E AST O REGONIAN
Tuesday, april 6, 2021
EOU VOLLEYBALL
Mountaineers
volleyball
named the
CCC team of
the week
East Oregonian
LA GRANDE — The No.
8-ran ked Easter n Oregon
University women’s volleyball
team earned Under Armour
Team of the Week honors for
March 29 through April 4,
t he Ca sca de
Collegiate
Conference
announced on
Sunday, April
4.
The Moun-
t a i n e e r s
McLean
gar nered the
Morehead
honor for the
se cond t i me
this season
following an
undefeated
finish in regu-
lar season play.
eastern was
tabbed the team
of the week
McMurtrey
af t e r t a k i ng
down Lewis-
Clark St ate
last weekend
at Quinn Coli-
seu m i n La
G rande. T he
Mountaineers
won in four sets
Scott
on Friday, April
2, 21-25, 25-20, 25-13, 25-19,
and followed it up with a three-
set sweep, 25-15, 25-17, 25-13,
on Saturday, April 3. The two
wins for Eastern helped it finish
regular season play at 15-0
overall and 14-0 in CCC action.
The undefeated season for
EOU is the first in program
history. The Mountaineers also
claimed their sixth league title.
In addition to a perfect regular
season, record highlights of the
season thus far include senior
Kiley McMur trey becom-
ing the Mountaineers all-time
career leader in digs and
service aces, head coach Kaki
McLean Morehead surpassing
300 career wins, seven differ-
ent players earning league
player of the week honors, and
Cambree Scott becoming the
first-ever Mountaineer to earn
national player of the week
accolades.
Eastern Oregon will enter
the Cascade Conference Tour-
nament as the No. 1 seed and
will host No. 4-seed Bushnell
on Friday, April 9, at 7:30 p.m.
inside Quinn Coliseum in one
of the tournament semifinal
games. In the 4 p.m. game,
No. 2 Corban will battle No. 3
Oregon Tech.
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A10
OSU, Tinkle agree on contract through 2026-27 season
By NICK DASCHEL
The Oregonian
CORVALLIS — Wayne Tinkle
was rewarded Monday, April 5,
following a breakout men’s basket-
ball season when the Oregon State
coach and school agreed on a three-
year contract extension.
Tinkle, 55, now has a six-year
contract at Oregon State, a deal
that expires following the end of
the 2026-27 season. Tinkle had
two years remaining on a contract
he signed in 2019, plus a contractu-
ally obligated additional year after
the Beavers qualified for this year’s
NCAA Tournament.
Financial details of the contract
are not immediately known,
although it is expected the buyout
was increased. Tinkle currently
has a $750,000 buyout if he leaves
for another job during the next 12
months.
Amanda Loman/Associated Press, File
Oregon State head coach Wayne Tinkle calls instructions to players during
the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Oregon in
Corvallis on March 7, 2021.
Tinkle, hired prior to the 2014-
15 season after an eight-year run
at Montana, is slated to make $2.2
million in 2021-22, and $2.3 million
in 2022-23.
Oregon State just completed its
most successful season in nearly
four decades. The Beavers won
20 games for the first time since
the 2011-12 season, won their first-
ever Pac-12 tournament title, and
reached the NCAA Tournament’s
Elite Eight for the first time since
1982.
Oregon State beat Tennessee,
Oklahoma State and Loyola Univer-
sity Chicago in the NCAAs before
falling to Houston 67-61 in Midwest
Regional finals. Tinkle was slated to
make $450,000 in contract bonuses
for the the NCAA success, but OSU
coaches gave up their bonuses
this school year due to pandemic
budgetary cuts.
During his seven-year OSU run,
TInkle’s teams have finished .500 or
better six times. Under Tinkle, the
Beavers earned an NCAA tourney
berth in 2016.
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian, File
Heppner’s Sydney Wilson signed a letter of intent to play volleyball at Walla Walla Community College on Friday, April 2, 2021.
Heppner’s Sydney
Wilson signs to play
volleyball at WWCC
By ANNIE FOWLER
East Oregonian
HEPPNER — Heppner volleyball and
basketball coaches are used to hearing,
“She hasn’t graduated yet?”
Opposing coaches are referring to
Sydney Wilson, who for four years has
terrorized the Blue Mountain Conference
and dominated at the state level.
“She has been a rock,” said Mustangs
volleyball coach Mindy Wilson, who
also is Sydney’s mom. “I have been able
to put her wherever and build around her.
It’s bittersweet to see her graduate — I’m
excited to see her move on, but I will miss
her.”
Wilson won’t be going far. She signed
a letter of intent on Friday, April 2, to play
volleyball at Walla Walla Community
College.
“We are excited to have her,” WWCC
coach Chelsie Speer said. “I love getting
the small-school kids to coach. They are
gritty, hard-working kids.”
Wilson impressed Speer when she
attended a tryout with the Warriors a few
weeks ago.
“I felt like she fit in right away,” Speer
said. “That is something you look for. She
was coachable when we gave feedback. It’s
great to have that in kids.”
Wilson had her sights set on college
basketball a few months ago, but many
teams didn’t have any openings because
of COVID-19. Sophomores (at two-year
schools) and seniors were given an oppor-
tunity to return for another year, and many
chose to do so.
Just because basketball wasn’t an option
this year, doesn’t mean Wilson settled by
choosing volleyball.
“I love them both, so either is great,”
she said. “I’m very excited. It will be super
fun to be able to continue to play after high
school.”
Though this is a shortened season,
Wilson has excelled on the court with her
teammates. The Mustangs are 5-0 in BMC
See Wilson, Page A11
SPORTS SHORT
Pinch-pounder: Black Keys drummer fills in at Indians opener
By TOM WITHERS
Associated Press
CleVelaNd — patrick
Carney wasn’t nervous before
his first live drumming gig in
more than a year, just honored.
A lifelong Indians fan and
one half of The Black Keys, the
Grammy Award-winning rock
duo from Akron, Ohio, Carney
filled in on Monday, April 5,
at Cleveland’s home opener for
drummer John Adams, who is
recovering from heart surgery.
Adams missed his first home
opener since 1973, ending a run
that has featured him sitting high
in the left-field bleachers and
pounding a steady beat whenever
the Indians are hitting.
Carney was thrilled to be able
to sit in for Adams.
“I’m stoked to be here for
John,” Carney said about two
hours before the Indians hosted
the Kansas City Royals at
Progressive Field. “It’s the best
seat in the house and I wish John
could be here, obviously. When I
heard he wasn’t healthy enough
to make it, I thought it was (a)
good way to pay some respect to
him and show him some love.”
Before he could begin bang-
ing away, Carney was bestowed
drumming duties by Adams
during a video presentation in
the first inning.
Carney said he attended his
first Indians game in Cleveland
when he was “5 or 6” and that
one of his close friends who
accompanied him to that game
decades ago was attending the
opener.
Like so many musical acts,
The Black Keys haven’t been
on a stage since just before the
COVID-19 pandemic shut down
normal life.
“This is my first show since
last January,” Carney said.
“Crazy. This is gonna be fun.”
Carney said he’s looking
forward to concerts resuming
and that The Black Keys and he
and Dan Auerbach could have
an announcement next week on
their upcoming plans.
Tony Dejak/Associated Press
Black Keys drummer and lifelong Cleveland Indians fan Patrick Carney
pounds on the drum in the first inning of a baseball game between the
Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Indians on Monday, April 5, 2021, in
Cleveland.