Mariners honor Jackie Robinson

The Seattle Mariners returned home from the wintry cold of the East Coast and were finally able to play a series without interruption. In their triumphant return to Safeco Field, the Mariners took two of three from division-foe Texas.

The highlight of the weekend came on Sunday, the day of the series finale. That day, April 15, was the 60th anniversary of Jackie Robinson’s first day in Major League Baseball. His achievement of breaking the color barrier in sports was honored nationwide, as players from almost every team wore the No. 42 jersey in his remembrance.

The Mariners took part in honoring him as five players, Adrian Beltre, Jose Lopez, Jason Ellison, Arthur Rhodes and Miguel Bautista donned the retired number in lieu of their normal ones.

Jerry Hairston Jr., and coaches Ron Washington and Gary Pettis did the same for the Rangers.

The game was one of Seattle’s premier offensive outings of the season, as they won 14-6 behind four home runs, including two from newcomer Jose Vidro.

Huskies call game due to rain

After heading down to Portland Tuesday to prepare for a one-game series with the Pilots, Washington’s baseball team learned yesterday that their game would have to wait. Severe rainstorms in the forecast for the Portland area created enough reason to postpone the contest.

The game will be played today at 3 p.m. at Joe Etzel Field. The match-up for the game will remain the same, as the Huskies plan to send sophomore Jason Erickson to the mound against Portland.

Tyson reigning Pac-10 Player of the Week

After using four games in four days to go 9-12, hit three home runs and drive in seven runs, senior Dena Tyson was named the Pac-10 Player of the Week in softball.

Tyson was instrumental in the Huskies’ wins over Portland State and Oregon, and gave them the lead in an eventual loss to Oregon State Sunday.

Against the Vikings, Tyson hit her first home run of the week — a two-run blast — as Washington won 6-1. Friday, she hit another two-run homer off Oregon, which gave the team a four-run cushion in a 7-1 victory.

As a senior on the No. 12 team in the country, Tyson has not only been the offensive leader for the Huskies, but also the offensive benchmark for the Pac-10. In conference games, she leads the Pac-10 in batting average (.609), slugging percentage (1.130), on-base percentage (.679) and home runs (4).

This was Tyson’s first time being honored as player of the week and it might not be the last, as she continues in her best season at Washington.

Reach reporter Justin Chartrey at sports@thedaily.washington.edu.