Home Baseball Oregon State @ San Diego State

Oregon State @ San Diego State

330

Slow day and we're in need of a new thread so let's discuss baseball a day early.

Tomorrow  at 6pm it's OSU (4-0 and ranked #6 by Baseball America) vs 3-0 San Diego State. San Diego was ranked #25 before SDSU swept them, so this is a pretty good team.

Probable Starters: OSU RHP Dan Child (1-0, 3.60) vs. SDSU RHP Michael Cederoth (1-0, 1.80)

On Friday and Saturday we'll get our first look at the Beavs, as there will be video feed available on this site: http://goaztecs.cstv.com/library/live-baseball.html

Tomorrows game is radio only.

Also, if you'd like to discuss the basketball game tomorrow you can do it in this post. Just start an OT area and try to keep all replies chained to it so as to stay somewhat on topic.

330 COMMENTS

  1. Is there really anything to talk about with hoops?

    Either they win the Pac Tourney, or they are what we thought they would be once Angus went down.

    If anyone here thinks they had expectations beyond this, I would love to hear them.

    Go ahead… explain your thoughts. Do it.

    • I actually had higher expectations than 4-14 in league without Angus and I’m not sure how a 9 point 6 rebound center became the messiah for the program, but that will play out next season.. I’m tired of the losses no matter the players. Sue me, Jack!

      • Brandt was averaging 11.3 ppg and 8.5 rpg before he went down and was shooting nearly 42% from three. His production likely would have went up and a Nelson/Brandt pick and roll/pop would have been deadly. Just his presence on the floor means a lot. Teams have to respect him as a shooter and he spaces the floor so well. Opens up driving lanes for the guards cause guys can’t sag off Brandt, they will much less often help off of Brandt as say they would Collier, Burton and Moreland. He makes their offense go.

        • I still think back to the 2K sports classic and what a beast he was. It really looked like he had become a much more aggressive and tenacious rebounder with a great jumper out to the three point line to boot. With Brandt healthy this team has at least three more wins on their record.

          • Likely more than that. Double-digit second half leads don’t disappear when someone of his experience and skill is added to the mix. Collier can’t find space with Moreland on the floor, and Burton is the only big willing to take a shot beyond ten feet. Even that’s just once per game.

            When you have three guys occupying the ten feet around the hoop, it only takes two defenders to stop our second half offense. And popping Moreland or Burton out to the top of the key guarantees less boards and second chances.

            Now, he’s not on the same level as a Zeller, Withey or Olynyk, but ask any of their teams what they would be without their starting bigs and their back-up depth. Ask UK if they miss Noel. Angus may not be on that level, but he is as important to the Beavs’ success as they are to their respective teams’ successes.

            Bigs add value in crunch time. The Beavs need value in crunch time now, but half their frontcourt is sidelined.

          • The season ended?

            I do believe he was talking about wins to date. And I believe he was far too conservative. I would guarantee those three additional wins to date in league play alone and add another two. And I would still think myself conservative.

            We would be 6-7 if nothing went right IMO. We would more likely be 8-5 or 9-4 and minus the Towson loss as well. With Angus we are a 30-40 team easily. Without, add another 100.

          • I was talking about wins to date. Tonight may have been yet another example where a strong game from him might have been the difference, though the team defense as a whole was just plain bad.

          • With Brandt I think the Beavers would have beaten Cal, Oregon, Washington State the first time, Colorado, possibly Washington as well. He makes that big of a difference. Moreland killed OSU vs Cal and Washington. Craig could have subbed in Brandt instead and some of those missed dunks, layups and free throws may have never happened and OSU holds on to win. Brandt can space the floor with threes, opens up driving lanes for Nelson, Barton, Starks, paint isn’t as packed and the offense is even more potent.

            Sucks not having Angus this year, really excited to see what he can do next season though.

          • I’m not making an argument that the team shouldn’t be better even without Brandt and Gomis. Depth is an issue that a coach has to address when putting a team on the floor. Injuries happen, and teams need to rise above them all the time. So while the current level of production is to be expected given the specific losses suffered, we should have been in a better position to suffer those losses. And that is a coach’s responsibility.

            But without Brandt and Gomis, we are a shorter than average team with 10.5 seasons of previous experience spread among 10 shipped players. Next year, we will have a much taller than average team with 19.5 seasons of previous experience spread among 13 shipped players. We would be in a much better position to suffer these injuries next year as opposed to this year.

            We easily beat USC, Cal, Wazzu(1) and CU. We probably win two of ASU, UW(2) and SU. And we likely win one between the Nikegon and UA games. UCLA was just a loss to a team who couldn’t miss if they were shooting from the parking lot on that night.

  2. BB seems disappointing and the team seems uncisciplined at times, and we didnt do better than last year. But seems like whenever I watch college hoops, I see a lot of off balance shots and undisciplined play. I think its the nature of the game now.

    Also seems to me that if Jared had stayed, and Angus not gone down, we would have done much better. CR needs a better showing next year, needs to show he is developing as a coach, or they should take steps to replace him.

    • If Jared and Angus were here, the team would definitely be in the top half of the pac12. probable bubble team. The system CR runs depends on shooters and many of the guys just don’t have jump shots. Moreland, Collier, Burton, Barton, Reid, etc. Defenses know they don’t need to play tough d when moreland, burton and collier get the ball outside the arc. Defenses just hang back since they are not threat that far from the basket.

      If the lineup was Collier, Brandt, Starks, Nelson and Cunningham, there’d be 4 shooters on the floor. defenses would be forced to spread out more and open the door for nelson or cunningham to slash to the basket. defenses couldnt collapse as much because that would leave a capable shooter open. That’s what’s missing.

      If it was just angus, they’d be a 500 team at best.

      I am surprised they can put up the points they do but i attribute that more the the fast tempo they employ.

      Side note – I think Morris Walker is going to be a great one. It’s clear he’s the most athletic on the team. If he can develop a mid range jump shot and play decent D. He’ll be awesome.

    • as undisciplined as OSU plays, Brandt and Gomis would have a very minimal impact on our w/L record. A little more depth would be nice but in the end I think at least 90% of the results would be the same due to the brain trust calling the shots.

  3. Should be Child-Boyd-Moore for the first 3 games on the mound. Wetzler will probably pitch on Sunday but probably will only go a couple innings. Should be back in the rotation full time starting next weekend against Bryant. Will be the Friday night starter in a few weeks. Starr should be back soon as well. Team is getting healthy which is always good.

    SDSU will pose a nice challenge early in the season. I think the Beavs take 3 of 4 in the series. Expect it to be a hard fought series. Hopefully Casey puts either Hayes or Keyes at 1B and the other at DH moving forward. Casper’s best position is 3B, playing 1B not really a strong suit for him as this past weekend shows. Like the offense with this group, should be even better once Barnes is back in late March or so. If the Beavs do win 3 of 4 this weekend, I think they have an excellent shot at going 16-2 or 17-1 heading into conference play with some quality wins.

  4. Wonder if Casper remains at 1st base? Seems like he’s had more than a few moments where the synapses weren’t firing at full speed. Maybe stick him in the outfield?

      • Casper’s prior stats don’t suggest a guy who needs to be in the lineup. At least Hayes can make routine plays and should hit just as much if not more. Not sure why Casper is in there, but I expect it to end.

        • Casper will be in there. Also, Casper and Hayes isn’t an either/or. They will quite often both be in the lineup. Jerad Casper will be fine with the bat as the season progresses. Hayes will likely be the starting first baseman moving forward.

  5. I’m not much of a basketball fan (the game itself is fundamentally flawed, and after all, it is an
    invention to fill in time between football and baseball), so this is an exciting time of year for me.
    I was in Palm Springs and saw the Gonzaga game. Big turn-out for Beaver Nation. I’ll leave to others more competent to analyze the finer points of the game but what’s already evident is that this team has a real sense of purpose, a willingness NOT to submit to defeat; an attribute that by all acccounts is the opposite of the basketball team and all to often is short supply on the OSU gridiron. Kudos to the station in Eugene carrying the games on-line. Does anyone have a sense of how big the OSU baseball network is in comparison to any other schools around the country?

  6. Here is my arm chair lineup, not that Casey is taking any advice from me:

    Peterson – 2B
    Smith – SS
    Conforto – LF
    Casper-DH
    Keyes – 3B
    Rodriguz – C
    Hayes – 1B (if is hamstring is ok)
    Gordon – RF
    Matthews – CF

    Curious to hear the comments.

    • Gordon and Matthews probably platoon in CF once Barnes is back next month with Barnes going to RF. I’d put Hayes in cleanup followed by J Rod, Barnes, Keyes, Casper and Gordon/Matthews rounding out the lineup once everyone is healthy. Nice balance and depth in the lineup especially if Keyes is consistently good this season like his freshman season.

      • I agree with your statement long term once Barnes is back. This team will have a lot of depth. Hayes is struggling and I heard he tweeked his hamstring. Casper scares me in the field but he is a big kid with hopefully a big bat. I also agree that we need consistancy from Keyes. Hopefully the reports were right that he was injured last year and that he is healthy this year. My lineup was just a suggestion for tomorrows game. See you all in San Diego!!!! Go Beavs!!!!!

        • I agree with your lineup for the most part for the weekend. Hope Hayes’ hamstring issue isn’t serious. Nice bat to have and can give Conforto some protection. Got a feeling OSU is gonna launch some bombs this weekend. Should be a fun series.

  7. Classic pitchers duel tonight. Scratch another couple runs across and the Beavers should be in good shape. Child is throwing a very good game.

  8. My biggest Beaver football concern: “We want to run a similar offense, but do it from no-huddle and try to keep the same personnel on the field,” Brown said. ” We changed so much personnel over the last couple of years that we felt like it gave defenses a chance to match us with packages. So we’re trying to get a group on the field and keep them on the field and run a lot of different plays and formations from the same personnel so the defense cannot rest.”-Mack Brown. Beavers need to be in supreme shape from start of season to end of season. No fatsos need apply. Lighter more mobile guys will be needed. Go Beaver baseball.

  9. A forewarning note: the basketball game on Saturday tips at 3 PM, baseball starts at 1. Basketball will be on Radio 84. Adjust your watching plans accordingly.

  10. Another great job of executing by the Beavers. Conforto got Smith over to third and Hayes brings him in on an RBI single. Offense making the most of their opportunities tonight.

  11. JRod has put in a lot of work, what with long counts and fouls coupled with some time on base. Wouldn’t mind seeing Esposito now, save JRod for the balance of the series.

  12. Scott Schultz is in with 2 outs in the bottom of the 8th. He’ll probably end up finishing the game as long as he doesn’t get into trouble in the 9th.

  13. Oh my if I had a nickel for every time someone said that Bob De Carolis NEEDS to be fired…

    People act like BDC had his pick of the litter when he picked a BBall coach after Jay John. Might I remind you that OSU was probably the worst major conference team in THE COUNTRY that year.

    Don’t like Coach Rob’s contract extension? Keep in mind that he got it after winning 20 games in a season, something no Beav team has done since I don’t even know when.

    And since when was being bad at one sport grounds for being fired? Kansas isn’t any good at football so maybe their athletic director should be fired…?

    Here’s just a few of his accomplishments:

    – Perennial contender over the last decade in football, with a few exceptions
    – Perennial contender in baseball, and has kept Pat Casey there throughout the success
    – Reviving track program
    – New BBall facility
    – Great Wrestling, Soccer, and Gymnastics teams

    Call me a “pollyanna” but he “HAS GOT TO GO”? Really? Tough crowd.

    • Basketball team will be better next year. I can pull up the thread, but I think I was one of the few who said they’d stink this year/be pretty good next year. Not sure they’ll be pretty good next year since the freshman aren’t really developing, but they should be better. I don’t think this had a lot to do with Angus Brandt getting injured, either. Beavs weren’t playing well before that, and he is not a difference maker…yeah he was hitting a high % of 3s, but he’s a slow, lanky player and not a good defender, let’s not act like they lost Bird.

      • I’m not one of the people that thinks losing Brandt is a good excuse for how terrible conference play has gone. I’m just saying CR led this team to 21 wins last year and BDC rewarded him for that. Some people on here are acting like the 1 year extension BDC gave CR was the most absurd thing anyone has ever done. While it may have been a bit optimistic of BDC, it was still a logical move.

        • 1 year is not a huge deal. I used to love BDC, can’t stand him now, though. Riley contract + only contacting fans when he wants money are my main gripes, but also that he disappeared from media and declined interviews when times were bad and fans needed to hear from the AD most. He has an attitude that fans should be content, too (quips like “I guess you remembered how to coach”) to Riley.

          Basketball team was good last year with Cunningham (NBA player), bad this year without him. That makes perfect sense. CR needs to sign guys who will play four years yet be on the cusp of the NBA. That is a fine line and a lot to ask. But I think that’s how OSU takes “the next step” everyone wants. They’re not going to do it with glamor 5 star guys who leave after a year and destroy the foundation. Or hire some assistants who develop players.

        • 21 wins and most of those against cream puffs. Keep in mind we also did not have a winning record in conference play and still had 15 total losses. CR has done nothing to deserve ANY extension period.

      • What we lost with Angus was size, experience, leadership, our best interior presence, our best perimeter shot and a ton of depth.

        Other than that, of course he’s not Larry.

        But I do love the manic fandom.

        Thursday:
        We should win. We can win. We might win. Damn, we’re going to lose. AHHHH! WE SUCK!!! FIRE MY REMOTE CONTROL!!!! POKE MY EYES OUT!!!! I HATE MY LIFE!!!!! WHAAAAA!!!!!!

        Saturday:
        We should win. We can win….

        • I feel like we lost depth and size, but that’s it.

          I know his % from 3 was good, but I don’t remember him making any clutch shots. Wonder if he put up a lot of those out of conference or in garbage time. Seemed over-matched in conference.

          • He shots 47% against conference foes last year from three, scored in double figures 8 times and would have done it more often but he didn’t shoot enough. This season he was going to get up many more touches offensively this season. Team’s best pure shooter and only big man that can consistently score against bigger guys inside. I think Angus was going to have a big season. Showed an aggressiveness early on he hadn’t shown in his first three years. He was going to break out this season, really unfortunate to go down with an injury.

          • He was taking 10 shots per game (four treys) this year as opposed to 6.5 shots (2) all last year. And his rebounding jumped from 3.2 to 8.5, a number which got better in conference play last year.

          • It is the oldest sports cliche in the book, but I think the basketball team just does not have a leader and hasn’t had one since Ricky Claitt. They are inconsistent, panic in the clutch and play half-assed defense most of the time. Did anyone see the close-ups of CR in the 2nd half last night.? I thought he looked absolutely befuddled as to what he was witnessing. I think CR tries, but ultimately he’s accountable for recruiting a bunch of players without any leadership abilities.

    • Following their logic, BDC needs to fire a coach who has had six years of never finishing in the top half of the league and never having a winning conference record or even sniffing the post-season.

      Correct?

      *1990 was the last time we won 20 games. We had a decent PG that year, and that’s a valid criticism of CR’s teams. Claitt and Barton are the only PG’s he’s ever had. We’ll see how a combo like Cooke does. Jared was a combo, and he was decent at the point.

      • For those of you wondering who BDC should have fired according to these numbers, it’s Pat Casey in 2004.

        Never finished better than sixth in the Pac 10 (nine teams), had a 54-90 record in league play, never had a winning record in league play, didn’t sniff the post-season. BDC should have fired him that year.

        Correct?

        • that’s actually kind of a good point. I doubt Casey’s players didn’t look like they knew what they were doing on the field though. That would be the difference.

          • I don’t know, but that may just be a subjective take.

            I’d be willing to bet that ERA, fielding %, BA and other stats increased dramatically from 2004 to 2005 and have stayed at a high level since. But even if they hadn’t, winning is still the best measure.

    • The NFL has really become a RBBC league, so I don’t know if starting is the right word for what Quizz will do next year. “Featured more” might be a better way to put it.

      Speaking of feature backs, SJax will likely be an UFA. He’s in talks with the Rams, but he only has a couple years left in the tank, and I’m thinking he might want to go somewhere he can RBBC it and still contribute in a major way. Atlanta might be one of those places. Since Gonzalez is gone, that’s a lot of receptions someone will have to pick up, and Turner (who will be cut) is not a receiving back. Quizz and SJax are receiving backs and could compliment each other nicely. They could increase touches and actually decrease carries.

      • A team like Green Bay I think would be a good fit for Steven Jackson. They need a more physical runner and he wouldn’t have to run the ball a whole lot and he gets to play on a playoff team. Best case scenario for him.

      • GB would be a great fit too.

        How about going to Seattle and sharing time with Lynch? That would be a 1-1 punch… thunder and thunder. I would hate to be a defender against that backfield.

        • When I was 17-18 I was nearly as tall as him, but only weighed around 135 lbs. Looking back at my pictures, I’m surprised by body was strong enough to hold my giant head up. This kid does not look like any 18 year old I knew back then.

          • I was the same way at 14… 6’1″ and about 130# or so. At 18 I was a full 6’4″+ and sitting at about 165. At 19 I was still 6’4″+, but I weighed about 235#.

            And I wasn’t ripped like that. You could say that eggs and bacon and fried foods and beer… and not running 30+ miles per week anymore… kinda added the weight itself.

          • You gained 70 lbs between your 18th and 19th bday? WTF man?? Did you spend the whole year in bed eating Crisco? (A nice visual for all the Angrybeavers out there)

          • I was a long distance runner/basketball player who had about 2% body fat and ate all the veggies and oatmeal at home then moved to Texas and became a lazy slob like the rest of that state.

            I could still run a 4.5 40 at 230#, but I sure did sweat like a pig in that humidity.

            I blame getting old for the weight gain. It had nothing to do with alcohol consumption, a drastic change in diet and irregular exercise habits.

  14. SDSU’s starter walks two guys in the inning and cannot throw a strike, so naturally Danny Hayes gets overly aggressive and hits into a double play. No score bottom of the first

  15. The ball is not traveling at all in San Diego. Same way last night. That might change with two afternoon games the next 2 days. Scoreless after 2 1/2 innings

  16. Beavers haven’t made Walby pay for being wild and the Aztecs are about to make OSU pay for that. Runners on the corners with no outs for SDSU.

  17. Jake Rodriguez has been extremely late on pitches in the first two games of the series. SDSU pitchers are overpowering him with fastballs.

  18. Two nights in a row, two different firstbasemen for the Beavs and twice fumbling the ball after a putout; can’t remember seeing that before.

  19. Loyala Marymount leads Oregon 5-1 in the top of the 8th. If that score holds and the Beavers hold on to beat SDSU tonight, the Beavers will be the last remaining unbeaten in the Pac-12.

  20. Beaver Baseball- Doing all the little things to win games.

    Beaver Basketball- Doing all the little things to lose games.

    I’m loving this team so far. Pitching has been outstanding and the hitting has been timely.

  21. Great effort by Boyd, gives the b’pen a welcomed rest. The offense was disappointing, but love the fact they can manufactor runs when they need to. Still concerned about the defense, it should get better, but it has been consistently sub par.

    Love the focus of the team, i dont care about the RPI they are taking care of business.
    #dontstopnowboys

    • I think I saw earlier that from Boyd’s performance yesterday his ERA dropped from 2.57 down to 1.17! Crazy!!!

      Stay healthy and positive Beavs!

      • Team ERA= 1.33, opponents batting .188.
        In 6 games only four extra base hits given up……..all doubles.
        GO BEAVS! one pitch at a time!

        Speaking of staying healthy, did anyone else hear the Aztec announcer say that Taylor Starr was warming up last night?

  22. Casper a two out double, stumbled rounding first but didn’t affect the play. Last night an Aztec stumbled worse and had to settle for a single.

  23. b4 ends with a 5-3 putout, still 0-0.
    Aztec batter falls down as he passes first base; any reason for the problems with footing there?

  24. Tony Bryant is in to finish this game up. 8 1/3 shutout innings for Moore, 2 hits allowed 2 strikeouts and no walks. Incredible performance.

  25. In contrast, the hoopsters are 7-32 from the field, but somehow only trail Cal by 10 with 3 minutes left in the half. Maybe Montgomery should go out and shove players on both teams.

  26. Had to laugh about the big deal that was made of that. Ralph used to grab players by the jersey and shake them while screaming in their face when they F’d up. It was standard procedure. Now it is a borderline felony. Pussification.

    • Now that you mention it, it’s actually nice to see the team put out a lot of effort when they could have said eff it about 6 to 8 games ago.

  27. OT: Oregon State has held Cal to 40% shooting and 25% from three and are still losing. When they play solid defense their offense goes to shit, when their offense is clicking their defense is shit. Always something with this team.

  28. Oregon wins, 6-1 despite getting only 2 hits! Loyola Marymount commits 2 errors and gives up 2 walks. The key?……possibly the SIX ucks HBP!

  29. Foxsports from the combine: These wide receivers are turning in freaky times. Florida State’s Rodney Smith, LeHigh’s Ryan Spadola and Texas A&M’s Ryan Swope all had 4.44?s. Oklahoma’s Kenny Stills and Oregon State’s Markus Wheaton had 4.34?s, Washington State’s Marquess Wilson ran a 4.41 and Baylor’s Terrance Williams ran a 4.46

  30. Watching yesterdays basketball debacle it struck me…. Joe Burton is trying out for the Harlem Globetrotters. From the day-glow hair to the circus type shots to the no-look passes!!

    If he can perfect the patented bucket of confetti trick….he’s in! I’m sure CR will include that it this week’s practice schedule.

    Just think how proud Beaver Nation will be with an alum in the BIG TIME. JB

    PS: Disclaimer…. The above is not meant to be nor should be taken as any type of reflection on Joe Burton or any other Native American living or dead.

    • Hindsight, I suppose, but I would have liked to see Keyes force the Aztec to throw strikes rather than jump on the first pitch to end the inning leaving runners at the corners.

    • Jay Reese did (I think) a good job describing Davis’ mistake in not sliding. Sounds like Hayes (correction Keyes) was signaling slide and Casey not at all happy with Davis.

      While it is still somewhat a time for learning in prep for the conference season (ala: bunt single and hit and run last inning) there doesn’t seem to be an excuse for the mental lapse there.

  31. I am glad a made the trip this weekend. I look forward to the Pac12 season opening. I might have to change my plans and head to UofA.

  32. Jackson gets into a jam in the 7th, leadoff single and a BB. Schultz comes in and throws a 4-6-3 DP ball and gets 4-3 ground out to end the inning. A 3 pitch inning for Scott.

    Dylan gets thrown out at 3b. If there was more time maybe he could go for the cycle.

  33. I said earlier that I had the opportunity to be in San Diego for this series. I am very impressed with this team and their chemistry. It is also great to see all the Beaver fans and families that travel with this team. I can only expect the crowds to grow s the season progresses. I am changing my plans to follw them as much as I can.

    Go Beavs!

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