OSU Set To Go After National Baseball Title
SATURDAY, JUNE 24-MONDAY, JUNE 26
NCAA COLLEGE WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP
ROSENBLATT STADIUM - OMAHA, NEB.
Saturday, June 24
No. 8 Oregon State vs. No. 9 North Carolina; 4 p.m. PDT
Sunday, June 25
No. 8 Oregon State vs. No. 9 North Carolina; 4 p.m. PDT
Monday, June 26 (if necessary)
No. 8 Oregon State vs. No. 9 North Carolina; 4 p.m. PDT
(For all games: Live television on ESPN or ESPN2. Live radio on KEJO-AM 1240 in Corvallis area, KUIK-AM 1360 in Portland area, KKNX-AM 840 in Eugene area, KRNR-AM 1490 in Roseburg area, KMED-AM 1440 in Medford area, KICE-AM 940 in Bend area, KNPT. Live stats on the internet at www.ncaasports.com and www.osubeavers.com. Live audio on the internet at )
On Monday morning, June 19, Oregon State had never won a College World Series game in three appearances spanning 54 years. That afternoon, the Beavers started a run that saw them win four in four days, and that has OSU playing for the championship of the College World Series this weekend in Omaha, Neb.
Oregon State (48-15 overall), ranked No. 8 in the final USA Today/ESPN coaches poll of the regular season, takes on No. 9 North Carolina (53-13) in the best-of-three championship series at Rosenblatt Stadium. Games are set for Saturday and Sunday at 4 p.m. PDT, and if necessary on Monday at 4 p.m. PDT.
"We’re excited to be here," OSU head coach Pat Casey said at Friday morning’s press conference for the two teams. "We talked about it in the regional and the super regional, how we were leaving good teams behind. We had eight great teams here.
"We’re fortunate to come out of the loser’s bracket, and we’re excited to play North Carolina. To think there are only two clubs left and we’re one of them certainly makes it special. We’re anxious to get going and have fun with it."
The Beavers spent four straight days facing elimination after being drubbed by No. 24 Miami (Fla.) 11-1 in OSU’s opening game of the event. The Beavers then beat No. 12 Georgia 5-3, Miami 8-1 and then No. 1-ranked Rice 5-0 and 2-0 to secure their place in the championship series.
"After our second practice five days ago at Creighton, I put my practice pants away and wondered if I’d ever use them again," OSU shortstop Darwin Barney said. "When I was getting ready to come here today (for OSU’s practice at Rosenblatt Stadium), I put them in my bag. It was a surreal feeling."
While OSU played four straight days before getting a break Friday, North Carolina wrapped up its place in the championship series on Wednesday and will have a two-day rest between games.
"At this point it doesn’t matter," Oregon State catcher Mitch Canham said of the Tar Heels’ extra day off. "We’re running on fumes. The adrenaline of playing in front of all these people will keep us going."
Casey announced at OSU’s practice on Friday afternoon that the Beavers will send junior righthander Dallas Buck to the mound for the first game of the series, but no announcement has been made of OSU’s starters for the second and possible third games.
Oregon State is trying for its second team NCAA national championship; OSU’s only title to date was the 1961 men’s cross country championship. Oregon State also won the 1926 Amateur Athletic Union national championship in wrestling in the era prior to the NCAA holding a championship in that sport.
Oregon State has sold approximately 1,000 tickets for this weekend’s series, including 200 that the Beavers obtained from North Carolina.
"I hope they’re excited," OSU pitcher Kevin Gunderson said of the citizens of Beaver Nation, both those who will be at the ballpark and those remaining in Oregon. "I think the whole Northwest has embraced us ... what makes it even more special is we have a lot of kids from the Northwest on this team."
Oregon State lineup
(Statistics through June 22)
C - Mitch Canham, so., Lake Stevens, Wash. (Lake Stevens HS);
.291, 7 HRs, 54 RBIs
or - Casey Priseman, so.; Woodinville, Wash. (Woodinville HS);
.200, 0 HRs, 3 RBIs
or - Erik Ammon, so.; Salem, Ore. (U. of Hawai’i);
.333 0 HRs, 4 RBIs
1B - Bill Rowe, sr.; Ashland, Ore. (U. of California-Santa Barbara);
.342, 5 HRs, 52 RBIs
2B - Chris Kunda, sr.; Philomath, Ore. (Philomath HS);
.277, 2 HRs, 40 RBIs
3B - Shea McFeely, sr.; Federal Way, Wash. (Tacoma CC);
.296, 4 HRs, 48 RBIs
SS - Darwin Barney, so.; Beaverton, Ore. (Southridge HS);
.321, 0 HRs, 34 RBIs
LF - Cole Gillespie, jr.; West Linn, Ore. (West Linn HS);
.377, 12 HRs, 55 RBIs
CF - Tyler Graham, jr.; Great Falls, Mont. (C.M. Russell HS);
.319, 1 HR, 19 RBIs
RF - Scott Santschi, jr.; Vancouver, Wash. (CC of Spokane);
.277, 2 HRs, 29 RBIs
or - John Wallace, fr.; Reno, Nev. (Reno HS);
.320, 0 HRs, 18 RBIs
DH - Mike Lissman, jr.; Ontario, Ore. (Ontario HS);
.330, 0 HRs, 10 RBIs
or - Ryan Gipson, sr.; Central Point, Ore. (Shasta JC);
.209, 0 HRs, 14 RBIs
or - Geoff Wagner, sr.; Redmond, Ore. (Central Oregon CC);
.242, 1 HR, 10 RBIs
(Tentative pitching rotation)
Sat., RHP - Dallas Buck, jr.; Newberg, Ore. (Newberg HS);
12-3 record, 3.43 ERA
Game 2 - To be announced
Game 3 - To be announced
Post patterns
OREGON STATE ALL-TIME IN THE POSTSEASON: Oregon State has an all-time record of 19-16 in NCAA postseason games. The Beavers have gone 11-10 in Regionals, 4-1 in Super Regionals and 4-5 in the College World Series. This is OSU’s seventh appearance in the NCAA postseason, following trips in 1952, 1962, 1963, 1983, 1985 and 1986. This is Oregon State’s third appearance in the College World Series, following trips in 1952 and 2005.
OSU’s last trip to the NCAAs was last season, when the Beavers advanced to the College World Series. OSU went unbeaten in the Corvallis Regional, topping Ohio State 4-3 and St. John’s (N.Y.) 11-1 and 19-3. The Beavers then won the Corvallis Super Regional, beating Southern California 10-4, losing 9-8 in 10 innings, and winning 10-8. At the CWS, Oregon State lost to Tulane 3-1 and Baylor 4-3 in 10 innings.
This was the fourth time OSU had hosted NCAA postseason play at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field. In addition to the 2005 Regionals and Super Regionals, the Beaver ballpark was the site of a 1963 regional championship series that saw eventual national champion Southern California win 6-5, OSU win 8-6, and then USC take the deciding game 7-5. In 1952, the Beavers beat Fresno State to earn the Far West regional title, sweeping the series 2-1 and 8-4.
It’s history
OREGON STATE ALL-TIME VS. THIS WEEK’S OPPONENT: Oregon State and North Carolina have never met in baseball. The schools have also never met in football, but UNC leads the all-time series in men’s basketball 1-3, with the last meetings coming during the 1977-78 season.
This and that
OREGON STATE NOTES: First baseman Bill Rowe has Oregon State’s longest current hitting streak at 9 games. Outfielder Cole Gillespie’s 20-game streak from May 5-Jun. 21 has been OSU’s longest this season, while shortstop Darwin Barney had a 17-gamer from Mar. 3-Apr. 1 and third baseman Shea McFeely had a 10-gamer from Feb. 23-Mar. 11 ... Gillespie leads the Beavers in multi-hit games with 29 while Barney has 25, Rowe and McFeely 22 each, catcher Mitch Canham 19, second baseman Chris Kunda 15, outfielder John Wallace 13, outfielder Scott Santschi 12 and outfielder Tyler Graham 11 ... Gillespie also leads the Beavers in multi-RBI games with 15 while Rowe has 13, McFeely 12, and Barney, Canham, Kunda and Santschi have 11 each ... not only has OSU stolen 74 bases to just 28 by its opponents this season, but the Beavers have also been successful at a much higher percentage, .755 to .528 ... in another measure of speed, the Beavers have also out-tripled their opponents 31-10 ... how effective has OSU’s bullpen been? The Beavers are 38-2 when leading after 6 innings, 40-1 when leading after 7 innings and 44-1 when leading after 8 innings ... OSU is 14-4 in games decided by 1 or 2 runs this season ... OSU went 27-4 this season at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field, setting a record for home victories in a season. Since the start of the 2005 season,the Beavers are 53-9 in their home ballpark. The Beavers won their first 12 home games of 2006 for a 13-game home winning streak over 2 seasons; that was their longest home streak since OSU also won 13 in a row at home over the 1997 and 1998 seasons ...
Pitcher Jonah Nickerson’s against Rice on Jun. 22 was huge for a number of reasons. First and most obvious, it clinched a place in the College World Series championship series for the Beavers; it also came as he allowed 0 runs on just 2 hits in 7.2 innings to the nation’s top-ranked team. Those facts overshadowed another notable achievement for Nickerson that night - with his 9 strikeouts, he moved to 124 for the season and set a new single-season school record; the old record had stood for nearly 40 years and was set by former major leaguer Ken Forsch, who had 121 strikeouts in 1968 ... OSU closer Kevin Gunderson got his 19th save of the season as the Beavers beat top-ranked Rice 2-0 on Jun. 22; that tied him for the national lead in saves this season with Don Czyz of Kansas ... OSU’s back-to-back shutouts of Rice on Jun. 21-Jun. 22 were the first back-to-back shutouts by a team at the CWS since Pepperdine managed it in 1992 against Wichita State and Texas ... the Beavers’ win over top-ranked Rice on Jun. 21 is believed to be the first time OSU had beaten a No. 1-ranked team in baseball ... OSU’s 2-0 win over No. 1-ranked Rice on Jun. 21 had them happy in McMinnville, Ore., a town located about 40 miles southwest of Portland. The pair of Beaver pitchers who combined on the shutout - Daniel Turpen and Joe Paterson - both graduated from McMinnville High in 2004. Ironically, the Grizzlies are the archrival of Newberg High, which is the alma mater of OSU head coach Pat Casey and Beaver righthander Dallas Buck ... OSU’s win over Georgia on Jun. 19 was a victory "4" the books as the Beavers got their first-ever CWS victory. Oregon State head coach Pat Casey’s black jersey with the No. 5 had come up missing a week before OSU headed for Omaha, and the Beavers had to send their jerseys ahead to have the College World Series patches stitched to the sleeves. Casey’s jersey was eventually found but didn’t make it to Omaha in time for the embroidery, so Casey wore the No. 4 usually sported by pitcher Greg Keim. Displaying his lack of superstition, Casey went right back to No. 5 the next night as the Beavers beat Miami (Fla.) ...
The Beavers’ trip to Omaha completes a big spring for Oregon State in the bat-and-ball sports. OSU also reached the NCAA College World Series in softball, but was eliminated in 2 games at Oklahoma City ... when Tyler Graham collected 5 hits in OSU’s 15-0 win over Stanford to wrap up the NCAA Corvallis Super Regional on Jun. 11, he not only tied the school record for hits in a game, he also kept alive a statistical oddity that now spans 54 seasons. Every time the Beavers have clinched a berth in the College World Series, an Oregon State player has had 5 hits - Jay Dean against Fresno State in 1952, Andy Jenkins against Southern California in 2005, and now Graham in 2006 ... another OSU player tied a school single-game record in that victory over Stanford on Jun. 11, as Bill Rowe was hit by a pitch 3 times ... a pair of Beavers - Chris Kunda and Lonnie Lechelt - are making their fourth appearance in World Series. In addition to the jaunts to Omaha in 2005 and 2006, they played in the American Legion World Series ... this makes 4 straight years that OSU’s hometown of Corvallis has had a World Series tie of some sort. In 2003, the Corvallis team - which included Kunda - advanced to the American Legion World Series and placed third; in 2004, Corvallis hosted the ALWS and the team from Kennewick, Wash., that included Lechelt placed second ...
How did Chris Kunda cap a week in which he won Pacific-10 Defensive Player of the Year honors? By being named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Corvallis Regional largely on the strength of his bat. During the tournament from Jun. 2-Jun. 4, Kunda batted .357 with 2 homers, 1 double, 7 RBIs and 4 runs. The double drove in the winning runs in the eighth inning of a 5-3 victory over Wright State on Jun. 2, while the homers both came in a 12-3 win over Kansas on Jun. 3; the homers were Kunda’s first since Apr. 17, 2005 at Arizona, and that homer in Tucson had been the only one he’d hit since clouting 5 in his freshman season of 2003 ... after OSU beat Hawai’i 12-3 to win the NCAA Corvallis Regional on Jun. 4, Beaver first baseman Bill Rowe and catcher Mitch Canham were handed envelopes by a young fan outside the Oregon State locker room. Inside Rowe’s envelope was a baseball card of Jim Thome, while Canham’s contained a card of Albert Pujols; those are the players they listed as their favorite athletes in OSU’s media guide. The return address on the envelopes simply said, "From Justin"; Rowe and Canham want Justin to know they say "thank you" ... when Kansas’ Jared Schweitzer hit for the cycle against Hawai’i in the opening game of the NCAA Corvallis Regional on Jun. 2, it was the second straight postseason game at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field in which a player had singled, doubled, tripled and homered - OSU’s Andy Jenkins had done it against Southern California in the final game of the 2005 Corvallis Super Regional ...
Want to win a Pacific-10 Player of the Week or Pitcher of the Week honor? Just win the conference title. OSU led the conference for the second half of the season and generally had the best overall record and highest ranking of any team in the conference, and it was a true team effort. The Beavers didn’t have a player earn one of the Pac-10’s weekly honors until the weekend that they clinched a tie for the conference title by sweeping Washington State from May 19-May 21; catcher Mitch Canham and pitcher Dallas Buck got the nod for their performances at WSU. The next week, as OSU split a pair of home games with UCLA to wrap up sole possession of a second straight conference title, outfielder Cole Gillespie earned the Player of the Week award ...
Oregon State clinched at least a share of the Pacific-10 title for the second straight season by taking a 3-game sweep at Washington State from May 19-21. In OSU’s varsity baseball history, which dates back to 1907, it’s the Beavers’ 22nd regular-season championship. This is the first time Oregon State has won back-to-back titles since taking the Pacific-10 Northern Division Tournament in both the 1985 and 1986 seasons; the last time OSU won back-to-back regular-season titles came with the 1982 and 1983 Pac-10 Northern Division championships ... You want to talk about quality starts? OSU got a trio of top-flight efforts as the Beavers swept WSU. Junior righthander Dallas Buck pitched a 3-hitter in a 16-1 win to start the series, junior righthander Jonah Nickerson followed that with a 5-hitter in a 10-2 win in the second game, and then sophomore righthander Mike Stutes blanked the Cougars for 5-plus innings of a 13-3 win in the finale ... OSU’s sweep at Washington State meant the Beavers haven’t lost a game in the Evergreen State in the past 2 seasons. Oregon State had earned a sweep at Washington in 2005 ... OSU’s 10-run fifth inning in a 16-1 win at Washington State on May 19 was the Beavers’ first double-digit inning of the season; it was the most runs in a frame for the Beavers since they scored 13 against St. John’s in the championship game of the 2005 NCAA Corvallis Regional ...
After taking the loss against Gonzaga on Feb. 10, Oregon State closer Kevin Gunderson didn’t suffer another loss until May 13 at Arizona State. Gunderson responded in a big way, though, being credited with the win the next day as the Beavers eeked out a 9-8 win to keep hold of sole possession of first place in the Pac-10 standings ... with his playing time limited by injuries this season, OSU outfielder Tyler Graham didn’t steal a base from Mar. 4-May 14. He ended the drought at a crucial time; after reaching base on an error with 2 out in the ninth inning, he swiped second base and that allowed him to score the winning run moments later in a 9-8 victory as Mitch Canham’s grounder was misplayed ... going into a series at Arizona State from May 12-14, Oregon State had won all 27 games in which it led after 6 innings. The Beavers then saw that streak end as leads got away in the seventh and eighth innings of the first 2 games of the series against the Sun Devils ...
How badly did Oregon State and Washington want to play on May 7? Badly enough that the Beavers and Huskies waited 2 hours, 51 minutes past the scheduled 1 p.m. start time before beginning the game, then sat out a 57-minute rain delay in the bottom of the sixth inning en route to OSU’s 7-1 victory. Total playing time for the game? Just 2 hours, 38 minutes, but it seemed much, much longer ... OSU closer Kevin Gunderson reached a pair of milestones when the junior lefthander earned the save as OSU beat Washington 5-3 on May 6 at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field. That gave Gunderson 15 saves for the season, breaking the school single-season record of 14 that he had set in 2005. It was also the 32nd save of Gunderson’s career, giving him sole possession of second place on the Pac-10’s all-time list behind Jack Krawczyk (49 for Southern California from 1995-98) ... OSU’s pitching staff had a pair of impressive streaks end against Washington on May 5-May 6. On May 6, OSU won 5-3 but the win was credited to reliever Eddie Kunz; that ended junior righthander Jonah Nickerson’s string of wins in 6 straight starts. On May 5, national player of the year candidate Tim Lincecum outdueled OSU junior righthander Dallas Buck in a 6-4 Washington win; Buck saw his personal winning streak end at 14 straight decisions, dating back to a loss at Arizona in 2005, and his scoreless innings streak ended at 25.2 innings ...
Daniel Turpen made his first start of the season a good one. Finding out just over 2 hours before the April 30 game against New Mexico that he’d be starting, the sophmore righthander went 6.2 innings and allowed 2 runs on 7 hits and 0 walks, striking out 2 ... junior righthander Jonah Nickerson’s 13 strikeouts in in OSU’s 8-4 win over Cal Poly on Apr. 29 were the most by an OSU pitcher since Apr. 6, 2001, when Thad Johnson fanned 14 hitters in a 6-5 win over California. Nickerson’s outing came one day after teammate Mike Stutes had fanned 11 New Mexico hitters in OSU’s 16-1 win ... 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 33 runs, 8 lead changes, 34 hits and 13 errors ... when Portland beat OSU on Apr. 25, it was the first time this season that OSU had lost a game that it led after 8 innings. The Beavers had been 25-0 when leading after 8 until that evening ...
When Oregon State earned a sweep at California from Apr. 21-Apr. 23, that made it 2 straight years in which OSU has swept Cal. Since the Pac-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 2001-02 ... 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 ... from Mar. 29-Apr. 23, OSU outfielder John Wallace put together a 6-game hitting streak and he did it the hard way - 4 of the games were ones in which he came off the bench ... 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 how 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 Goss Stadium at Coleman Field on April, 9, because the raw materials were available. With OSU’s Anton Maxwell about to throw the first pitch against Arizona, the contest was delayed several minutes when a rooster wandered onto the leftfield warning track. It eluded capture for a few minutes before being nabbed by the OSU grounds crew and several Beavers, then was removed from the ballpark through a gate in – you guessed it – fowl territory. The rooster was turned over to a public safety officer with five hens – but no rooster – on his property ... There have been all kinds of postponements on the West Coast this season, and OSU was involved in a unique one. 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. 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 for the Beavers and Broncs on Apr. 1. UTPA’s travel plans meant playing Apr. 2 wasn’t an option, so the teams played the nearly 7 innings remaining in their first game and then their regularly scheduled doubleheader on Apr. 1. Saturday’s first pitch 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 included 141 outs, 223 plate appearances, 14 pitching changes, 51 hits, 30 runs, 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, in terms of playing time, but not in terms of innings. 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 the 2 2/3 games took 7:24 of actual playing time. 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; OSU 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 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
May 1 5th 5th 6th 6th
May 8 5th 4th 5th 6th
May 15 10th 6th 7th 9th
May 22 8th 5th 5th 6th tie
May 29 8th 5th 4th 5th
Jun. 6 No poll 4th 4th 5th
Jun. 13 No poll 4th 4th 4th
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
May 1 32nd 5th
May 8 33rd 5th
May 15 35th 4th
May 22 29th 4th
May 29 30th 4th
Jun. 6 26th 4th
Jun. 13 22nd 4th
We’re nationwide
OREGON STATE AMONG NATIONAL LEADERS: Here is where Oregon State ranks among the NCAA Division I leaders through the end of the NCAA Corvallis Super Regional on Jun. 11 (complete lists of leaders can be found at www.ncaasports.com/baseball/mens/stats):
INDIVIDUAL BATTING AVERAGE
56. Cole Gillespie .386
INDIVIDUAL DOUBLES (per game)
13. Cole Gillespie 0.42
INDIVIDUAL TRIPLES (per game)
42. Shea McFeely 0.10
INDIVIDUAL FEWEST STRIKEOUTS (at-bats per strikeout)
45. Darwin Barney 14.4
INDIVIDUAL RUNS (per game)
1. Cole Gillespie 1.4
INDIVIDUAL SLUGGING PERCENTAGE
24. Cole Gillespie .695
INDIVIDUAL WALKS (per game)
28. Cole Gillespie 0.78
INDIVIDUAL EARNED RUN AVERAGE
51. Jonah Nickerson 2.50
97. Mike Stutes 2.88
INDIVIDUAL WINS
10. (tie) Dallas Buck 12
20. (tie) Jonah Nickerson 11
INDIVIDUAL SAVES
2. Kevin Gunderson 17
TEAM BATTING AVERAGE
71. Oregon State .305
TEAM RUNS (per game)
42. Oregon State 7.3
TEAM SLUGGING PERCENTAGE
93. Oregon State .435
TEAM HOME RUNS
172. Oregon State 0.55
TEAM TRIPLES (per game)
8. Oregon State 0.47
TEAM DOUBLES (per game)
74. Oregon State 1.95
TEAM STOLEN BASES
117. Oregon State 1.22
TEAM EARNED RUN AVERAGE
14. Oregon State 3.43
TEAM STRIKEOUTS (per 9 innings)
71. Oregon State 7.3
TEAM FIELDING PERCENTAGE
13. Oregon State .974
DOUBLE PLAYS (per game)
66. Oregon State 0.93
TEAM WINNING PERCENTAGE
5. Oregon State .759
Pac men
OREGON STATE AMONG PACIFIC-10 LEADERS: Here is where Oregon State ranks among Pacific-10 leaders through the end of the NCAA Corvallis Super Regional on Jun. 11 (complete lists of leaders can be found at www.pac-10.org):
INDIVIDUAL BATTING
2. Cole Gillespie .386
INDIVIDUAL SLUGGING PERCENTAGE
1. Cole Gillespie .695
INDIVIDUAL ON-BASE PERCENTAGE
1. Cole Gillespie .504
INDIVIDUAL RUNS
1. Cole Gillespie 77
10. (tie) Darwin Barney 49
INDIVIDUAL HITS
8. Cole Gillespie 81
INDIVIDUAL RUNS BATTED IN
6. (tie) Cole Gillespie 53
8. (tie) Mitch Canham 50
INDIVIDUAL DOUBLES
2. Cole Gillespie 23
5. (tie) Bill Rowe 20
INDIVIDUAL TRIPLES
2. (tie) Shea McFeely 6
4. (tie) Mitch Canham 5
INDIVIDUAL HOME RUNS
3. (tie) Cole Gillespie 12
INDIVIDUAL TOTAL BASES
2. Cole Gillespie 146
INDIVIDUAL WALKS
1. (tie) Cole Gillespie 43
3. Darwin Barney 38
8. Shea McFeely 31
10. (tie) Bill Rowe 30
INDIVIDUAL STOLEN BASES
4. Cole Gillespie 15
5. (tie) Darwin Barney 14
INDIVIDUAL EARNED RUN AVERAGE
3. Jonah Nickerson 2.50
4. Mike Stutes 2.88
6. Dallas Buck 3.03
INDIVIDUAL OPPONENTS BATTING AVG.
2. Dallas Buck .207
4. Mike Stutes .237
5. Jonah Nickerson .239
INNINGS PITCHED
4. Dallas Buck 115.2
5. Jonah Nickerson 107.1
INDIVIDUAL STRIKEOUTS
2. Jonah Nickerson 112
8. Dallas Buck 88
INDIVIDUAL WINS
1. Dallas Buck 12
3. Jonah Nickerson 11
5. (tie) Mike Stutes 7
INDIVIDUAL SAVES
1. Kevin Gunderson 17
TEAM BATTING AVERAGE
5. Oregon State .305
TEAM SLUGGING PERCENTAGE
5. Oregon State .435
TEAM ON-BASE PERCENTAGE
2. Oregon State .403
TEAM EARNED RUN AVERAGE
1. Oregon State 3.43
TEAM OPPONENTS BATTING AVERAGE
1. Oregon State .237
TEAM FIELDING PERCENTAGE
2. Oregon State .974
Conference call
2006 BEAVERS ON PACIFIC-10 ALL-TIME LISTS: Here are the 2006 Beavers on the Pacific-10 all-time leaders lists through Jun. 22:
CAREER SAVES
1. Jack Krawczyk, Southern California,
1995-98 49
> 2. Kevin Gunderson, Oregon State,
2004-present 36 <
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 Jun. 22:
HITS IN A GAME, INDIVIDUAL (TIED): 5; Apr. 1, 2006; Chris Kunda vs. Texas-Pan American (2nd game). OSU 14, Texas-Pan American 1. Jun. 11, 2006; Tyler Graham vs. Stanford. OSU 15, Stanford 0.
DOUBLES IN A GAME, INDIVIDUAL (TIED): 3. Apr. 1, 2006; Chris Kunda vs. Texas-Pan American (2nd game); OSU 14, Texas-Pan American 1. Jun. 3, 2006; Cole Gillespie vs. Kansas; OSU 12, Kansas 3.
TRIPLES IN A GAME, INDIVIDUAL (TIED): 2; Mar. 10, 2006; Shea McFeely at New Mexico. OSU 10, New Mexico 4.
RUNS IN A SEASON, INDIVIDUAL: 81; Cole Gillespie, 2006.
TOTAL BASES IN A SEASON, INDIVIDUAL: 157, Cole Gillespie, 2006.
HIT BY PITCH IN A GAME, INDIVIDUAL (TIED): 3, Jun. 11, 2006, Bill Rowe vs. Stanford. OSU 15, Stanford 0.
SAVES IN A SEASON, INDIVIDUAL: 19, Kevin Gunderson, 2006.
SAVES IN A CAREER, INDIVIDUAL: 36, Kevin Gunderson, 2004-present.
STRIKEOUTS IN A CAREER, INDIVIDUAL: 292, Jonah Nickerson, 2004-present.
STRIKEOUTS IN A SEASON, INDIVIDUAL: 124, Jonah Nickerson, 2006.
HIT BATTERS IN A CAREER, INDIVIDUAL: 73, Dallas Buck, 2004-present.
TRIPLES IN A SEASON, TEAM: 31, 2006.
You just made the list
2006 BEAVERS ON OREGON STATE ALL-TIME 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 Jun. 22:
CAREER AT-BATS
1. Andy Jarvis, 2000-03 725
2. Jon Yonemitsu, 1990-93 648
3. Jacoby Ellsbury, 2003-05 646
4. Ken Bowen, 1984-87 643
5. Brian Barden, 2000-02 639
> 6. Shea McFeely, 2004-present 638 <
7. Aaron Anderson, 1988-92 613
8. Pete Rowe, 1974-77 593
> 9. Chris Kunda, 2003-present 584 <
CAREER HITS
4. Ken Bowen, 1984-87 206
5. Joe Gerber, 1997-2000 201
6. Chris Biles, 2000-03 199
> 7. Shea McFeely, 2004-present 195 <
CAREER RUNS
1. Jacoby Ellsbury, 2003-05 168
2. Ken Bowen, 1984-87 150
3. Todd Thomas, 1980-83 148
(tie) Brian Barden, 2000-02 148
5. Andy Jarvis, 2000-03 141
> (tie) Shea McFeely, 2004-present 141 <
CAREER DOUBLES
3. Josh Carter, 1999-2001 42
(tie) Andy Jarvis, 2000-03 42
5. Brian Barden, 2000-02 39
6. Seth Pietsch, 2001-03 38
7. Drew Hedges, 1997-2000 37
(tie) Jacoby Ellsbury, 2003-05 37
> (tie) Chris Kunda, 2003-present 37 <
10. Ken Bowen, 1984-87 36
> Shea McFeely, 2004-present 35 <
> Cole Gillespie, 2004-present 33 <
CAREER TOTAL BASES
5. Chris Biles, 2000-03 318
6. Ken Bowen, 1984-87 303
> 7. Shea McFeely, 2004-present 288 <
CAREER TRIPLES
1. Todd Thomas, 1980-83 13
2. Chuck Fisk, 1952-55 10
(tie) Seth Pietsch, 2001-03 10
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
> (tie) Shea McFeely, 2004-present 8 <
> (tie) Cole Gillespie, 2004-present 8 <
> Mitch Canham, 2004-present 7 <
> Chris Kunda, 2003-present 5 <
CAREER WALKS
1. Ken Bowen, 1984-87 120
2. Mickey Riley, 1980-83 118
3. Rich Dodge, 1974-77 111
4. Matt Bailie, 1995-98 106
> (tie) Shea McFeely, 2004-present 106 <
CAREER STOLEN BASES
4. Steve Lyons, 1979-81 46
5. Kim Bradshaw, 1957-59 44
6. Steve Smith, 1981-83 41
7. Rich Dodge, 1974-77 40
8. R.A. Neitzel, 1988-90 39
> 9. Tyler Graham, 2003-present 37 <
CAREER WINS
1. Ken Noble, 1975-78 30 (30-17)
2. Mike Gorman, 1979-82 28 (28-16)
(tie) John Sipple, 1984-88 28 (28-13)
(tie) Jeff Post, 1989-92 28 (28-14)
5. Cecil Ira, 1961-63 27 (27-9)
> (tie) Dallas Buck, 2004-present 27 (27-10) <
> 7. Jonah Nickerson, 2004-pres. 25 (26-9) <
CAREER SAVES
> 1. Kevin Gunderson, 2004-present 36 <
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
> 1. Jonah Nickerson, 2004-present 292 <
2. Mason Smith, 1991-94 267
> 3. Dallas Buck, 2004-present 265 <
CAREER INNINGS PITCHED
2. Mike Gorman, 1979-82 337.2
3. Mason Smith, 1991-94 330.2
4. Scott Anderson, 1981-84 325.2
> 5. Dallas Buck, 2004-present 319.0 <
6. Jeff Otis, 1986-90 306.0
7. Jeff Post, 1989-92 286.0
8. Cecil Ira, 1961-63 281.0
> 9. Jonah Nickerson, 2004-present 286.0 <
SEASON AT-BATS
> 1. Shea McFeely, 2006 250 <
> 2. Darwin Barney, 2006 249 <
SEASON HITS
1. Jacoby Ellsbury, 2005 99
> 2. Cole Gillespie, 2006 86 <
3. Brian Barden, 2001 83
4. Brian Barden, 2002 81
(tie) Andy Jenkins, 2005 81
> 6. Darwin Barney, 2006 80 <
7. Josh Carter, 2001 78
(tie) Seth Pietsch, 2003 78
9. R.A. Neitzel, 1990 75
10. Dave Brundage, 1986 74
(tie) Joe Gerber, 1999 74
(tie) Joe Gerber, 2000 74
(tie) Aaron Mathews, 2004 74
> (tie) Shea McFeely, 2006 74 <
SEASON RUNS
> 1. Cole Gillespie, 2006 81 <
2. Jason Stranberg, 1997 67
3. Jacoby Ellsbury, 2003 56
(tie) Jacoby Ellsbury, 2004 56
(tie) Jacoby Ellsbury, 2005 56
6. Dave Brundage, 1985 55
7. Ben Bertrand, 1997 52
(tie) Seth Pietsch, 2003 52
9. Chris Wakeland, 1996 51
(tie) Brian Barden, 2001 51
(tie) Seth Pietsch, 2002 51
> (tie) Darwin Barney, 2006 51 <
> Shea McFeely, 2006 49 <
SEASON DOUBLES
> 1. Cole Gillespie, 2006 25 <
2. Seth Pietsch, 2002 24
(tie) Tony Calderon, 2003 24
4. Chris Biles, 2003 23
> 5. Bill Rowe, 2006 22 <
6. A.J. Marquardt, 1993 19
(tie) Joe Gerber, 2000 19
(tie) Jacoby Ellsbury, 2005 19
9. Jeff Brauning, 1989 18
(tie) Troy Schader, 1999 18
(tie) Josh Carter, 2001 18
> Chris Kunda, 2006 15 <
> Scott Santschi, 2006 13 <
> Darwin Barney, 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
> (tie) Shea McFeely, 2006 6 <
7. Twink Pederson, 1956 5
(tie) Lute Barnes, 1968 5
(tie) Dave Backen, 1980 5
(tie) David Anderson, 1992 5
> (tie) Mitch Canham, 2006 5 <
> (tie) Cole Gillespie, 2006 5 <
> Bill Rowe, 2006 4 <
SEASON HOME RUNS
1. Jim Wilson, 1982 21
2. Al Hunsinger, 1981 15
3. Bob McNair, 1980 14
4. Al Hunsinger, 1980 13
(tie) Joe Gerber, 1999 13
6. Steve Smith, 1983 12
(tie) David Schmidt, 1996 12
(tie) Andy Jarvis, 2001 12
(tie) Seth Pietsch, 2003 12
> (tie) Cole Gillespie, 2004-present 12 <
SEASON RUNS BATTED IN
1. Joe Gerber, 2000 67
2. Jim Wilson, 1982 62
(tie) Rob Colley, 1998 62
4. Bob McNair, 1980 59
5. Joe Gerber, 1999 57
6. Andy Jenkins, 2005 56
7. Brian Barden, 2001 55
> (tie) Cole Gillespie, 2006 55 <
9. Al Hunsinger, 1981 54
(tie) Ryan Lipe, 1997 54
(tie) Ben Bertrand, 1998 54
(tie) Josh Carter, 2001 54
> Mitch Canham, 2006 53 <
> Bill Rowe, 2006 50 <
> Shea McFeely, 2006 47 <
SEASON WALKS
1. Rich Dodge, 1977 48
2. Ben Johnson, 1989 47
3. Jeff Doyle, 1976 45
> 4. Cole Gillespie, 2006 44 <
5. Lance Rice, 1988 42
6. Ben Bertrand, 1998 41
> (tie) Darwin Barney, 2006 41 <
8. Ken Bowen, 1986 40
(tie) Dave Brundage, 1986 40
(tie) Troy Haugen, 1989 40
(tie) Joe Gerber, 2000 40
(tie) Shea McFeely, 2004 40
SEASON TOTAL BASES
> 1. Cole Gillespie, 2006 157 <
2. Jacoby Ellsbury, 2005 142
3. Seth Pietsch, 2003 133
4. Joe Gerber, 1999 128
5. Jim Wilson, 1982 126
6. Brian Barden, 2002 125
7. Bob McNair, 1980 124
8. Seth Pietsch, 2002 123
(tie) Aaron Mathews, 2004 123
10. Brian Barden, 2001 122
> Bill Rowe, 2006 118 <
> Mitch Canham, 2006 105 <
SEASON STOLEN BASES
8. Scott Hardin, 1994 23
9. Todd Thomas, 1983 21
(tie) Tyler Graham, 2005 21
> Cole Gillespie, 2006 15 <
> Darwin Barney, 2006 15 <
SEASON WINS
1. Scott Christman, 1993 14 (14-1)
> 2. Jonah Nickerson, 2006 13 (13-4) <
3. Dallas Buck, 2005 12 (12-1)
> (tie) Dallas Buck, 2006 12 (12-3) <
SEASON SAVES
> 1. Kevin Gunderson, 2006 19 <
SEASON STRIKEOUTS
> 1. Jonah Nickerson, 2006 124 <
2. Ken Forsch, 1968 121
3. Scott Christman, 1993 119
4. Dallas Buck, 2005 118
5. Mason Smith, 1994 115
6. Jonah Nickerson, 2005 114
7. Chris Pine, 1998 104
8. Jeff Reece, 1983 100
9. Scott Anderson, 1984 98
(tie) Scott Christman, 1992 98
> Dallas Buck, 2006 90 <
SEASON INNINGS PITCHED
1. Scott Nicholson, 2001 130.2
2. Dallas Buck, 2005 129.0
3. Thad Johnson, 2001 122.2
> 4. Jonah Nickerson, 2006 130.0 <
5. Mason Smith, 1994 120.2
> (tie) Dallas Buck, 2006 120.2 <
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 Jun. 22:
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: Jun. 22, 2006; Jonah Nickerson and Kevin Gunderson vs. Rice. OSU 2, Rice 0. (Individual - Mar. 4, 2006; Jonah Nickerson vs. Nevada. OSU 4, Nevada 0.)
THREW A COMPLETE GAME: May 20, 2006; Jonah Nickerson at Washington State. OSU 10, Washington State 2.
THREW BACK-TO-BACK COMPLETE GAMES: May 19-20, 2006; Dallas Buck and Jonah Nickerson at Washington State. OSU 16, Washington State 1; OSU 10, Washington State 2.
HAD 14 STRIKEOUTS BY A PITCHER: Apr. 6, 2001; Thad Johnson vs. California. OSU 6, California 5.
HAD 13 STRIKEOUTS BY A PITCHER: Apr. 29, 2006; Jonah Nickerson vs. Cal Poly. OSU 8, Cal Poly 4.
HAD 12 STRIKEOUTS BY A PITCHER: Apr. 29, 2006; Jonah Nickerson vs. Cal Poly (had 13 strikeouts). OSU 8, Cal Poly 4.
HAD 11 STRIKEOUTS BY A PITCHER: Apr. 29, 2006; Jonah Nickerson vs. Cal Poly (had 13 strikeouts). OSU 8, Cal Poly 4.
HAD 10 STRIKEOUTS BY A PITCHER: Apr. 29, 2006; Jonah Nickerson vs. Cal Poly (had 13 strikeouts). OSU 8, Cal Poly 4.
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 3, 2006; Chris Kunda vs. Kansas. OSU 11, Kansas 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: June 3, 2006; Cole Gillespie vs. Kansas. OSU 11, Kansas 3.
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: June 11, 2006; Tyler Graham vs. Stanford. OSU 15, Stanford 0.
HAD 4 HITS IN A GAME: June 11, 2006; Tyler Graham vs. Stanford (had 5 hits). OSU 15, Stanford 0.
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: June 4, 2006; Bill Rowe vs. Hawai’i. OSU 12, Hawai’i 3.
DROVE IN 5 RUNS IN A GAME: June 11, 2006; Mitch Canham vs. Stanford. OSU 15, Stanford 0.
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: June 11, 2006; Bill Rowe vs. Stanford. OSU 15, Stanford 0.
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: May 6, 2006; Chris Kunda vs. Washington. OSU 5, Washington 3.
WAS HIT BY PITCH 3 TIMES IN A GAME: June 11, 2006; Bill Rowe vs. Stanford. OSU 15, Stanford 0.
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 13 RUNS IN AN INNING: June 5, 2005; second inning vs. St. John’s. OSU 19, St. John’s 3.
SCORED 12 RUNS IN AN INNING: June 5, 2005; second inning vs. St. John’s (scored 13 runs). OSU 19, St. John’s 3.
SCORED 11 RUNS IN AN INNING: June 5, 2005; second inning vs. St. John’s (scored 13 runs). OSU 19, St. John’s 3.
SCORED 10 RUNS IN AN INNING: May 19, 2006; fifth inning at Washington State. OSU 16, Washington State 1.
I feel a draft
BEAVERS IN THE 2006 MAJOR LEAGUE DRAFT: Oregon State had 9 players selected during the 2006 Major League Baseball amateur draft. That was the most Beavers ever selected in a single draft; OSU’s previous high had been 6 players in the 2004 draft.
OSU had 4 players selected during the first day, with all 4 being taken in the first 7 rounds. Righthanded pitcher Dallas Buck (Newberg, Ore./Newberg HS) went in the third round to the Arizona Diamondbacks; he was the 86th player taken overall. Outfielder Cole Gillespie (West Linn, Ore./West Linn HS) went in the third round to the Milwaukee Brewers; he was the 92nd player taken overall. Lefthanded pitcher Kevin Gunderson (Portland, Ore./Central Catholic HS) went in the fifth round to the Atlanta Braves; he was the 160th player taken overall. Righthanded pitcher Jonah Nickerson (Oregon City, Ore./Oregon City HS) went in the seventh round to the Detroit Tigers; he was the 202nd player taken overall.
On the draft’s second day, outfielder Tyler Graham (Great Falls, Mont./C.M. Russell HS) went in the 19th round to the San Francisco Giants; he was the 566th player taken overall. Second baseman Chris Kunda (Philomath, Ore./Philomath HS) went in the 19th round to the New York Yankees; he was the 584th player taken overall. Third baseman Shea McFeely (Federal Way, Wash./Federal Way HS, Tacoma CC) went in the 28th round to Arizona Diamondbacks; he was the 837th player taken overall. Catcher Mitch Canham (Lake Stevens, Wash./Lake Stevens HS) went in the 41st round to St. Louis; he was the 1,246th player taken overall. Righthanded pitcher Jon Koller (Carlsbad, Calif./Carlsbad HS, U. of California-Irvine) went in the 48th round to the New York Mets; he was the 1,435th player taken overall.
The 4 players going in the top 7 rounds was also the highest any quartet of OSU players has ever been drafted. The previous best was in 1977, when 4 Beavers were picked in the top 11 rounds – pitcher Scott Anderson in the fourth round by Montreal, shortstop Jeff Doyle in the sixth round by St. Louis, catcher Pete Rowe in the 11th round by Toronto, and pitcher Tom Chamberlain in the 11th round by St. Louis.
All-American boys
BEAVERS EARNING ALL-AMERICA HONORS: On the All-America teams announced through Jun. 13, 4 Oregon State players had been named to the various squads - junior outfielder Cole Gillespie (West Linn, Ore./West Linn HS), junior righthanders Dallas Buck (Newberg, Ore./Newberg HS) and Jonah Nickerson (Oregon City, Ore./Oregon City HS) and junior lefthander Kevin Gunderson (Portland, Ore./Central Catholic HS).
On the Baseball America magazine All-America team, Gillespie was named to the first team and Nickerson was named to the second team.
On the Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball All-America team, Gillespie was named to the first-team and Buck was named to the second team.
On the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association All-America team, Buck and Gunderson were named to the second team, and Gillespie was named to the third team.
The 4 players named to All-America teams is the most-ever for Oregon State, topping the 3 players named in 2005.
Pac it up
BEAVERS EARNING ALL-PACIFIC-10 HONORS: After winning the Pacific-10 championship, Oregon State earned high honors when the all-conference selections were announced. Beaver junior outfielder Cole Gillespie (West Linn, Ore./West Linn HS) was named the Pacific-10 Player of the Year and OSU head coach Pat Casey was named the Pacific-10 Coach of the Year. It was the second straight year that the Beavers garnered both honors, as former outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury had shared the Player of the Year honor in 2005. Senior second baseman Chris Kunda (Philomath, Ore./Philomath HS) earned the conference’s initial Defensive Player of the Year award.
A trio of Beavers earned all-conference first team honors for the second straight season - sophomore shortstop Darwin Barney (Beaverton, Ore./Southridge HS), junior righthanders Dallas Buck (Newberg, Ore./Newberg HS) and Jonah Nickerson (Oregon City, Ore./Oregon City HS) and junior lefthander Kevin Gunderson (Portland, Ore./Central Catholic HS). Earning honorable mention from OSU were sophomore catcher Mitch Canham (Lake Stevens, Wash./Lake Stevens HS), senior third baseman Shea McFeely (Federal Way, Wash./Tacoma CC) and Kunda.
Hitting the books
BEAVERS EARNING ALL-ACADEMIC HONORS: Oregon State’s Mitch Canham (Lake Stevens, Wash./Lake Stevens HS) was a first-team selection and teammate Jake McCormick (Marysville, Calif./Erindale HS, Australia) earned honorable mention when the Pacific-10 All-Academic Baseball Team was announced. To be named to the team, players must have a minimum 3.0 overall grade point average. Canham, a sophomore catcher, has a 3.49 GPA and is majoring in Business Administration. Canham was on the Pac-10 All-Academic second team last season. McCormick, a junior utility player, has a 3.05 GPA and is majoring in Sociology. McCormick also earned Pac-10 All-Academic honorable mention in 2005.
U-S-A! U-S-A!
BARNEY PICKED FOR TEAM USA TRIALS: Oregon State sophomore shortstop Darwin Barney (Beaverton, Ore./Southridge HS) is among 20 players from across the country to earn an invitation to the 2006 USA Baseball National Team Trials. Barney’s invitation makes this the third straight year that an OSU player has been selected for the USA Baseball National Team Trials, as pitchers Jonah Nickerson and Kevin Gunderson were selected for Team USA last season and outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury was invited to the trials in 2004.
The 2006 USA Baseball National Team Trials will be held June 22-July 1 in exhibition games against teams in the New England Collegiate League. The USA Baseball National Team will be selected from a pool of 36 players, of which an additional 16 have yet to be determined. The official 22-man team roster will be announced on July 2.
"The National Team is defined by athlete performance in the college game," said USA Baseball General Manager of National Teams Eric Campbell. "This short list of invitees to the trials represents non-draft eligible players whose 2006 performance on the field has warranted an invite to the trials. We will continue to watch the rest of the season to find those remaining invitees that demand consideration."
Among other games during the summer’s international schedule, the 2006 USA Baseball National Team will look to defend its FISU World University Baseball Championship this August in Havana, Cuba.
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 eigh
