OSU Greets Cal Poly, New Mexico For Baseball 'Mini-Regional'
TUESDAY, APRIL 25
Portland 20, at No. 6 Oregon State 13 (12 innings)
THURSDAY, APRIL 27
Cal Poly at No. 6 Oregon State; 5 p.m.
(Live radio on KEJO-AM 1240 in Corvallis area, tape delay radio on KUIK-AM 1360 in Portland area at 6 p.m.; live audio on internet via subscription at www.osubeavers.com; live stats on internet at www.osubeavers.com)
FRIDAY, APRIL 28
New Mexico at No. 6 Oregon State; 5 p.m.
(Live radio on KEJO-AM 1240 in Corvallis area and on KUIK-AM 1360 in Portland area; live audio and video on internet via subscription at www.osubeavers.com; live stats on internet at www.osubeavers.com)
SATURDAY, APRIL 29
Cal Poly at No. 6 Oregon State; 4 p.m.
(Live radio on KEJO-AM 1240 in Corvallis area, no radio on KUIK-AM 1360 in Portland area; live audio on internet via subscription at www.osubeavers.com; live stats on internet at www.osubeavers.com)
NOTE: New Mexico and Cal Poly will play each other Saturday at 12 noon; the game will be treated as the first game of a doubleheader, meaning fans will need tickets to Saturday’s game between Oregon State and Cal Poly to be admitted.
SUNDAY, APRIL 30
New Mexico at No. 6 Oregon State; 1 p.m.
(Live radio on KEJO-AM 1240 in Corvallis area, no radio on KUIK-AM 1360 in Portland area; live audio and video on internet via subscription at www.osubeavers.com; live stats on internet at www.osubeavers.com)
Oregon State may get the bye in the Pacific-10 Conference schedule this weekend, but the Beavers (28-10 overall, 9-3 Pacific-10) won’t get a break. OSU, ranked No. 6 in this week’s USA Today/ESPN coaches poll, continues an eight-game homestand with non-conference games against a pair of contenders for NCAA postseason berths when it meets Cal Poly (23-18, 7-5 Big West) and New Mexico (27-15, 9-4 Mountain West) from Thursday through Sunday at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field.
"They may not figure in the Pac-10 standings, but these are very, very big games for us," OSU head coach Pat Casey said. "We’re going against two teams who have chances to win their conference championships and to reach the postseason, and this weekend can have a lot of big implications down the road for all three teams. Any of us that play well enough down the stretch to reach a (NCAA) Regional, some wins this weekend could improve your seeding; any of us that are on the bubble at the end of the year, some wins might help get you in.
"In some ways, it’s like getting to play an early mini-Regional on our home field. You’ve got three very good teams playing each other over four days, with some things maybe being on the line for the postseason."
OSU will play Cal Poly on Thursday at 5 p.m., New Mexico on Friday at 5 p.m., Cal Poly on Saturday at 4 p.m. and New Mexico on Sunday at 1 p.m. Additionally, Cal Poly and New Mexico will play each other Saturday at 12 noon.
In this week’s national rankings, OSU not only rose four places to No. 6 in the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll but also moved up four places to fifth in the Baseball America magazine rankings, rose seven spots to No. 7 in the Collegiate Baseball newspaper poll, and climbed five spots to No. 6 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association poll.
OSU goes into the weekend after having a seven-game winning streak snapped when it lost to intrastate rival Portland 20-13 in 12 innings on Tuesday at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field.
Still, the Beavers also go into the weekend leading the Pacific-10 race by 1 1/2 games over Southern California, having won 16 of their last 19 games overall and owning a 15-2 record at home this season.
"Overall, we’ve played well lately and we’ve played well at home this season," Casey said. "But that game on Tuesday proved that none of those numbers mean anything if you don’t come out focused on the task at hand and execute the right way every single day.
"We’ve put ourselves in a terrific position to accomplish a lot of things between now and the end of the season, but we have to keep playing with the energy and intensity that we’ve had for the last month or so if that’s going to happen."
Among OSU’s regulars, junior outfielder Cole Gillespie is batting .376 with seven home runs and 30 runs batted in, senior first baseman Bill Rowe is batting .347 with two homers and 28 RBIs, sophomore shortstop Darwin Barney is batting .336 with 19 RBIs, senior third baseman Shea McFeely is batting .318 with one homer and 33 RBIs, senior second baseman Chris Kunda is batting .300 with 21 RBIs, and sophomore catcher Mitch Canham is batting .285 with six homers and 24 RBIs.
On the mound, junior righthander Dallas Buck is 8-0 with a 3.09 earned run average and has won his last 13 decisions dating back to the middle of the 2005 season, and junior righthander Jonah Nickerson is 7-3 with a 2.35 ERA and has earned the win in each of his last five starts. Junior lefthander Kevin Gunderson is 1-1 with 12 saves and a 1.63 ERA after picking up the save in all three wins at Cal over the weekend.
Among the Pac-10 leaders through Sunday’s games, in batting average Gillespie is seventh and Rowe is 10th, in slugging percentage Gillespie is third and Rowe is ninth, in on-base percentage Gillespie is third and Rowe is 10th, in runs scored Gillespie is second, in homers Gillespie is seventh, and in stolen bases Barney is sixth and Gillespie is seventh.
Among the Pac-10 leaders in earned run average, Nickerson is fourth, sophomore righthander Mike Stutes is sixth and Buck is eighth; in opponents’ batting average, Buck is fifth and Stutes is ninth; in strikeouts Nickerson is eighth; in wins Buck is second and Nickerson is tied for third; and in saves Gunderson is first.
Cal Poly is currently third in the Big West standings behind Cal State-Fullerton and Long Beach State. The Mustangs took two of three games at California-Riverside last weekend, losing 9-3 before winning the last two games 8-4 and 7-1.
CPU is tentatively set to start junior righthander Bud Norris (7-4 record, 4.29 earned run average) against OSU on Thursday and junior righthander Gary Daley Jr. (5-5, 5.65) against the Beavers on Saturday. At the plate, the Mustangs have been led by junior infielder Josh Lansford (.363 batting average, 6 home runs, 27 runs batted in), junior catcher Matt Canepa (.333, 1, 26), sophomore outfielder Grant Desme (.295, 8, 30) and senior outfielder/first baseman Jimmy Van Ostrand (.289, 11, 45).
New Mexico is in second place in the Mountain West behind Texas Christian. The Lobos have already placed twice this week, losing at Oklahoma 18-9 on Monday and at Texas Tech 6-4 on Tuesday; last weekend, they swept Utah at home by scores of 23-11, 24-3 and 26-11. Earlier this season, the teams split two games in Albuquerque with OSU winning 10-4 and UNM winning 13-2; the third game of the series was snowed out.
The Lobos are tentatively set to start senior righthander Nate Melek (5-4, 6.52) against OSU on Friday and senior righthander Jesse Perez (2-0, 8.06) against the Beavers on Sunday. Heading New Mexico’s offense are sophomore third baseman Ian Hollick (.382, 8, 48), sophomore second baseman Jordan Pacheco (.365, 5, 35) and junior first baseman Chris Carlson (.361, 17, 62).
Oregon State lineup (statistics through Apr. 25)
C - Mitch Canham, so., Lake Stevens, Wash. (Lake Stevens HS);
.285, 6 HRs, 24 RBIs
or - Casey Priseman, so.; Woodinville, Wash. (Woodinville HS);
.200, 0 HRs, 3 RBIs
or - Erik Ammon, so.; Salem, Ore. (U. of Hawai’i);
.500, 0 HRs, 3 RBIs
1B - Bill Rowe, sr.; Ashland, Ore. (U. of California-Santa Barbara);
.347, 2 HRs, 28 RBIs
2B - Chris Kunda, sr.; Philomath, Ore. (Philomath HS);
.300, 0 HRs, 21 RBIs
3B - Shea McFeely, sr.; Federal Way, Wash. (Tacoma CC);
.318, 1 HR, 33 RBIs
SS - Darwin Barney, so.; Beaverton, Ore. (Southridge HS);
.336, 0 HRs, 19 RBIs
LF - Cole Gillespie, jr.; West Linn, Ore. (West Linn HS);
.376, 7 HRs, 30 RBIs
CF - Tyler Graham, jr.; Great Falls, Mont. (C.M. Russell HS);
.250, 1 HR, 5 RBIs
or - Koa Kahalehoe, fr.; Las Vegas, Nev. (Durango HS);
.273, 0 HRs, 7 RBIs
RF - Scott Santschi, jr.; Vancouver, Wash. (CC of Spokane);
.281, 1 HR, 23 RBIs
or - John Wallace, fr.; Reno, Nev. (Reno HS);
.371, 0 HRs, 6 RBIs
DH - Mike Lissman, jr.; Ontario, Ore. (Ontario HS);
.314, 0 HRs, 4 RBIs
or - Ryan Gipson, sr.; Central Point, Ore. (Shasta JC);
.197, 0 HRs, 10 RBIs
or - Geoff Wagner, sr.; Redmond, Ore. (Central Oregon CC);
.253, 1 HR, 10 RBIs
(Tentative pitching rotation)
Thu., RHP - Dallas Buck, jr.; Newberg, Ore. (Newberg HS);
7-0 record, 3.41 ERA
Fri., RHP - Mike Stutes, so.; Lake Oswego, Ore. (Santa Clara U.);
3-2 record, 2.86 ERA
Sat., RHP - Jonah Nickerson, jr.; Oregon City, Ore. (Oregon City HS);
7-3 record, 2.35 ERA
Sun. - To be announced
It’s history
OREGON STATE ALL-TIME VS. THIS WEEK’S OPPONENTS: After losing to Portland on Tuesday, Oregon State has an all-time record of 140-60 against the Pilots in a series dating back to 1909.
Oregon State has an all-time record of 2-1-1 against Cal Poly in a series dating back to 1968. The Beavers and Mustangs have not met since 1977, when OSU took a 12-9 win at a neutral site and Cal Poly then won 7-5 on its home field. This will be the first time the teams have met in Corvallis.
Oregon State has an all-time record of 5-2 against New Mexico in a series dating back to 1991. Earlier this season the teams split 2 games in Albuquerque, with OSU winning 10-4 on Mar. 10 and New Mexico winning 13-2 on Mar. 11; the final game of the series was snowed out. Prior to that, the teams had last met in 2003 in El Paso, Tex., with OSU winning 18-16 and losing 14-7. Prior to this season, all the games between the Beavers and the Lobos had been at neutral sites.
That was the week that was
OREGON STATE’S PAST WEEK: Oregon State stretched its Pacific-10 winning streak to 6 games, then had its overall win streak end at 7 games from Apr. 17-Apr. 25. OSU swept a series at California by scores of 5-2, 5-2 and 9-7 before returning home and falling to Portland 20-13 in 12 innings.
On Apr. 21, A premier pitching matchup between Oregon State’s Dallas Buck and California’s Brandon Morrow yielded a total of just 12 hits, but the Beavers took advantage of Cal errors to grab a 5-2 win. The game matched two of the nation’s top pitchers in Buck and Morrow, a pair of junior righthanders who both entered the game with 7-0 records. Neither allowed an earned run and the Beavers picked up only 4 hits, but the Golden Bears committed 3 errors that helped OSU build a 5-0 lead in the fifth inning. Buck won his 13th straight decision over the past 2 seasons, and after not giving up a run in his 7.0-plus innings he’s now pitched 15 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings over the past 2 games. Buck allowed Cal 4 hits and 4 walks, striking out 2. OSU took advantage of 2 Golden Bear errors to score 4 runs in the top of the fourth inning, then tacked on another run in the top of the fourth.
On Apr. 22, Oregon State scored 5 unanswered runs over the last 4 innings and beat California 5-2. Chris Kunda scored the tying run in the seventh inning for OSU, then singled home the go-ahead run in the eighth as the Beavers won their sixth straight game. Against Cal’s 6-foot-5 freshman righthander Tyson Ross, Oregon State found itself trailing 2-0 and being outhit 6-1 by the end of the fifth inning, but OSU righthander Jonah Nickerson kept the Beavers within striking distance.
Nickerson improved his record to 7-3 this season, working 7.0-plus innings and allowing 2 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks, striking out 7. Kevin Gunderson pitched the ninth to earn his 11th save of the season and his second in as many days. John Wallace was 2-for-2 off the bench, Cole Gillespie was 2-for-4 with a double and 2 runs, Shea McFeely was 2-for-3 and Kunda was 2-for-6.
On Apr. 23, Oregon State overcame a 3-run deficit, then lost a 3-run lead before the Beavers beat California 9-7. Chris Kunda singled home the winning run in the top of the eighth inning for OSU and Shea McFeely added a 2-run single in the top of the ninth before Kevin Gunderson pitched the ninth to earn his third save of the weekend. The Beavers handed the Bears a 3-0 lead in a mistake-filled bottom of the second inning, then had the Bears hand it all back in the Beavers’ 6-run top of the fourth inning. Cal drew even with 3 runs in the bottom of the seventh, then the Beavers got their three runs in the eighth and ninth before Cal got a final run in the bottom of the ninth. OSU reliever Eddie Kunz got the win, improving to 3-0 this season as he pitched a scoreless 2.1 innings, allowing 2 hits and 0 walks. OSU starter Mike Stutes allowed 4 runs (1 earned) on 6 hits and 0 walks, striking out 4. Bill Rowe was 3-for-4 with a double for the Beavers, while Tyler Graham was 2-for-3 and Chris Kunda was 2-for-5 with 1 double and 2 RBIs as OSU won its sixth straight Pac-10 game.
On Apr. 25, Oregon State’s overall winning streak ended at 7 games as the Beavers lost to Portland 20-13 in 12 innings. The Pilots, who had lost 6 straight entering the game, scored 7 runs in the top of the 12th inning to end a game that took 5 hours, 9 minutes and had 8 lead changes. In addition to the 33 runs, the teams combined for 34 hits and 13 errors; Portland had 22 of the hits and OSU had 9 of the errors.
Still, OSU had a number of chances to win the game in the late innings. The Beavers led by a run going into the top of the ninth inning, then had the bases loaded with 0 out in the 10th inning and with 2 out in the 11th inning but couldn’t push across the winning run. Portland then scored its 7 runs in the 12th on 6 hits, 2 walks and 1 error. Cole Gillespie finished 3-for-5 with 1 triple and 3 RBIs for Oregon State, while Mike Lissman was 2-for-4 and McFeely was 2-for-5. OSU reliever Eddie Kunz – took the loss to fall to 3-1 this season, going 2.1 innings and allowing 4 runs (3 earned) on 6 hits and 1walk while striking out 3.
This and that
OREGON STATE NOTES: There are 4 Beavers who share the longest current hitting streak of 3 games - third baseman Shea McFeely, outfielder Cole Gillespie, second baseman Chris Kunda and catcher Erik Ammon. Shortstop Darwin Barney’s 17-game hitting streak from Mar. 3-Apr. 1 has been the longest this season for OSU, while third baseman Shea McFeely had a 10-gamer from Feb. 23-Mar. 11 ... OSU righthander Dallas Buck has won his last 13 decisions dating back to the middle of the 2005 season, and righthander Jonah Nickerson has won his last 5 starts ... Barney and Gillespie lead the Beavers in multi-hit games with 17 each while McFeely has 15, first baseman Bill Rowe 13 and catcher Mitch Canham 11 ... McFeely has 10 multi-RBI games while Gillespie has 9, Santschi has 8, Rowe and Kunda 6 each, and Barney and Canham 5 each ... OSU is 15-2 this season at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field, and since the start of the 2005 season the Beavers are 41-7 in their home ballpark. The Beavers won their first 12 home games of 2006, giving them a 13-game home winning streak over 2 seasons; that’s their longest home winning streak since Oregon State also won 13 in a row at home over the 1997 and 1998 seasons ... OSU is 22-0 this season in games in which it leads after 6 innings ... OSU has scored in the first inning in 18 of its games this season, and the Beavers are 14-4 in those games ... not only has OSU stolen 49 bases to just 22 by its opponents this season, but the Beavers are also stealing successfully at a higher percentage - .742 to .550 - than their opponents ... in another measure of speed, the Beavers have also out-tripled their opponents 18-6 ...
When OSU lost to Portland 20-13 on Apr. 25 at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field, it took a long time for the Beavers’ 7-game winning streak to die - try 12 innings spread over 5 hours, 9 minutes. The game included not only the 33 runs, but 8 lead changes, 34 hits and 13 errors ... when Oregon State earned a sweep at California from Apr. 21-Apr. 23, that made it 2 straight years in which the Beavers have swept the Golden Bears. Since the Pacific-10 merged its Northern and Southern divisions for the 1999 season, that was just the second time that OSU had swept a conference series from an opponent in back-to-back years; the other was against Washington State in 2001 and 2002 ... Oregon State’s 3 wins at California from Apr. 21-Apr. 23 made it 3 times in the Beavers’ last 4 Pac-10 road series over 2 seasons that OSU had earned a sweep ... OSU lefthander Kevin Gunderson earned the save in all 3 games at California from Apr. 21-Apr. 23. That’s believed to be the first time in OSU history that someone has earned 3 saves in a weekend ...
OSU swept Stanford at home Apr. 13-16 by scores of 3-0, 1-0 and 12-1; that 1 run allowed was the fewest funs ever allowed by the Beavers in a 3-game series; the previous low was 2 runs by Washington State in a 1920 series in Corvallis when the Beavers swept by scores of 3-0, 6-2 and 3-0 ... that series against Stanford was also the first time ever in 8 tries Oregon State had swept a 3-game series from Stanford; OSU had swept a 2-game series at Stanford in 1970 ... when OSU’s series against Stanford was rained into a fourth day on Apr. 16, it was the first time since the Pac-10 merged its Northern and Southern Divisions for the 1999 season that the Beavers had a series extended a day, either at home or on the road ... when OSU opened its series against Stanford by blanking the Cardinal 3-0 and 1-0 on Apr. 13-Apr. 14, it was the first time OSU had posted back-to-back shutouts since blanking Washington (4-0), Portland (5-0) and Portland State (10-0) in succession from Apr. 18-Apr. 24, 1993. It marked the first time Stanford had been shut out in back-to-back games since falling to Fresno State (4-0) and Santa Clara (13-0) on Feb. 22-25, 1975 ... when OSU beat Stanford 1-0 on Apr. 14, it was OSU’s first 1-0 win since topping Oklahoma State on Feb. 18, 1999. It was also the first appearance by OSU righthander Dallas Buck since getting his somewhat-lengthy locks cut earlier in the week. Said Buck: "The long hair wasn’t getting it done" ... when OSU blanked Stanford 3-0 on Apr. 13, it was the first time in 60 games that Stanford had been shut out, dating back to a 2-0 home loss to Pacific (Calif.) on March 29, 2005. It was also the first time in 109 Pac-10 games that Stanford had been shut out, dating back to a 4-0 loss to California on April 28, 2001 ...
Remember that scene from the movie "Bull Durham" in which the Bulls meet on the mound? And how the first baseman, Jose, tells the others that his girlfriend put a hex on his mitt and he needs a to cut the head off a live rooster to remove the curse? Too bad Jose wasn’t at Oregon State’s Goss Stadium at Coleman Field on April, 9, because the raw materials would have been available. With OSU’s Anton Maxwell about to throw the first pitch of a game against Arizona, the start of the contest was delayed several minutes when a rooster wandered onto the leftfield warning track. It eluded capture for a few minutes before being corralled by the OSU grounds crew and several Beaver players, then removed from the ballpark in a gate by the groundskeeping building in – you guessed it – fowl territory. The rooster was turned over to an OSU public safety officer who has five hens – but no rooster – on his property ...
There have been all kinds of baseball postponements on the West Coast this season, and OSU was involved in one of a different kind. Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski had been set to throw out the first pitch on Opening Day at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field when the Beavers played Nevada on Mar. 3, but a scheduling conflict prevented his appearance that day. Kulongoski made it to the ballpark for OSU’s first Pac-10 home game, though, throwing out the first pitch Apr. 7 before the Beavers’ 10-5 win over Arizona ...
When Oregon State’s game with Texas-Pan American on Mar. 31 was suspended with 1 out in the top of the fourth inning due to rain, it meant a long day was in store for the Beavers and Broncs on Apr. 1. Because of UTPA’s travel plans, playing on Apr. 2 wasn’t an option; it meant the teams would have to play the nearly 7 innings of their first game and then both games of their regularly scheduled doubleheader on Apr. 1. Saturday’s first pitch of the suspended game was thrown at 11:34 a.m. and the final out was recorded at 10:07 p.m., a span of 10 hours, 33 minutes; just for fun, the first game of the series went 10 innings before being decided. And that 10:33 included a 50-minute rain delay in the first game of the series in the middle of the seventh inning, perhaps the longest seventh-inning stretch in college baseball history. The day’s play included 141 outs, 223 plate appearances, 14 pitching changes, 51 hits, 30 runs and 6 errors ... and 861 pitches. It’s believed to be the longest day in the history of Goss Stadium at Coleman Field, which opened in 1907, if you’re talking about the amount of playing time, but not if you’re talking in terms of innings. Even with the extra inning in the series’ first game, the 25 innings fell short of what was played on May 5, 1972. On that day, OSU and Washington played 20 innings in the first game of a doubleheader with the Beavers falling 2-1 in what is still the longest game (by innings) in Pac-10 history; the Beavers won the 7-inning second game 7-1. But the total playing time of those 1972 games was just 6:23 – including 4:38 for that 20-inning game – while Saturday’s 2 2/3 games took 7:24 of actual playing time, plus that 50-minute rain delay during the completion of the first game and the 2 breaks between games. OSU radio broadcaster Mike Parker managed to get through all 25 innings with his voice intact - barely - and meritorious service awards are due 3 members of OSU’s all-volunteer press box crew that were there from first pitch to final out on the day (and night) – Glenda Curry, Paul Andresen and Rob Horman ...
Oregon State second baseman Chris Kunda got a share of 2 school records with 1 swing of the bat on Apr. 1. His double just inside the third base bag in the eighth inning of a 14-1 win over Texas-Pan American was his fifth hit and third double of the game, matching OSU marks that have been accomplished many times. The most recent instances had come in the 2005 postseason, when Andy Jenkins had 5 hits (and hit for the cycle) in OSU’s NCAA Super Regional-clincher against Southern California, and when Mitch Canham had 3 doubles in a win over St. John’s in a NCAA Regional victory ... through OSU’s first 22 games of the season, the Beavers had not won a game in which they trailed after 6 innings. 3 of OSU’s next 4 wins then came in precisely that fashion. The Beavers scored 4 runs in the top of the ninth inning for a 6-4 win at Pacific (Calif.) on Mar. 28, then tied the game with 2 runs in the ninth inning and won it 5-4 in the 10th against Texas-Pan American in a game that began Mar. 31, was suspended that night, and then completed on Apr. 1; then used a 7-run seventh inning to beat Arizona 10-5 on Apr. 7 ...
It was a long, long weekend when Oregon State and Utah Valley State got together for a 3-game series Mar. 24-Mar. 26 at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field. The first game of the series started 36 minutes late due to rain, then was delayed by rain for another 36 minutes before being suspended in the middle of the fifth inning. The next day, the resumption of the opening game was delayed 39 minutes by rain and also included an 87-minute rain delay; the second game was played without delay but took 3:31 to play. Finally, the start of the 36 series finale was delayed 36 minutes by rain and then took 3:48 to play ... Oregon State pitchers Dallas Buck and Jonah Nickerson broke into the Beavers’ all-time top 10 lists in separate categories as the Beavers swept Utah Valley State in a 3-game series Mar. 24-Mar. 26. Buck’s victory was the 21st of his career, getting him on the all-time list in that category. Nickerson recorded 8 strikeouts in a victory on Mar. 25, giving him 201 for his career and earning him a place in that category ...
OSU found out Mar. 19 that sometimes it really is faster to go on foot. The start of the Beavers’ 4-1 loss at Southern California that day was delayed approximately 20 minutes because OSU’s bus was stuck in a traffic snarl caused by the running of the Los Angeles Marathon ... when OSU won at USC on Mar. 17, it was the fourth straight season in which OSU has won its Pac-10 opener. It was also the first time in 7 tries that the Beavers had won a series-opener at USC, dating back to 1951 ... OSU’s 4-1 win at USC on Mar. 17 was the third straight time that OSU righthander Dallas Buck outdueled Trojan righthander Ian Kennedy in a matchup of 2005 All-Americans. Kennedy was the Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year last season but Buck and the Beavers got the victories in a pair of meetings in Corvallis ... appropriately, Mar. 17 is not only St. Patrick’s Day but also OSU head coach Pat Casey’s birthday. On Mar. 17, OSU handed Casey a present in the form of a 4-1 win at Southern California. In Casey’s 12 seasons at OSU, the Beavers are 4-0-1 in games played on Mar. 17 ...
Mar. 11 was a tough night to be a Casey when the Beavers lost to New Mexico 13-2. In the bottom of the second inning, both OSU head coach Pat Casey and OSU catcher Casey Priseman were ejected ... when third baseman Shea McFeely tripled twice in OSU’s 10-4 win at New Mexico on Mar. 10, it matched the Beavers’ school record for triples in a game. The last player to do it had been Abino Vazquez against Portland State in 1997; that was the second time that season Vaquez had managed the feat, as he also did it against Gonzaga that season ... OSU first baseman Bill Rowe had a chance to hit for the cycle Mar. 10 in OSU’s 10-4 win at New Mexico, having singled, doubled and tripled - in that order - in his first 4 plate appearances. In the eighth inning, he did get his fourth hit but it was a single through the right side ...
Teams talk about "picking each other up" – a player taking up the slack for another during a game or a season. When Oregon State found itself without outfielders Tyler Graham and Cole Gillespie due to injuries on Mar. 5, senior Geoff Wagner and freshman John Wallace filled in effectively during a 9-1 win over Nevada. Wagner, moving over from the part-time designated hitter spot, had career-highs with 4 hits and 3 runs, going 4-for-5 with a double. Wallace, making his first career start, was 2-for-3 with 1 RBI and a sacrifice bunt ... OSU pitcher Dallas Buck moved onto OSU’s all-time top-10 for career strikeouts when he recorded 5 against Nevada on Mar. 4, giving him 200 for his career ... OSU opened its 2006 home schedule with a 13-4 win over Nevada on Mar. 4 at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field. Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski had been scheduled to throw out the ceremonial first pitch but was a late scratch from the lineup; OSU President Dr. Edward Ray stepped into the spot and threw a strike ...
Oregon State pitcher Mike Stutes’ first win for the Beavers was impressive. Feb 26 vs. St. Mary’s (Calif.) - a team batting .291 on the season entering the game - Stutes struck out 10 hitters in 5.2 innings; he allowed allowed 4 runs (3 earned) on 4 hits and 1 walk. In the bottom of the fourth, Stutes struck out the side on 10 pitches ... centerfielder Tyler Graham was sidelined by a nagging leg problem for all but 1 at-bat during the Beavers’ first 7 games of the season; he finally played his first full game Feb. 24 in a 2-1 loss at California-Davis. The next day, Feb. 25 in an 8-3 win at Sacramento State, Graham announced his return in a big way. Graham hit his first career home run, had a 2-out bunt single to drive in another run and came up with a diving catch to start a double play and squelch a Sac State rally ... From Feb. 10-Feb. 23, outfielder Cole Gillespie batted in the leadoff spot 5 times; each time, he led off OSU’s first inning by getting on base and scoring ...
Pitching Feb. 19 in OSU’s 7-1 loss at Pepperdine, Eddie Kunz pitched 2.2 scoreless, hitless innings, striking out 6 to double his previous career high. Kunz entered the game with 0 out and runners at second and third in the sixth inning and struck out the side ... Scott Santschi made his first start in leftfield on Feb. 19 at Pepperdine after Cole Gillespie had hurt his arm trying for a diving catch the previous day, and Santschi responded with a gem of a defensive play. In the bottom of the second, Santschi found the base of the fence, leaped and caught a drive by the Waves’ Danny Worth at the top of the fence to take away a 2-run homer and end the inning ... the first run batted in of outfielder Koa Kahalehoe’s OSU career was a biggie, as it gave the Beavers a win over 14th-ranked Pepperdine in the conclusion of a suspended game Feb. 18. Kahalehoe slapped a single through the right side to drive in Mitch Canham in the top of the eighth inning for a 7-6 Beaver lead ... after Oregon State’s series-opening game at Pepperdine was suspended by darkness on February 17, several of the Beavers went out to dinner together at a restaurant near the team’s hotel in Calabasas. After their meal, who did they bump into in the parking lot? San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds, who posed for pictures with the OSU players, chatted for a few minutes and showed them a few hitting drills, sans bat and balls ...
With centerfielder and leadoff hitter Tyler Graham unavailable for the season-opening Coca-Cola Classic due to a leg injury, Cole Gillespie found himself batting in the leadoff spot for the first time he could remember. Gillespie responded by reaching base 11 times in 16 plate appearances on the weekend; he was 6-for-11 with 4 doubles, 9 runs scored and 5 walks. In all 3 games, he started the first inning for OSU by reaching base and eventually scoring ... OSU righthander Jon Koller had thrown just 1.0 inning in the past 2 seasons for OSU because of arm problems, but the senior showed during the season’s opening weekend that he may be back in a big way. Koller tossed 4.0 scoreless innings for the Beavers at the Coca-Cola Classic against Nevada and Gonzaga, allowing 1 hit and 0 walks while striking out 1 ... OSU outfielder Geoff Wagner finished the first weekend of the season with 1 home run and 6 runs batted in; those matched his totals for the entire 2005 season in those categories ...
OSU has played in 3 of the 4 Coca-Cola Classics since the tournament began with the opening of Surprise Stadium for the 2003 season. The Beavers are now 7-2 in the ballpark, which is the spring training home of the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals ... OSU righthander Dallas Buck got the start for Opening Day against Nevada on Feb. 10; it was his second straight Opening Day start for OSU. The last time the Beavers had the same starting pitcher for back-to-back season-openers? Not that long ago - 2003-04 with Jake Postlewait, and before that it was 2000-01 with Thad Johnson.
Get out the vote
BEAVERS IN NATIONAL RANKINGS: Oregon State earned its highest-ever preseason rankings in 2006 in the 4 national polls. Here is where OSU has been in the national rankings this season:
POLL ESPN / SPORTS BASEBALL COLLEGIATE NATL. COLL.
DATE WKLY. COACHES AMERICA BASEBALL BSBL. WTRS.
Preseason 6th 8th 3rd 3rd
Feb. 6 No poll 6th 2nd 3rd
Feb. 13 No poll 6th 2nd 3rd
Feb. 20 No poll 8th 10th 10th
Feb. 27 14th 13th 14th 12th
Mar. 6 12th 11th 12th 10th
Mar. 13 15th 13th 14th 11th
Mar. 20 19th 16th 19th 15th
Mar. 27 15th 12th 18th 12th
Apr. 3 14th 11th 16th 13th
Apr. 10 15th 11th 19th 15th
Apr. 17 10th 9th 14th 11th
Apr. 24 6th 5th 7th 6th
Party on, Boyd
BOYD’S WORLD ELEVATES OREGON STATE: A way to look at how teams rate nationally is the college baseball website, Boyd’s World (www.boydsworld.com). Each week its author, Boyd Nation, runs the scores from across the nation through the NCAA’s formula for figuring the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) that helps the NCAA selection committee determine the postseason field. He posts these on Boyd’s World, and also posts his own Iterative Strength Ratings (ISR), which he describes as "the results of an algorithm designed to measure the quality of a team’s season to date by combining their winning percentage with the difficulty of their schedule. The algorithm computes all teams simultaneously and attempts to take advantage of inter-regional games more accurately than other rating systems."
Here is where the Beavers have ranked in Boyd’s World this season:
DATE PSEUDO-R.P.I. I.S.R.
Mar. 6 87th 21st
Mar. 13 57th 22nd
Mar. 20 50th 27th
Mar. 27 47th 21st
Apr. 3 40th 14th
Apr. 10 40th 15th
Apr. 17 32nd 6th
Apr. 24 27th 4th
We’re nationwide
OREGON STATE AMONG NATIONAL LEADERS: Here is where Oregon State ranks among the NCAA Division I leaders through Apr. 23 (complete lists of leaders can be found at www.ncaasports.com/baseball/mens/stats):
INDIVIDUAL DOUBLES (per game)
25. Cole Gillespie 0.41
INDIVIDUAL TRIPLES (per game)
30. Shea McFeely 0.14
INDIVIDUAL FEWEST STRIKEOUTS (at-bats per strikeout)
16. Darwin Barney 18.5
INDIVIDUAL RUNS (per game)
7. Cole Gillespie 1.38
INDIVIDUAL WALKS (per game)
32. Cole Gillespie 0.79
INDIVIDUAL EARNED RUN AVERAGE
66. Jonah Nickerson 2.35
INDIVIDUAL WINS
12. (tie) Dallas Buck 8
31. (tie) Jonah Nickerson 7
INDIVIDUAL SAVES
3. (tie) Kevin Gunderson 12
TEAM BATTING AVERAGE
71. Oregon State .301
TEAM EARNED RUN AVERAGE
14. Oregon State 3.36
TEAM FIELDING PERCENTAGE
11. Oregon State .975
TEAM TRIPLES (per game)
18. Oregon State 0.46
TEAM WINNING PERCENTAGE
11. Oregon State 0.757
Pac men
OREGON STATE AMONG PACIFIC-10 LEADERS: Here is where Oregon State ranks among Pacific-10 leaders through Apr. 23 (complete lists of leaders can be found at www.pac-10.org):
INDIVIDUAL BATTING
7. Cole Gillespie .367
10. Bill Rowe .358
INDIVIDUAL SLUGGING PERCENTAGE
3. Cole Gillespie .656
9. Bill Rowe .558
INDIVIDUAL ON-BASE PERCENTAGE
3. Cole Gillespie .497
10. Mitch Canham .451
INDIVIDUAL RUNS
2. Cole Gillespie 47
INDIVIDUAL DOUBLES
4. (tie) Bill Rowe 13
4. (tie) Cole Gillespie 13
INDIVIDUAL TRIPLES
1. (tie) Shea McFeely 5
7. (tie) Mitch Canham 3
INDIVIDUAL HOME RUNS
7. Cole Gillespie 7
INDIVIDUAL TOTAL BASES
8. (tie) Cole Gillespie 84
INDIVIDUAL WALKS
3. Cole Gillespie 27
7. (tie) Shea McFeely 23
INDIVIDUAL STOLEN BASES
6. Darwin Barney 10
7. Cole Gillespie 9
INDIVIDUAL EARNED RUN AVERAGE
4. Jonah Nickerson 2.35
6. Mike Stutes 2.86
8. Dallas Buck 3.09
INDIVIDUAL OPPONENTS BATTING AVG.
5. Dallas Buck .208
9. Mike Stutes .247
INNINGS PITCHED
9. (tie) Jonah Nickerson 65.0
INDIVIDUAL STRIKEOUTS
8. Jonah Nickerson 60
INDIVIDUAL WINS
2. Dallas Buck 8
3. (tie) Jonah Nickerson 7
INDIVIDUAL SAVES
1. Kevin Gunderson 12
TEAM BATTING AVERAGE
4. Oregon State .301
TEAM SLUGGING PERCENTAGE
6. Oregon State .424
TEAM ON-BASE PERCENTAGE
4. Oregon State .401
TEAM EARNED RUN AVERAGE
1. Oregon State 3.36
TEAM OPPONENTS BATTING AVERAGE
1. Oregon State .235
TEAM FIELDING PERCENTAGE
2. Oregon State .975
Just for the record
2006 ENTRIES IN THE OREGON STATE RECORD BOOK: Here are the Oregon State school records set or tied during the 2006 season through Apr. 25:
HITS IN A GAME, INDIVIDUAL (TIED): 5; Apr. 1, 2006; Chris Kunda vs. Texas-Pan American (2nd game). OSU 14, Texas-Pan American 1.
DOUBLES IN A GAME, INDIVIDUAL (TIED): 3; Apr. 1, 2006; Chris Kunda vs. Texas-Pan American (2nd game). OSU 14, Texas-Pan American 1.
TRIPLES IN A GAME, INDIVIDUAL (TIED): 2; Mar. 10, 2006; Shea McFeely at New Mexico. OSU 10, New Mexico 4.
You just made the list
2006 BEAVERS ON OREGON STATE LISTS: Here are the 2006 Oregon State players on or near the school’s all-time top-10 lists for career or single-season marks through Apr. 25:
CAREER AT-BATS
10. Matt Bailie, 1995-98 570
> Shea McFeely, 2004-present 544 <
> Chris Kunda, 2003-present 486 <
CAREER- HITS
10. Kevin Hooker, 1991-95 180
> Shea McFeely, 2004-present 169 <
CAREER RUNS
10. Chris Biles, 2000-03 131
> Shea McFeely, 2004-present 124 <
CAREER DOUBLES
10. Troy Schader, 1997-99 35
> Shea McFeely, 2004-present 31 <
> Chris Kunda, 2003-present 29 <
> Cole Gillespie, 2004-present 22 <
> Mike Lissman, 2004-present 18 <
CAREER TOTAL BASES
10. Matt Bailie, 1995-98 269
> Shea McFeely, 2004-present 247 <
CAREER TRIPLES
4. Jeff Doyle, 1975-77 9
(tie) Eric Stark,1998-2001 9
(tie) Aaron Mathews, 2002-04 9
7. Dave Backen, 1979-81 8
(tie) Dave Schoppe, 1989-91 8
(tie) Abino Vazquez, 1996-97 8
(tie) Jacoby Ellsbury, 2003-05 8
> Shea McFeely, 2004-present 7 <
> Mitch Canham, 2004-present 5 <
> Cole Gillespie, 2004-present 5 <
CAREER WALKS
6. Joe Gerber, 1997-2000 102
7. Steve Lyons, 1979-81 101
(tie) Todd Thomas, 198-83 101
9. Bob Beall, 1968-70 99
> (tie) Shea McFeely, 2004-present 99 <
CAREER STOLEN BASES
10. Quinn Williams, 1983-86 35
> Tyler Graham, 2003-present 30 <
CAREER WINS
6. Scott Anderson, 1981-84 25 (25-17)
7. Andrew Checketts, 1996-98 24 (24-7)
8. Jeff Otis, 1986-90 23 (23-14)
> (tie) Dallas Buck, 2004-present 23 (23-7) <
10. Mason Smith, 1991-94 22 (22-18)
> Jonah Nickerson, 2004-present 20 (20-8) <
CAREER SAVES
> 1. Kevin Gunderson, 2004-present 29 <
2. Jared Sanders, 2002-04 12
3. Mike Boire, 1996-98 11
4. Jim Grove, 1979-82 9
> 5. Dallas Buck, 2004-present 7 <
CAREER STRIKEOUTS
4. Scott Christman, 1991-93 249
5. Mike Gorman, 1979-82 237
> 6. Jonah Nickerson, 2004-present 228 <
7. Cecil Ira, 1961-63 227
> 9. Dallas Buck, 2004-present 221 <
CAREER INNINGS PITCHED
8. Stephen Copeland, 2000-03 274.0
9. John Sipple, 1984-88 267.0
> 10. Dallas Buck, 2004-present 263.1 <
> Jonah Nickerson, 2004-present 221.0 <
SEASON RUNS
8. Chris Wakeland, 1996 51
(tie) Brian Barden, 2001 51
(tie) Seth Pietsch, 2002 51
> Cole Gillespie, 2006 49 <
SEASON DOUBLES
10. Marc Malloy, 1994 17
(tie) Brent Watts, 1994 17
(tie) Chris Wakeland, 1996 17
> Bill Rowe, 2006 14 <
> Cole Gillespie, 2006 14 <
> Scott Santschi, 2006 11 <
SEASON TRIPLES
1. Abino Vazquez, 1997 7
2. Jeff Doyle, 1977 6
(tie) Todd Thomas, 1983 6
(tie) Seth Pietsch, 2002 6
(tie) Aaron Mathews, 2004 6
6. Twink Pederson, 1956 5
(tie) Lute Barnes, 1968 5
(tie) Dave Backen, 1980 5
(tie) David Anderson, 1992 5
> (tie) Shea McFeely, 2006 5 <
> Mitch Canham, 2006 3 <
SEASON HOME RUNS
10. Chris Newman, 1983 11
(tie) Joe Gerber, 1998 11
(tie) Zach Gordon, 2000 11
(tie) Andy Jarvis, 2002 11
> Cole Gillespie 7 <
SEASON WINS
9. Cecil Ira, 1963 10 (10-3)
(tie) John Sipple, 1985 10 (10-2)
(tie) Rod Scheckla, 1988 10 (10-6)
(tie) Jeff Post, 1990 10 (10-4)
(tie) Mike Thurman, 1994 10 (10-4)
> Dallas Buck, 2006 8 (8-0) <
> Jonah Nickerson, 2006 7 (7-3) <
SEASON SAVES
1. Kevin Gunderson, 2005 14
> 2. Kevin Gunderson, 2006 12 <
I’m telling you for the last time ...
THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED: Here’s the last time Oregon State players accomplished several notable feats through Apr. 25:
THREW A NO-HITTER: Apr. 11, 1967; Cleve Benson, Eric Selberg and Jack Humphrey vs. Portland. OSU 11, Portland 0. (Individual - Apr. 12, 1947; Fred Gallagher vs. Montana. OSU 1, Montana 0.)
WAS NO-HIT: Mar. 27, 1994; Jack Gullard, Lewis-Clark State at Honolulu, Haw. Lewis-Clark State 1, OSU 0.
THREW A 1-HITTER: Apr. 24, 2005 (1st game); Anton Maxwell vs. Washington State. OSU 8, Washington State 1.
THREW A SHUTOUT: Apr. 14, 2006; Dallas Buck and Kevin Gunderson vs. Stanford. OSU 1, Stanford 0 (Individual - Mar. 4, 2006; Jonah Nickerson vs. Nevada. OSU 4, Nevada 0.)
THREW A COMPLETE GAME: Apr. 16, 2006; Jonah Nickerson vs. Stanford (7 innings). OSU 12, Stanford 1 (9 innings - Mar. 4, 2006; Jonah Nickerson vs. Nevada. OSU 4, Nevada 0.)
HAD 12 STRIKEOUTS BY A PITCHER: Mar. 25, 2005; Dallas Buck vs. Dallas Baptist. OSU 7, Dallas Baptist 2.
HAD 11 STRIKEOUTS BY A PITCHER: Mar. 25, 2005; Dallas Buck vs. Dallas Baptist (12 strikeouts). OSU 7, Dallas Baptist 2.
HAD 10 STRIKEOUTS BY A PITCHER: Feb. 26, 2006; Mike Stutes vs. St. Mary’s (Calif.). OSU 7, St. Mary’s 5.
HIT 3 HOMERS IN A GAME: Mar. 11, 2001; Andy Jarvis vs. Washington State at Yakima, Wash. Washington State 8, OSU 7.
HIT 2 HOMERS IN A GAME: June 5, 2005; Danny Anderson vs. St. John’s. OSU 19, St. John’s 3.
PINCH-HIT A HOME RUN: Mar. 28, 2005; Scott Nelson vs. Brigham Young (grand slam). OSU 12, Brigham Young 5.
HIT A GRAND SLAM: Mar. 29, 2005; Scott Nelson vs. Brigham Young (pinch hit). OSU 12, Brigham Young 5.
HIT AN INSIDE-THE-PARK HOME RUN: Feb. 13, 2004; Andy Jenkins vs. Utah. OSU 8, Utah 6.
LED OFF A GAME WITH A HOME RUN: Mar. 29, 2005; Jacoby Ellsbury vs. Brigham Young (BYU’s Sean McNaughton also led off the game with a homer). OSU 11, Brigham Young 6.
HIT A WALKOFF HOME RUN: June 3, 2005; Shea McFeely vs. Ohio State. OSU 4, Ohio State 3.
HIT BACK-TO-BACK HOME RUNS: May 14, 2005; Mitch Canham and Shea McFeely at Washington. OSU 7, Washington 4.
HIT BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK HOME RUNS: Apr. 11, 2000; Brian Barden, Curtis Davis and Joe Gerber at Portland. OSU 13, Portland 5.
HIT 2 TRIPLES IN A GAME: Mar. 10, 2006; Shea McFeely at New Mexico. OSU 10, New Mexico 4.
HIT 3 DOUBLES IN A GAME: April 1, 2006; Chris Kunda vs. Texas-Pan American (2nd game). OSU 14, Texas-Pan American 1.
HIT FOR THE CYCLE: June 13, 2005; Andy Jenkins vs. Southern California (2-run double in 1st inning, solo homer in 3rd inning, single in 4th inning, triple in sixth inning; added 1-run single in 7th inning to go 5-for-5). OSU 10, Southern California 8.
HAD 5 HITS IN A GAME: April 1, 2006; Chris Kunda vs. Texas-Pan American (2nd game). OSU 14, Texas-Pan American 1.
HAD 4 HITS IN A GAME: April 1, 2006; Chris Kunda vs. Texas-Pan American (2nd game) (had 5 hits). OSU 14, Texas-Pan American 1.
DROVE IN 9 RUNS IN A GAME: Mar. 2, 1985; Ken Bowen at Chico State. OSU 36, Chico State 12.
DROVE IN 8 RUNS IN A GAME: Mar. 31, 2004; Shea McFeely at Portland. OSU 25, Portland 4.
DROVE IN 7 RUNS IN A GAME: Mar. 31, 2004; Shea McFeely at Portland (drove in 8 runs). OSU 25, Portland 4.
DROVE IN 6 RUNS IN A GAME: May 18, 2004; Tony Calderon vs. Portland (2nd game). OSU 16, Portland 3.
DROVE IN 5 RUNS IN A GAME: June 5, 2005; Shea McFeely vs. St. John’s. OSU 19, St. John’s 3.
SCORED 6 RUNS IN A GAME: Mar. 2, 1985; Ken Bowen at Chico State. OSU 36, Chico State 12.
SCORED 5 RUNS IN A GAME: Mar. 5, 2000; Brian Barden at Washington. OSU 27, Washington 4.
SCORED 4 RUNS IN A GAME: Apr. 1, 2005; Chris Kunda vs. Texas-Pan American (2nd game). OSU 14, Texas-Pan American 1.
STOLE 4 BASES IN A GAME: Apr. 11, 1991; David Anderson vs. Willamette. OSU 8, Willamette 0.
STOLE 3 BASES IN A GAME: Feb. 28, 2004; Jacoby Ellsbury vs. Sacramento State at Riverside, Calif. Sacramento State 10, OSU 3.
HAD 5 WALKS IN A GAME: May 21, 1970; Bob Beall vs. UCLA. UCLA 7, OSU 2.
HAD 4 WALKS IN A GAME: April 1, 2006; Chris Kunda vs. Texas-Pan American (1st game). OSU 9, Texas-Pan American 1.
TURNED A TRIPLE PLAY: Apr. 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).
SCORED 10 OR MORE RUNS IN AN INNING: June 5, 2005; 13 runs in second inning vs. St. John’s. OSU 19, St. John’s 3.
State of the nation
BEAVERS WITH WEEKLY NATIONAL HONORS: Oregon State junior righthander Jonah Nickerson (Oregon City, Ore./Oregon City HS) was named to the College Baseball Foundation’s National Honor Roll for the week of Feb. 28-Mar. 5. Nickerson pitched a 5-hitter for his first career shutout as Oregon State beat Nevada 4-0 on March 4; Nickerson struck out 9 and walked 0. Nickerson allowed just 1 hit in the first 5 innings and took a 3-hitter into the ninth. From the third through the eighth innings, Nickerson didn’t throw more than 13 pitches in an inning; from the fourth through the eighth, he retired 13 of the 15 batters he faced.
Hey now, you’re an all-star
BEAVERS ON ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAMS: Oregon State had 5 players picked to the Coca-Cola Classic All-Tournament team Feb. 10-12 in Surprise, Ariz. – pitchers Dallas Buck and Jonah Nickerson, first baseman Bill Rowe, and outfielders Cole Gillespie and Geoff Wagner. Gillespie, taking over the leadoff spot during Tyler Graham’s absence, reached base 11 times in 16 plate appearances on the weekend; he was 6-for-11 with 4 doubles, 9 runs scored and 5 walks. Wagner had the 2-run homer in the top of the ninth inning that put the Beavers on the verge of victory in the finale and finished the tournament 3-for-11 with 6 RBIs and 3 runs scored. Rowe was 6-for-13 in the tournament with 4 doubles, 5 RBIs and 2 runs scored. Buck earned the Opening Day victory over Nevada, pitching 5.0 innings and allowing 2 runs (1 earned) on 1 hit and 4 walks while striking out 9. Nickerson got the victory over 11th-ranked Arizona State, pitching 5.0 innings and allowing 0 runs on 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out 3.
Strongman
BUCK EARNS STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING ALL-AMERICA: Oregon State junior righthander Dallas Buck (Newberg, Ore./Newberg HS) has been named one of the All-American Strength and Conditioning Athletes of the Year by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). This year, the program recognized 242 athletes at 160 schools for their dedication to strength training and conditioning. Buck was an All-American during the 2005 season, when he helped Oregon State to the Pacific-10 championship and a berth in the College World Series by posting a 12-1 record and 2.06 earned run average. Buck also was a defensive back on the OSU football team during his freshman and sophomore years. "Dallas is an incredible athlete," said OSU strength coach Andy Dendas, who selected Buck for the award. "He has a tremendous drive to compete and to be the best in the weight room and on the field." The NSCA All-American Athlete of the Year Award is in its 27th year, and is made possible by a grant from Power Systems Inc., a producer of fitness products based in Knoxville, Tenn.
Head of the class
BEAVERS WITH PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA HONORS: Oregon State pitchers Dallas Buck (Newberg, Ore./Newberg HS), Kevin Gunderson (Portland, Ore./Central Catholic HS) and Jonah Nickerson (Oregon City, Ore./Oregon City HS) all received Preseason All-America honors.
Buck was a first-team selection by Collegiate Baseball newspaper and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and a second-team pick by Baseball America magazine. Gunderson and Nickerson were both second-team selections by Collegiate Baseball newspaper and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
Watch this!
BEAVERS ON WATCH LISTS FOR NATIONAL AWARDS: Several Oregon State players have been placed on the watch lists for national awards in 2006.
Oregon State junior pitchers Dallas Buck (Newberg, Ore./Newberg HS) and Kevin Gunderson (Portland, Ore./Central Catholic HS) are on a list of 120 players on the 2006 Wallace Watch, compiled by the College Baseball Foundation in Lubbock, Tex. The Brooks Wallace Award is presented annually to the national college baseball player of the year.
The Wallace Watch will be trimmed to 12 semi-finalists by late May. Then the selection committee will narrow the list to 3 finalists following the NCAA Super Regionals. The award is dedicated to the memory of former Texas Tech shortstop and assistant coach Brooks Wallace. In the summer of 1984 he was diagnosed with cancer and fought the disease until his death on March 24, 1985, at age 27. The selection committee for the Wallace Award is comprised of a national panel of preeminent coaches, sports information directors, former winners and beat media who most closely follow the sport.
Buck, Gunderson and junior Jonah Nickerson (Oregon City, Ore./Oregon City HS) are all on the watch list for the 2006 Roger Clemens Award, which honors the top pitcher in college baseball. OSU is 1 of just 3 schools in the country to have 3players on the Clemens watch list, along with defending national champion Texas and Nebraska. The Roger Clemens Award was named after future Hall of Famer Roger Clemens, who began his march to stardom while leading Texas to the College World Series title in 1983. All NCAA Division I head baseball coaches will take part in the voting for the honor, in addition to a selected panel of national media and all past winners of the Rotary Smith Award, which was retired after the 2003 dinner by the committee that is sponsoring the Clemens Award. The event is administered by the Greater Houston Baseball Association.
Gunderson has been named to the watch list for the second annual Stopper of the Year Award, given to the nation’s top relief pitcher in NCAA Divison I baseball. Gunderson is one of 30 players on the watch list for the award, given by by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. Nominations were made by each school’s baseball sports information contact. At the end the regular season, the Division I leader in saves and 4 other relief pitching standouts will be selected as the award’s finalists. These finalists will be released on May 31, just prior to the beginning of the NCAA Regionals. From the list of finalists, the NCBWA’s All-America Committee will select a winner. The second annual winner will be announced on June 7, two days prior to the beginning of the NCAA Super Regionals.
Baseball America style
BEAVERS IN BASEBALL AMERICA PRESEASON PREVIEW: Oregon State was ranked eighth nationally and picked to repeat as Pacific-10 champion when Baseball America magazine released its list of preseason honors and rankings. Oregon State junior starting pitcher Dallas Buck (Newberg, Ore./Newberg HS) was named to the publication’s Preseason All-America second team, which is selected by Major League Baseball scouting directors based on performance, talent and major league potential.
Buck and junior closer Kevin Gunderson (Portland, Ore./Central Catholic HS) were named to Baseball America’s preseason All-Pacific-10 team. Buck was listed as the No. 3 prospect in the conference for the 2006 Major League Baseball draft, while sophomore shortstop Darwin Barney (Beaverton, Ore./Southridge HS) was listed as the Pac-10’s No. 5 prospect for the 2007 draft.
OSU junior outfielder Tyler Graham (Great Falls, Mont./C.M. Russell HS) was selected as the conference’s fastest runner, best baserunner and best defensive outfielder. OSU senior Ryan Gipson (Central Point, Ore./Crater HS, Shasta JC) was picked as the Pac-10’s best defensive second baseman.
Coach class
PAC-10 COACHES PICK OREGON STATE: Oregon State was selected to win the 2006 Pacific-10 championship when the Pac-10 head coaches cast ballots in their annual preseason preview. OSU’s best previous placing in the conference’s preseason poll had been sixth on several occasions, including 2005.
Weather or not to play
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 50 games cancelled or rescheduled due to rain. Of those, only 18 have been games at OSU’s Goss Stadium at Coleman Field; 21 were at ballparks in California, Hawai’i, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas or Florida. Another 10 were at ballparks elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest.
OSU has lost just 4 home games to rain during that time, while having 17 games cancelled at sites outside the region and 4 called off at other parks in the region. The Beavers have rescheduled 14 home games, 5 games outside the region and 6 at other parks in the region.
Just for openers
OREGON STATE ON OPENING DAY: Oregon State has a tradition of playing well on Opening Day. After winning 12-4 over Nevada on Feb. 10 in Surprise, Ariz., the Beavers’ all-time record in season-openers is 68-29, and OSU has won 14 of its last 20 season-openers. Oregon State also beat Nevada on March 3 in the Beavers’ home-opener; in home-openers, OSU now has an all-time record of 78-19, with the Beavers winning 17 of their last 19 home-openers and 32 of their last 35.
OSU’s earliest season-opener came in 2002, a 13-5 loss at Arizona State on Jan. 31. Oregon State’s earliest home-opener came in 2005, when the Beavers beat Portland 6-1 on Feb. 15.
Casey in the dugout
OREGON STATE HEAD COACH PAT CASEY: Pat Casey, now in his 12th season at OSU, was named the the West Region Coach of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association and Pacific-10 Coach of the Year in 2005. Casey was also named Co-Coach of the Year when the College Baseball Foundation announced its National Honors Team.
In January, Casey earned the Slats Gill Sportsperson of the Year Award at the Oregon Sports Banquet. Casey was also named OSU’s Male Sport Coach of the Year at the annual year-end Benny Awards after a 2005 season in which OSU set a school record for wins and Casey passed a pair of personal milestones.
Casey earned his 300th win with the Beavers when Oregon State beat California-Davis 8-0 on Feb. 19, 2005 at the San Diego Tournament, and he earned his 500th win in 18 seasons at OSU and George Fox when the Beavers beat UCLA 3-1 on May 6, 2005.
Casey has a record of 369-247-4 with the Beavers for a winning percentage of .598. Casey’s career record of 540-360-5, which includes 7 years at George Fox in Newberg, for a winning percentage of .599.
Of the 19 head coaches in OSU baseball history, only a pair of men who spent more than 2 decades each guiding the Beavers - Ralph Coleman (1923-28, 1930-31, 1938-66) and Jack Riley (1973-94) - have coached more wins for Oregon State.
Casey was named the Pacific-10 Northern Division Coach of the Year in 1997 after leading the Beavers to a 38-12-1 mark, at the time a school record for wins in a regular season. During Casey’s time at OSU, 32 Beavers have been drafted by Major League Baseball teams and 9 more players have signed with professional teams 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.
The big picture
OREGON STATE’S ALL-TIME RECORD: Oregon State’s all-time record in varsity baseball is now 1,853-1,261-15, a winning percentage of .595. OSU’s all-time record in conference games is now 815-599, a winning percentage of .576. To break the numbers down a step further, since starting varsity baseball in 1907, the Beavers have scored 20,561 runs and allowed 15,847 runs. That’s an average score of 6.57-5.06.
There’s no place like home
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. The ballpark’s first game saw Salem High beat the Beavers 4-0 on April 12, 1907.
Now in their 97th season at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field (OSU didn’t play baseball in 1917, 1944 and 1945), the Beavers are 961-418-1 all-time at home for a winning percentage of .697. This season, Oregon State is 15-2 at home and is averaging 1,079 fans per home date; since the start of the 2005 season, OSU is 41-7 at home.
OSU won its first 12 games at home in 2005, giving the Beavers a 13-game home winning streak over the past 2 seasons. That’s the longest home win streak for Oregon State since it won 13 in a row during the 1997-98 seasons.
OSU was 26-5 at home in 2005 and averaged 1,484 fans per home date; that was a record for home wins in a season, beating the 20-4 mark of the 1998 Beavers. During the regular season, the Beavers were 21-4 at home and averaged 1,133 fans per home date.
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. New bleachers have raised capacity for the 2006 season to 2,300 (up from the previous 2,000), with the main grandstand seating approximately 1,400 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.
Club scene
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. Also, anyone entering the OSU Dugout Club Golf Tournament automatically gains membership. For more information on the OSU Dugout Club, call (541) 737-0598.
Radio days
OREGON STATE RADIO BROADCASTS: Oregon State baseball will again be broadcast this season, with all 56 games available on the internet via subscription at www.osubeavers.com and www.yahoo.com. In addition, both KEJO-AM 1240 in Corvallis and KUIK-AM 1360 in the Portland area will carry most of the Beavers’ schedule, though broadcast schedules for the 2 stations will vary. Mike Parker, the voice of the Beavers, will handle play-by-play with assistance from Jim Wilson and Kip Carlson.
This week, KEJO-AM will broadcast all 4 games against Cal Poly and New Mexico live. KUIK-AM will broadcast the Thursday game via tape delay at 6 p.m. and the Friday game live; there will be no KUIK broadcast of the games Saturday and Sunday.
KUIK also carries "Diamond Notes" with OSU head coach Pat Casey on Mondays at 4:30 p.m. and "Behind the Mike" with OSU play-by-play announcer Mike Parker on Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m.; "Behind the Mike" will begin April 5.
OSU games can be heard on the internet via Beaver Nation Insider at www.osubeavers.com; a subscription is $4.95 a month for audio only, $8.95 a month for audio and video, and there is a current special providing audio and video for $79.95 for 15 months. The audio/video packages include 20 live webcasts of OSU games from Goss Stadium at Coleman Field in 2006.
Lights, camera, action
OREGON STATE TELEVISION BROADCASTS, WEBCASTS: Oregon State’s game at Southern California on March 18 was televised via tape delay by Fox Sports Net in the Pacific Northwest. OSU’s home game against Washington on May 6 is also scheduled for a live broadcast by Fox Sports Net in the region.
In addition, 20 OSU home games will be webcast live on www.osubeavers.com and will be available via subscription via Beaver Nation Insider; a subscription is $4.95 a month for audio only, $8.95 a month for audio and video, and there is a current special providing audio and video for $79.95 for 15 months. This weekend, all 3 of Oregon State’s games against Arizona will be shown.
Since the start of the 1998 season, Oregon State has played on national cable television 12 times and the Beavers have gone 5-7 in those games, including a 5-2 mark at home. Since Fox Sports Net (formerly Prime Sports) began televising games in 1990, Oregon State has a 31-20 record in televised games, including 10-8 in national TV games.
Anybody need a ticket?
OREGON STATE BASEBALL TICKETS: For 2006, season tickets for Oregon State baseball are sold out with approximately 1,200 tickets having been sold for each of OSU’s 26 home dates. There are 800 tickets reserved for OSU students for each game, and students must pick up those tickets for a weekend series by noon the day before the first game (for example, Thursday before a series that starts on Friday). After the students have picked up their tickets; any remaining tickets for a series will go on sale the first day of the series as reserved seats, priced at $8 for all seats. There will be no general admission seating.
OSU students can also pick up tickets at the ballpark on the day of the game if any remain available.
A limited number of single-game tickets could become available on the day of the game, and information on the availability of those tickets can be obtained by calling the ticket office at 1-800-GO BEAVS or 541-737-4455, or checking www.osubeavers.com.
Should a game be rained out and rescheduled as part of a doubleheader, the tickets for that rained-out game will still be good for the first game of the doubleheader. The ballpark will be cleared between games of the doubleheader, and those fans holding tickets for the regularly scheduled game that day will be admitted to the second game.
