16 overall (7-13 B10). The Huskies have shown their potential at times throughout the campaign, but have consistently fallen short of their ceiling amid injuries and defensive lapses.
Sounders Earn Second Clean Sheet, Notch Road Win over St. Louis
A night full of pressing left both sides tired, but the Seattle Sounders prevailed 1-0 over host St. Louis City on Saturday night thanks to an early second-half goal from Kalani Kossa-Rienzi. It was the first road win of the season for the Sounders (2-1-0 W-L-D), who warded off plenty of late chances from City (0-2-1) in front of a rowdy home crowd at Energizer Park.
Keeper Andrew Thomas earned that clean sheet, picking up five saves while Sounders defenders escorted five shots away on their own. Paul Arriola got his first extended run of the season, while veteran defensive pieces like Cristian Roldan and Jackson Ragen shined to hold St. Louis to a goose egg.
While points on the road are something to celebrate, as the Sounders check off game two of five consecutive MLS fixtures on the road while Lumen Field undergoes World Cup alterations, it wasn't all good.
Free Agent Primer: Will Josh Jobe’s Storybook Ascent Continue With Seahawks?
With a new league year slated to kick off on March 11, the Seahawks have nine unrestricted free agents scheduled to test the market along with seven restricted free agents and two exclusive rights free agents. Compared to prior seasons, general manager John Schneider has more financial flexibility at his disposal with OverTheCap.com listing the franchise as sixth in available effective cap space ($62 million), but with several big name stars in line for extensions such as All-Pro receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the team won’t be able to keep everyone after running the table to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.
Over the next several weeks, using statistics courtesy of Pro Football Focus and TruMedia, I will break down each and every one of the Seahawks' unrestricted free agents by revisiting their 2025 seasons, assessing why they should or should not be re-signed, breaking down an ideal contract, and making an early prediction on whether or not the player will return in 2026.
After reviving his career in the Emerald City as a waiver wire claim two years ago, does Josh Jobe’s future remain as a starter in the Seahawks’ secondary? Or will he cash in on his unexpected success to earn a massive contract elsewhere?
Redhawks Squeak Out Defensive Slugfest, Edge Toreros in WCC Tournament
In March postseason basketball, offenses tend to slow down. A heavier emphasis is put on guys stepping up running half court offense and games come down to who can play better in crunch time. The Seattle U Redhawks needed both of those factors to go their way as they squeaked out a 58-56 win over the University of San Diego Friday night at the Orleans Arena in the second round of the WCC tournament.
Seattle led by the eventual final score with 1:43 left to play, and its defense hunkered down. The Toreros came up empty handed on their last three possessions, failing to capitalize on chances to knot it up or take a late lead. Their final possession came off a missed layup from Seattle’s Will Heimbrodt with 11 seconds left. On the other end, San Diego missed a potential walk off three and missed the game tying layup off an offensive rebound, allowing the Redhawks to breathe a sigh of relief as their season stayed alive.
Seattle’s effort late came off the back of a veteran who has been a closer for the team over the past month in guard Jojo Murphy. Murphy delivered off the bench with 12 points, five assists, four rebounds and two steals, both of which led to fastbreak layups. Whether it's starting in place of Brayden Maldonado, starting alongside him, or coming off the bench, his effort has been something head coach Chris Victor can always depend on.
Analysis: Do Mariners Actually Have Something Real in Brennen Davis?
SURPRISE, Ariz. - The prospect trajectories of Brennen Davis and Jack Leiter are like a lenticular print. From one angle, they seem like they could not be any more different, but from the other, they have quite a few similarities. On the one hand, they both peaked in prospect rankings in 2022, when they each got the coveted number one spot in their respective organizations from Baseball America - and their stock fell in future years. But on the other, Davis has never seen a single pitch in the big leagues, while Leiter weathered a rough couple of outings in 2024 to come back for a full rookie year in 2025 when he pitched to a 3.86 ERA and 4.15 FIP in 151 ⅔ innings, finishing seventh in rookie of the year voting.
You wouldn’t know it from the way Davis took Leiter to town on Friday. The long-beleaguered outfielder saw a belt-high fastball over the inside part of the plate in the fourth inning of the Mariners’ game against the Rangers and sent a 437-foot missile to left center. The M’s went on to break a six-game Spring Training skid that had seen the team score 40 less runs than their opponents with a 5-1 victory. It was Davis’ third homer of the spring and brought his Cactus League batting average to .476. Is this for real?
WSU Men’s Basketball Eliminated By Portland in WCC Second Round
The No. 8-seeded Washington State Cougars men’s basketball team went one-and-done in the West Coast Conference Tournament following a 74-68 loss to No. 9 Portland in the second round on Friday, March 6, at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.
Following a first-round bye, the Cougars appeared to lack confidence on offense in a season-ending defeat against a frisky Pilots group. Portland took away WSU’s 3-point bread and butter, and the Cougars looked lost offensively.
Huskies to Host Slew of Recruits at Weekend Junior Day Event
Signing day for the high school Class of 2027 remains nine months away, but “Dawghouse Weekend” at the University of Washington on March 7-8 will shape much of Jedd Fisch’s next set of Huskies.
The Junior Day event is expected to be attended by approximately 30 recruits, who will spend the weekend learning all they can about the university, the football program and its coaches. Fisch and his staff put together the highest-ranked class in modern UW football history (13th) for 2026, and several of the blue-chip athletes from that class attended the 2025 event.
Analysis: Breaking Down Where Newly Acquired Bobby McMann Fits with Kraken
Buzzer beaters are certainly more common in basketball than hockey. However, for Seattle Kraken general manager Jason Botterill, he sank one before the proverbial buzzer of the NHL trade deadline, which was at 12 PM PT on Friday.
The shot that sank through the net came after a very quiet deadline day on the trade front in Seattle otherwise, though news broke that the franchise had extended captain Jordan Eberle on Friday morning.
Pulling the trigger shortly before the deadline came and went, Botterill and company swung a deal for Bobby McMann of the Toronto Maple Leafs, who was acquired by Seattle for a 2027 second-rounder and 2026 fourth-round draft pick. They acquired him without parting with any of their three picks in the top 46 of the 2026 NHL Draft.
Could Seahawks Court Soon-To-Be Free Agent Rashan Gary?
Days before the excitement of free agency starts with the ushering of a new league year and teams throwing around Monopoly money, there’s a somber reality for many NFL players who find themselves on the other side of the business coin.
In order for teams to be able to make those signings of fancy new toys off the free agent scrap heap, they need cap space. To make it happen, it becomes pink slip season in early March as many veterans receive their walking papers, jettisoned as a necessary means to flip financial assets elsewhere.
Amid that madness, sometimes, players can jump the gun looking to get a head start in pursuit of their next employment opportunity. And it appears that was the case for Packers defensive end Rashan Gary, who announced his departure from the team on Instagram on Friday morning before quickly deleting the post with numerous reporters indicating that his account had been hacked and that he had not been released by Green Bay at this time.
Kraken GM Jason Botterill Breaks Down McMann Acquisition, State of Team After Trade Deadline
Striking at close to midnight - at least proverbially - the Seattle Kraken acquired Bobby McMann from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2026 fourth-round pick right before the NHL Trade Deadline on Friday.
McMann, 29, is a forward on the final season of a two-year contract with a $1.35 million AAV. He has 19 goals and 32 points through 60 games this season, which ranks second-most on Seattle behind captain Jordan Eberle (42 points).
Of course, that production came with superstar Auston Matthews at center. According to Natural Stat Trick, McMann had 238:09 of 5-on-5 ice time on a line with Matthews and Max Domi, the most of any single line combination in Toronto this season.
Jordan Eberle Signs Two-Year Extension With Kraken
The captain is staying aboard.
Just a couple of hours before the NHL Trade Deadline on Friday, the Seattle Kraken agreed to re-sign Jordan Eberle to a two-year, $11 million extension, locking him up through the 2027-28 season.
Free Agent Primer: Do Seahawks Plan to Re-Up Boye Mafe as Part of Pass Rush Rotation?
With a new league year slated to kick off on March 11, the Seahawks have nine unrestricted free agents scheduled to test the market along with seven restricted free agents and two exclusive rights free agents. Compared to prior seasons, general manager John Schneider has more financial flexibility at his disposal with OverTheCap.com listing the franchise as sixth in available effective cap space ($62 million), but with several big name stars in line for extensions such as All-Pro receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the team won’t be able to keep everyone after running the table to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.
Over the next several weeks, using statistics courtesy of Pro Football Focus and TruMedia, I will break down each and every one of the Seahawks' unrestricted free agents by revisiting their 2025 seasons, assessing why they should or should not be re-signed, breaking down an ideal contract, and making an early prediction on whether or not the player will return in 2026.
A quality rotational piece for Seattle’s offensive line during four seasons with the franchise, will the front office further invest in Boye Mafe with eyes towards a more productive future? Or will they allow another team to make that financial commitment?
Seahawks Reward Drake Thomas With New Two-Year Deal
Making their first signing to retain one of their own free agents before the start of the new league year next week, Drake Thomas looks to be part of the Seattle Seahawks long-term plans.
Per a team source, the Seahawks have agreed to terms with Thomas on a new two-year deal, locking up the restricted free agent through the 2027 season. The contract, which was negotiated by agent Jay Courie of MGC Sports, features $8 million in base salary with incentives that could push the value to $9 million. The average of $4 million per year comes in at less than a second-round restricted free agent tender, which would have cost the team north of $5 million for 2026.
Kraken Choosing to Sit Idle at NHL Trade Deadline Would Be Massive Blunder
The Seattle Kraken are clinging to a playoff spot. At 29-23-9 (67 points), Seattle owns the last Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. The San Jose Sharks sit at 64 points as their closest competitor behind them in the Wild Card.
The Pacific Division is also not a foregone conclusion. Seattle is just one point behind the third place Edmonton Oilers for that final playoff spot among division leaders.
Seattle’s playoff odds currently sit at 62.7%. Needless to say, the Kraken are smack in contention. There is no reason to think this team can compete for a playoff spot down the stretch. They need to make the necessary moves to get it done.
Huskies Beat USC 91-72 Behind Hannes Steinbach’s Historic Night
It’s been an inconsistent season for the Washington men’s basketball team, but the one thing the Huskies can generally count on his a Hannes Steinbach double-double.
The UW frosh phenom recorded his 19th game of double figures in both points and rebounds during Wednesday’s 91-72 win over USC, surpassing Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger for the most by a Big Ten freshman since the 1996-97 season.
It took Steinbach less than 16 minutes to get there against the Trojans, but there were more records to break for the 6-11 forward from Germany, who finished with 22 points. His 24 rebounds established a new modern-day record (since 1977).
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