By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

High schools
Boys basketball
Three area basketball teams are advancing into state final eight tournament action this week.
Kennedy Catholic will be going to the Tacoma Dome for the Class 3A tournament, playing Bellevue in a 9 a.m. quarterfinal Thursday.
Seattle Lutheran and Shorewood Christian are both playing in the quarterfinals of the Class 1B tournament in Spokane.
Seattle Lutheran's Saints play Almira-Coulee-Hartline at 12:15 p.m. Thursday, followed by the Shorewood Christian Lions playing at 2 p.m. against the Yakima Tribal school.
Both tournaments continue through Saturday with game times depending on earlier results.

Spring sports
High school spring sports practices got underway in the state of Washington on Monday, with the first possible action at the end of next week.

Pros
Stars
Tacoma opens professional indoor soccer playoff action Wednesday, taking on the San Diego Sockers at 7:35 p.m. at the Showare Center in Kent.

Thunderbirds
Seattle is still involved in regular season Western Hockey League action through March 20.
Next up for the Thunderbirds is a 7:35 p.m. match at Everett against the Silvertips on Friday, ahead of a 7:05 p.m. home game at the Showare Center in Kent against the Portland Winterhawks on Saturday.
Then it will be time to go out of town again to play the Tri-City Americans at 5:05 p.m. Sunday

Mariners
Seattle opens spring training play in Arizona this Wednesday, taking on the San Diego Padres in a 12:10 p.m. game in Peoria.
The Mariners play the same team at the same time and place Thursday and visit the Milwaukee Brewers in their camp at 12:05 p.m. Friday.
Seattle goes back to Peoria for 12:10 action against the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday before visiting Chief Sealth graduate Keone Kela and the Texas Rangers at 12:05 p.m. Sunday, hosting the Arizona Diamondbacks at 12:10 p.m. Monday and visiting the Cleveland Indians at 12:05 p.m. Tuesday.

Colleges
Pac-12 women
The University of Washington and Washington State University will both be involved in the Pac-12 tournament at the KeyArena in Seattle that runs Thursday through Sunday.
Washington takes on Colorado at 8:30 p.m. Thursday with the winner meeting Stanford at the same time Friday.
WSU's Cougars, meanwhile, play their first round game at 2 p.m. Thursday.
Games can be seen on the Pac-12 network.

Pac-12 men
Washington State University visits the University of Washington at 8 p.m. Wednesday as the Pac-12 men's regular season concludes.
ESPNU will carry the game live.

Redhawks men
Seattle University visits California State University Bakersfield for a 7 p.m. game Saturday.

Redhawks women
The Redhawks entertain California State University Bakersfield at 2 p.m. Saturday.

Falcons men
Kennedy graduate Mitch Penner and the Seattle Pacific University men's basketball team will be opening Greater Northwest Athletic Conference tournament play with a 2:30 p.m. game against Central Washington University at Saint Martin's in Lacey this Thursday.

Falcons women
The Seattle Pacific University women's team will also be going to Lacey for GNAC tournament action starting Thursday, playing at 5:30 p.m. or 7 p.m.
SPU's team includes Mount Rainier graduate Jordan McPhee.