OSU Beavers Baseball Return Home
2-Time National Champions Begin Home Stand in Corvallis This March
After winning two national titles in College Baseball in back-to-back years, the Oregon State Beavers are the team to beat this season. Read the 2008 season preview.
Oregon State Home Series Begins in Corvallis
The nationally ranked Oregon State Beavers Baseball team returns to its home field this weekend, taking on Pepperdine. Although the team began its “home” games earlier this month in Portland, this will be the Beavers’ first series at the newly remodeled Goss Stadium. The team’s first home series was played at PGE Park in Portland against Georgia, as Goss Stadium renovations were completed. The Beavers won the series against the Bulldogs, 2-1.
The Young Team to Beat
After winning the National Title in NCAA College Baseball in back-to-back years, the Beavers return this year as the team to beat. With several of last year’s key players moving on to the big league, Oregon State has to make some important transitions. The young team will need to turn to veteran players such as Joey Wong, Erik Ammon and Drew George for leadership. Freshmen players are sure to make some mistakes but learning from them will be key. Yet, working with a young team, and facing giant odds has yet to keep the Beavers down or tarnish their performance.
Veteran Beavs Players
Experienced players from last year’s championship team include SS Joey Wong, 1B Jordan Lennerton, OF Braden Wells, OF John Wallace, IF Jason Ogata, IF Lonnie Lechelt, OF Koa Kahalehoe, OF Chris Hopkins, IF Drew George, and catcher Erik Ammon. The pitching group includes veterans, Mike Stutes, Jorge Reyes, Blake Keitzman, and Mark Grbavac. Freshman Greg Peavey, the highly recruited star from Hudson’s Bay High School in Vancouver, Washington will start this year at the pitching position.
Coaching Staff Changes
A change in coaching staff is also part of the major transition the Oregon State University Beavers will have to face this season. Pat Bailey, also a national champion title winning coach, from George Fox University, joins the team as the new Assistant coach. Other staff include veterans David Wong, Volunteer Assistant Coach and Marty Lees, Assistant Coach.
2008 Baseball Schedule
Head coach Pat Casey and his staff are ready to face the challenging PAC-10 conference, as conference play begins on March 28th, when the Beavers take on the Washington Huskies in Corvallis, Oregon. Home games at the newly expanded Goss Stadium include a tough series against the Stanford Cardinal, Arizona Wildcats and UCLA Bruins. The Beavs end the regular season with non-conference play against Utah Valley State and the final series at home against Pacific on Memorial Day weekend.
This 2008 season the Beavs will travel to Berkeley to challenge the California Golden Bears, then to Tempe, Arizona to face the Arizona State Sun Devils, finishing April in Eastern Washington, where the team confronts Gonzaga, for a non-conference match-up, and powerful Washington State. The team will finish off the away games in Los Angeles, against the tough USC Trojans.
To read about Oregon State's run to the College World Series last season, click here.
