Allgemeines » two rehab starts for Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday nig

(STATS) -- Some teams like to open their season facing an overmatched opponent to ease into the new campaign.Thats not the way Eastern Washington operates. Not even close.Beau Baldwins squad opens 2016 on Saturday night against a Washington State program that defeated Miami in last Decembers Sun Bowl. And that matchup with a Pac-12 foe might not even be the most challenging of the Eagles first four games.The murderers row continues when Eastern Washington, ranked 14th in the STATS FCS Top 25, visits five-time defending FCS champion North Dakota State next Saturday before its home opener Sept. 17 against fellow Missouri Valley Football Conference power and fifth-ranked Northern Iowa.Its exciting to play a tough schedule and put ourselves in some challenging situations, Baldwin said. Thats what our coaches and players love to do. I always wonder if it can get any more challenging than whatever we did last year or the year before, but this one might be the topper.It starts with a Washington State team that won nine games last season and is led by a Heisman Trophy contender at quarterback in Luke Falk.They arent just a Pac-12 opponent -- to me they are a Pac-12 opponent thats going to win a lot of Pac-12 games, Baldwin said. So its going to be a huge challenge for us.The Eagles, the last team to win the FCS championship before the Bisons unprecedented run, have a history of playing Pac-12 teams tough. They blew a fourth-quarter lead in a 59-52 loss at Washington in 2014 and knocked off No. 25 Oregon State 49-46 in 2013. In the last matchup with Washington State in 2012, the Eagles fell 24-20.A year ago, Eastern Washington opened with a 61-42 loss at No. 7 Oregon and followed with a three-point defeat at UNI to fall to 0-6 all-time against the Panthers.When I sit down with (athletic director) Bill Chaves and talk about the games we have the opportunity to play, we get excited about putting ourselves on that stage and in that challenging moment, Baldwin said. Its a chance to do special things.Eastern Washingtons brutal September doesnt end with the conclusion of the nonconference slate, however, as it opens league play against Northern Arizona, the Big Sky preseason favorite by both the coaches and the media.The road is treacherous, but the Eagles are well equipped.The offense is led by 2015 STATS FCS Offensive Player of the Year Cooper Kupp, who caught a conference-record 114 passes as a junior last season. By the time this season is over hell likely hold all the major FCS career receiving records, as he is two touchdowns away from the mark, 486 yards shy and 84 receptions short.He has not only thrashed FCS defensive backs but FBS secondaries, as well. In three career games against Pac-12 opponents, the three-time FCS first-team All-American has caught 28 passes for 510 yards with eight TDs. He set Autzen Stadium records of 15 catches for 246 yards against Oregon last September.The problem for opposing defenses is Eastern Washington has another deep threat in Kendrick Bourne, who had 73 receptions for 998 yards and eight TDs in 2015.The Eagles also have plenty of experience at quarterback, but just who will be taking the majority of snaps is anyones guess.Four days before the opener, Baldwin said he wasnt sure who would be starting and implied that hell be rotating between Jordan West, Reilly Hennessey and Gage Gubrud.The Eagles averaged an FCS-best 353.3 passing yards last season, with West throwing for 3,002 yards and 30 touchdowns. Hennessey passed for 773 on 91 attempts but its the sophomore Gubrud, who attempted just 13 passes in 2015, who may be the one seeing the most playing time.It could be something in which we design some packages and might not be just one guy. ... The feeling is any package or even if we rotate every series, it really doesnt matter, Baldwin said. We have faith in all three of them.There is no question of who will be throwing the ball for Washington State.As a sophomore last season, Falk led the FBS in passing at 380.1 yards per game and directed the Cougars to their first bowl win since 2003. The All-Pac-12 first-team selection was fifth in the FBS with 4,561 passing yards, had 38 touchdowns and despite attempting 644 passes -- the most in the FBS since 2013 -- threw just eight interceptions.One of Falks least efficient performances of the season, however, came in the opener when the Cougars were upset 24-17 by Big Sky member Portland State. That was Washington States first loss to a Big Sky team since 1947.Eastern Washington had the eighth-worst defense in the FCS last year (476.4 per game) and despite being torched, Baldwin sees some advantages for it having to face his pass-happy offense in practice daily.There is going to be some of that recognition by the secondaries on both sides of the ball having seen some of the same type of things and formations, he said. But at the end of the day you have to go play. Nike Air Max 270 Womens Discount . Perhaps Carroll was so prepared for a break because he believes there is very little the Seattle Seahawks need heading into the off-season. "I dont see anything that we need to add. We just have to get better," Carroll said. Air Max 270 Mens Clearance . Barcelonas entertaining victory ensured the defending Spanish champions retained their share of the league lead with Atletico Madrid two rounds ahead of their meeting in the capital. 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PITTSBURGH -- Gerrit Cole never obsessed about pitching a complete game, but was happy to get his first one.Cole pitched a three-hitter and slumping Andrew McCutchen had a three-run home run among his three hits as the Pittsburgh Pirates rolled to a 10-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday night.It was good, a really good feeling, Cole said. You try to do it every time out but its not something I had been dwelling on. There are lot of variables that can leak into any start and throw you astray, so you just focus on the things you can control like your delivery and making quality pitches.Making the 88th start of his four-year career, Cole (6-6) struck six and walked one while winning for the first time since May 20. He had gone six starts without a victory while also spending nearly five weeks on the disabled list with strained right triceps from June 11-July 16.Cole threw 94 pitches, 70 for strikes, against a Mariners lineup stacked with seven left-handed hitters and a switch-hitter while becoming the first Pirates pitcher to complete a game with fewer than 100 pitches since Francisco Liriano, who also needed just 94 at St. Louis on Aug. 14, 2013.He put his foot down and pitched, Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. Thats as efficient as Ive seen him since hes been here. Twenty pitches the first inning, 74 for the other eight. Really good outing.McCutchens three-run blast off David Rollins came in the eighth inning and capped the scoring. His 15th home run of the season pushed the nine-year veterans career total to 166, tying Dave Parker for fifth on the Pirates all-time list.McCutchen, who also doubled, had gone 4 for 29 with eight strikeouts in his previous seven games, dropping the 2013 NL MVPs batting average to .241.I felt something (good), thats for sure, McCutchen said. Im just going to stick with this and keep going. It was a good day for me as far as the feel goes, and had the results with it. Hopefully, it can propel me into these last couple of months of the season.McCutchen and Jung Ho Kang, who hit a three-run double to finish a four-run seventh inning, each had four RBI to help the Pirates win for the sixth time in nine games. Jordy Mercer also had three of the Pirates 14 hits and David Freese and Starling Marte added two each as the top four in the order went a combined 10 for 17.Kang greeted reliever Nathan Karns with his double that pushed the Pirates lead to 7-1.Kang also earlier hit a sacrifice fly off James Paxton (33-5) to finish a three-run third inning that broke a scoreless tie.dddddddddddd.Paxton gave up three runs and six hits in five innings, striking out six and walking one.Drew Storen made his Mariners debut and was charged with four runs in a 1 1/3 innings a night after being acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays in a trade for fellow reliever Joaquin Benoit.Norichika Aoki hit a pair of doubles and scored the Mariners lone run in the sixth inning on Robinson Canos sacrifice fly. Seattle had won five of its previous seven games.Cole threw the ball really well, Mariners manager Scott Servais said. Tip your hat to him.TRAINERS ROOMMariners: DH/OF Nelson Cruz was not in the lineup after fouling a ball off his left foot Tuesday night, though manager Scott Servais said he held the slugger out primarily because the designated hitter rule was not in effect in an NL park. ... RHP Taijuan Walker (right foot tendinitis) pitched a three-inning simulated game Wednesday, the first time he had faced hitters since going on the disabled list July 6, and will likely make a minor league rehab start this weekend. ... RHP Nick Vincent (mid-back strain), on the DL since June 27, will throw off a mound for the first time Friday since being injured and is likely to go on a rehab assignment next week.Pirates: RHP Tyler Glasnow (shoulder inflammation), who was placed on the disabled list Sunday, is expected to begin playing catch this weekend. ... C Chris Stewart (left knee discomfort) ran the bases Wednesday for the first since going on the DL on July 2 and could go on a rehab assignment by the middle of next week. ... RHP Ryan Vogelsong (facial fractures) made what was scheduled to be the last of two rehab starts for Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday night and allowed two runs on five hits in seven innings against Gwinett with one walk and two strikeouts in the International League. He also started twice for Double-A Altoona.UP NEXTMariners: Open a three-game series against the Cubs at Chicago on Friday with RHP Hisashi Iwakuma (11-6, 3.96 ERA) looking to win his sixth straight start as he faces LHP Jon Lester (10-4, 3.09).Pirates: Begin a three-game series Friday night at Milwaukee with LHP Steven Brault (0-1, 2.25) expected to be recalled from Indianapolis and make his second major league start, opposing Brewers RHP Junior Guerra (6-2, 2.85). ' ' '