After winning the 4A State Baseball Championship in 2010, the Kentwood Conquerors did not have similar success in 2011, losing in the de facto quarterfinals against Redmond. But, this team has rebounded in a big way this season, and is poised to make another run at the state title in late May.

The Conquerors are undefeated to this point on the year, holding a record of 18-0, including a 6-0 win over West Seattle on Saturday at Safeco Field. Kentwood has blitzed their oppponents in SPSL 4A thus far, and with just one game remaining tomorrow against Jefferson, the team appears to be firing on all cylinders heading into the postseason.

On the season, the Conks have been led by brothers Cash and Reese McGuire, who have combined to lead the team in nearly every offensive category. Coming into the West Seattle game, Cash McGuire had a .469 BA to lead the team, while his brother Reese led with 4 HR. 

                                                                      Photo Credit: Brian Kersey/Associated Press

A win is a win regardless of how pretty it looks.  In Seattle’s 100^th MLS match, victory was the result, but the match was far from any definition of pretty.  The Sounders fought and battled against an aggressive Chicago side but were able to return to Seattle with three points.

Seattle drew first blood when forward Eddie Johnson cut back the ball for David Estrada whose shot deflected off of a Fire defender to give the Sounders the lead in the 39^th minute.  Although the goal was originally attributed to Estrada it was later registered as a Chicago own goal.  Seattle went to the locker room with a 1-0 lead.

The second half proved to be a continuation of very equal play between both sides.  The match grew physical with several players exchanging words.  Chicago appeared to have found an equalizer in the 61^st minute but the goal was waved off due to several Fire players being in off-sides positions and Seattle maintained the lead.  In the 67^th minute Eddie Johnson increased the Sounders’ lead by redirecting a short shot from Jon Kennedy Hurado into the goal.  This was Johnson’s first MLS goal for the Sounders.  The Fire made the game 2-1 as they found a late goal through Pappa who curled in a corner kick into Gspurning’s far post.  The match ended with a Sounders victory after a suspiciously long five minute stoppage period.  The Sounders now return to Seattle with a 4-1-1 record.

                                                                               Photo Credit: Calder Productions

Coming into this game Puyallup (17-2) was ranked 4^th in state for 4A, while Mount Si (14-3) was ranked 4^th for 3A. Both teams are easy contenders for their respective state titles in Pasco in late May.

This game turned out to be a pitchers duel, as Mt. Si pulled out a 2-1 victory. Mt Si's Connor Swift and Puyallup's Ryan Harris each pitched fantastic games. Both only allowed one run. Harris gave up a run in the 2nd inning, when Mt. Si. shortstop Ryan Atkinson hit a single down the left field line to score Trevor Taylor. Puyallup’s only run of the game came in the 2nd as well, when Brendan Illies hit a single and drove in teammate Evan Peterson. The Wildcats like to run when given the opportunity to advance runners into scoring position. The Wildcats were 4 of 5 in stolen bases yesterday and left a lot of runners on base as well.

                                                                         Photo Credit: Otto Gruele Jr./Getty Images

Time: Saturday, 5:30 PM

TV: KONG 6/16

Two weeks of needed rest and the Sounders are back at it. After a plethora of injuries began to pile up threatening the Sounders’ midfield and their ability to score, Sounders’ faithful began to worry about what was happening to the team. This week the Sounders welcome back many off of the DL as they travel to Chicago to play their 100^th regular season game against the Chicago Fire.

It seems perfect that the Sounders are facing the Chicago Fire in their 100^th regular season game as the Fire were the first expansion team to set the bar in the MLS. Through the first 100 games for Chicago they accumulated 174 total points while the Sounders have accumulated 169 through 99 games. Chicago also won the MLS Cup and US Open Cup their first season.

The Sounders so far in their first 5 seasons have won 3 US Open Cups, have never missed the playoffs, made it to the knockout stages of the CONCACAF Cup, allowed the fewest goals through 100 games (103 goals while the next closest is 136), and so many more accomplishments. One thing that the Sounders have definitely done in their 100 games is they set a new standard for modern day expansion teams for fan base and accomplishment. While these are some good accomplishments for a MLS club, this is only the beginning for this club it seems.

With the new schedule format this will be the only time the Sounders face Chicago this year. The strength so far this season for Chicago is their starting forward duo in Dominic Oduro and Patrick Nyarko, whom have accounted for 4 of Chicago’s 6 goals this season. Feeding the two forwards from the midfield is five year veteran Marco Pappa and Argentinian Sebastian Grazzini, whom they traded for during a disappointing 2011 campaign. The one disappointing point for Chicago so far is their inconsistency in the back. After just three games the Fire replaced goalkeeper Paolo Tornaghi with Sean Johnson (no not the gymnast), and with starting defender Cory Gibbs missing this game with a right knee tear, this should continue to be a weakness for the Sounders to take advantage of.

                                                                               Photo Credit: New York Daily News

Michael Pineda is done for the year. 

He tore his labrum during a rehab session on Tuesday and underwent surgery yesterday in order to repair it. The surgery takes 12 months for pitchers to fully recover from, meaning the earliest Pineda can return without setbacks would be May 2013. 

Michael Pineda plays for the Yankees. Any other Yankee pitcher suffering a torn labrum would illicit the sad but authentic "haha, suck it Yankees" reaction from me. However, as a true Mariners fan, I can't bring myself to say that. 

Last season, Michael Pineda charmed Mariner fans with his incredible fastball and slider. He made us dream about the future. We could have had two aces at the top of the rotation for the next five years. Then in January, Jack Z shocked the world (slight exaggeration) by trading Pineda for Jesus Montero. 

The trade caused a lot of debate among experts about who "won." The general consensus was that the Yankees held a slight advantage in the deal, but many felt that nobody won the trade, which ultimately made it a fair exchange. 

Now, with Pineda done for a while, it seems that the Mariners have won the trade. My reaction should be: "Wow! We won a trade with the Yankees! It's about time." But it's not. I'm saddened by the news like I've never felt before about a Yankee.

Michael Pineda was special like only Felix had been in my lifetime before him. Like Felix, he was a young Latino power pitcher with an off speed pitch (Pineda has a dirty slider, Felix an amazing change) to die for. Dave Niehaus delivered the best quote about Pineda during his final Spring Training in 2010. It was simple and to the point. After Pineda struck out a guy with a slider, Niehaus said, "Wooo, that stank!"

To read the rest of the article, check it out here

Linebacker Luke Kuechly 
Photo Credit: atlanticcoastconvos.com

The 2012 NFL Draft is nearly upon us.

This year, the strategy for Seattle should be looking for players who will fit in with the current systems seamlessly. No need to draft a guy who requires the coaching staff to redo the entire defense.

The strong run focus and swarming defense are what should be built on until a strong passing QB joins the team. Barring a surprise QB being available, the Seahawks need the most help on the offensive and defensive line.

Without further ado, here’s your 2012 Seahawks Mock Draft.

Round 1, no. 12 overall: Luke Kuechly, MLB, Boston College

The Seahawks decide to put the Aaron Curry debacle behind them and select another linebacker in the first round. Kuechly is regarded as one of the safest picks in the draft and considered the best middle linebacker available.

With David Hawthrone gone, Kuechly would fill his starting middle linebacker role immediately. Shouldn’t be that hard for the Boston College alum, as he amassed 516 tackles in three years. He also ran an impressive 4.59 seconds 40-yard dash time, putting away any doubts anyone had about his speed.

Now, the only reason I have the Seahawks selecting Kuechly and not Stanford offensive guard David DeCastro is because I believe the Chiefs, with their shaky interior line play, will select him at no. 11 overall. If DeCastro so gloriously falls into John Schneider’s lap, expect him to be a Seahawk very soon. 

With the Metro playoffs about two weeks away, things are beginning to heat up in conference play. O’Dea and Blanchet are battling for the No. 4 spot in the Metro Mountain division, as four teams from each division will make the playoffs. O’Dea has been on a hot streak lately, as they beat Blanchet 2-0 and Bainbridge 8-2. Blanchet needs a big week in order to lock up a spot.

In the Sound division, Chief Sealth sits at the top of the division, but Nathan Hale and West Seattle appear to be the better teams. It will be interesting to see how Sealth handles the pressure of possibly going into the tournament with a No. 1 seed from the Sound division. An early first round exit is a high possibility for the Seahawks, especially if they face O’Dea or Blanchet.

In the highly anticipated series of the week, Seattle Prep rolled over Eastside Catholic in both games, winning 6-0 in both cases. The dominating pitching duo of Jack Roger and Nate Richards left the Eastside hitters baffled in the two game set.

With the rankings coming out a day late, the Monday game scores are included in the rankings. READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!!

Offensive Guard David DeCastro  
Photo Credit: fanspeak.com

The question of who the Seahawks should select with their number 12 overall pick has been heavily debated within the blogosphere the past couple weeks. Some argue that the Hawks should take either a defensive end, linebacker or quarterback. Why is there so much disagreement?

Well, the Seahawks are in an awkward situation. They’re too low on the draft board to get an elite talent like quarterback Robert Griffin III or corner Morris Claiborne, but they’re too high to just waste the pick on an average player.

So what should general manager John Schneider do? Here are some options.

Option 1: Select Offensive Guard David DeCastro

If you’re a Husky fan, you know what this is all about.

This Stanford alum helped the Cardinals blow up the Washington defensive line and helped his team run 247 yards in the first half alone in a game on October 22. DeCastro is no ordinary guard. He's the top player at his position, and most consider him to be the next Steve Hutchinson.

Comparing a player to Steve Hutchinson is all I need to hear. If he falls to the 12th pick, the Seahawks would be labeled fools for not taking him. 

Option 2: Select Middle Linebacker Luke Kuechly

If there were any physical doubts about this Boston College prospect, they were erased at the combine when he ran a surprising 4.58 40-yard dash time and jumped 38 inches. Kuechly is much like former Husky Mason Foster in that he racks up tackles like they’re nothing, amassing 191 in 2011.

Drafting Kuechly would fill the role of the now departed David Hawthrone, so drafting him makes total sense. But then there’s the idea that linebackers don’t get selected this high. We all know how that worked out for the Seahawks. (cough, cough, Aaron Curry)

                                                                         Photo Credit: Otto Gruele, Jr./Getty Images

In front of an unsuspecting Safeco Field crowd of 22,472, White Sox starter Philip Humber threw the 21st perfect game in MLB history. Coming into this afternoon game, Humber was not a household name across the baseball world. But that all changed in a matter of 2 hours and 17 minutes. Needing just 96 pitches, Humber sent down all 27 batters he faced in order, and he made it look effortless.

In the bottom of the 9th inning, Humber went to a 3-0 count on Michael Saunders before coming all the way back to strike him out. Then, John Jaso pinch hit for Miguel Olivo, and he hit a lazy fly out to right field. Then, in what some say was a controversial finish, pinch hitter Brendan Ryan worked a 3-2 count before Humber struck him out on a 3-2 breaking ball. Ryan thought he checked his swing, thus breaking up the perfect game, but home plate umpire Brian Runge thought otherwise and called him out, sealing the perfect game and the 4-0 win for Chicago.

This was the third perfect game thrown by a Chicago pitcher in franchise history, and Philip Humber was not on the short list of candidates to do so.

                                                                                  Photo Source: Be Recruited

It was confirmed last night on Twitter that 1^st team All-Metro forward from Eastside Catholic, Joey Schreiber, would be playing for the Western Washington University Vikings next fall. Schreiber hash tagged in his tweet “#AlotToProve” which is what he had been doing his senior season at Eastside Catholic High School. The 6’7” 190 lb forward averaged 20.8 points per game and helped put Eastside Catholic basketball on the rise last season and lead his team to an overall 13-12 record including a notable win over the No. 3 ranked team in the state O’Dea back in December of 2011.

The Crusader star had interest from Point Loma, Air Force, Chaminade (Hawaii) and even a little interest from Pepperdine. With Western Washington University winning the NCAA Division-2 National Championship in March, Schreiber knew he wanted to play for a winner. “Great program obviously, and great opportunity to be part of a national championship team,” Schreiber said. Not only does Western have a great program, but they picked up a great player in Joey Schreiber.