Mariners play ball with Whitman

Whitman College's baseball team peppered representatives from the Seattle Mariners Caravan on Thursday when the big leaguers came to town for an afternoon of tips for the amateurs and autographs for the public. The Mariners have made an annual stop at Walla Walla for years.

The Blues crew asked relief pitcher Dan Altavilla and utility player Shawn O'Malley questions about wide-ranging topics such as what to eat before workouts, what to look for when drag bunting, what to think about in the batter's box and what to do to combat muscle soreness.

Longtime Mariners broadcaster Rick Rizzs emceed the 30-minute exchange. He fielded a query about his most memorable experience in 31 years at the microphone.

—Staff report