Beavers Set To Begin Pac-10 Play
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March 24, 2004
FRIDAY, MARCH 26 Oregon State at California; 2 p.m. (Radio: Live on KEJO-AM 1240. Live stats: www.osubeavers.com) SATURDAY, MARCH 27 Oregon State at California; 1 p.m. (Radio: Live on KEJO-AM 1240. Live stats: www.osubeavers.com) SUNDAY, MARCH 28 Oregon State at California; 1 p.m. (Radio: Live on KEJO-AM 1240. Live stats: www.osubeavers.com)
First there's Opening Day. Then there's the home-opener. Now, after six weeks and 20 games, Oregon State reaches the last of its 2004 openers - the start of the Pacific-10 season.
The Beavers (14-6 overall, 0-0 Pacific-10) visit California (14-15, 2-1) this weekend for the first series on the conference schedule with games Friday at 2 p.m., Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
"I'm looking forward to it," OSU head coach Pat Casey said. "We're looking forward to getting back on the field and playing again. The Pac-10 is such a prestigious conference that you always look forward to conference."
Cal is one of just two teams in the Pac-10 with a losing record, but the Golden Bears visited Arizona State last weekend and returned home with two wins over a team that had been ranked sixth in the nation going into the series.
"And Cal got them pretty good a couple of times, so I'm quite certain that everything we have, we're going to have to bring with us in order to compete with them," Casey said, referring to Cal's wins of 9-7 and 20-8 before losing the finale 8-4.
The Beavers go to California with the Pac-10's best team earned run average at 3.59. Sophomore righthander Andy Baldwin is seventh among the conference's individual ERA leaders at 2.67 and senior lefthander Jake Postlewait is eighth at 2.83; Baldwin was named the Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week for his six shutout innings in beating Utah Valley State last Saturday.
While OSU ranks near the bottom of the conference in fielding percentage, Oregon State has committed just 10 errors in its last 9 games after committing 25 errors in its first 11 contests.
"We have to pitch and play defense every time out, and then if we do have some times that we don't execute offensively, we still have a chance," Casey said.
After winning eight of their first nine games this season, the Beavers attracted some notice in the national rankings - including drawing the 40th-best vote total in this week's Sports Weekly/ESPN coaches poll. OSU has played over .500 ball since then, but has left itself room for improvement.
"We really have to prove it on the field, and we have to prove it on the field every weekend," Casey said. We've proven at times that we're a pretty good club, and we've proven at times that we need to get better. We started out playing very well, and I think lately we haven't been consistent in what we're doing; in the execution part of the game, we haven't done well at all."
OSU is third in team batting average with a .304 mark through the season's first six weeks, and the Beavers are second in team on-base percentage at .414.
Sophomore outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury is riding a nine-game hitting streak that has carried him to third place in the Pac-10 batting race at .417; he also leads the conference with 12 stolen bases and ranks sixth in on-base percentage at .505. Ellsbury has two home runs and eight runs batted in.
Freshman outfielder Mike Lissman is fifth in the Pac-10 in batting at .395 and eighth in one-base percentage at .492; he's got two home runs and 12 RBIs. Junior outfielder Aaron Mathews is batting .358 with one homer and 19 RBIs, and sophomore third baseman Shea McFeely is batting .352 with team-highs of three homers and 20 RBIs.
OREGON STATE LINEUP:
C - Paul Richie, sr.; Kelso, Wash. (Kelso HS); .296, 1 HR, 13 RBIs or - Billy Munich, so.; El Macero, Calif. (Jesuit HS); .136, 0 HRs, 4 RBIs 1B - Andy Jenkins, jr.; Salem, Ore. (Mt. Hood CC); .295, 3 HRs, 17 RBIs or - Scott Nelson, so.; Eugene, Ore. (North Eugene HS); .083, 0 HRs, 0 RBIs or - Cole Gillespie, fr.; West Linn, Ore. (West Linn HS); .091, 0 HRs, 1 RBI 2B - Chris Kunda, so.; Philomath, Ore. (Philomath HS); .226, 0 HRs, 9 RBIs or - Chad Schroeder, fr.; Everett, Wash. (Cascade HS); .350, 0 HRs, 1 RBI 3B - Shea McFeely, so.; Federal Way, Wash. (Tacoma CC); .352, 3 HRs, 20 RBIs SS - Tony Calderon, so.; Orange, Calif. (Santa Ana JC); .188, 0 HRs, 11 RBIs LF - Mike Lissman, fr.; Ontario, Ore. (Ontario HS); .392, 2 HRs, 12 RBIs or - Tyler Graham, so.; Great Falls, Mont. (C.M. Russell HS); .280, 0 HRs, 2 RBIs RF - Jacoby Ellsbury, so.; Madras, Ore. (Madras HS); .417, 2 HRs, 8 RBIs CF - Aaron Mathews, jr.; John Day, Ore. (Grant Union HS); .358, 1 HR, 19 RBIs DH - Chris Campos, jr.; Modesto, Calif. (Modesto JC); .300, 2 HRs, 12 RBIs or - Mike Hass, sr.; Redmond, Wash. (U. of Nevada); .314, 1 HR, 4 RBIs (Tentative pitching rotation) LHP - Jake Postlewait, sr.; Corvallis, Ore. (Corvallis HS); 5-0 record, 2.83 ERA RHP - Andy Baldwin, so.; Hood River, Ore. (Hood River Valley HS); 4-2 record, 2.67 ERA RHP / LHP - To be announced
OREGON STATE ALL-TIME VS. THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT: Oregon State has an all-time record of 12-31 against California in a series dating back to 1916. OSU also opened its Pacific-10 schedule against the Bears last season in Corvallis, winning the opening game 8-6 before losing 8-6 and 19-13; the last game of that series took 3 hours, 56 minutes to play as the teams combined for 38 hits, 9 home runs and 8 doubles. The last series in Berkeley was in 2002 and saw Cal sweep by scores of 13-7, 2-1 in 15 innings, and 8-3.
OREGON STATE'S LATEST GAMES: Oregon State wrapped up a 6-game homestand March 19-March 21, taking 2 of 3 games from Utah Valley State at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field.
On March 19, Aaron Mathews went 4-for-4 with a double, a triple and 4 runs batted in to help Oregon State to an 11-5 win. Jake Postlewait survived a 4-run top of the first inning to pitch his fifth win of the season. Mathews doubled, singled and tripled in his first 3 trips to the plate and had 2 tries at hitting a home run to complete the cycle; he singled and walked in his last 2 appearances. Mathews' 2-run double and run-scoring singles by Mike Hass and Tony Calderon tied the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the first inning, then the Beavers took the lead at 6-4 when Chad Schroeder's 2-out grounder was thrown away by UVSC shortstop Dylan Priest and both Calderon and Paul Richie scored on the play. After OSU took the lead in the bottom of the first, Postlewait pitched 4.0 scoreless innings to improve to 5-0 this season. He allowed 9 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4, and got out of a bases-loaded, 1 out jam in the third inning. OSU made it 7-4 on Jacoby Ellsbury's run-scoring single to centerfield in the third inning and tacked on 3 more runs in the fourth inning on Mathews' 2-run triple to centerfield and Calderon's sacrifice fly for a 10-4 lead. Ellsbury, Andy Jenkins, Richie and Schroeder all had 2 hits each for the Beavers. Jonah Nickerson allowed just 1 run on 3 hits in his 2.0 innings of work.
On March 20, Andy Baldwin and Kevin Gunderson combined on the shutout as Oregon State beat Utah Valley State 7-0. Jacoby Ellsbury was 3-for-5 with a home run, a double and 3 runs batted in for the Beavers. Baldwin went the first 6 innings to improve his record to 4-3 this season, allowing 9 hits and 1 walk while striking out 4. Gunderson then pitched a hitless final 3.0 innings to earn the first save of his career, retiring the first 8 hitters he faced. With OSU hanging onto a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Beavers loaded the bases with 2 out. Ellsbury hit a high chopper to the right side that he turned into an infield single to drive in Oregon State's third run; Mike Lissman followed with a 2-run single to rightfield to make it 5-0. Shea McFeely was the only other Beaver with more than one hit, going 2-for-3. OSU had gone in front 1-0 in the bottom of the second inning when McFeely singled and eventually scored on Paul Richie's groundout. Oregon State made it 2-0 in the third when Ellsbury doubled to right-center and scored on Andy Jenkins' groundout.
On March 21, Utah Valley State rallied for 2 runs in the ninth inning to beat Oregon State 5-4. The Beavers left 12 men on base in the game, costing them a sweep of the three-game series. Utah Valley State got a run-scoring single by Ryan K. Jones and a sacrifice fly by Trent Perry in the ninth inning off OSU closer Dallas Buck. The Wolverines took advantage of a leadoff single by Sam Van Dyken, an error and a walk to pick up the two runs and the lead. OSU had gone in front 4-3 on Shea McFeely's solo homer to start the bottom of the sixth inning, but the Beavers left 8 runners on base - including 4 in scoring position - over the final 5 innings. UVSC scored 2 first-inning runs on 3 hits against OSU righthander Ben Rowe. The Beavers tied it in the bottom of the inning on Tony Calderon's 2-run single. Rowe then settled in to retire 7 of the next 9 hitters he faced, but he couldn't make it out of the fourth inning as the Wolverines strung together 3 straight hits to take a 3-2 lead. Reliever Jake McCormick then got out of the jam with an inning-ending double play. Oregon State tied the game 3-3 in the bottom of the inning when Andy Jenkins singled and scored on 2 Wolverine errors. Jacoby Ellsbury, Tyler Graham and Mike Lissman were 2-for-4 for OSU while Calderon was 2-for-3.
OREGON STATE NOTES: When Oregon State plays California on Saturday, it will be the 3,000th game on the Beavers' all-time varsity baseball record. OSU, now playing its 95th season of varsity baseball, is 1,761-1,222-15 since starting the sport in 1907 ... Oregon State got through its 6 home games in March without a single rain delay at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field and averaged over 1,000 fans per game; we have no idea the last time either of those things could have happened during the month that allegedly comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb but, in Oregon, more often comes in like a lion and goes out like a slightly wetter lion. In fact, an average of 1,003 fans per home date took advantage of 6 mostly-sunny afternoons to watch the Beavers begin their home schedule ... freshman righthander Jake McCormick has appeared in 9 games and pitched 14.2 innings this spring without allowing an earned run ... OSU has recorded 2 shutouts this season, both by 7-0 and both on the 20th day of a month - at Texas-Arlington on Feb. 20 and against Utah Valley State on March 20 ... when freshman righthander Dallas Buck earned the save in a 3-2 win over The Citadel on March 5, it was his fifth save of 2004; that tied him for the third-best single-season save mark in OSU history ... sophomore outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury has stolen 3 bases in a game 3 times this season. Prior to that, OSU hadn't had a player steal 3 bases in a game since the opening weekend of the 2001 season. Ellsbury was successful in his first 11 steal attempts of the season ... junior outfielder Aaron Mathews tied the Beavers' school record for doubles in a game when he hit 3 against The Citadel on March 2 in the First Hawai'i Title Rainbow Baseball Tournament ... Jacoby Ellsbury has OSU's longest current hitting streak at 9 games; no other Beaver is working on a streak longer than 2 games. Ellsbury's streak matches OSU's longest of the year, 9-gamers by Aaron Mathews and Shea McFeely ... Ellsbury leads the Beavers in multi-hit games this season with 13 while Mathews has 8, McFeely 7, Andy Jenkins 6 and Mike Lissman 5 ... leading the way in multi-RBI games are Jenkins and Mathews with 5, followed by Calderon and McFeely with 4 each and Lissman and Chris Campos with 3 each ... OSU was the Pacific-10's last unbeaten team in the 2004 season, not losing until Feb. 28 ... OSU's first 10 wins included 3 wins by a 1-run margin and 2 wins by a 2-run margin ... in 3 games at the Texas-Arlington Invitational, Campos was 7-for-9 with 1 triple, 1 home run, 6 runs batted in, 3 walks, 1 hit by pitch and 3 runs scored; he reached base in his last 10 plate appearances of the weekend ... during the first weekend of the season at the Coca-Cola Classic in Surprise, Ariz., OSU used 12 players who made their 4-year college debut, including 8 true freshmen.
OREGON STATE AMONG PACIFIC-10 LEADERS: Here is where Oregon State ranks among the Pacific-10 leaders through games of March 21:
INDIVIDUAL BATTING 3. Jacoby Ellsbury .417 5. Mike Lissman .392 INDIVIDUAL SLUGGING 6. Shea McFeely .634 INDIVIDUAL ON-BASE 5. Chris Campos .525 6. Jacoby Ellsbury .505 8. Mike Lissman .492 INDIVIDUAL RUNS 3. Jacoby Ellsbury 26 INDIVIDUAL HITS 3. (tie) Jacoby Ellsbury 35 INDIVIDUAL RUNS BATTED IN 8. (tie) Shea McFeely 20 INDIVIDUAL DOUBLES 4. (tie) Shea McFeely 9 6. (tie) Aaron Mathews 8 INDIVIDUAL TRIPLES 1. (tie) Aaron Mathews 3 7. (tie) Chris Campos 2 INDIVIDUAL TOTAL BASES 9. Jacoby Ellsbury 48 INDIVIDUAL HIT BY PITCH 1. (tie) Chris Campos 8 3. (tie) Jacoby Ellsbury 7 8. (tie) Shea McFeely 5 8. (tie) Shea McFeely 5 INDIVIDUAL STOLEN BASES 1. Jacoby Ellsbury 12 INDIVIDUAL EARNED RUN AVERAGE 7. Andy Baldwin 2.67 8. Jake Postlewait 2.83 INDIVIDUAL WINS 2. (tie) Jake Postlewait 5 4. (tie) Andy Baldwin 4 4. (tie) Kevin Gunderson 4 INDIVIDUAL SAVES 1. (tie) Dallas Buck 5 INDIVIDUAL APPEARANCES 5. (tie) Dallas Buck 11 INDIVIDUAL FIELDING 1. (tie) Aaron Mathews 1.000 INDIVIDUAL CHANCES 7. (tie) Andy Jenkins 158 INDIVIDUAL PUTOUTS 6. Andy Jenkins 146 INDIVIDUAL ASSISTS 8. (tie) Tony Calderon 47 INDIVIDUAL DOUBLE PLAYS 2. (tie) Andy Jenkins 19 3. (tie) Chris Kunda 18 6. (tie) Tony Calderon 17 TEAM BATTING 3. Oregon State .304 TEAM SLUGGING 6. Oregon State .447 TEAM ON-BASE 2. Oregon State .414 TEAM RUNS 4. Oregon State 151 TEAM HITS 5. Oregon State 211 TEAM RUNS BATTED IN 5. Oregon State 135 TEAM DOUBLES 4. Oregon State 38 TEAM TRIPLES 3. Oregon State 8 TEAM HOME RUNS 8. (tie) Oregon State 15 TEAM TOTAL BASES 6. Oregon State 310 TEAM AT-BATS 7. Oregon State 694 TEAM WALKS 4. Oregon State 99 TEAM HIT BY PITCH 1. (tie) Oregon State 37 TEAM STOLEN BASES 3. (tie) Oregon State 25 TEAM EARNED RUN AVERAGE 1. Oregon State 3.59 TEAM OPPOSING BATTING 6. Oregon State .271 TEAM INNINGS PITCHED 7. Oregon State 175.1 TEAM STRIKEOUTS 9. Oregon State 127 TEAM WINS 3. (tie) Oregon State 14 TEAM SAVES 3. Oregon State 7 TEAM FIELDING 8. Oregon State .955 TEAM DOUBLE PLAYS 3. Oregon State 27
SMALL TOWNS, BIG-TIME PLAYERS: In 2003, Oregon State's "Middle-of-Nowhere Outfield" debuted with leftfielder Seth Pietsch of Wilderville, centerfielder Aaron Mathews of John Day, and rightfielder Jacoby Ellsbury of Madras. The combined population of those 3 small towns in rural Oregon is 7,481.
This spring, you remove Pietsch from the equation after he was drafted in the eighth round by the New York Mets; then add freshman Mike Lissman of Ontario and your new population figure skyrockets to 17,899.
For those not familiar with Oregon's geography east of the Cascade Mountains, John Day (pop. 1,836) is tucked in the mountains of Northeastern Oregon; Madras (pop. 5,078) is located on the high desert north of Bend in Central Oregon; and Ontario (pop. 10,985) is located along the Snake River on the eastern edge of the state.
Mathews, a junior, was a Freshman All-America selection by Collegiate Baseball newspaper in 2002, then missed most of the first half of the 2003 season because of an injury. He's batting .358 with 1 homer and 19 runs batted in, and his 8 doubles place him among the Pac-10 leaders.
Ellsbury, a sophomore, earned Freshman All-America honors from both Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball in 2003, and Baseball America ranked him as one of the nation's top 50 sophomores heading into this season. He's batting .417 with 2 homers, 8 RBIs and leads the Pac-10 with 12 stolen bases; he's also among the conference leaders in batting average, slugging percentage and on-base average.
Lissman hasn't become a full-time figure in the outfield, playing there part-time and as OSU's designated hitter part-time. He's been a presence at the plate, though, batting .392 with 2 homers and 12 RBIs.
ROOKS PROVIDE BULLPEN'S BACKBONE: When Oregon State needs to get someone up in the bullpen this spring, just hollering for the freshman to get loose will only lead to confusion. There are 4 freshmen who are making big contributions in relief for OSU this season - righthanders Dallas Buck, Jake McCormick and Jonah Nickerson and lefthander Kevin Gunderson.
Buck leads the Pacific-10 with 5 saves through March 14, including one in a win over Pacific Northwest rival Washington on Feb. 29. McCormick has yet to allow an earned run in 14.2 innings over 9 appearances and opponents are hitting just .122 against him. Gunderson has fashioned a 1.02 earned run average and is 4-0, having earned wins in the first 4 appearances of his career. Nickerson is the only one of the group to have been a starter, getting the nod for a pair of games and pitching OSU to a win over Chicago State.
FIVE PITCHES, FIVE OUTS FOR McCORMICK: It doesn't get much better than 5 outs on 5 pitches, and that's what Oregon State pitcher Jake McCormick managed against Utah Valley State on March 21. The freshman righthander entered the game in the top of the fourth inning with 1 out and the bases loaded; he got out of the jam with 1 pitch, getting Kevin Hashimoto to ground to OSU second baseman Chris Kunda to start an inning-ending double play. In the fifth, UVSC's Ryan K. Jones fouled off the McCormick's first pitch and then flied out to rightfield; Trent Perry and Daniel Bulow followed with groundouts on the first pitches they saw from McCormick.
ELLSBURY THREATENS TRAFFIC: For the duration of Jacoby Ellsbury's career, Oregon State's public safety officials may want to post "Watch Out For Falling Horsehide" signs along Washington Way in the vicinity of Goss Stadium at Coleman Field. The sophomore outfielder threatened both motorists and pedestrians well beyond the rightfield fence with his first 2 home runs of the season March 12 and March 20.
The rightfield foul line is 330 feet at the OSU ballpark, and the distance from the foul pole to the curb on the north side of Washington Way measures out at 132 feet down the foul line. Ellsbury's first homer, hit against Gonzaga, was just fair and traveled to within 15 feet or so of the street; just over a week later, he walloped a high fly - a little further into fair territory - to the edge of the street against Utah Valley State. A best-guess estimate puts the distances at around 445 feet and 460 feet.
"Honestly, you can't feel it at all when you hit a ball like that. That has to be the farthest ball I've ever hit, right there," Ellsbury said after the second homer. "I mean, I didn't think I had any more power than the one I hit against Gonzaga. It's a great feeling."
FANS FLOCK TO FIRST HOME SERIES: After spending the first 4 weeks of the season on the road, Oregon State opened its home schedule against Gonzaga from March 12-14. And during the season's first series at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field, Beaver fans showed they were more than ready to watch a little baseball.
At least 1,100 fans made their way into the ballpark for each of the games; it was the first series to draw 4-figure crowds on all 3 days since the Beavers hosted UCLA from April 19-21, 2002. The weekend's total attendance of 4,111 was the second-most for a series since the ballpark's 1999 renovation, trailing only the 4,226 for three games against Stanford from April 26-28, 2002.
The March 12 crowd of 1,776 was the second-largest at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field since the ballpark's 1999 renovation, and it was the largest crowd for an Opening Day since then. The only larger crowd in that period was 1,838 to see the Beavers beat fourth-ranked Stanford 4-3 on April 27, 2002.
"What an awesome crowd," OSU head coach Pat Casey said after the 12-2 win on Opening Day. "The atmosphere was fantastic. Usually when we come out at this time of year, we're wondering if we're going to have to be putting the tarp on the field."
The Beavers and Bulldogs drew 1,223 fans on Saturday and 1,112 on Sunday for an average crowd of 1,370 during the series.
BEAVERS HAD FASTEST START IN 42 YEARS: When Oregon State beat Southwest Missouri State 5-4 on Feb. 22 to conclude the Texas-Arlington Invitational, it gave the Beavers their fastest baseball start in 42 years. The last time OSU had won 6 straight games to start the season came in 1962, when the Beavers were en route to winning their first 18 games.
OSU eventually won its first 7 games before a loss, and that tied the 2004 Beavers for the eighth-fastest start in OSU history. OSU started 18-0 in both 1951 and 1962; 15-0 in 1959; 10-0 in 1960; 9-0 in 1927; 8-0 in 1930 and 1947; and was also 7-0 in 1938, 1939 and 1952.
HASS' FIRST FIVE HITS TIE RECORD: Senior outfielder Mike Hass made the first 5 hits of his Oregon State career count. The transfer from Nevada went 5-for-5 with a double and a home run in an 8-3 win over Arkansas-Little Rock on Feb. 21 to tie OSU's school record for hits in a game. The outburst came a day after Hass had been relegated to the bench in the fourth inning of a win over Texas-Arlington after being picked off first base.
"It's a great way to respond," OSU head coach Pat Casey said. Added Hass: "That was the first time I think I've ever been picked off, besides having a lefthander's move to first. I was pretty disappointed in myself. I was trying to do something to help the team out ... Coach Casey told me he'd give me a chance, and I appreciated that. It's early in the season and we've got a lot to go still, but it's nice to win."
Hass, incidentally, is not the same Mike Hass that is a freshman wide receiver on Oregon State's football team; the pair are not related.
BEAVERS GET A FIRST, A SECOND AND TWO MAYBES: Oregon State started its season by appearing in 4 tournaments. No champion was named at the Coca-Cola Classic, held Feb. 13-15 in Surprise, Ariz., or at the Texas-Arlington Invitational, held Feb. 20-22 in Arlington, Tex., but OSU was the only team to go unbeaten in both of those events. Oregon State won the championship of the Riverside Baseball Invitational, held Feb. 27-29 in Riverside, Calif.; it marked the second time the Beavers have won that tournament, as OSU was also the RBI champion in 1985. OSU placed second in the First Hawai'i Title Rainbow Baseball Tournament, held March 2-6 in Honolulu, Haw., as the Beavers lost to host Hawai'i in the championship game.
BEAVERS ON ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAMS: Oregon State had 3 players named to the all-tournament team as the Beavers finished as runners-up at the First Hawai'i Title Rainbow Baseball Tournament on March 1-5 in Honolulu, Haw. - outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury and infielder's Chris Kunda and Shea McFeely. For the tournament, Ellsbury batted .526 (10-for-19) with six runs scored; Kunda batted .267 (4-for-15) with a double and three runs batted in but recorded 14 assists and four putouts; and McFeely batted .444 (4-for-18) with four doubles and six runs batted in.
Oregon State had 2 players named to the all-tournament team as OSU went unbeaten at the Coca-Cola Classic on Feb. 13-15 in Surprise, Ariz. - outfielder Aaron Mathews and pitcher Dallas Buck. Mathews was 4-for-12 with 2 doubles and a team-high 4 RBIs during the tournament. In OSU's final game, he cut down a Cal State-Northridge rally with a catch he made diving away from home plate and toward the centerfield wall; the catch started an inning-ending double play and the Beavers wound up winning 3-2. Buck had saves in his first 2 collegiate appearances, closing out the Beavers' 8-6 wins over Utah and Gonzaga in OSU's first 2 games at the tournament. Buck pitched a total of 2.1 innings, allowing 3 hits and 0 walks while striking out 2.
There were no all-tournament teams named at the Texas-Arlington Invitational or the Riverside Baseball Invitational.
BEAVERS BRING BACK ORANGE JERSEYS: On Feb. 14, Oregon State wore orange jerseys for what is believed to be the first time since 1984 and took an 8-6 win over Gonzaga. Coincidentally, the win came on the day that Oregon - The Beaver State - celebrated the 145th anniversary of its statehood.
THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED: Here's the last time Oregon State players accomplished several notable feats, through March 21:
THREW A NO-HITTER: April 11, 1967; Cleve Benson,
Eric Selberg and Jack Humphrey vs. Portland. OSU 11,
Portland 0. (Individual - April 12, 1947; Fred Gallagher
vs. Montana. OSU 1, Montana 0).
WAS NO-HIT: March 27, 1994; Jack Gullard, Lewis-Clark
State at Hawai'i Easter Tournament. Lewis-Clark State 1, OSU 0.
THREW A ONE-HITTER: Feb. 18, 1999; B.R. Cook vs. Oklahoma
State at San Diego State Tournament. OSU 5, Oklahoma State 0.
THREW A SHUTOUT: Mar. 20, 2004; Andy Baldwin and Kevin
Gunderson vs. Utah Valley State. OSU 7, Utrah Valley State 0.
(Individual - May 19, 2001; Scott Nicholson vs. Southern
California. OSU 6, Southern California 0.
HAD 10 OR MORE STRIKEOUTS BY A PITCHER: April 6, 2001;
Thad Johnson vs. California; 14 strikeouts. OSU 6, California 5.
HIT A GRAND SLAM: February 27, 2003; Kerisi Reynolds vs.
Cal State-Northridge at Lancaster, Calif. OSU 10, Cal State-
Northridge 6.
HIT TWO HOMERS IN A GAME: March 11, 2001; Andy Jarvis vs.
Washington State at Yakima, Wash. (hit 3 homers). Washington
State 8, OSU 7. (March 30, 2003; Seth Pietsch hit 2 homers vs.
California but one was ruled a single when he was called out
for passing Andy Jarvis between first and second base).
HIT THREE HOMERS IN A GAME: March 11, 2001; Andy Jarvis vs.
Washington State at Yakima, Wash. Washington State 8, OSU 7.
PINCH-HIT A HOME RUN: March 7, 2001; Jason McBride vs.
Washington. OSU 17, Washington 3.
HIT AN INSIDE-THE-PARK HOME RUN: Feb 13, 2004; Andy Jenkins
vs. Utah. OSU 8, Utah 6.
HIT BACK-TO-BACK HOME RUNS: April 12, 2003; Aaron Mathews
and Andy Jarvis vs. Washington State (incidentally, they came
on the first pitch of each at-bat). OSU 11, Washington State 3.
HIT BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK HOME RUNS: April 11, 2000; Brian
Barden, Curtis Davis and Joe Gerber at Portland. OSU 13,
Portland 5.
HIT TWO TRIPLES IN A GAME: May 3, 1997; Abino Vazquez at
Portland State. OSU 7, Portland State 5.
HIT THREE DOUBLES IN A GAME: March 2, 2004; Aaron Mathews
vs. The Citadel at Honolulu, Haw. The Citadel 7, OSU 6.
HAD FIVE HITS IN A GAME: Feb 21, 2004; Mike Hass vs.
Arkansas-Little Rock at Arlington, Tex. OSU 8, Arkansas-
Little Rock 3.
HAD FOUR HITS IN A GAME: Mar. 19, 2004; Aaron Mathews vs.
Utah Valley State. OSU 11, Utah Valley State 5.
DROVE IN SIX RUNS IN A GAME: February 21, 2003; Andy Jarvis
vs. New Mexico (had 7 RBIs) at El Paso, Tex. OSU 18, New Mexico 16.
DROVE IN FIVE RUNS IN A GAME: March 13, 2004; Shea McFeely
vs. Gonzaga. OSU 13, Gonzaga 3.
SCORED FIVE RUNS IN A GAME: March 5, 2000; Brian Barden at
Washington. OSU 27, Washington 4.
SCORED FOUR RUNS IN A GAME: March 12, 2004; Andy Jenkins vs.
Gonzaga. OSU 12, Gonzaga 2.
STOLE FOUR BASES IN A GAME: April 11, 1991; David Anderson vs.
Willamette. OSU 8, Willamette 0.
STOLE THREE BASES IN A GAME: Feb. 28, 2004; Jacoby Ellsbury
vs. Sacramento State at Riverside, Calif. Sacramento State 10,
OSU 3.
HAD FIVE WALKS IN A GAME: May 21, 1970; Bob Beall vs. UCLA.
UCLA 7, OSU 2.
HAD FOUR WALKS IN A GAME: March 4, 2004; Chris Campos vs.
Chicago State at Honolulu, Haw. OSU 15, Chicago State 3.
TURNED A TRIPLE PLAY: April 4, 2000; Joe Gerber and Will
Hudson vs. Portland (line drive to 1B Gerber for 1 out; Gerber
steps on first base before runner returns for 2 out; Gerber
throw to SS Hudson covering second base before runner returns
for 3 out).
FOUR BEAVERS AMONG TOP 50 IN THEIR YEAR: Oregon State had 4 players that Baseball America magazine ranked among the top 50 players among all those in their class year heading into the 2004 season.
Righthanded pitcher Ben Rowe was rated the 13th-best senior, lefthanded pitcher Jake Postlewait was rated the 40th-best senior, outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury was rated the 29th-best sophomore, and righthanded pitcher Dallas Buck was rated the 33rd-best freshman.
Rowe (Perth, Australia/Greenwood HS) was drafted in the 24th round by the Texas Rangers following the 2003 season but chose to return to Oregon State for his senior season. Rowe also had opportunities to sign with the Minnesota Twins while still in Australia; he is a 2-time Pacific-10 All-Academic honorable mention selection.
Postlewait (Corvallis, Ore./Corvallis HS) was not drafted after last season but was approached by several professional teams about signing during an outstanding summer in the Alaska League. Despite missing almost 3 weeks of the 2003 season, he was an All-Pacific-10 first team selection after going 5-1 with a 3.43 earned run average.
Ellsbury (Madras, Ore./Madras HS) was a Freshman All-America selection by both Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball newspaper in 2003, when he batted .330 with 7 home runs, 33 runs batted in and 14 stolen bases. Also an outstanding fielder, he had been drafted in the 23rd round by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays after his senior year of high school but chose to attend OSU.
Buck (Newberg, Ore./Newberg HS) had been rated the 46th-best prospect in the nation by Baseball America during his senior year of high school. He was drafted in the 19th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates but opted to attend OSU to play both baseball and football; as a defensive back and special teams player, he was the only true freshman to play for the Beavers last fall.
OREGON STATE'S SCHEDULE: Oregon State will face 2 teams ranked in the Sports Weekly/ESPN national coaches poll of March 22: No. 2 Stanford (3 games) and No. 8 Arizona State. OSU will play another 2 teams who received votes in the poll but didn't crack the top 25: Arizona (3 games) and Washington (6 games).
BEAVERS IN NATIONAL RANKINGS: Oregon State received its first votes of the season in the ESPN/Sports Weekly coaches poll on Feb. 23. Here is where the Beavers have been this season in the national rankings:
POLL ESPN / SPORTS BASEBALL COLLEGIATE NATL. COLL. DATE WKLY. COACHES AMERICA BASEBALL BSBL. WTRS. Preseason NR NR NR NR Feb. 3 NR NR NR NR Feb. 10 NR NR NR NR Feb. 17 NR NR NR NR Feb. 23 Votes (33rd) NR NR 30th Mar. 1 Votes (30th) NR 20th 25th Mar. 8 Votes (43rd) NR NR NR Mar. 15 Votes (37th) NR NR NR Mar. 22 Votes (40th) NR NR NR
RAIN ON THE ROAD: If the recent trend continues, Oregon State will have better weather luck at home than it does on the road.
Since the start of the 1997 season, the Beavers have had 34 games either cancelled or rescheduled due to rain. Of those, only 12 have been games at OSU's Goss Stadium at Coleman Field; 15 were at ballparks in California, Nevada, Hawai'i, Texas or Florida. Another 7 were at ballparks elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest.
OSU has lost just 3 home games to rain during that time, while having 11 games cancelled at sites outside the region and 3 called off at other Pacific Northwest ballparks. The Beavers have postponed 8 home games, 4 games at sites outside the region and 5 at other Pacific Northwest ballparks.
OREGON STATE HEAD COACH Pat Casey: Pat Casey, now in his 10th season at OSU, celebrated the 400th victory of his head coaching career on April 14, 2002 when the Beavers completed an 11-9 win over Hawai'i-Hilo. Casey's career record is 449-322-5, which includes 7 years at George Fox in Newberg, for a winning percentage of .582.
Casey has a record of 278-209-4 with the Beavers for a winning percentage of .570. Of the 19 head coaches in OSU baseball history, only a pair of men who spent more than 2 decades guiding the Beavers - Ralph Coleman (1923-28, 1930-31, 1938-66) and Jack Riley (1973-94) - have coached more wins for the Beavers.
Casey was named the Pacific-10 Northern Division Coach of the Year in 1997 after leading the Beavers to a 38-12-1 mark, a school record for wins in a regular season. During Casey's time at OSU, 19 Beavers have been drafted by Major League Baseball teams and 4 more players have signed as free agents.
Casey came to OSU from his alma mater, George Fox, after leading the Bruins to a 171-113-1 record and winning 3 NAIA District 2 titles at the school in Newberg, Ore.
OREGON STATE'S ALL-TIME RECORD: Oregon State's all-time record in varsity baseball is now 1,761-1,222-15, a winning percentage of .590. OSU's all-time record in conference games is now 777-577, a winning percentage of .573.
To break the numbers down a step further, since starting varsity baseball in 1907, the Beavers have scored 19,646 runs and allowed 15,216 runs. That's an average score of 6.55-5.08.
OREGON STATE ALL-TIME ON OPENING DAY: After beating Utah 8-6 on Feb. 13, the Beavers' all-time record in season-openers is 66-29, and OSU has won 12 of its last 18 on Opening Day. This season's Feb. 13 date for Opening Day was the latest for the Beavers since they began the 1995 season on Feb. 22 with a 4-3 win over Western Oregon in Corvallis.
After beating Gonzaga 12-2 on March 12, OSU has an all-time record of 75-19 in home-openers, with the Beavers winning 14 of their last 16 home-openers and 29 of their last 32.
GOSS STADIUM AT COLEMAN FIELD: Oregon State has been playing on the same site since starting varsity baseball in 1907, making Goss Stadium at Coleman Field the oldest diamond in the Pacific-10 and one of the oldest in the country.
Now in their 95th season at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field, the Beavers are 914-401-1 at home for a winning percentage of .695. This season, the Beavers are 4-2 at home and are averaging 1,003 fans per home date. Since the start of the 1993 season, OSU is 164-72 at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field for a winning percentage of .695.
Oregon State's ballpark made its initial venture into night baseball in 2002 with the addition of its first-ever set of lights. The first night game saw OSU beat fourth-ranked Stanford 4-1 on April 27.
Goss Stadium was added to Coleman Field over the winter of 1998-99. The ballpark holds 2,000 fans, with the main grandstand seating 1,500 of those. The structure includes a press box, concession/lobby area, dugouts, locker rooms, restrooms and storage areas.
The playing surface has been completely rebuilt recently, with the infield undergoing renovation in 1996 and the outfield in 1998.
TICKET INFORMATION: Season tickets for Oregon State baseball are $100, which entitles the ticketholder to the same reserved seat for all 21 OSU home games in 2004. For OSU faculty and staff, and for senior citizens age 62 and over, season tickets are $80.
The Family Plan for the 2004 season admits up to 2 adults and up to 4 students through high school to all 21 home games. The cost is $20 per adult and $10 per child, and a family must purchase the tickets for all its members at the same time.
The Pacific-10 Plan for 2004 is $50 and provides the ticketholder with a reserved seat to all 12 home games against conference opponents.
Individual game tickets for Oregon State baseball are sold on a general admission basis and cost $5 for adults and $3 for seniors age 62 and over and children through high school.
There is a team/group rate of $2 per person, but those interested in using that plan must call the OSU athletic ticket office at 1-800-GO BEAVS at least 2 days prior to the game to arrange for those tickets.
For more information, call the OSU athletic ticket office at 1-800-GO BEAVS or visit the OSU athletics website at www.osubeavers.com
UPCOMING PROMOTIONS: Oregon State has a number of promtions scheduled for upcoming games at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field.
The series against Arizona on April 2-April 4 is Little League Weekend, sponsored by Reser's Fine Foods. Youth baseball teams are invited to attend OSU's first Pacific-10 home series, and all players in uniform and their coaches will be able to purchase tickets for $2 at the ticket window.
The series against Stanford on April 8-April 10 is Oregon State University Faculty/Staff Weekend, sponsored by OSU Federal. Oregon State faculty and staff can visit OSU Federal and get a coupon good for up to 5 tickets at $2 each when the coupon is presented at the ticket window.
The game against Portland on April 20 is Dollar Day. All tickets will be $1 at the ticket window.
The series against Washington on April 30-May 2 is Mom's Weekend at OSU. The game on April 30 is Ladies Night, with all females - including Moms - being admitted for $2. On May 1, fans can make it a football/baseball doubleheader; all fans at the Spring Football Game will receive a coupon good for a free ticket to that evening's baseball game.
OREGON STATE DUGOUT CLUB: The Oregon State Dugout Club is an organization devoted to supporting Beaver Baseball. The group is open to the general public; dues are $75 per year.
Also, anyone entering the OSU Dugout Club Golf Tournament automatically gains membership. This year's tournament will be held June 21 at Tokatee Golf Club in Blue River.
For more information on the OSU Dugout Club, call (541) 737-2825.
OREGON STATE RADIO BROADCASTS: Oregon State baseball will again be broadcast this season, with most of the Beavers' schedule heard on KEJO-AM (1240) and via the internet at www.osubeavers.com. There is a charge for listening via the internet; the cost is $4.95 per month or $14.95 for the entire 2003-04 school year, and that allows the listener access to all OSU athletic broadcasts that are on the internet. Mike Parker, the voice of the Beavers, handled play-by-play duties with assistance from John Warren and Kip Carlson. The broadcast schedule begins with the start of Pacific-10 play on March 26 at California; selected games each weekend will be broadcast over the internet prior to that time.
TELEVISION BRINGS OUT BEST IN BEAVERS: Oregon State's home game against Arizona on April 2 will be televised by Fox Sports Net on a tape-delayed basis, shown either April 3 or 4. Prior to 2003, Oregon State had played on national cable television each of the last 5 seasons, and the Beavers have gone 3-2 in those games, including a 3-0 mark at home. Since Fox Sports Net (formerly Prime Sports) began televising games in 1990, Oregon State has a 29-15 record in televised games, including 8-3 in national TV games.
