No. 8 OSU Gets Ready For Stanford In NCAA Super Regional

SATURDAY, JUNE 10

Stanford at Oregon State; 7 p.m.

(Live television on ESPN2 in areas of local interest, ESPN2 or ESPNU elsewhere. Live radio on KEJO-AM 1240 in Corvallis area, KUIK-AM 1360 in Portland area, KKNX-AM 840 in Eugene area. Live stats at www.ncaasports.com. Live video and audio via subscripton at www.osubeavers.com.)

SUNDAY, JUNE 11

Stanford at Oregon State; 7 p.m.

MONDAY, JUNE 12 (if necessary)

Stanford at Oregon State (if necessary); 4 p.m.

Oregon State has one more step to take to make a second straight College World Series appearance, but it’s a big one.

The Beavers (42-14 overall), ranked No. 8 in the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll, will need to top Pacific-10 rival Stanford (33-25) in the NCAA Corvallis Super Regional this weekend if OSU is to make a return trip to Omaha. The teams meet in the best-of-three series Saturday at 7 p.m., Sunday at 7 p.m. and Monday, if necessary, at 4 p.m.; the time for the final game could be changed for television considerations.

While Oregon State garnered the Pacific-10 championship and the conference’s automatic berth in the NCAA tournament, Stanford gained an at-large berth after tying for fifth in the Pac-10 race. The Cardinal then went to the Austin Regional and beat North Carolina State, national No. 3 seed Texas, and North Carolina State again to advance.

"Stanford certainly answered any questions about whether they belonged in the tournament," OSU head coach Pat Casey said. "They went into a very tough place to play, knocked off a team that was a national seed and playing at home, and beat another very good team twice. That should put to rest any questions about whether they should have been among those 64 teams in the field."

When the teams met in the regular season, OSU swept the Cardinal from April 13-16 in Corvallis, winning 3-0, 1-0 and 12-1. After that, Stanford won 9 of its final 15 games in Pac-10 play.

"They did a great job of getting their season turned around," Casey said of the Cardinal. "We’re going against a team that’s playing much better than they were the first time we saw them, and I think we’re doing some things better than we were when we played them.

"It should be a terrific series."

The Beavers do have the advantage of being at home, where they have a 25-4 record this season and are 51-9 over the past two seasons. Goss Stadium at Coleman Field’s capacity has been expanded to 3,100 for the series, which is expected to be sold out.

"It’s a great feeling playing at home, and it’s definitely exciting for all of our guys," OSU outfielder Cole Gillespie said after the Beavers beat Hawai’i to win the NCAA Corvallis Regional. "We have some great fans out there and the atmosphere is just awesome. We take great pride in winning at home."

Oregon State lineup (statistics through June 4)

C - Mitch Canham, so., Lake Stevens, Wash. (Lake Stevens HS);

.289, 7 HRs, 44 RBIs

or - Casey Priseman, so.; Woodinville, Wash. (Woodinville HS);

.200, 0 HRs, 3 RBIs

or - Erik Ammon, so.; Salem, Ore. (U. of Hawai’i);

.357, 0 HRs, 4 RBIs

1B - Bill Rowe, sr.; Ashland, Ore. (U. of California-Santa Barbara);

.323, 5 HRs, 44 RBIs

2B - Chris Kunda, sr.; Philomath, Ore. (Philomath HS);

.294, 2 HRs, 37 RBIs

3B - Shea McFeely, sr.; Federal Way, Wash. (Tacoma CC);

.295, 2 HRs, 44 RBIs

SS - Darwin Barney, so.; Beaverton, Ore. (Southridge HS);

.339, 0 HRs, 33 RBIs

LF - Cole Gillespie, jr.; West Linn, Ore. (West Linn HS);

.383, 12 HRs, 53 RBIs

CF - Tyler Graham, jr.; Great Falls, Mont. (C.M. Russell HS);

.287, 1 HR, 14 RBIs

RF - Scott Santschi, jr.; Vancouver, Wash. (CC of Spokane);

.288, 1 HR, 27 RBIs

or - John Wallace, fr.; Reno, Nev. (Reno HS);

.354, 0 HRs, 16 RBIs

DH - Mike Lissman, jr.; Ontario, Ore. (Ontario HS);

.325, 0 HRs, 9 RBIs

or - Ryan Gipson, sr.; Central Point, Ore. (Shasta JC);

.213, 0 HRs, 14 RBIs

or - Geoff Wagner, sr.; Redmond, Ore. (Central Oregon CC);

.247, 1 HR, 10 RBIs

(Tentative pitching rotation)

Sat. - To be announced

Sun. - To be announced

Mon. (if necessary) - To be announced

Post patterns

OREGON STATE ALL-TIME IN THE POSTSEASON: Oregon State has an all-time record of 13-15 in NCAA postseason games. The Beavers have gone 11-10 in Regionals, 2-1 in Super Regionals and 0-4 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.

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 is the fourth time OSU has 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 has an all-time record of 18-35 against Stanford in a series dating back to 1920. Earlier this season, OSU swept a 3-game Pacific-10 series from the Cardinal in Corvallis, winning 3-0, 1-0 and 12-1 on Apr. 13-Apr. 16. Last season at Stanford, OSU won 9-7 and 11-10 before losing the finale 4-3. Each of the last 2 series between the Beavers and the Cardinal have been affected by rain. In 2005, the opening game was rained out and the teams played a Saturday doubleheader; this season, the third game was rained out so the series went to a fourth day.

In postseason play, OSU has a 0-5 record against the Cardinal dating back to 1982. In 1982, the Cardinal swept OSU 15-6 and 15-4 to win the Pacific-10 championship in a best-of-3 series between the winners of the Northern and Southern divisions. In NCAA Regionals, in 1983 Stanford won 14-0 at the Stanford Regional; in 1985, Stanford won 17-3 at the Stanford Regional; and in 1986, Stanford won 10-7 at the Oklahoma State Regional.

This and that

OREGON STATE NOTES: Outfielder Cole Gillespie has Oregon State’s longest current hitting streak at 14 games, while second baseman Chris Kunda has a 6-game streak going. 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 ... Gillespie leads the Beavers in multi-hit games with 26 while Barney has 24, McFeely 20, first baseman Bill Rowe 18, catcher Mitch Canhamn 17, Kunda 14, outfielder John Wallace 12 and outfielder Scott Santshi 11 ... Gillespie also leads the Beavers in multi-RBI games with 15 while McFeely and Barney have 11 each, Kunda, Santschi and Rowe 10 each, and Canham 9 ... not only has OSU stolen 69 bases to just 25 by its opponents this season, but the Beavers have also been successful at a much higher percentage, .758 to .510 ... in another measure of speed, the Beavers have also out-tripled their opponents 27-9 ... OSU is 25-4 this season at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field, and since the start of the 2005 season the Beavers are 51-9 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 ...

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

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

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 Regional on Jun. 4 (complete lists of leaders can be found at www.ncaasports.com/baseball/mens/stats):

INDIVIDUAL BATTING AVERAGE

59. Cole Gillespie .383

INDIVIDUAL DOUBLES (per game)

9. Cole Gillespie 0.43

INDIVIDUAL TRIPLES (per game)

36. Shea McFeely 0.11

INDIVIDUAL FEWEST STRIKEOUTS (at-bats per strikeout)

30. Darwin Barney 15.8

INDIVIDUAL RUNS (per game)

2. Cole Gillespie 1.38

INDIVIDUAL SLUGGING PERCENTAGE

18. Cole Gillespie .706

INDIVIDUAL WALKS (per game)

29. Cole Gillespie 0.77

INDIVIDUAL EARNED RUN AVERAGE

74. Jonah Nickerson 2.67

INDIVIDUAL WINS

19. (tie) Dallas Buck 11

32. (tie) Jonah Nickerson 10

INDIVIDUAL SAVES

2. Kevin Gunderson 16

TEAM BATTING AVERAGE

79. Oregon State .303

TEAM RUNS (per game)

48. Oregon State 7.3

TEAM SLUGGING PERCENTAGE

93. Oregon State .435

TEAM TRIPLES (per game)

8. Oregon State 0.48

TEAM DOUBLES (per game)

75. Oregon State 1.95

TEAM EARNED RUN AVERAGE

20. Oregon State 3.50

TEAM STRIKEOUTS (per 9 innings)

72. Oregon State 7.3

TEAM FIELDING PERCENTAGE

19. Oregon State .973

DOUBLE PLAYS (per game)

58. Oregon State 0.95

TEAM WINNING PERCENTAGE

7. Oregon State .750

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 Regional on Jun. 4 (complete lists of leaders can be found at www.pac-10.org):

INDIVIDUAL BATTING

2. Cole Gillespie .383

INDIVIDUAL SLUGGING PERCENTAGE

1. Cole Gillespie .706

INDIVIDUAL ON-BASE PERCENTAGE

1. Cole Gillespie .502

10. Darwin Barney .444

INDIVIDUAL RUNS

1. Cole Gillespie 73

INDIVIDUAL RUNS BATTED IN

6. (tie) Cole Gillespie 53

INDIVIDUAL DOUBLES

2. Cole Gillespie 21

6. (tie) Bill Rowe 19

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 142

INDIVIDUAL WALKS

2. Cole Gillespie 41

3. Darwin Barney 38

8. Shea McFeely 31

INDIVIDUAL STOLEN BASES

4. Cole Gillespie 15

5. (tie) Darwin Barney 14

INDIVIDUAL EARNED RUN AVERAGE

3. Jonah Nickerson 2.67

4. Mike Stutes 2.88

6. Dallas Buck 3.01

INDIVIDUAL OPPONENTS BATTING AVG.

2. Dallas Buck .203

4. Mike Stutes .237

5. Jonah Nickerson .243

INNINGS PITCHED

5. (tie) Dallas Buck 107.2

5. (tie) Jonah Nickerson 107.2

INDIVIDUAL STRIKEOUTS

2. Jonah Nickerson 105

INDIVIDUAL WINS

2. Dallas Buck 11

3. Jonah Nickerson 10

5. (tie) Mike Stutes 7

INDIVIDUAL SAVES

1. Kevin Gunderson 16

TEAM BATTING AVERAGE

4. Oregon State .303

TEAM SLUGGING PERCENTAGE

5. Oregon State .435

TEAM ON-BASE PERCENTAGE

2. Oregon State .402

TEAM EARNED RUN AVERAGE

1. Oregon State 3.50

TEAM OPPONENTS BATTING AVERAGE

1. Oregon State .238

TEAM FIELDING PERCENTAGE

2. Oregon State .973

Conference call

2006 BEAVERS ON PACIFIC-10 ALL-TIME LISTS: Here are the 2006 Beavers on the Pacific-10 all-time leaders lists through the end of the NCAA Corvallis Regional on Jun. 4:

CAREER SAVES

1. Jack Krawczyk, Southern California,

1995-98 49

> 2. Kevin Gunderson, Oregon State,

2004-present 33 <

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 the end of the NCAA Corvallis Regional on Jun. 4:

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. 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: 73; Cole Gillespie, 2006.

SAVES IN A SEASON, INDIVIDUAL: 16, Kevin Gunderson, 2006.

SAVES IN A CAREER, INDIVIDUAL: 33, Kevin Gunderson, 2004-present.

STRIKEOUTS IN A CAREER, INDIVIDUAL: 273, Jonah Nickerson, 2004-present.

HIT BATTERS IN A CAREER, INDIVIDUAL: 72, Dallas Buck, 2004-present.

TRIPLES IN A SEASON, TEAM (TIED): 27, 2006, 2002.

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 the end of the NCAA Corvallis Regional on Jun. 4:

CAREER AT-BATS

4. Ken Bowen, 1984-87 643

5. Brian Barden, 2000-02 639

6. Aaron Anderson, 1988-92 613

> (tie) Shea McFeely, 2004-present 612 <

7. Pete Rowe, 1974-77 593

9. Ryan Lipe, 1995-98 581

10. Kevin Hooker, 1991-95 577

> Chris Kunda, 2003-present 556 <

CAREER HITS

4. Ken Bowen, 1984-87 206

5. Joe Gerber, 1997-2000 201

6. Chris Biles, 2000-03 199

7. Drew Hedges, 1997-2000 187

> (tie) Shea McFeely, 2004-present 187 <

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

6. Drew Hedges, 1997-2000 139

> 7. Shea McFeely, 2004-present 137 <

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

9. Ken Bowen, 1984-87 36

> (tie) Chris Kunda, 2003-present 36 <

> Shea McFeely, 2004-present 34 <

> Cole Gillespie, 2004-present 31 <

CAREER TOTAL BASES

5. Chris Biles, 2000-03 318

6. Ken Bowen, 1984-87 303

7. Bob McNair, 1978-80 285

8. Drew Hedges, 1997-2000 283

9. Seth Pietsch, 2001-03 274

> 10. Shea McFeely, 2004-present 273 <

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 <

> Mitch Canham, 2004-present 7 <

> Cole Gillespie, 2004-present 6 <

> 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

> 5. Shea McFeely, 2004-present 105 <

CAREER STOLEN BASES

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. Bryan Ganter, 1984-87 36

> (tie) Tyler Graham, 2003-present 36 <

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)

> 6. Dallas Buck, 2004-present 26 (26-9) <

7. Scott Anderson, 1981-84 25 (25-17)

8. Andrew Checketts, 1996-98 24 (24-7)

9. Jeff Otis, 1986-90 23 (23-14)

> (tie) Jonah Nickerson, 2004-pres. 23 (23-9) <

CAREER SAVES

> 1. Kevin Gunderson, 2004-present 33 <

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 273 <

2. Mason Smith, 1991-94 267

3. John Sipple, 1984-88 263

4. Scott Anderson, 1981-84 258

> 5. Dallas Buck, 2004-present 257 <

CAREER INNINGS PITCHED

4. Scott Anderson, 1981-84 325.2

5. Jeff Otis, 1986-90 306.0

> (tie) Dallas Buck, 2004-present 306.0 <

7. Jeff Post, 1989-92 286.0

8. Cecil Ira, 1961-63 281.0

9. Stephen Copeland, 2000-03 274.0

10. John Sipple, 1984-88 267.0

> Jonah Nickerson, 2004-present 263.2 <

SEASON AT-BATS

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, 2005 244

2. Brian Barden, 2002 232

3. Aaron Mathews, 2004 227

4. Brian Barden, 2001 226

(tie) Darwin Barney, 2005 226

6. Seth Pietsch, 2003 224

> (tie) Shea McFeely, 2006 224 <

> 8. Darwin Barney, 2006 221 <

SEASON HITS

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, 2005 99

2. Brian Barden, 2001 83

3. Brian Barden, 2002 81

(tie) Andy Jenkins, 2005 81

5. Josh Carter, 2001 78

(tie) Seth Pietsch, 2003 78

> 7. Cole Gillespie, 2006 77 <

8. R.A. Neitzel, 1990 75

> (tie) Darwin Barney, 2006 75 <

10. Dave Brundage, 1986 74

(tie) Joe Gerber, 1999 74

(tie) Joe Gerber, 2000 74

(tie) Aaron Mathews, 2004 74

> Shea McFeely, 2006 66 <

SEASON RUNS

> 1. Cole Gillespie, 2006 73 <

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

> Darwin Barney, 2006 48 <

> Shea McFeely, 2006 45 <

SEASON DOUBLES

1. Seth Pietsch, 2002 24

(tie) Tony Calderon, 2003 24

3. Chris Biles, 2003 23

> (tie) Cole Gillespie, 2006 23 <

5. A.J. Marquardt, 1993 19

(tie) Joe Gerber, 2000 19

(tie) Jacoby Ellsbury, 2005 19

> (tie) Bill Rowe, 2006 19 <

9. Jeff Brauning, 1989 18

(tie) Troy Schader, 1999 18

(tie) Josh Carter, 2001 18

> Chris Kunda, 2006 14 <

> Scott Santschi, 2006 12 <

> 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 <

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

8. Al Hunsinger, 1981 54

(tie) Ryan Lipe, 1997 54

(tie) Ben Bertrand, 1998 54

(tie) Josh Carter, 2001 54

> Cole Gillespie, 2006 53 <

SEASON WALKS

1. Rich Dodge, 1977 48

2. Ben Johnson, 1989 47

3. Jeff Doyle, 1976 45

4. Lance Rice, 1988 42

5. Ben Bertrand, 1998 41

> (tie) Cole Gillespie, 2006 41 <

7. Ken Bowen, 1986 40

(tie) Dave Brundage, 1986 40

(tie) Troy Haugen, 1989 40

(tie) Joe Gerber, 2000 40

(tie) Shea McFeely, 2004 40

> Darwin Barney, 2006 38 <

SEASON TOTAL BASES

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, 2005 142

> (tie) Cole Gillespie, 2006 142 <

SEASON WINS

1. Scott Christman, 1993 14 (14-1)

2. Dallas Buck, 2005 12 (12-1)

3. Cecil Ira, 1962 11 (11-3)

(tie) Jeff Reece, 1983 11 (11-3)

(tie) Mason Smith, 1994 11 (11-3)

(tie) Andrew Checketts, 1998 11 (11-1)

(tie) Scott Nicholson, 2001 11 (11-2)

(tie) Jake Postlewait, 2004 11 (11-3)

(tie) Anton Maxwell, 2005 11 (11-1)

> (tie) Dallas Buck, 2006 11 (11-2) <

10. 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)

> (tie) Jonah Nickerson, 2006 10 (10-4) <

SEASON SAVES

> 1. Kevin Gunderson, 2006 16 <

SEASON STRIKEOUTS

3. Dallas Buck, 2005 118

4. Mason Smith, 1994 115

5. Jonah Nickerson, 2005 114

> (tie) Jonah Nickerson, 2006 105 <

7. Chris Pine, 1998 104

8. Jeff Reece, 1983 100

9. Scott Anderson, 1984 98

(tie) Scott Christman, 1992 98

SEASON INNINGS PITCHED

5. Cecil Ira, 1962 116.2

6. Mike Thurman, 1994 114.2

7. Scott Christman, 1993 110.2

8. Jonah Nickerson, 2005 110.0

9. Scott Anderson, 1994 108.1

10. Jeff Post, 1992 107.2

> (tie) Dallas Buck, 2006 107.2 <

> (tie) Jonah Nickerson, 2006 107.2 <

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 the end of the NCAA Corvallis Regional on Jun. 4:

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. 27, 2006; Dallas Buck and Kevin Gunderson vs. Cal Poly. OSU 3, Cal Poly 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: April 1, 2006; Chris Kunda vs. Texas-Pan American (2nd game). OSU 14, Texas-Pan American 1.

HAD 4 HITS IN A GAME: May 19, 2006; Darwin Barney at Washington State. OSU 16, Washington State 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: June 4, 2006; Bill Rowe vs. Hawai’i. OSU 12, Hawai’i 3.

DROVE IN 5 RUNS IN A GAME: June 4, 2006; Bill Rowe vs. Hawai’i (drove in 6 runs). OSU 12, Hawai’i 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. 28, 2006; Cole Gillespie vs. New Mexico. OSU 16, New Mexico 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: May 6, 2006; Chris Kunda vs. Washington. OSU 5, Washington 3.

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 went in the 28th round to Arizona Diamondbacks; he was the 837th player taken overall. Catcher Mitch Canham went in the 41st round to St. Louis; he was the 1,246th player taken overall. Righthanded pitcher Jon Koller 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 Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball All-America team, Oregon State outfielder Cole Gillespie (West Linn, Ore./West Linn HS) was named to the first-team and OSU righthander Dallas Buck (Newberg, Ore./Newberg HS) was a second-team selection.

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 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.

Back Pac

BEAVERS WITH PACIFIC-10 WEEKLY HONORS: Oregon State’s Cole Gillespie was named the Pacific-10 Baseball Player of the Week for May 23-May 28. Gillespie (West Linn, Ore./West Linn HS), a junior outfielder, batted .500 (4-for-8) as OSU split 2 games with UCLA. In the first game of the series, as OSU won 9-2 to clinch sole possession of the Pac-10 title, Gillespie went 3-for-5 with 1 homer, 1 triple, 1 double, 3 RBIs and 2 runs scored. Gillespie’s 2-run homer capped a 3-run fourth inning that put OSU up 5-1; he also had a run-scoring triple in the bottom of the sixth inning and then doubled and scored in the eighth.

Mitch Canham and Dallas Buck were named the Pacific-10 Baseball Player of the Week and Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week, respectively, for May 16-May 22. Canham (Lake Stevens, Wash./Lake Stevens HS), a sophomore catcher, and Buck (Newberg, Ore./Newberg HS), a junior righthander, received the honors for their contributions to OSU’s sweep at Washington State, assuring the Beavers at least a tie for a second straight Pac-10 championship. Canham batted .538 (7-for-13) with 1 home run, 1 double, 10 RBI, 4 runs scored and was 1-for-1 in stolen base attempts. Canham also threw out the only Cougar baserunner who attempted to steal during the weekend. For the week, Canham had an .846 slugging percentage and a .600 on-base average. Buck threw a 3-hitter in the series-opener against a Washington State team that went into the series with a Pac-10-leading .323 team batting average. Buck walked 1 and struck out 6 in pitching his first complete game of the season, needing just 102 pitches.

Hey now, you’re an all-star

BEAVERS ON ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAMS: Oregon State had 5 players picked to the NCAA Corvallis Regional All-tournament team Jun. 2-Jun. 4. Second baseman Chris Kunda was named the Most Outstanding Player and he was joined on the all-tourney team by pitcher Jonah Nickerson, shortstop Darwin Barney and outfielders Cole Gillespie and Tyler Graham. Kunda doubled home the winning runs in the eighth inning of the Beavers’ opening game against Wright State and homered twice the next night against Kansas; he was5-for-14 with 7 RBIs in the tournament. Gillespie was 7-for-12 with 1 homer, 3 doubles and 3 RBIs; Graham was 5-for-10 with 3 RBIs, 6 runs and 3 stolen bases; Barney was 3-for-14 with 4 RBIs; and Nickerson allowed 3 runs on 3 hits while striking out 8 in 7 2/3 innings during OSU’s 12-3 win over Kansas.

Oregon State had 5 players picked to the Coca-Cola Classic All-Tournament team Feb. 10-Feb. 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.

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 out