Barry Matthews
When I look at the Spokane RiverHawks I see a bridge.
This is a baseball team that provides a link between athletes from around the country and the wonderful community of Spokane. It’s a team that bridges the gap between colleges. During the season, many of these players sit in opposite dugouts and face each other as adversaries standing in the path of each other’s dreams.
On this team, they put aside rivalries and come together as teammates to learn from each other and grow as athletes and as people.
The RiverHawks also provides a vehicle for bridging the gap between skill levels.
Each year, as we invite players to become members of the Spokane RiverHawks, it is this vision that we as coaches have in mind. This year, with a new owner who is so supportive of this vision, a team of dedicated athletes, and the support of a community that’s second to none, I have no doubt that the bridge we’ve built will carry us to horizons we’ve yet to imagine.
And I, for one, am looking forward to the journey to the other side.
The RiverHawks is also a place where college athletes get to experience communities outside of the ones where they grew up. They have an opportunity to contribute to the community that has welcomed them as a part of it and they also have the chance to step up as role models for the young baseball players in that community and help them build the skills they will need to be successful in baseball and in life.
For many of these college athletes, the RiverHawks will be their first opportunity to give something back to the sport that has been so good to them and means so much to them. 
