The 23rd all-state volleyball series is quickly approaching. The games, which will be played Saturday, July 19 at Fife High School, feature some of the best graduated seniors in the state.

Three matches are scheduled, with players from 1B/2B, 1A/2A and 3A/4A competing against another team of the same classifications. Here’s the schedule:

4 p.m. — Class 1B/2B match

6 p.m. — Class 1A/2A match

8 p.m. — Class 3A/4A match

Admission is $6 for adults, $4 for students over 12 and children 11 and under are admitted free. T-shirts will be given away between

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A familiar face will coach the Auburn baseball team in 2009. Abijah “Baj” Alastra has been named the coach, Auburn athletic director Bob Jones said in a press release.

“There is a high expectation for competitive baseball in Auburn,” Jones said, “and I believe Baj can help our program continue the winning tradition.”

Alastra was an assistant from 2005-2007 under former head coach Tim Kuykendall and assisted at Auburn-Riverside in 2008. He was also an assistant at Downey (Calif.) High from 1999-2005 and played at Washington State University.

Alastra was a candidate for the position when it

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Here are the all-state baseball teams as voted on by media, including The News Tribune, from across the state and compiled by Tri-City Herald reporter Rene Ferran. To receive recognition, a player had to receive at least two votes.

This team is different than the one released by the state baseball coaches association. The differences, as stated by Rene Ferran, are: this one is voted upon by media; the teams are selected by position; and the coaches lump 1A, 2B and 1B together, while the media selects separate teams for the three classifications.

For example, for the coaches’ team, of the 21 first-team players on the 3A team, only two were outfielders. The media team has 12 first-teamers, three of whom are outfielders.

This is not to imply that one all-state team is better than another. It is simply to say that each has different criteria for its selection process.

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Here is the all-state boys soccer team as voted on by media, including The News Tribune, from across the state and compiled by Tri-City Herald reporter Rene Ferran. To receive recognition, a player had to receive at least two votes.

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Here are the all-state softball teams as voted on by media, including The News Tribune, from across the state and compiled by Tri-City Herald reporter Rene Ferran. To receive recognition, a player had to receive at least two votes.

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W.F. West quarterback Griffin Squires put the West ahead early with a first-quarter touchdown pass, but the East rallied to win the Class 2A-1A-B All-Star football game, 17-6, last weekend at Zaepfel Stadium in Yakima.

Squires, who connected with Lynden receiver Ryan Gaylord for a 21-yard touchdown, was named the West’s offensive MVP and Tumwater’s Hank Bryant was the team’s defensive MVP.

For the East, BYU-bound Spencer Hadley of Connell was the offensive MVP and Cashmere defensive back Tanner Wood was the defensive MVP.

The 3A/4A all-state football game will be played July 3 at Central Valley

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The 32-team Curtis Shootout tips off on Friday and runs through Sunday.

Class 3A finalists Rainier Beach and Lakes are in opposite brackets. Other teams of interest competing are Auburn-Riverside, Bethel, Mark Morris, Decatur, North Thurtson, Gig Harbor, Wilson, Puyallup, Timberline, River Ridge, Vashon Island, Tahoma, Cascade Christian, Fife, Timberline, Foss, Steilacoom, Enumclaw and, of course, Curtis.

Here are links to the A bracket and B bracket.

After sifting through nominations from 70 schools, The News Tribune named Lakes’ Jermaine Kearse and Tumwater’s Ashley Andrews the male and female prep athletes of the year.

Kearse is a three-sport standout in football, basketball and track, and will play football at the University of Washington.

Andrews excelled at basketball and fastpitch and will play fastpitch at the University of Tennessee.

Here are video interviews with Kearse and Andrews.

Here is the story on Kearse and here is the story on Andrews. After each story are briefs of five other athletes who

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