Seattle University’s Jarell Flora,  senior guard from Bremerton, scored just five points in an 82-61 loss to New Mexico State in the Western Athletic Conference championship game at Las Vegas on Saturday.

A victory would have advanced Seattle U (16-15) to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1969.

Flora is Seattle’s second-leading scorer (14.0 points) and third-leading rebounder (4.6).  He was a second-team All-WAC selection. The 6-foot-3 guard finished with 165 3-pointers in his career, fifth all-time in school history.

There’s a chance Flora hasn’t played his last college game as the Redhawks could be a candidate for the College Basketball Invitational, or possibly the NIT.

Jalen Carpenter (jr., Bremerton) was Weber State’s leading scorer (11.8 points) and rebounder (7.9). Weber State finished 11-8, 7-8 in the Big Sky Conference.

Rhyley Callaghan (fr., South Kitsap) and Deonte Dixon (fr., Bremerton) helped Peninsula to a third-place finish at the NWAC Championships. Callaghan averaged 17.5 points, 15th in the NWAC, and was the conference’s fifth-leading shooter from the free-throw line (87.2 percent).  Dixon averaged 16.4 points and 4.1 rebounds.

Western Oregon’s Dana Goularte (sr., South Kitsap) was a second-team All-Great Northwest Conference pick. For the second straight year, she ranked among the conference’s top five in scoring (15.6 points, fifth) and rebounding (8.6, second). Goularte led the Wolves (8-18) in 13 statistical categories this season.

Krista Stabler (jr., Central Kitsap) was an honorable mention All-GNAC pick for St. Martin’s.  She led the Saints (11-16) in scoring (12.1 ppg) and assists (48).

Sadee Jones (sr., North Mason) was an All-Cascade Collegiate Conference first-team pick for Evergreen State. Jones averaged 15.6 points and a conference-leading 8.6 rebounds a game despite her 5-foot-6 stature. Jones had 14 double-doubles. Irene Moore (sr., King’s West/Olympic College) was a reserve guard for Geoducks (16-10). Brittany Gray (sr., Bainbridge/Skagit Valley) averaged 15.9 points and 9.3 rebounds in 12 games before using up her eligibility.

Ashli Payne (so., Olympic HS) and Sawyer Kluge (fr., Bremerton) helped Umpqua to a 27-5 record and third-place finish at the NWAC Championships. Payne, who is playing in the NWAC All-Star games on Sunday at Clackamas, Ore., averaged 17.8 points (5th in the NWAC), 10 rebounds (4th), 4.3 assists (8th) and 2.1 steals (18th). Kluge averaged 14.7 points (18th) and was seventh in the conference in free-throw shooting (81.6 percent).

BASEBALL

Shane Matheny (fr., Olympic HS) is the starting third baseman at Washington State. Matheny was hitting .229 with a home run and seven RBI going into Saturday’s Pac-12 game at USC. He had started all 17 games for the Cougars (11-6).

Central Washington first baseman Kasey Bielec (sr., North Mason) was 9-for-15 in a four-game series against Northwest Nazarene and it hitting .397 with four HRs and 16 RBI for the Wildcats (12-10). Infielder Tanner Romo (jr., South Kitsap/Everett CC) is a backup infielder at CWU.

Catcher Curtis Windung (jr., North Kitsap) is hitting .243 with a home run for Pacific Lutheran (14-6).

Tyler Ludlow (fr., South Kitsap), a first baseman, is hitting .292 (7-24) with a double for Jamestown (N.D.). Nick Torres (fr., Bremerton) is also playing for the Jimmies (8-4). Torres has a save and 6.23 ERA in 4.1 innings after appearing in three games in relief.

Arory Milyard (so., North Kitsap) is a relief pitcher at Whitworth (11-8). He’s got a 6.97 ERA after six appearances and 10.1 innings (10 strikeouts, 4 walks, 13 hits, 8 earned runs).

SOFTBALL

Alissa Buss (so., South Kitsap) and Erin Kinney (so., Bainbridge) are holding down the left side of the infield for Linfield (11-5). Buss, playing shortstop, is hitting .441 (26-for-59) with a double and triple. Kinney, a third baseman, is hitting .306 (15-49) with a home run and 9 RBI.

Emma Keller (fr., North Kitsap) was hitting .353 (12-34 with 2 doubles) for the NAIA Jamestown (N.D.) Jimmies (10-8). She has made two pitching appearance and had a 14.8 ERA for 5.2 innings of work. Kalea Chapman (jr., Juneau, Alaska/Olympic College) is a backup utility player for the Jimmies.

GOLF

UNLV’s Carl Jonson (sr., Bainbridge) tied for 43rd at the Southern Highlands Collegiate Masters, which was played at Southern Highlands Golf Club in Las Vegas this week. UNLV finished 10th in a field that included 10 of the top 25 teams in the country. Jonson ranks No. 168 in  the World Amateur Golf Rankings, down 12 spots from the previous week.

UCLA’s Erynne Lee (sr., Central Kitsap) is coming off a victory in the Bruin Wave Classic and is off until the Liz Murphy Collegiate Championship, which begins March 27 in Athens, Ga. Lee’s victory boosted her from No. 55 to No. 29 in the women’s World Amateur Golf Rankings.

Wondering how Kitsap’s college basketball players are faring? Of course you do.

Here’s a sampling:

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Weber State — Jalen Carpenter (jr., Bremerton) leads the Wildcats in scoring (11.8 points) and is second in rebounding (6.6 rpg). The 6-foot-1 Carpenter is coming off a 14-point, 6-rebound effort against No. 19 Oklahoma State on Thursday, a game Weber State (4-5) lost 55-49 in Ogden, Utah. Carpenter’s making 46% of her FGs, shooting 73% from the foul line and is a defensive presence inside where she has a team-high 16 blocked shots. Weber State is off until Jan. 1, when it opens Big Sky Conference play at home against Eastern Washington.

Western Oregon — Dana Goularte (sr., South Kitsap) went over the 1,000-point career mark in scoring on Dec. 18 during a win over Dixie State in Las Vegas. Goularte, a second-team Great Northwest Athletic Conference selection a year ago, scored a career-high 27 points and had 10 rebounds. It was her sixth double double of the season for the 6-footer. Goularte averages 15.9 points and 10.9 rebounds. Western Oregon is idle until Jan. 3, when it hosts St. Martin’s at Monmouth, Oregon.

St. Martin’s — Krista Stabler (jr., Central Kitsap) averages a team-high 10.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists for the Saints (3-7). The 5-6 guard had a career-high on Nov. 22 vs. Cal Baptist University.

Evergreen State — Brittany Gray (sr., Bainbridge/Skagit Valley) was the Cascade Collegiate Conference Player of the Week earlier this month. She had two double-doubles and ended up one rebound away from a third as the Geoducks (6-4) went 2-1 against NCAA Division III Northwest Conference opponents. In a four-day stretch, the 5-9 Gray scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a 65-62 loss at Puget Sound; had 22 points and 11 rebounds in a 75-58 home victory over Pacific (Ore.) and added 14 points and nine rebounds in an 80-53 win at Pacific Lutheran. In the three games combined Gray shot 46 percent from the field, 80 percent from the foul line and averaged 17.7 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. Gray’s averaging 15.7 points/9.7 rebounds going into Friday’s game against Northwest Christian … Sadee Jones (sr., North Mason) averages 13.6 points/9.4 rebounds for the Geoducks. She had 21 points and 12 rebounds in the win over PLU. Jones, a 5-8 post player, was named CCC Player of the Week after scoring 18 points and pulling 11 rebounds in a win over New Hope Christian in late November.

Montana Tech — Guard Sophia Baetz (sr., Kingston/Skagit Valley) averages 5.7 points. She’s played in nine of 13 games for the Orediggers (7-6), an NAIA school from Butte, Montana.

Western Montana — Breyenne Mosey (sr., Crosspoint) scored a season-high eight points and had seven rebounds in a win over Vanguard University in Las Vegas, Nevada this week. The 6-foot-1 Mosey averages 2.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 10.4 minutes per game. She’s started two games for the  Bulldogs (7-5) of Dillon, Montana.  … Kelsey Callaghan (sr., South Kitsap) is a reserve guard, averaging 11.4 minutes a game and more than an assist a minute.

Umpqua Community College — Ashli Payne (so., Olympic) and Sawyer Kluge (fr., Bremerton) continue to light it up for the Riverhawks (9-1), who are based in Roseburg, Oregon. Payne, a 5-11 guard, is fifth in the NWAC in scoring (19.0 ppg), eighth in rebounding (9.45), fourth in assists (4.4) and fourth in free-throw shooting (26-30, 86.7%). Payne’s been in double figures all 10 games for Umpqua with a high of 35 vs. Lane on Dec. 7. She scored a career-high 45 during her freshman season …. Kluge, a 5-10 guard,  averages 16.0 points, which is 14th in the NWAC. She had a high of 31 points vs. Big Bend on Dec. 5 and ranks sixth in the NWAC in free-throw shooting (29-34, 85.3%). … For NWAC updates and statistics, go to NWACSports.org.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Seattle University — Jarell Flora (sr., Bremerton) is the Redhawks second-leading scorer (13.4 ppg) and third-leading rebounder (5.11 rpg). Flora’s shooting 40% from the field, and 87.7% from the foul line. Flora (130) and senior guard Isiah Umipig (143) have combined to take a little over 45 percent of Seattle U’s shots. Flora has taken as many 3-point attempts (65) as two-point shots. Umipig has hoisted 99 threes. When opponents are successful in shutting down the backcourt duo, SU usually struggles. The Redhawks (5-6) are coming off a 92-57 loss against Minnesota (Flora had six points, and six turnovers in just 15 minutes) and play Sunday against Sacramento State (KeyArena, 7 p.m.) and Dec. 30 against UC Davis (KeyArena, 7 p.m.).

Eastern Oregon — Caulin Bakalarski (fr., South Kitsap) is using this year as his redshirt season. The 6-3 wing was an All-Narrows League player a year ago. The Mountaineers from LaGrande, Oregon, are 9-3.

Peninsula College — Ryley Callaghan (fr., South Kitsap) scored 30 points in a win over Walla Walla on Friday. The 6-foot guard has been over 25 five times with a high of 33. He’s averaging 20.4 points for the Pirates (4-5), sixth-best in the Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC). … Deonte Dixon (fr., Bremerton) averages 18.0 points for the Pirates. The Olympic League MVP a year ago scored 22 points and pulled eight rebounds in the win over Walla Walla. Dixon’s played in just five games for Peninsula, which visits Olympic College on Feb. 18. OC travels to Peninsula on Jan. 21. Peninsula played Grays Harbor on Saturday, Dec. 20. For compete NWAC statistics, go to NWACsports.org. UPDATE: Dixon scored a career-high 34 in a 74-72 win over Peninsula on Saturday, Dec. 20.

In case you missed Jason Hammel’s press conference on Friday, the 2000 South Kitsap graduate is excited to be back with the Chicago Cubs.

The right-hander, who signed a two-year, $20 million deal, called his three months with the Cubs the best three months of his career.

Hammel will be reunited with Joe Maddon, his manager at Tampa, and Chris Bosio, the former Mariner who is the Cubs’ pitching coach.

Hammel was 4-1 with a 2.35 ERA at Wrigley Field last season before being traded to Oakland. Jon Lester, who was with Hammel in Oakland, will be a teammate in Chicago as well. Jake Arrieta had 10 wins and a 2.53 ERA.

“I can’t predict the future, but it’s going to be a very dominant rotation,” Hammel, 32, said. “And you win championships with pitching. Obviously, the offense helps. But all the teams that go (to the postseason), they all have dominant, consistent pitching.”

Also

* Congratulations are in order for Lauren Haas, Olympic High grad who will be inducted into the Southern Illinois Hall of Fame in 2015. Haas, an infielder, was a four-year standout in fastpitch for the Salukis, and  the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year in 2008.

* Speaking of Hall of Fames, the 2015 Kitsap Sports Hall of Fame banquet will be held Jan. 24 at Kiana Lodge. Check out this link for a list of inductees. Tickets are $30 in advance; $35 at the door.

* North Kitsap grad Kasey Dunn joined the Oklahoma State coaching staff as receivers coach in February of 2011. Dunn and the Cowboys preparation for the Washington Huskies this week. OSU (6-6) and the UW (8-5) will play Jan. 2 in the Cactus Bowl in Tempe, Ariz. I talked to Dunn over the weekend. The well-traveled Dunn — he’s coached at nine colleges and had a two-year stint as running backs coach with the Seahawks — has been at OSU for four years, his second-longest tour of duty since getting into the business. He was at  Washington State for five years. The Huskies contacted him about a possible position when Rick Neuheisel took over from Keith Gilbertston, but the timing wasn’t right. Dunn  was happy at WSU, where Mike Price was the head coach.

* I always thought Jake Locker would have been an All-Pro safety if he’d played on the defensive side of the ball. He turned out to be a really good quarterback, but we’ll never know how good because of all the injuries he’s suffered. Locker dislocated his shoulder for the third time on Sunday, and his career with the Tennessee Titans is probably over.

* Jason Flora, senior form Bremerton, averages 13.0 points and 5.4 rebounds for the Seattle Redhawks (4-5), who play Northwest College on campus at Connolly Center Monday night. SU’s other home games are played at KeyArena.

* I won’t be surprised if Eastern Washington (8-2) wins the Big Sky Conference this year. I’m talking basketball, not football. The Eagles let one get away at No. 17 Washington on Sunday. They led the Huskies by 10 with 11:22 left but couldn’t hold on, losing 81-77. EWU’s not real deep, but they’ve got enough weapons to give anyone a tough time. Sophomore guard Travis Harvey (20.5 ppg) and Australian junior forward Jenky Vois (20.3 ppg) are for real. Harvey led the Big Sky in scoring a year ago. EWU beat Indiana in Bloomington earlier in the season. If the Eagles beat No. 19 California (9-1) in Berkeley on Dec. 19, they just might crack the top-25 polls.

* I still can’t get Robert Turbin’s 8-yard run out of my head. You know the one. It was 2nd-and-9 from the 12 and Turbo turned Beast Mode, running over the 49ers’ Antoine Bethea. Marshawn Lynch scored the go-ahead touchdown on the next play from the 4, and the Seahawks were in control.

BASKETBALL

Jarell Flora (sr., Bremerton) figures to play a key role for Seattle University, which was picked to finish third by the media in the Western Athletic Conference preseason poll. WAC coaches tabbed the Redhawks to finish second. Flora, a 6-3 guard, averaged 9.5 points and 3.2 assists a year ago, starting 25 of the 30 games he played in. The former Olympic League MVP and his teammates open the season Friday, Nov. 14, against Texas State at KeyArena. SU plays cross-town rival Washington on Nov. 21 at KeyArena.

Jalen Carpenter (jr., Bremerton) is a returning starter for Weber State. The 6-1 Carpenter averaged 8.7 points and 5.7 rebounds for the Big Sky Conference school a year ago and has started 43 games in two seasons.

Krista Stabler (jr., Central Kitsap), a 5-6 guard, will be a team captain for the Saints this season. She averaged 3.2 points a year ago with a high of 16.

Brittany Gray (sr., Bainbridge/Skagit Valley) and Sadee Jones (sr., North Mason) are returning starters at Evergreen State. Gray, a 5-9 forward, earned Cascade Collegiate Conference honorable mention all-league honors a year ago after averaging 13.5 points and 8.7 rebounds. Jones, a 5-8 forward, averaged 10.5 points and 6.5 rebounds for the Geoducks (14-12 in 2013-14).

Caulin Bakalarski (fr., South Kitsap) is a guard at Eastern Oregon. Bakalarski, a 6-3 wing, was an all-Narrows League pick a year ago.

Sophia Baetz (sr., Kingston/Skagit Valley) is a backup guard at Montana Tech in Butte, Montana. Baetz averaged 7.5 points as M-Tech won its first two games.

Kelsey Callaghan (sr., South Kitsap), a 5-3 guard, and 6-1 Breyenne Mosey (sr., King’s West) are back for their finals seasons at Western Montana in Dillon, Montana. Western Montana’s off to a 3-1 start. Callaghan and Mosey are both coming off the bench.

FOOTBALL

Kyle Lanoue (redshirt, so., Central Kitsap) is having a solid season for Eastern Oregon. The defensive tackle had tackles, two for a loss, and a sack in the Mountaineers 31-20 win over Montana Tech last week. Lanoue has 49 tackles, nine for losses, and is tied for the team lead with three sacks. Eastern Oregon (6-4, 5-3 Frontier) is No. 21 in the NAIA Coaches’ Poll and and hosts the College of Idaho on Nov. 8, and closes the regular season at Southern Oregon on Nov. 15. … Matt Stone (R-fr., Bainbridge) is a backup running back for the Mountaineers.

 BASEBALL

Jamestown University assistant coach Boya Quichocho, a South Kitsap grad, has established a pipeline of sorts to the NAIA school in Jamestown, North Dakota.

Quichocho, a standout infielder, played at Olympic College for two years and two more at Jamestown, where he earned honorable mention All-American honors and led the Jimmies in stolen bases both seasons.

Quichocho is in his ninth year as an assistant coach. Two former Olympic College pitchers — Chris Hackworth from Utay and Ferndale’s Kyle McKay — are also on the coaching staff.

Other current Wes Sounders on the 2015 roster: Adam Lemmon, freshman pitcher from North Kitsap; Tyler Ludlow, freshman first baseman from South Kitsap; Michael Nelson, junior first baseman/catcher from South Kitsap; Beau Rabideaux, freshman pitcher/infielder from Kingston; and Nick Torres, freshman pitcher/infielder from Bremerton.

SOFTBALL

Pitcher/outfielder Emma Keller (fr., North Kitsap) and infielder Kalea Chapman (jr., Douglas HS, Juneau, Alaska/Olympic College) are both playing at Jamestown University.

Kelsey Lucostic (jr., Big Sky HS, Missoula, Mont./Olympic College) is an infielder at the University of Montana, a first-year D1 program.

Greta Coleman (jr., Kingston/Shoreline College/Olympic College) is a utility player at Bloomfield College (New Jersey), an NCAA D2 school.

Here’s some updates on local athletes playing college sports. I know it’s not an all-inclusive list. If you know somebody else who is out there, please add a comment to this blog:

TRACK AND FIELD

Shane Moskowitz (jr., Central Kitsap) was part of an Oklahoma State distance medley relay that qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships at the Alex Wilson Invitational in South Bend, Ind., on Saturday.

Moskowitz ran the 1,200 meters leg and the Cowboys finished with a time of 9:29.91, which missed the school record by 1.5 seconds. The mark ranks No. 7 in the NCAA. The top 12 relays qualify for the national meet.

Moskowitz has run a 7:57.79 3,000 meters and a 2:24.48 1,000 yards this indoor season.

Irene Moore (jr., King’s West/Olympic College) is competing in the pentathlon. She was 11th at the GNAC Indoor Track & Field Championships. … Erika Crock (sr., South Kitsap) is a distance runner for the Saints.

SOFTBALL

Haylee Baker (Sr., Bainbridge/Bellevue CC) is hitting .455 for Western Washington (8-3) going into this weekend. The shortstop has one homer and 7 RBI.

BASKETBALL

Guard Jarell Flora (jr., Bremerton) is Seattle University’s third-leading scorer (8.7 points). He’s started 20 of 25 games for the Redhawks (12-13, 4-8 WAC) and averages 3.1 rebounds.

Forward Jalen Carpenter (so., Bremerton) averages 8.6 points and 5.9 reobunds for Weber State (6-19, 2-14 Big Sky). Carpenter leads Weber in offensive rebounds and has started 15 of 25 games.

Guard Krista Stabler (so., Central Kitsap) averages 7.5 points for St. Martin’s (15-10, 9-7 Great Northwest Athletic Conference). She’s started five games for the Saints and plays 20.8 minutes per game.

BASEBALL

Two former Olympic College players — pitcher Devin Smith (jr., West Seattle) and catcher Dustin Dhanani (jr., Blaine) — are playing at NCAA Division I Alabama A&M (3-8). Smith is 1-1 with a 1.93 ERA after two starts. He has pitched 14 innings and allowed 10 hits, striking out eight and walking two. Dhanani has started seven games and is hitting .143.

Daniel Orr (jr., Kingston, Everett CC) is hitting .354 for Corban University (5-6). The IB/OF has four doubles, five triples and 14 RBI, all team highs.

Catcher Curtis Wildung (jr., North Kitsap) is hitting .214 for Pacific Lutheran (5-4). Wildung hit a home run in a 1-0 win over Concordia and has started eight games.

Pitcher Joe Stevick (jr., Olympic) has been strong in three early relief outings for Linfield (7-2). Stevick has appeared in three games, pitching seven innings and allowing just one hit with a 0.00 ERA. He has three strikeouts, one walk and a save.

Infielder Kasey Bielec (jr., North Mason) is hitting .360 for Central Washington (4-4). He has two home runs and five RBI. … CWU lefty pitcher Kurtis Pitcher (sr., Klahowya, Western Oregon, Olympic College) pitched seven strong innings in his only start, a no-decision. He allowed five hits and two earned runs.

Josh Sontag (so., Central Kitsap) is an infielder/pitcher for St. Martin’s (1-6). Sontag is hitting .111 (just 9 at-bats) and has a 3.18 ERA after two appearances and 5.2 innings of relief.

GOLF

UCLA’s Erynne Lee (jr., Central Kitsap) shot 71-66-74—211 and tied for sixth at the Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate in New Orleans. UCLA won the team title in the tourney played at the English Turn G&CC.

UNLV’s Carl Jonson (jr., Bainbridge) tied for 14^th at 1-under 143 at the Burns Intercollegiate in Lihue, Hawaii. The final round was rained out. The Rebels tied for eighth as a team.

Ex-Bremerton star Jarell “Juice” Flora scored 25 points, 21 of them in the second half to lead Seattle University to a 75-71 come-from-behind win over Cal State Fullerton in the Elgin Baylor Classic at KeyArena.

Juice bombed in five 3-pointers in the second as the Redhawks (1-1) rallied from 18 points back. His three with 2:39 left tied the game at 69. He was 8-of-17 from the field, including 5-of-9 from beyond the three-point line.

Flora’s performance doesn’t surprise me. He’s super athletic, a gifted shooter and he plays bigger than his 6-3 size. I was bit puzzled why coach Cameron Dollar didn’t use him more last season. The redshirt junior has started both games this season, but that’s because highly-touted Cal transfer Emerson Murray has been out with a stress fracture in his right foot.

It’s gonna be hard to keep Flora off the floor if he keeps making shots.

His previous career high was 18. He got that against Texas-Arlington last year. He averaged 5.9 points, playing just under 17 minutes a game last season. He scored seven points against the Huskies in a loss on Sunday.

Side note: Give former Bremerton coach Casey Lindberg credit for Flora getting his scholarship to Seattle U. Dollar was a Husky assistant when Marvin Williams was playing at Bremerton and Lindberg developed a relationship with Dollar, who was recruiting Williams. Anyway, Flora was relatively unknown until his senior year, when he earned Olympic League MVP and all-state honors while leading Bremerton to the state tournament.

Lindberg called Dollar, who checked Flora out at a district-tournament game. Flora put on a show and Dollar called the following week with a scholarship offer.

Surprise, surprise, Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman is back in the news. The All-Pro corner went off on Skip Bayless, a co-host of ESPN’s First Take.

Sherman called Bayless “ignorant” and “egotistical.”

More Sherman: “In my 24 years of life, I’m better at life than you. I’m better than you.”

“Let’s not get personal,” said Bayless.

The ESPN show, featuring Bayless and Stephen A. Smith, is hardly must-see TV, but on Thursday morning, it was pretty entertaining.

More linkage …

Willie Bloomquist and Team USA opens the World Baseball Classic against Mexico on Friday ( 6 p.m., MLB.com) in Arizona. Bloomquist, a South Kitsap and member of the Arizona Diamondbacks, gives manager Joe Torre a lot of versatility. And he’s thrilled to be wearing the red, white and blue.

“It’s an honor, especially when you get a phone call asking if you’d represent your country,” he told MLB.com. “That’s about as good an honor as you can get. Obviously, I’m thrilled. Whatever role or capacity they want me to fill remains to be seen, but I’m excited to do whatever is asked of me.”

Former South Kitsap pitcher Jason Hammel struck out four in 2 1/3 innings on Thursday against Toronto as the right-hander appears to be right on schedule for the Orioles.

Dominic Boddie, a redshirt freshman walkon tailback from South Kitsap, is the only local player on the University of Washington’s spring football roster.

Central Kitsap grad Troy Kelly fired a 3-under 69 in the first round of the Puerto Rico Open and is tied for 28th heading into Friday’s second round. It’s the best start of the season for Kelly, who survived the cut in just one of his first six PGA Tour starts. Most of the world’s best players are playing in the Cadillac Championship at Doral, Fla., but the Puerto Rico Open has a solid field. The winner gets $600,000 and a two-year exemption.

Outfielder Aaron Cunningham, a South Kitsap grad who played for Cleveland a year ago, is 6-for-16 (.375) with three doubles and a home run for the Texas Rangers this spring. His home run came against the Mariners. Cunningham’s a non-roster invitee.

Bremerton’s Jarell Flora made a couple of starts for Seattle University in February and scored a career-high 18 points against UT-Arlington, but he’s been coming off the bench in recent games for the Redhawks (8-20, 3-14 WAC). Flora had seven points in a loss to UC Bakersfield Wednesday, and the 6-5 guard is averaging 5.9 points and 16.8 minutes per game. The redshirt sophomore is fourth on the team in steals (28).

Landon Cray (fr., Chimacum) and Nate Roberts (sr., Central Kitsap) hit 1-2 in the batting order for Seattle U (3-10) in a 4-2 baseball loss to Washington (4-8) on Tuesday at Husky Ballpark. Cray was 2 for 5 with a double and is hitting .289. Roberts tripled in 5 at bats and is hitting .208.

Let’s end it with some links about the Mariners:

This CBS blogger predicts another fourth-place finish for the M’s, which means they won’t finish in the bottom of the AL West for the third straight season. That honor should go to the Houston Astros. Yeah, in case you missed it, the ‘Stros are in the AL West.

Mike Morse is bullish on his new/old team, writes Greg Johns of MLB.com.

Moving the fences in should help Seattle. That’s the gist of this Sporting News report.

Three springs ago, they were writing that the M’s were ready to challenge the Angels. No kidding. In case you forgot, here’s the proof.

Isaac Williams, a 1995 Central Kitsap grad, is the head coach of NAIA Division II Eastern Oregon’s No. 3-ranked men’s basketball team. The Mountaineers (27-3) were co-champs of the Cascade Collegiate Conference and open CCC tournament play on Wednesday. Look for my column on Williams, a third-year head coach, in Thursday’s editions. Cody Thurmond, a senior from Central Kitsap, started as a sophomore and junior for the Mountaineers but missed the first 10 games with a hand injury. By then, Eastern was 10-0 and nobody wanted to mess up the rotation. Thurmond’s splitting time at point guard and is coming off an 18-point game.

Seattle University guard Jarell Flora of Bremerton scored a career-high 18 points in a 65-63 loss to UT Arlington over the weekend. Flora made three straight threes and a dunk during an early 17-1 run in that game. The sophomore guard, who has started two games this month, made 7 of 9 shots in the game. He’s averaging 6.4 points in 23 games, averaging 17.3 minutes a contest. Flora’s making a team-high 35.9 percent of his 3-pointers.

Remember Sophia Baetz? Now a sophomore at Skagit Valley, she’s the 19th leading scorer in the NWAACC, averaging 14.5 points for the Cardinals, who visit Olympic College on Saturday for a 2 p.m. game. It’s the regular-season finale. Skagit’s tied for first with Bellevue in the NWAACC North and headed to the 16-team championship tournament. …. Shannon Jackson, a sophomore from Olympic HS, averages 7.84 rebounds for Umpqua (Ore.), which ranks 12th in the NWAACC. … Sadee Jones, a 5-8 sophomore guard from North Mason, averages 6.9 points and 6.6 rebounds for Evergreen Stat e(7-15). … Freshman Hannah Depew, a Bainbridge grad, averages 10 points and 3.5 rebounds for Columbia Basin. She had a season-high 18 points against Blue Mountain earlier this month and has averaged 13.4 points over her last five games. … Shoreline’s Maile Keanu (fr., South Kitsap), S. Puget Sound’s Renee Willey (so., North Mason) and  Highline’s Terrick McGhee (so., Bremerton) are also playing in the NWAACC. … Kelsey Callaghan, a sophomore point guard from South Kitsap, averages 2.7 points in a backup role for NAIA Montana Western (13-15).

Four-year college baseball and softball teams have started their seasons. South Kitsap grad Brady Steiger, who started his career at Washington State before citing “burnout” as a reason for quitting the team, has regained his love of the game. After a successful year at Sierra Junior College in California, Steiger’s now a first baseman/third baseman at Lewis-Clark State in Lewiston, Idaho. The 6-foot-1 junior, who played for the Cheney Studs in the summer, is hitting .556 (with 7 runs, 2 doubles, 6 RBIs and 4 walks) after collecting 10 hits in his first 18 at-bats. His dad Greg played baseball at Eastern Washington, which doesn’t have a program anymore. Grandpa Jack Brady played baseball at the University of Washington.

Seattle University’s Nate Roberts, a senior from Central Kitsap, and Landon Cray, freshman from Chimacum, have got their seasons off to a good start. Roberts started at shortstop all three games in a series at Santa Clara and collected six hits in 13 at bats (.462) with five runs scored and five RBI. Cray started in center field and was 6 for 10 (.600) with 7 runs scored. Seattle U (1-2) plays Portland at Bannerwood Park in Bellevue on Tuesday.

Allen Hewey, junior transfer from Central Kitsap and Olympic College, pitched three shutout innings and got a save in his debut for Campbellsville (Ky.) University. Hewey could also play some third base for the NAIA power.

Michael Calderon, who pitched two years at Olympic College, remains the ace of the staff at NAIA Bellevue University in Omaha, Neb. Calderson was the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year in 2012 after posting an 8-1 record with a 2.72 ERA. The lefty from Eisenhower High in Yakima is 1-0 after two starts this year. Former OC catcher Mason Castillon from Hawaii is red-shirting at Bellevue and will have one more year of eligibility.

Two North Mason grads are playing baseball for Central Washington (4-8). Sophomore second baseman Kasey Bielec is hitting .371 (13 for 35) and senior pitcher Randy Button is 0-1 with a 1.0 ERA in nine innings and four appearances. He’s made one start. … Josh Sontag, a freshman from Central Kitsap, is a reserve infielder for St. Martin’s (0-10). … Nick Benish, a sophomore from North Kitsap, is a backup catcher/DH at George Fox (5-3). He hit .306 as a freshman in 41 at bats.

Shortstop Haylee Baker, a junior transfer from Bainbridge and Bellevue CC, is hitting .364 for Western Washington. Baker has started all 13 games for the Vikings (7-6) and has one home run and six RBI. Western plays Olympic College in an exhibition doubleheader Sunday in Bellingham.

Central Kitsap grad and Oklahoma State runner Shane Moskowitz, who ran a sub-4-minute mile (3:59.48)  earlier this year, was third in the 3,000 meters at the Tyson Invitational in Fayatteville, Ark., on Feb. 9. His time was 8:13.36. … Ruby Roberts, a junior from Kingston at Washington State, was third in the indoor mile at the Husky Classic with a PR of 4:48.15.