Beavers Rated Nation?s No. 8 Program By D1Baseball
CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Oregon State baseball team has been rated as the No. 8 program in the nation by D1Baseball.com as the Web site is listing its top 100 teams.
The rankings are not intended to predict the 2016 season. Rather, D1Baseball.com is “assessing the overall health of the program, based on recent history, coaching staff quality, facilities, scholarship/financial aid situation, conference dynamics, and recruiting and player development proficiency.”
Oregon State has advanced to a school-record seven consecutive postseasons, and dating back to the 2005 season, has been to the field of 64 10 times. The Beavers won the College World Series in 2006 and 2007, and advanced to Omaha in 2005 and 2013.
Oregon State has won four conference championships since 2005, and three players – Jacoby Ellsbury, Cole Gillespie and Michael Conforto – have accounted for four Player of the Year honors. In fact, in the 11 years over that stretch, OSU players and coaches have won more than 25 percent of the awards handed out by the now Pac-12 Conference, which also includes the Coach, Pitcher, Freshman and Defensive Players of the Year.
“The Beavers have materialized into one of the real monster programs during the Pat Casey era,” Kendall Rogers of D1 wrote.
“In addition to creating a winning culture at OSU, Casey and the Beavers have greatly improved their facilities, while also, clearly, being the premier program in the Pacific Northwest, and in the running for premier program on the West Coast. Period.”
Goss Stadium at Coleman Field has expanded and been renovated twice since 2008. Seating was added down the left and right field lines, bringing total capacity to more than 3,000. Prior to this past season, a new clubhouse was erected down the left field line with a new deck - Banners - added above with spectacular sightlines and expanded concessions.
Conforto, now the left fielder for the New York Mets, highlights a star-studded All-America cast for the Beavers since 2005. Thirteen players have been named an All-American over that stretch, with Conforto’s three such honors leading the way.
Additionally, 12 players who have competed for the Beavers at any point in the last 11 seasons have played at the Major League level. Conforto, Matt Boyd and Josh Osich made their MLB debuts this year.
For more information on the Oregon State baseball team, follow the club’s official Twitter account at Twitter.com/Beaver_Baseball, by Facebook at Facebook.com/OregonStateBaseball or on Instagram at Instagram.com/BeaverBaseball.
