Fast Break

College basketball

Whits No. 18 in latest poll

Whitworth’s perfect start has earned the attention of the voters in the D3hoops.com top 25 men’s poll.

The Pirates are ranked 18th in the first regular-season poll. They were among “others receiving votes” in the preseason poll.

The last time Whitworth was ranked was during the 2002-03 season.

Virginia Wesleyan is the No. 1-ranked team in the poll and Whitworth conference foe Puget Sound is ranked 22nd.

Baseball

Tacoma Rainiers get celeb owner

Former “Newlywed” Nick Lachey announced a new union Wednesday – and no, it has nothing to do with Jessica Simpson.

Lachey was introduced as a part owner of the Tacoma Rainiers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. He’s part of the Schlegel Sports Group based out of Dallas, and a one-third owner of the Rainiers.

Lachey’s singing career is in the midst of an upswing since his divorce from Simpson.

Tacoma has been home to a Pacific Coast League franchise since 1960. PCL President Branch Rickey pointed out other notable owners in the league – Warren Buffet (Omaha) and Nolan Ryan (Round Rock).

Rickey also knew when he followed Lachey at the podium Wednesday morning, that only one segment of the audience was paying attention to him.

“I’m speaking to the men,” Rickey joked. “The women can keep looking where they’re looking.”

NFL

Owens defends fired kicker

Terrell Owens isn’t just sorry to see his pal Mike Vanderjagt go. He thinks the Dallas Cowboys made a mistake by releasing the wayward kicker.

“I don’t see what he did wrong to warrant him being cut,” Owens said. “I hope it doesn’t come back to haunt us.”

Vanderjagt was released Monday, only 11 games into a three-year, $5.4 million contract.

“Going into the Colts game, the guy was 12 of 15. That’s still a high kicking percentage,” Owens said. “He didn’t lose any games for us. If I had to put myself in the mix, I feel like I lost some games and I’m still here, so it’s just unfortunate.”