NW Briefs | Chambers Bay fir will survive

The signature Douglas fir on the Chambers Bay golf course that was attacked by a vandal with an ax sometime after dark on April 29 is expected to survive.

Chambers Bay superintendent David Wienecke said that the tree is "doing quite well" under the circumstances. He said that arborists who have studied the damaged tree "feel it's going to survive."

The tree is behind the 15th green near the 16th tee and is the only tree on the course. There are trees bordering one side of a few holes on the links-style layout south of Tacoma that will host the U.S. Amateur in 2010 and the U.S. Open in 2015.

The vandal hacked an 8-by-18-inch gash in the tree, which is a popular perching place for eagles. Two metal braces have been attached over the open area to reduce stress on the attacked area.

Wienecke said a black cyclone fence will be put around the tree to protect it.

Pierce County has offered up a $1,000 reward for information in the case.

Redhawks hire Harrel

Donny Harrel has been hired as baseball coach at Seattle University, which plans to reinstate baseball as a varsity sport in time for fall 2009.

Harrel has been an assistant at Washington since 2004. He previously was head coach at Lane Community College in Eugene, Ore., where he was 220-90 in seven seasons.

Notes

• A half-dozen Seattle-area high-school students got to spend some time with Mariners pitchers Brandon Morrow and Miguel Batista before Tuesday's game in honor of their volunteer work. The six were named captains of the 2007-2008 Seattle Action Team, a service-learning program in which the students raised awareness amongst their peers about the importance of community involvement and volunteerism.

The students were Peter McDonnell of Archbishop Murphy High School; Leslie Grieser, Kara Matsuzawa and Konrad Palubicki of Cascade High School; and MacKenzie Hammon and Nic Gregg of Sultan High School.

• Gonzaga sophomore forward Larry Gurganious announced he will transfer, likely to a school closer to his family in Oakland, Calif. He averaged 3.3 points and 2.6 rebounds in 26 games for the Bulldogs last season.

• Volleyball libero Courtney Schneider and golfer Sean Packer have been named Western Washington's athletes of the year.

• Seattle Sounders defenseman Taylor Graham was named to the United Soccer League's team of the week for the second time this season.

• The Seattle Thunderbirds traded forward Steve Oursov to the Red Deer Rebels for forward Mike Krgovich and a fifth-round pick in the 2010 Bantam Draft. Krgovich, 18, had four goals and three assists in 63 games with the Rebels last season.

• Ian Waldron, a 2006 graduate of Edmonds-Woodway who spent the past two years at Arizona Western College, has signed a letter of intent to play baseball at Chico State.

• The Snohomish County Explosion of the International Basketball League has signed forward Craig Roosendaal, a graduate of King's High of Shoreline and Western Washington.

• Troy Peterson, a 2004 graduate of Seattle Prep who rowed collegiately at Army, has been named to the Northeast all-region rowing team by the American Collegiate Rowing Association.

Wire and sports-information reports contributed to this article.