Texas State
Wazzu keeps Texas State in one place: 4 stories so far. The section currently leads with “Cougs Hit the Road for a Pair of Midweek Ballgames in Texas”, “Schroeder on the mic: WSU volleyball preps for Rams and Bobcats”, and “Pac-12 power rankings leave little doubt about the gap ahead of WSU”. Baseball is heading south. Jenny Schroeder is back on the mic for WSU volleyball, and that alone is reason to pay attention. The unofficial read for people who left Pullman and stayed Cougs. The list below is every Texas State story on Wazzu, newest first.
Cougs Hit the Road for a Pair of Midweek Ballgames in Texas
Baseball is heading south. Washington State is in Texas this week for a pair of midweek ballgames, and if you are stuck in a February gray sky, this is the kind of trip you envy. Two games. Warm weather. No conference pressure yet. Just Cougs swinging bats somewhere that does not smell like fertilizer and wet gravel. That is the whole point of these midweek trips. Get out of Pullman. See some sun. Tighten up the bullpen before the Pac-12 schedule starts grinding. Texas baseball is not a joke, but neither is a lineup that has been putting in work since January. If Wazzu can take one of these, that is a good trip. Take both, and you start feeling like something is cooking. For more on how Coug sports are stacking up this week, check out our piece on volleyball, "Schroeder on the mic: WSU volleyball preps for Rams and Bobcats", because that program is also on the road and also worth your time. But back to the diamond. Two games. No excuses. Go get a couple Ws, then get back on the bus. Go Cougs.
Schroeder on the mic: WSU volleyball preps for Rams and Bobcats
Jenny Schroeder is back on the mic for WSU volleyball, and that alone is reason to pay attention. The Cougs are getting ready for the Rams and the Bobcats, and if you've been to Bohler Gym for a match, you know the voice makes the difference. Schroeder calls it like she sees it, and she sees it better than most. This team has been grinding, and the nonconference slate is where you figure out what you've actually got before Pac-12 play starts eating your lunch. If you're the type who likes your sports wrapped in math you can't explain to your friends, we've got you covered. Our piece on Pac-12 bowl math is still the most honest thing you'll read about how the conference treats its own history. But that's a football problem for later. Right now, it's volleyball season, and the only numbers that matter are kills and blocks. Pullman is cold already, and the Palouse wind is doing its thing. That means it's indoor season. Schroeder on the mic, the Cougs on the floor, and a couple of tune-up matches before things get real. That's the kind of Saturday you don't skip. Go Cougs.
Pac-12 power rankings leave little doubt about the gap ahead of WSU
The gap between the top three and the rest of the Pac-12 is a chasm, and the power rankings make it official. Boise State, Oregon State, and Fresno State are the class of the conference. Washington State? We're sitting at No. 7, and the takeaway from the rankings is brutal but fair: we don't have enough offense to secure a bowl berth, let alone sniff the championship game. It's one week into round-robin play, and the picture is already clear. The beauty of this eight-team league is everyone plays everyone, so there are no excuses. The defining dates are set: Boise State at Fresno State, Oregon State at Fresno State, and Oregon State at Boise State. The analytics favor the Broncos to sweep. Our hunch is they do. For the Cougs, the immediate concern is finding an offensive pulse. First-year coach Kirby Moore has no answers right now, and if that doesn't change in the next 19 games, Pullman will be in the market for a new coach. That's the hard truth. We've got deeper coverage on the situation, including a look at Moore taking over playcalls and what the Cougs need against Utah State this Friday. It's a short week, and the offense is MIA. Pullman is letting them hear it. Go Cougs.
WSU and Gonzaga close league play with a Wednesday night showdown
The Cougs and the Zags will close out the new Pac-12 women's basketball regular season against each other on March 6, and it will be in Spokane at McCarthey Athletic Center. That's a Wednesday night showdown with some history behind it. The full conference schedule dropped Friday, and it's a clean 16-game slate for the eight-team league. Every team plays everyone home and away. Washington State opens league play at home against Texas State on Jan. 9. Gonzaga starts earlier, hosting Oregon State on Jan. 6. Times and TV are still TBD, which is the standard dance this time of year. The head-to-head numbers are what they are. Gonzaga leads the all-time series 14-7, and they swept all four meetings when these two shared the West Coast Conference the last two seasons. That stings. But this is a new league and a new chapter. The Cougs get one more shot at the Zags to close things out, and there's something fitting about that. For more on what's happening around the program, check out the update on Trey Leckner healing up fast and maybe finally seeing the field. Tight end room could use the help. Go Cougs.