Eastern Washington University Athletics

15-10; Coach Ed Chissus

During a quick two-month season in the spring of 1966, Eastern won the Evergreen Conference and NAIA District 1 titles with a team that broke eight school records during the year. After starting the season 2-3, Eastern reeled off a school-record six-straight victories, including wins over non-conference rivals Gonzaga (4-2) and Idaho (11-5). Four of the wins in the streak came in doubleheader sweeps of Evergreen Conference foes Central Washington and Whitworth, en route to a final league record of 8-3. Eastern closed the season with a pair of wins over Puget Sound by 7-1 and 7-4 scores to secure the Evergreen Conference title. Eastern finished 15-10 to set a single season record for victories, and also set a school record for runs with 142 (5.7 per game). In the sweep over Central, Gary Glasgow finished 6-of-7 with two home runs, seven RBI and six runs scored. Marty O’Brien belted three homers in the 15-6 and 14-4 wins. That sweep helped EWU set four more school records, including runs (29), hits (28) and home runs (5) in a doubleheader, as well as O’Brien’s individual record with three home runs. As district champions, Eastern advanced to the NAIA Pacific Coast Playoffs where its season came to a close with a narrow, 3-2 loss to Linfield, which would go on to win the national title. Glasgow hit .345 for the season and earned All-Evergreen Conference honors for the second of what would become four-straight seasons. He led the team with 22 RBI, three home runs, 10 stolen bases and 29 total hits. Pitcher Jim Chubb (pictured) was also on the All-EvCo squad after going 5.1 with a 2.05 earned run average and 35 strikeouts in 44 innings pitched. Bill Goble was 4-2 with 40 strikeouts in 41 1/3 innings, and would leave Eastern a year early after signing with the New York Yankees. Also earning all-league honors were catcher Brian Cloherty (.205, .988 fielding average); infielder Rich Wharf (.224, 17 runs scored, .956 fielding percentage); and utility player Bill Lnenicka(.274, 11 RBI, .990 fielding average). Bill Diedrick Jr., who was inducted into the Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006 as a football player and contributor, hit. 305 with a team-leading five doubles. As a team, Eastern hit .259 with 12 home runs, had a 3.05 earned run average and .956 fielding average. Eastern's only other EvCo titles came in 1963 and 1978 and the only other district titles were in 1963 and 1967. Eastern was coached by Ed Chissus, who was the 1966 NAIA District 1 Coach of the Year. He was a 1999 inductee into the Eastern Hall of Fame after winning nearly 300 games in 26 seasons as Eastern’s baseball coach.