Tag Archives: Oregon State Beavers

Will Arkansas pitchers prevail? OSU hitters to state their case

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Fans of the Arkansas Razorbacks have been “calling the hogs” in the state of Nebraska for more than a week, and who could blame them?

They’re probably warming up again right now, as we, err, speak.

Here’s why:

So far, the Razorbacks are undefeated in Omaha at the College World Series. They’re 3-0 and playing great in all phases of the game.

Perhaps more importantly, they’re pitching more effectively at the moment than the 4-1 Oregon State Beavers.

As a result, the Arkansas bullpen has also worked fewer innings than its counterpart since the tournament opened on June 16.

Given the disparity, even the most neutral observers likely favor the Hogs to beat the Beavers in the finals, a best-of-three series that starts Monday night at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha.

But whether such conventional analysis proves accurate in this case, I don’t know if I’m buying into that or not.

I don’t know how you can ever count out an Oregon State offense that’s averaged nearly 10 runs per game in five CWS games.

Count ’em. The Beavers have scored 48 runs in five-game ride to the CWS finals.

From what I’ve seen on television, I’m not sure Nick Madrigal, Trevor Larnach and Adley Rutschman and those guys couldn’t, on a good day, beat just about any pitcher in the nation.

Against Arkansas, they’ll face Blaine Knight (13-0, 2.88) in the opener, followed by Kacey Murphy (8-5, 3.15) and, if necessary, Isaiah Campbell (5-6, 4.12).

They’ll also likely see a lot of Barrett Loseke, Jake Reindl and Matt Cronin out of the bullpen.

That’s the heart of a staff that has withstood challenges from solid offensive teams in Texas, Texas Tech and No. 1 Florida.

It’s a staff that has held opponents to a combined 11 runs in Omaha in an impressive three-game stretch.

Then again, I also think Madrigal and Co. are extraordinary talents that could cause major problems, forcing the Razorbacks to go deeper into their rotation than anyone they’ve seen at the CWS thus far.

Who will win? I don’t know.

I just really like Oregon State’s swagger right now, and, in spite of spotty pitching from Luke Heimlich and Bryce Fehmel, I strongly suspect this series will go the distance.

I think, for certain, we’ll see three highly entertaining baseball games.

Notable

Arkansas is shooting for its first national title in baseball. The Razorbacks last reached the CWS finals in 1979.

Oregon State won titles previously at the CWS in 2006 and 2007. The Beavers haven’t been back to the CWS finals since.

Quotable

Oregon State coach Pat Casey:

“What I’ve seen of Arkansas is what everybody else has seen, pretty darned good,” Casey said. “I don’t know if I’ve seen a more complete team: Pitching, defense, speed, power.”

Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn:

“Once we got here and watched them play, I told Pat that I figured that they would fight their way through like they did,” Van Horn said. “And I think it’s going to be a great series.”

Inside scoop

Here are stories that appeared in Monday’s editions of the Corvallis (Oregon) Gazette-Times and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Oregon State beats Mississippi State, advances to CWS finals

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Tyler Malone slugged a three-run homer to support the clutch pitching of freshman starter Kevin Abel Saturday night, lifting the Oregon State Beavers into the College World Series finals with a 5-2 victory over the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Mississippi State battled to give itself a chance in the bottom of the ninth by scoring once and loading the bases with two out.

But Beavers reliever Jake Mulholland escaped the jam by coaxing Bulldogs designated hitter Jordan Westburg, a freshman from New Braunfels, into a fielder’s choice ground ball to end it.

In winning a fourth straight game after losing the tournament opener, Oregon State advanced to play Arkansas in a best-of-three series for the NCAA Division I baseball title.

The third-seeded Beavers and the No. 5 Razorbacks open the series Monday night in Omaha, Nebraska.

“I’m proud of our club to fight through the losers’ bracket and get the opportunity to play for a national title,” Oregon State coach Pat Casey told the Corvallis Gazette-Times. “It’s special. Our guys, as you could see, were running on fumes.”

Adley Rutschman and Michael Gretler started the scoring in the third inning with RBI singles off Mississippi State ace Ethan Small. Malone, a sophomore from Roseville, California, followed with his eighth homer of the season to make it 5-0.

Meanwhile, Abel worked seven full innings, yielding only a run on three hits. He walked three and struck out five. Mississippi State scored a run in the third and had opportunities to get more in the fifth and sixth, only to come up empty.

In the fifth, with a runner aboard, Jake Mangum tried to stretch a single into a double but got thrown out at second base to end the inning.

In the sixth, with runners at second and third and Abel struggling with his control, Elijah MacNamee hit into a bang-bang double play to kill the rally.

MacNamee’s liner was snared by Gretler at third, who turned and fired to second base to double off Hunter Stovall for the last out.

In the ninth, a couple of two-out walks and an RBI single by Luke Alexander pulled the Bulldogs to within 5-2. But with the bases loaded, Mulholland put an end Mississippi State’s improbable playoff run.

Westburg, an all-state shortstop last year at New Braunfels High School, hit a ball to short that was bobbled briefly.

But Cadyn Grenier regained control and flipped to second for the force, sealing Oregon State’s second victory over Mississippi State in two days.

Westburg finished the game 0 for 4 at the plate. He was 0 for 6 in two games since a 3-hit, 7-RBI performance Tuesday afternooon against North Carolina.

Notable

Oregon State won CWS titles in 2006 and 2007 under Casey but hasn’t been able to reach the finals since then.

Mississippi State interim coach Gary Henderson told reporters he hoped to be back as head coach next season.

Quotable

Commenting on the team’s playoff run, Henderson told the the Jackson Clarion-Ledger:

“… It’s been an unbelievable time in my life, for a guy like me who has coached as long as I have and never been close to anything like this.”

Records

Oregon State 53-11-1
Mississippi State 39-29

Mississippi State pitcher Ethan Small shakes off freak injury

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Mississippi State pitcher Ethan Small is expected to start Saturday night against Oregon State despite suffering an injury to his left (throwing) elbow on Friday at the College World Series.

Small, the Bulldogs’ ace, was hurt while playing catch during warmups. Positioned outside the left field line, Small went down after a batted ball by one of his teammates struck him.

“I was catching a ball from someone throwing in,” Small said in a video posted by the Jackson (Mississippi) Clarion Ledger. “They said, ‘Heads up.’ I turned, and my arm goes back here, and it just popped me on the inside.

“Initial reaction was like, ‘Oh, crap.’ It kind of hurt. And then about two minutes later it went down. Took some Tylenol. Played catch, and it was fine.”

Small (5-3, 2.89) pitched Mississippi State to a 1-0 victory over Washington last Saturday on the first day of the CWS.

In that effort, he worked seven scoreless innings and struck out five with no walks.

Earlier in the Super Regional round, Small was roughed up in a 10-8 victory at Vanderbilt, during which he yielded four runs (three earned) in four innings.

Oregon State has been on an offensive tear. The Beavers have scored 92 runs in nine NCAA tournament games. They dropped an 8-6 decision to North Carolina in a CWS opener last Saturday.

But since then, the No. 3 seeded team in the tournament has pounded out victories over Washington (14-5), North Carolina (11-6) and Mississippi State (12-2). Oregon State lashed Mississippi State pitching for 15 hits on Friday afternoon.

“A lot of guys are feeling comfortable in the box,” Oregon State infielder Nick Madrigal told the Corvallis (Oregon) Gazette-Times. “We’ve had some great at-bats, taking some walks when pitches have been out of the zone and we’ve squared some balls up when they do come in.

“I think everyone feels really good in the box, and we are swinging the bats pretty well right now.”

Mississippi State wasn’t among the 16 nationally seeded teams coming in to the tournament. But it has shown great resilience on the first two weekends, winning on the road at the Tallahassee Regional and in the Super Regional at Vanderbilt.

The Beavers haven’t announced a pitcher, but No. 3 starter Kevin Abel (5-1, 3.50) is rested, according to the Gazette-Times.

Madrigal, Larnach power Oregon State past Mississippi State

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Nick Madrigal and Trevor Larnach had three hits apiece to power the Oregon State Beavers past the Mississippi State Bulldogs 12-2 Friday at the College World Series.

With the victory, Oregon State averted elimination from the tournament and forced a deciding game against Mississippi State to determine the Bracket 1 representative in the CWS title series.

Oregon State and Mississippi State are scheduled to play again Saturday afternoon at Omaha, Nebraska.

Madrigal and Larnach, who both grew up in California, were picked on the first round of the recent Major League Baseball player draft.

Madrigal, from Elk Grove, was the fourth overall choice by the Chicago White Sox. Larnach, from Pleasant Hill, was the 20th pick by the Minnesota Twins.

Both figured in the rally that produced a Beavers’ run in the first inning that tied the score, 1-1. Oregon State scored five runs in the second to take charge.

In the Beavers’ first at bat, Madrigal singled and stole second and third. Larnach laced an RBI single to drive him in.

Batting third in the lineup, Larnach had three RBI.

Records

Oregon State 52-11-1
Mississippi State 39-28