No. 16 Softball Faces Civil War Showdown Against No. 17 Oregon In Friday's Pac-10 Opener
March 25, 2004
CORVALLIS, Ore. -
Friday, March 26
No. 16 OSU at No. 17 Oregon - 2 p.m. PST (Eugene, OR)
PAC-10 OPENER:
The Civil War presented by the Northwest Dodge Dealers marks the Pacific-10 Conference opener for both the Beavers and the Ducks. Oregon State dropped a 10-2 decision against Oregon in last season's Pac-10 opener. OSU boasts a 2-7 all-time record in conference openers with Kirk Walker at the helm.CIVIL WAR SERIES NUMBERS: Against Oregon - OSU's longest running opponent at 142 games - the Beavers are 68-73-1, and boast a 20-14-1 record under the direction of head coach Kirk Walker. Oregon State had an 11-game winning streak against the Ducks broken when UO picked up a 10-2 victory on Mar. 15, 2003 in the Pac-10 opener for both squads. The win was the first for Oregon in the Civil War as presented by the Northwest Dodge Dealers since 1999 and marked the Ducks' first victory against the Beavers in Corvallis since 1997. Oregon State closed out the 2003 series with a 7-3 victory against No. 20 UO in Eugene.
BEST START EVER: No. 16 Oregon State is off to its best start over the first 36 games of the season in school history. The Beavers currently hold a 28-8 overall record heading into Friday's Pacific-10 Conference opener against rival No. 17 University of Oregon.
ON A ROLL: No. 16 Oregon State has won five straight games heading into Friday's Pacific-10 Conference opener at No. 17 University of Oregon. The Beavers have won 15 of their last 17 games, outscoring their opponents 75-20 during the stretch.
BEAVERS IN THE TOP 25: Oregon State moved up two more notches to the No. 16 spot in this week's USA Today/NFCA Top 25 Poll. The Beavers hold a 3-1 record against opponents ranked in the Top 10 so far this season. All eight Pacific-10 Conference teams rank in the Top 25; 1. Arizona, 2. UCLA, 3. California, 6. Washington, 13. Stanford, 16. Oregon State, 17. Oregon, 23. Arizona State.
LOOKING LONG: Oregon State is a perfect 17-0 on the season in games that at least one Beaver player hits a home run.
STREAKS TO WATCH: Junior shortstop Kelly Petersen currently boasts a five-game hitting streak. Petersen tallied a 12-game hitting streak earlier this season for the Beavers.
THE WORD ON WALKER: Head coach Kirk Walker is in his 10th season at the helm for the Beavers. Walker, a graduate of UCLA, has turned around Oregon State's softball program to make it a contender on a national scale. Walker has led the Beavers to five consecutive NCAA Regional Tournament appearances. The winningest coach in program history, Walker, has an overall coaching record of 319-272-3 and a 64-154 mark in the Pacific-10 Conference. He earned his 300th career victory when Oregon State completed a perfect game in an 8-0 victory against Saint Mary's on Feb. 8, 2004. Walker was selected as one of just 12 coaches named to the USA Softball National Team Coaches Pool, and will serve as an assistant coach for the USA Elite Team. Prior to his arrival at Oregon State, Walker spent 11 seasons at national powerhouse UCLA as a manager and assistant coach. During his time in Westwood, the Bruins won six NCAA titles and made 10 appearances in the College World Series.
