Home Baseball April Thread

April Thread

By
oob
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649

No foolin’…..told y’all not to sleep on those Anteaters!

D1 has Beavs #11 and ‘eaters #12, Perfect game Irvine #12 and Beavs #13, Baseball America flips that and ranks Beavs #12, ‘eaters #13, then says:

“Oregon State turned in a subpar showing in Week 7, going 2–2 and suffering a surprising series loss at Nebraska. The Huskers entered the week with a sub-.500 record and dropped six of their last 10 games, but still ran roughshod over a Beavers squad widely regarded as one of the nation’s best. Oregon State managed a mercy-rule win in Game 2 but was otherwise outscored 23–10 in the two losses. The Beavers, now 20–6 and down to No. 12 in the rankings, have a golden opportunity to regroup with No. 13 UC Irvine coming to town. The rare April matchup between two non-conference heavyweights is a key proving ground for both programs as they look to further establish momentum and national credibility.”

Hmmm, Beavs “widely regarded as one of the nation’s best” and Huskers “ran roughshod” over them. No mention of “that’s just baseball”.

Fail to look good vs Irvine and nike (now #15 in D1) and that “widely regarded” stuff may be impacted negatively. Ya think?

Kick it around, you scoundrels, there’s FB, Gymnastics, and even Tinkle to discuss as well.
GO BEAVS!

649 COMMENTS

  2. 2

    Posted by ObjCritic just before this thread went up
    April 1, 2025 at 11:48 am

    Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association names Jade Carey All American in five events!
    First Team: all around, balance beam, floor exercise, and uneven bars.
    Second Team: vault.

    What an athlete….
    She won 43 events this season across 11 competitions, including 11 All Around victories and 11 beam victories….so she won them both in every competitive appearance she made this season.

    WOW.

    Tournaments still remain…

    Maybe she can give the baseball team a motivational talk on the importance of details and staying mentally strong…..
    She won 43 events this season across 11 competitions, including 11 All Around victories and 11 beam victories….so she won them both in every competitive appearance she made this season.

    Reply
  4. 1

    Oregon legislators are considering a bill that could prevent the NCAA and other college sports institutions from enforcing limits on Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) payments to student-athletes in the state.

    House Bill 3694 has the endorsement of the University of Oregon’s athletic department, but Oregon State’s athletic director said aspects of the bill could hinder widespread efforts to create a more level NIL playing field.

    This bill is critical for ensuring that Oregon remains at the forefront of NIL policy, providing our student-athletes with the tools and protections they need to thrive,” UO deputy athletic director Lisa Peterson told the House Committee on Higher Education and Workforce Development this week. “I respectfully urge the committee to support HB 3694 and help Oregon continue to be a leader in student-athlete rights.”

    HB 3694, introduced by state Rep. John Lively, D-Springfield, would modify existing Oregon law to ensure college athletes can receive NIL payments directly from institutions once the “House v. NCAA” settlement is concluded. The final approval hearing for that settlement is scheduled for April 7.

    If the House settlement is approved, the NCAA and member institutions will have a standardized NIL framework with which all schools that opt into the settlement would agree to comply.

    Nearly every major Division I institution, especially and including those with high-level football programs, is expected to opt into a framework that would include a roughly $20.5 million annual salary cap for each school to pay athletes, divided up sport by sport at the school’s discretion, with the vast majority likely going to football.

    But parts of HB 3694 might conflict specifically with that proposed salary cap rule, and potentially provide a legal basis for schools with greater resources to skirt NIL rules and exceed $20.5 million in payments to players. Some legal experts have posited that the House settlement framework is essentially unenforceable without federal law backing it, as several states have passed laws which may conflict.

    “The measure … prohibits associations, conferences or other organizations from limiting institutions’ support of student athletes’ economic rights,” an analysis of HB 3694 from the Oregon Legislative Policy and Research Office reads.

    A prior version of HB 3694 also included language that would have prohibited the NCAA and conferences from requiring the disclosure of a student-athlete’s contract details for confidentiality reasons, which could have made tracking the value of NIL deals essentially impossible without a legal fight. That portion was amended out in recent days by Lively.

    “The amendment ensures Oregon’s statute does not inadvertently prevent student-athletes from participating in the (House) settlement or create compliance issues for institutions,” Lively told The Oregonian/OregonLive.

    HB 3694 would also prevent athletes from earning NIL from “products or brands related to certain topics, including alcohol, drugs, gambling, firearms, sexual entertainment, hate speech, violence or other topics prohibited by the higher education institution,” the bill’s analysis reads.

    But a lingering concern for some college sports stakeholders in Oregon is the language around NIL limits, or lack thereof, which they say could tip the scales.

    “In the House settlement, a cap was developed for a reason,” Oregon State athletic director Scott Barnes told The Oregonian/OregonLive on Friday. “You think about the chaos in the NIL marketplace over the last few years, we’re hopeful the House settlement can help tamp down that chaos. It’s about adhering to the cap and, by the way, a strong enforcement system so we can make sure schools are actually doing that. Hopefully, that will settle the marketplace a bit and bring some reasonableness to this whole situation.”

    Barnes is part of the committee formed by the NCAA to help craft and implement a national NIL framework from the House settlement. But smaller-dollar institutions similar to Oregon State have also taken issue with uncapped NIL spending, or the “Wild West” of the last few years wherein some institutions have spent big on NIL and often reaped the rewards on the field. It was among the impetuses for developing a national framework in the first place.

    Oregon has never disclosed the exact number it spends annually on NIL, but Ohio State’s athletic director said last year that the Buckeyes football program alone had an NIL investment of $20 million.

    Peterson provided testimony on behalf of Oregon in support of HB 3694, along with NIL lawyer Max Forer — a former Oregon football player. Oregon State gymnast Jade Carey also wrote a letter in support, but no representatives from OSU or other athletic departments in the state have submitted testimony so far.

    “There are many bad actors and untrustworthy individuals trying to take advantage of student-athletes within the current NIL environment,” Carey wrote. “Allowing Oregon institutions to provide direct compensation to student-athletes for the use of their NIL is advantageous for student-athletes as it reduces the dependency on third parties that may not prioritize the best interests of the student-athletes.”

    A work session on the bill is scheduled for Tuesday, at which point the House committee could vote on it and potentially advance it to the House floor.

    In the end, the portions of HB 3694 that conflict with the House settlement could be rendered null and void if a federal law passed by Congress lines up with the agreed-upon NCAA framework. Barnes said the Pac-12 will be among those sending representatives to Washington, D.C., in the coming weeks to make a push for federal legislation.

    “We’re trying to build infrastructure to create consistency and standards at a national level,” Barnes said. “Any variation of those standards limits the effectiveness of what we’re building. It’s not unlike past years with NIL where there is a patchwork of different state legislation, and the standards aren’t consistent, so you have different opportunities for different student-athletes instead of the same access and same opportunities.

    “A federal bill coming alongside the settlement in a constructive way that creates synergy around correcting this out of control marketplace, that is crucial.”

    https://www.oregonlive.com/sports/2025/03/oregon-lawmakers-consider-bill-that-could-prevent-enforcement-of-nil-limits-in-college-sports.html

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      • 4
        2

        Tinkle: “This is the way.”
        He makes a living by pulling benching guys who start playing better than expected. How do you not know this by now? He has been doing it for 10 years.

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        • 8
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          Tinkle needs to retire on the tarmac today. He has done enough damage. If he lets them play, they win the game, but he needs ot over coach as usual and ends up losing again. Minor hit the go ahead bucket as Tinkle called timeout, 5 secs left and with possession, but down 1 at the time. In the last game of the season, and he still can’t trust his guys to make the right plays. He needs to move on.

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          • 6

            He can’t trust the floor leader and a fifth-year senior to make the right decision. Such typical blowhard Tinkle. Isn’t Minor getting another year because of the JC ruling? He’s probably next to leave after today.

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  11. 2
    3

    What a fitting way to end the season. Tinkle calls a timeout right before Minor hits the shot that would have taken the lead. Beavs miss an open 3 from a guy who had hit 8 of 9 shots to that point. Wonderful.

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  12. 1

    I didnt watch the game, but what I’ve gleaned from online posts is Beavs were down 1 with the ball and Tinkle called a timeout as we were hitting the go-head shot. Shot gets waived off and Beavs end up losing by the same score
    Is that accurate?
    Is that surprising?

    Reply
    • 6

      I think Minor got a rebound or loose ball in some traffic, and he moved himself into position for an open baseline 10-footer, which he drained, but Sweat Bucket called his last timeout about a half-second before his shot went up. UCF would have still had about 5 seconds, so God knows the Beavs could have still given up the winning bucket, but it was still such a Luck O’ The Beavs moment. It would sort of be a fitting end to Tinks OSU coaching career, but that ain’t happening with the buyout.

      Reply
  14. 1

    To be fair the Beavs looked good for losing their top 3 scorers. They still have some guys. If they can keep the rest of the guys, they may even be better next year. Logue had 18 pts and 10 rebounds in his first major action.

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    • 1

      Had UCF lost any players to the portal yet?
      Surprised the Beavs players who transfered didnt have some type of guarantee from their new teams that allowed them to play in thos tournament and collect their NIL check before checking out.
      Oh well…just another reason I stopped watching college basketball

      Reply

    • I sort of expected this from Logue. And I expected it from Lake, as well, though he couldn’t buy a bucket in the first half.

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  15. 3
    1

    In all reality, this game was a chance for Minor, LL, Logue to get some game film and wait for their NIL offers from a Big12/Big10 bottom feeder. If Rataj gets $1mil, these guys could get $250k and not even play. It is all about back filling talent on the roster and spending the money on guys who have been playing on lesser teams. Tinkle is screwed as a coach and as a recruiter. He can’t keep guys and he can’t coach the guys he does get. So we are stuck until Barnes has an epiphany and course corrects.

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    • 1

      Even if a new coach comes in, anyone decent will be gone after a year or two. Look at the ncaa tourney. The cream of the crop is going to the top programs. No more can a team make a run because they have played together for four years. I think I heard auburn has a 25 year old starting on their team.

      Reply

      • I mean it seems like even the top teams lose guys too. It’s essentially free agency every year and with a limited amount of time to earn money on athletic ability hard to blame kids for going to the highest bigger every year.

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  16. 4
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    Glad I forgot about it and didn’t pay any attention.

    Until the transfer portal dates change so a player cannot transfer until after the tournaments are completed?

    Why even bother. There needs to be a moratorium on transfers until everything is completed for each sport.

    Honestly, why even bother at all anymore?

    Reply
  18. 1

    Just read that Dennis Rodman has also passed away at age 64. A very interesting guy and probably one of the best rebounders in the NBA…..

    Reply
  19. 2

    Spring football practices start up again tomorrow, spring game is April 19. Reposting some info from March:

    Several players are sidelined due to injuries, including receiver Jimmy Valsin IV, offensive linemen Tyler Morano and Tyler Voltin, defensive linemen Nick Norris and Kelze Howard and nickel Noble Thomas Jr.

    Possibilities for the second half of spring ball, which starts which starts April 3, are receiver Jamai East, defensive lineman Takari Hickle and inside linebacker Kord Shaw. Shaw, out last season with an injury, has yet to play in three years at Oregon State.

    Expected to practice this spring is defensive lineman Tygee Hill, who transferred from LSU a year ago but didn’t play during the 2024 season. However, Hill is ineligible to play until the university completes an unspecified investigation.

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    • 1

      If he reports anything newsworthy, others would pick it up, “according to,” him.

      Otherwise, no news, but another week or X days closer.

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      • 1

        In my uneducated opinion, we wont see anything announced until the Pac and MW reach a settlement on the excess exit feed.
        Not having that money guaranteed really limits their options.
        They likely have a best case scenario plan and a contingency plan(or 2 or 3), but none of those can happen untip they onow their financial situation.

        Reply
        • 1

          From what I’ve read and seen so far, a new media deal won’t really affect adding new team(s) to the PAC, however, the mediation outcome could very well play a significant role.

          If the exit fees are reduced to $10-11M as opposed to $17M and the poaching fees are eliminated, the MWC won’t have the promised revenues to UNLV to keep them in the MWC and that will potentially open the door for the PAC 12 to bring them into the conference. However, UNLV athletic budget has a substantial budget deficit so I suppose that could be a deal breaker for the PAC 12 interest.

          I’m still hearing the #1 target is TX State along with UTSA and I think those two schools are better options bc of Texas market, recruiting and TX State has a strong commitment to their athletic programs from what I’ve heard. The really only negative working against those two schools is they are outside the geographic footprint of a western region conference.

          I guess we will find out as soon as the mediation is resolved.

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          • 1

            There was a hearing scheduled for March 25, but the parties filed a joint motion to vacate that hearing and stay the case for 60 days.

            The stay really puts the PAC12 in a tough spot bc of the timing to add the 8th program by July 1 or Aug 1 2026 but departing schools from other conferences require a one year advance notice to exit. So the clock is rapidly ticking…

            The stay extends to May 25 so that gives the PAC about one month or two months to find the 8th team depending on the deadline of July 1 or August 1, 2026

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        • 2

          It’s a pride thing. That comes out very clearly in his interviews. He stubbornly believes he can still be successful “his way” and, to his credit, this season we hit what was probably our ceiling with this team.

          But the fact that his whole roster leaves every year tells me it’s not just a NIL difference. I’m pretty sure players just don’t want to play for him. It’s a shame because he’s a good talent evaluator (look at the team he managed to create out of basically nothing this year).

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    • 2
      2

      I’m in favor of out of the box scheduling.
      I hate wasting an Autumn Saturday in the northwest to watch mediocre football. Would much rather spend a weeknight or Sunday doing that and keep Saturday open for literally anything else

      Reply

    • EST Beavs are pushing for earlier start times.

      How about a 7am Pacific, 10am Eastern kickoff??? People would rather watch an actual game that College Gameday, etc. Play up the Dutch Bros coffee sponsorship. Invite Hawaii in for a home game every year where they have to play at some crazy hour local time.

      Early to bed, early to rise…

      Reply
  26. 3
    7

    Pilots walk off win against the ducks 7-6, a game that the ducks should have won and was winnable but still lost. It’s funny but baseball is that unpredictable and as the old adage goes, on any given day……

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      • 11
        2

        If you don’t exercise enough, it gets harder to get out of your recliner every year.

        If you exercise too much, it gets harder to get out of your recliner every year.

        Reply

      • I’d suggest ramping up your activity, understanding that in your 60s things are going to be more challenging. Enjoy it more while you can. This is advice from a sibling of mine in their 60s…

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      • 6
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        Well, since I turned 62,:I’ve had two knee surgeries, two torn bicep tendons requiring surgery, quintuple bypass, two separate heart stents implanted, likely headed for knee replacement and removal of the cluneal superior and/or medial nerve branch. Prior to that, I was in great shape.

        I don’t smoke, drink or have diabetes. I go to the gym 4x a week and workout at home nearly every day. I’m not over weight and everyone tells me I look like I’m in my 50s and still have 95% of my hair. Given all of that, I still feel like crap most of the time.

        Getting old sucks

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      • 4

        60 and I’ve been lifting weights and running and hiking consistently since the summer of 1978. All I can say is this…as I close in on 61, the difference between those that made it a priority and those that didn’t is UTTERLY DRASTIC. Gone are the days when there were 300 people in my age group at the summer 10k’s. Last summer there were never more than 7 in any of the ones I participated in. Feels good as fuck to be one of the last one’s still standing for my age in these things. Did a 7 mile hike before work this morning. Don’t surrender.

        Reply
  29. 2

    Ackrite, I missed a comment of yours from the 26th that went to spam. It’s been approved. You might want to repost it here. Sorry about that.

    Reply
  30. 5

    ‘Eaters are hot and have no fear of Goss, a Beav sweep is a longshot, thats my opinion.

    But here’s Freeman’s preview of the Anteater series and a recap of the travel delays coming back from Nebraska.
    https://archive.ph/5GcU2

    Oh, and Happy Birthday, boss. Hope you had a great one!

    Reply
  38. 5

    This team has regressed. Or maybe we thought they were better than they are. Canham needs to light a fire under these guys. Caraway looks like he’s asleep out there. Krieg is a strikeout machine and Weber is average at best. We as a team strikeout way to much. 19 ab’s so far and 10 k’s. Thank goodness we have Talt and Singer who make contact because they aren’t trying to hit homers every at bat. I would love to see small ball again where we are making the defense make plays.

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    • 1
      1

      “Thank goodness we have Talt and Singer who make contact because they aren’t trying to hit homers every at bat.”

      That approach by the Beavers makes it easier for opposing pitchers if they know your strategy is to swing for launch angles, launch velocities, and home runs…have to mix it up.

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  42. 4
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    The Beavers are not a Top 25 team this year. Their pitching is absolutely horrible compared to typical Beaver baseball standards. Getting shut out at home is such a shame.

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  43. 4
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    This has been a pretty depressing couple of weeks of Beav sports. WBB was a brief feel-good story, and one needs to acknowledge gymnastics, but otherwise, it was just dismal.

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  48. 5

    Wow. Embarrassing home loss. I can’t remember a Beaver baseball team that looked this bad. Canham needs to look in the mirror and find some answers. This team has to make Casey lose sleep.

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  51. 3

    Ho Lee Shit… 12-0. Maybe we should hired the asshole Yeskie.
    Casey’s golden boy is destroying the program. No leaders.

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    • 3
      3

      If Yeskie were worth a shit he’d be a head coach. There’s been what 4 programs that have decided he ain’t worth it. Good pitching coach, total douche bag, not HC material. If you want to argue Canham ain’t it go for it though

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    • 1
      8

      Let me guess, you had UCI winning 12-0 before the game was even played right?
      .
      To understand my actual statement, “that’s baseball” as opposed to your incorrect mischaracterization, “this is just baseball,” you need to comprehend the context of my actual statement and you obviously do not.

      Your mischaracterization attempts to suggest that I marginalize the complexity and unpredictability of baseball which I absolutely do not. To the contrary, my statement very precisely and accurately describes the unpredictability and of a very simple game that is indeed very complex.

      For the simple minded person that you are, I could draw you a picture with crayons but you would misinterpret that too. So I’ll just speak to you in the simplest of terms…when I state “that’s baseball,” the context is the unpredictability of the game as in tonight’s 12-0 taken behind the woodshed. I’m pretty certain not one fan on either side had UCI winning 12-0, hence the unpredictability of the game.
      .
      To make the point even more abundantly clear for even you to understand, the beavers could win the game on Saturday reversing the tables on UCI after the 12-0 beat down. That would be a head scratcher too bc UCI has the longest winning streak in the country of 12 consecutive wins. Or, the Beavs could get hammered again. That’s how unpredictable the game is and that is baseball.

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      • 7
        1

        Sure, there are many factors which may determine the final outcome of any given game. The bounce of the ball, the judgement of the ump, effect of wind/sun/lights; all can be unpredictable.
        What IS predictable is the impact of consistent effort, willingness to go the extra mile, and ability to stay focused all game, every game.

        We have examples in our infield. Watch Singer and Arquette lay out for anything close, or hustle to the outfield for fly balls in that “in between” questionable area. Then watch Caraway. Last night I was about as close to the plays as a fan can be when Caraway failed to make a serious effort on that grounder late in the game, same with the play where he had the runner coming from second just ripe for being tagged out.

        Everyone can’t be as talented and focused as Singer or Arquette or Talt; but it’s too simplistic to explain much of what we see as “that’s baseball”.

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        • 4
          1

          “That’s baseball” can become a cover excuse for a lot of undisciplined play, poor effort and bad strategy. I suppose the same logic could be said of the White Sox last year since it was an historically bad team. A team that loses 121 games is as inexplicable as a 12-0 home loss by the Beavs, I suppose?
          Insisting that the unexpected or never seen before be defined as “that’s baseball” is actually the mischaracterization. Sports and life are both full of unpredictable events and complex dynamics, but we can’t explain away life events as “that’s just life” when we can often diagnose and identify the true cause and effect. Cause and effect also apply with baseball.
          ESPNsucks might want to let go of the naive narrative to explain away Mitch’s failures. I’m almost beginning to suspect he is Mitch’s dad or something.

          Reply
          • 6

            You might want to tell that to Mike Parker too how naive he is to mis-characterize baseball by using “that’s baseball” bc he often uses that phrase. Sheesh.

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        • 1
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          It was a phrase that was often used by Vince Scully among other notable baseball announcers including our own Mike Parker to describe the craziness of baseball.
          Therefore, I’ll defer to their expert opinions as they’ll forget more about the nuances and unpredictability of baseball that they have seen than any of us will ever hope to remember.

          It was a bad performance last night to say the least, but baseball is a very humbling game just like golf. When you think you’ve finally got it figured out, reality settles in to remind you we’re all subject to good as well as bad days. That’s how unpredictable baseball really is.

          BTW, I was on the road so was unable to watch the game but it doesn’t sound like I missed too much. Time to flush that turd and turn the tables today.

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    • 4

      I think you’ll see a very different performance today, or at least I hope that’s the case. I do recall I think during the 2010, 2011 or 2012 season, the beavers hit a 10 game losing streak under Casey so teams do occasionally get into slumps and hopefully that’s not the case with this team…but again that’s the unpredictable nature of baseball. You never know what to expect just ask the Yankee fans in game 5, inning 5 of last year’s WS. That’s baseball for better and for worse.

      Reply
  54. 1
    4

    Or you can continue whine, bitch, moan and complain about how bad or inconsistent this team and the coaching staff is and what does that accomplish…..nothing.

    Or, you can take note of the fact that baseball isn’t a life or death situation and the young guys playing this game aren’t perfect and will have good and bad days just like we all do.

    Last night, the team was out played in every element of the game. The players know it, the coaches know it and the fans know it. It happens at every level and in every sport but as a fan you hope it’s the exception and not the rule.

    It’s baseball but not a life and death situation. You probably could use some perspective to understand the phrase, “it is baseball.”

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    • 5

      The above comment was intended for the expert on any and everything and he knows who he is. It’s baseball and as soon as you realize it, you won’t base the entire value of your life on a game or the young guys playing it. Stop your bitching. moaning and complaining Mr Know it all.

      Reply
  55. 7

    “Perfection once again for Jade Carey.

    Oregon State’s star senior gymnast and U.S. Olympian scored a perfect 10 on the floor exercise, helping lead the Beavers to a second-place finish in the NCAA regional semifinals on Friday night.

    With a total score of 197.050, No. 12 OSU will move on with No. 3 Florida (198.225) to the Tuscaloosa regional final on Sunday.

    Carey put together a brilliant all-around performance, earning regional champion honors across all five events including her third consecutive perfect score on floor. She won outright or tied for first on vault, bars, beam, floor, and all-around for a total score of 39.850.”

    The Beavers pulled off a team score of 49.525 on floor, a major boon for their chances to advance. But their performance in beam put them over the top and into second place, including a 9.950 from Carey, 9.875 from Sydney Gonzales, 9.850 from Jennifer McMillan, 9.825 from Mia Heather and 9.875 from Sophia Esposito.

    Sunday’s regional final in Tuscaloosa will include the Beavers, Gators, No. 6 California and No. 12 Alabama. The event is scheduled for 3 p.m. PT and is streaming on ESPN+.”

    https://www.oregonlive.com/beavers/2025/04/jade-carey-earns-perfect-score-oregon-state-gymnastics-advances-to-ncaa-regional-final.html

    Reply
  56. 1

    Todays lineup has Singer in the 5 spot, Caraway hitting sixth. Levi Jones dh hitting 9th.
    Dax on the mound has potential to stymie the ‘eaters.
    Note that ‘eaters were only hbp once last night, well below their ave of nearly 3hbp/game.

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  57. 1
    2

    When Whitney fell, at over 90 pitches in the t5, Dorman decided not to replace him. Didn’t feel the fall would effect him, I suppose.
    Didn’t work out, cost at least one run, that’s baseball……..or a bad decision?

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  58. 2
    11

    Announcers after Kreig hits a solo shot in the B7th, “funny game you go from the basement to the penthouse.”. In other words, that’s how unpredictable baseball is. BTW, how does a team lose 12-0 the night before to a team on a 12 game streak and win today 4-2. Just another example of how baseball is unpredictable bc it’s baseball virtually unlike any other sport. Deal with the reality of the accuracy of my statement as confirmed today.

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      Crickets bc the best they can do is offer a down vote bc they know they’ve got nothing else to fall back on. Lol

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        No. It’s because it’s pointless to argue in circles with someone that enjoys cock slobbing.

        Btw. How’d those mens hoops predictions work out between you and I?

        Again, some of us are several chapters ahead of you in this book.

        To you it’s “just baseball”

        You do you. But you’re surprised at the downvotes?

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  59. 6
    1

    Three home runs, four runs total, two errors, 7 left on base. I’ll take it but that isn’t impressive. Go get that series win tomorrow.

    One of you on here is so miserable it bleeds into the blog and makes losing games even worse. We aren’t waiting for your analysis. The blog has been just fine for years without you.

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      It isn’t impressive? Really? They just got slobber knocked 12-0 last night by a team sporting a 12 game winning streak and shir them down today when their confidence could have been easily shaken but you’ll take it? And I thought duck fans were myopic but now realize some beaver hand are just as myopic if not worse. You don’t get points for how pretty the wins are. Unbelievable and one of the dumbest comments I’ve read on AB to date.

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          My fingers aren’t built for a small keypad on a phone. Last time I checked, I’m not “talking” on this platform but rather pecking away on a tiny keypad. So, if my pecking away on a tiny keypad results in misspelled words, I think I can live with that. If that’s a problem for you, I’ll try to do better.

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      You do realize the point of baseball is to score more runs than the other team and it doesn’t matter how you do it or how pretty it looks. Why don’t you give Canham a call and offer up your expert advice on how to coach them up. I’m sure Canham is on standby waiting for your call.

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        Catching up on the comments just now. I read Alpha’s post as a response to OSU winning game 2 after losing game 1, but somehow Krol’s reply is still on point

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        • 1

          You don’t get style points for winning so you just need to win whether it’s pretty or ugly doesn’t really especially coming back from a 12-0 drubbing in game 1.

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  61. 1
    1

    Man the Beavs are sure being the Beavs. Top
    10 in ERA, top 25 WHIP. Our hitting it’s the issue. Still a top 25 team regardless of what folks above are saying.

    This is a typical OSU season. Start off hot, fade towards the end of the regular season, look completely different come playoff time. I know now not to overreact. The lack of offense is the most concerning aspect to me.

    That being said, they’ll come around, not a national championship team by any means but a decent team nonetheless.

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  62. 2
    1

    Lineup for the rubber game is unchanged for first six spots. Krieg moves up to 7th, Reeder returns, and in the 9 hole is dh Carson McEntire.
    Are ya surprised Mitch hasn’t made more changes to the lineup?

    Kleinschmit on the mound, has been allowing less than a hit/inning (.66) and striking out about 4 times as many bb’s.

    Eaters would have to be hbp about 6 times today to return to their mean for the season. Kleinschmit has bonked only 3 in 37.2 innings. Somethings gonna give today.

    Reply
  63. 2
    1

    b2, Weber’s hustle to get an inf single is the kinda heart that trumps the “that’s baseball” stuff.
    Same with the play by the ‘eater 2b to get Wilson on Singer’s grounder; all hustle and no random luck there.

    Reply
  66. 2
    2

    So if/when the bullpen implodes and this becomes another loss, is that just baseball or tough luck, poor execution, bad coaching, just the breaks, just one of those days?
    I’m trying to figure out when “that’s baseball” actually applies to a game.
    All I’ve heard is that if the Beavs lose “that’s baseball”.
    Instead I’d rather ask a few tough questions about roster makeup, roster fundamentals, coaching philosophy and in game decisions that lead to these results.
    I hope they hold on and win, but I’ve seen this before.

    Reply
    • 3
      1

      Be nice if Beav pitching could have an effing shut down inning. Hard to stomach losing a 4-1 lead in a key series. Now 4-3, two on, two out top on the sixth.

      Reply
  67. 2
    1

    Need to make ‘eaters pay for leaving their starting arm in too long.
    That said, much respect for the kid, looks like a cool customer out there.

    Reply
    • 2
      2

      Do you realize that you have said the bullpen making great pitches is “that’s baseball” and the bullpen imploding is also “that’s baseball”.
      You either are a troll or you aren’t serious. I’ve asked what the term means beyond just trolling and spamming the site with your asinine commentary of every OSU sport.

      Reply
  71. 1
    6

    What an ugly win right? I mean the Beavs leave 11 on base and only put up 7 runs and beat a very good UCI team. Shameful. Lol!! That’s baseball!

    Reply
    • 2
      1

      Pitching doesn’t need to be great but it does need to be good enough and it certainly was today. This was a gut check series for the Beavs to win and they showed the mental toughness to get it done. This could be what they needed for a major confidence builder

      Reply
    • 1
      8

      One of the most commonly used phrases in baseball for those fans who are actually knowledgeable about baseball. BTW, our own Mike Parker often uses the very same phrase and for good reason bc he actually understands how baseball is rewarding in one moment and just as cruel in the next. Baseball is a very cerebral game and that’s why some lack the capacity to understand its nuances and some actually get it. You appear to be the former but not the latter.

      Reply
  75. 2
    1

    Freeman describes Krieg’s highlight reel play today:
    The Beavers’ defense was shifted to the third base side, leaving Krieg alone in no man’s land between first and second, and the ball was ripped to his right. The burly 6-6 junior took a couple steps and dove, barely getting a glove on the ball and knocking it to the turf. He scooped up the ball with his barehand, and — from his backside — fired a perfect bullet throw to Kleinschmit, who was covering the bag, just in time to beat Yeaman.

    Reply
  77. 1
    1

    #4 FL State got bankrolled by Wake Forest 17-4 but every other team ahead of the beavers won today. I’m guessing the Beavs get moved back into the top 10 by a few polls and the RPI should improve too.

    Reply

  79. Jade Carey expected to advance to NCAA championships, Oregon State gymnastics eliminated in regionals

    While the season is over for Oregon State gymnastics, eliminated in Sunday’s NCAA regional final in Alabama, star senior and U.S. Olympian Jade Carey is expected to move on to the collegiate championship events.

    Carey’s top score of 39.700 in the regional all-around competition is expected to qualify for the NCAA championships in Fort Worth, Texas, on April 17 and 19. The four-time NCAA silver medalist and one-time bronze medalist would have a chance at her first gold medal at the collegiate level.

    Carey has two gold medals from the Olympics and three from the World Championships in her career, having set numerous Oregon State records along the way.

    The Beavers (196.875) finished fourth in the Tuscaloosa regional behind California (197.575) and the two teams advancing to the championships: Florida (197.700) and host Alabama (197.675).

    Carey scored a 9.950 on both beam and floor, 9.925 on bars and 9.875 on vault in the regional final. She led the Beavers in scoring for all four events Sunday.

    Reply
  80. 2
    1

    D1 beavs ranked 8th
    “Oregon State did not have a midweek contest this week, instead focusing all of their attention on the weekend in a big series against No. 12 UC Irvine. The Beavers were stunned in a 12-0 loss in Friday’s series opener, but responded with a 4-2 win on Saturday to even the series. That brought a rubber game on Sunday, where Oregon State won 7-4 to take the series and move back into the top ten in this week’s D1Baseball top 25.”

    Reply
  83. 9

    It’s apparent that it’s either feast or famine with this squad, and their inconsistency, especially on the road, is a big red flag. As I’ve stated previously, I also don’t like how we don’t really have any players that feel like they have the “IT” factor, who can be consistently clutch. Hjerpe, Abel, Bazzana, Forrester, et al.

    Where this gets us, I can’t say for sure, but this was truly a season saving series win, and a good comeback, especially after some of the shellackings they have taken recently.

    Reply
    • 5

      Yeah, I totally agree with your take. I mean they’ve only feasted 22x so far and fasted 7 so that’s just mediocrity at its best and worst. Welcome back duck fan…….

      Reply
  84. 4
    1

    “I think the response was what we all expected,” OSU right-hander Kellan Oakes said. “We never expect to lose a game like that, but we just move on. Next day, same process. Just go at it again, treat it like a super regional environment … and that’s what we prepare for. So if we’re ready for it now, we’ll be ready for it later.

    “It just shows if we’re down, we can come right back. We know how good we are.”

    Reply

  85. I am curious if we will see any more defections from the basketball squad. I am also curious who they will scoop from the portal. Can he find some players that will help him turn around his horrendous road record? I doubt it. At this point, a Tinkle team winning on the road is like a golden goose.

    Reply
    • 2

      A golden… wtf?

      Does anyone around here speak/write English, any more?

      These mixed metaphors that make zero sense are going to drive me nuts.

      Reply

      • Yeah, you know. Laying golden eggs. ;o). A road win equivalent to a golden egg. I could use a few of those right now.

        Reply
    • 6

      Yeah I see this as a good sign. He was fine against weaker competition, but never a good enough athlete to play the top teams. If he’s leaving, someone probably had a conversation with him about where he fits on the depth chart. Probably a positive indicator on Patterson and York.

      Upside for Kane is he entered as a walk-on and will transfer out with solid experience he can leverage to get a starting job and scholarship somewhere else. He’ll do well in a lot of places.

      Reply
      • 2

        I didn’t see that so the upcoming game with UCLA is important as all of them are. Gotta take them one game at a time though so just win and the Beavs will be there.

        Reply
        • 1

          “…just win…”
          Yup, all games count. Seems Beavs may still have a chance at a Super; it’ll help if Phil’s $ can keep his team in the top 25 for just a little longer. Win in Jack’s backyard, beat UCLA, and don’t get tripped up by Dirtbags or Fullerton (what’s happened to that program?).
          Just Win.

          Reply
  88. 9

    Just got back from the gym and had a brief conversation with a guy who works there and he’s a huge Yankees fan and we have a bet going on the dodgers Yankees who wins the most regular season games. I said the dodgers had just lost two games and his exact response was two words…..”that’s baseball.”. Lol

    Reply
  89. 2
    4

    What a sloppy title game. Houston blew it bc they were playing too much one on one in the second half and their offense had zero flow to it although FL defense pushed them to near half court on several possessions in the last 7-8 minutes. It was a close game but it wasn’t very well played imo.

    Overall, I think MBB has really declined in quality but that’s probably due to a lack of roster continuity.

    Reply
    • 3

      Seems like a good kid, but undersized for the position.
      Seems like a move could benefit both he and the team if he has a landing spot already

      Reply

      • Yeah. Reading between the lines we have more talent at the safety position most likely limiting his playing time. I hope he lands at a school where he will see a lot of playing time.

        Reply
    • 3

      Well he was one of our only hopes for the future. They need to get Tinkle out of there. What good is improvement if you can’t keep anything that got you there…

      Reply
  94. 1
    1

    Caraway, after 3 unproductive ab’s, gets an RBI single following an RBI 2b by Arquette and a sac fly RBI by Singer.
    7-5 Beavs, on to the b7

    Reply
  95. 1
    1

    10-6 win for Beavs
    Now we watch Dorman manage the staff with a 7 games in 9 days stretch coming up starting Friday at Fullerton.
    Fullerton is 12-2 in their last 14 with one of the losses coming vs ASU
    After Fullerton comes that game vs UCLA followed by Mark Bankers old outfit…CSUN

    Reply
  96. 8

    Isn’t it interesting that studentbeaver rarely makes an appearance in AB after a beaver win but doesn’t miss an opportunity to comment when the beavers lose?

    Reply
      • 3
        4

        I’m sorry you two think so little of this very successful program that you feel it needs accolades for beating the mighty baseball powerhouse of the University of Portland Pilots in a midweek game.

        I give props where they are due, and criticize the team where appropriate as we all should, hence the name of this website.

        ESPN, you, as the saying goes, need to touch some grass. As stated earlier, I don’t hang around the forum to hype up everything the team does. I respect them more than that. If they had lost last night, I would have criticized the team, and rightly so, for a team that proclaims to be ready to be Omaha bound. Do you think Pat Casey would have been hyping the team up after that win?

        However, just this once, for you two, I’ll go against my beliefs:

        Congratulations Beavs, for beating the mighty Portland Pilots in a midweek game!!!

        Reply
        • 1
          1

          Criticizing is not being critical. When all you do is criticize, you fail to present a critical view of anything.

          Maybe that’s your problem.

          Reply
  97. 3
    2

    “Two college baseball teams took the field Tuesday having lost a combined 141 games in a row.

    The astounding losing streak finally ended.

    For both of them.

    Lehman College and Yeshiva University split a doubleheader that ended streaks of futility for both Division III schools.

    In the opening game, the Lehman Lightning ended a 42-game losing skid when they beat the Yeshiva Maccabees in extra innings, 7-6.

    Yeshiva, a Modern Orthodox Jewish school in New York, then ended a 100-game losing streak by beating Lehman (located in the Bronx) in the second game, 9-5. The Maccabees celebrated on the field at Fairleigh Dickinson in Teaneck, New Jersey, where the team plays home games.

    Yeshiva had last won Feb. 27, 2022 in a doubleheader sweep over John Jay. Lehman’s last victory had come May 9, 2023, a 7-4 win against Baruch College.”

    Reply
  98. 1

    The Tinkle exodus is crazy. We were told NIL had been adjusted for MBB. This team had a pretty successful season and made the postseason. Players must just really hate playing for him. I’d love Eggers to get to the bottom of this. He seems like the journo most capable of it.

    On the other hand, WT is a good recruiter and completely rebuilding the roster is no longer a foreign concept in MBB. I could see him continuing to be marginally successful with the current model, but he’s kind of hit the Riley equilibrium where we know what he’s capable of.

    Reply
    • 3
      1

      St. John’s top scorer last year went into the portal. They were a 2 seed and he was playing for a great coach. It is happening everywhere for reasons that seem confusing. I don’t blame Tyler Bilodeau leaving to play for a better coach in a better conference for a better program. That one makes sense but others don’t end that well. It’s going to happen everywhere and good players will just keep taking the risk to move up. Look at the tournament and lack of upsets. The top teams will be deeper with talent and experience.

      And remember, if OSU’s NIL has gone up to be “competitive”, then everywhere else it went up as well. I was reading that basketball NIL is much higher than football NIL.

      Reply

      • Losing your top players is one thing. Losing guys like Logue that would have been the odds-on favorites to start next season is another.

        Reply

        • WBB saw the exodus last year too, and players that were a few steps behind the likes of Beers left which seemed baffling

          Reply
          • 1

            UCLA WBB, a number 1 seed, lost its entire freshman class to the portal consisting of two five stars and one four star. Two of them saw decent minutes this year.

            Reply

  100. No, one the announcers was with him at the winter coaches convention in san diego, and he got pissed off at a waitress for poor service and threw a pickle at her from across the room

    Reply
  101. 1

    “CORVALLIS — Blink and you might miss him.

    Throughout spring practice, Zachary Card has been a blur for Oregon State football, making big plays and emerging as a reliable downfield weapon for new quarterback Maalik Murphy. Among a stable of returning wideouts that includes Darrius Clemons, Trent Walker and Taz Reddicks, the redshirt sophomore Card could be on the verge of a breakout as arguably the fastest player on the roster.

    “My big focus is getting on that field, producing and making plays,” Card said. “I know I can, and I know I’ve got the greatest support system in this team between coaches and the players. All around the city of Corvallis, they give a lot of support to this team, and I thrive off that.”

    Card caught a long touchdown from Kallen Gutridge midway through OSU’s practice on April 3, streaking down the sideline and burning his defender. Not far behind him at the play’s conclusion was Murphy, who sprinted from the opposite sideline to celebrate despite not being the one to throw the pass.

    Murphy would later find Card in a tight window along the sideline, eliciting a fist pump from the Beavers’ presumptive starting quarterback.

    It’s great to get to know him,” Card said of Murphy. “When he came in, he brought the intelligence of the game a little higher. Bringing a veteran type of QB style, that he’d been here and played in big games. It’s great that he’s here, and I love to work with him. Great quarterback, we have a bunch of great quarterbacks, and I’m just excited to get to the season.”

    Listed at 5-9, 164 pounds, Card has previously been utilized primarily in the slot and on the reverse, where his speed has been evident. A touchdown run against Purdue last season put his fleet feet on full display.

    Where Card hopes to contribute more for the Beavers this season is downfield throws like the one he hauled in from Gutridge, and other opportunities to show off the hands and footwork he’s worked tirelessly on this offseason.

    A Beavers passing offense that ranked 94th in the country last season at just over 201 yards per game would gladly take it.

    “That passing game will be better this year, I promise you that,” Card said. “We’ll get things going a bit more. We’ve got a great offensive coordinator and great scheme going on. With Pat (McCann) coming in and introducing new stuff, I think it’s just going to keep elevating from here.”

    McCann coaches a receiver room filled with returners, each jockeying for snaps throughout what has been a competitive spring at the position. In addition to Card, Clemons, Walker and Reddicks, Air Force transfer Jailen Holmes and redshirt sophomore David Wells Jr. are among several others in the mix.

    The lanky Wells claims he would beat Card in a footrace, as any true competitor would. But he praised Card for “blowing the top off” in spring and said he was “proud” of him. Others in the room are taking notice as well.

    “Zach, obviously, fastest guy in the room. In my opinion, fastest guy in the room,” Reddicks said. “Maybe fastest on the team. I’m taking him over everybody. Zach is my guy. We came in together early a couple years ago. Even during the first two weeks we had, me and Zach, we’ve worked together and tried to push the level for each other.”

    Card said the competitive fire among OSU’s wideouts has been rooted in respect for one another, and a chemistry he and others believe will show up regardless of who earns the most snaps. If Card keeps it up, he could be a fixture come fall camp.

    “The relationship is there. The connection is there,” Card said. “During this offseason, we were just getting more connected and building that relationship to where on the field, it translates to the field. So we have that telepathy. … I think that is a good thing that we all stayed together. It’s going to better us in the future.”

    — Ryan Clarke covers college sports for The Oregonian/OregonLive.

    Be nice if OSU finally has an effective speed threat that impacts the game in positive ways…otherwise, it’s the same, frequently heard off season talk…somebody’s fastest on the team, doesn’t mean their effective against other team’s fast DBs.

    Reply

    • Card was mid-10s in the 100m in HS. So not elite sprinter speed, but still super fast.

      If he’s worked on his footwork and can use that speed to get separation on a variety of routes, he could be good.

      Reply
      • 1

        The WR room looks pretty good if they can put it together and the big TEs draw attention.

        I think the offense will be fun to watch as long as the OLine can play at a good+ level. With OLinemen coming back from injury, it may take awhile for them to play to their ceiling, whatever it is.

        Reply

      • Murphy – in his highlights – seems to get the ball out in about 3 seconds fairly consistently. It appears to me he favors doing that and leading the receiver…his passes therefore appear to float a bit, which may lead to some INTs. I think his TD:INT is somewhere around 2.5:1? Not great in today’s game. His completion percentage is probably not even low 60’s.

        I haven’t seen his “lowlights” game film and others here can correct my assessment….

        Reply
        • 2

          I think he threw 26 TDs and 12 picks last year so that’s not a great ratio but you can’t necessarily translate that into the situation at OSU. Most likely different offensive philosophies, offensive lines,stunning game, etc. Hopefully with another year of experience coming to OSU, we see improvement. The reality is, I don’t think we will see anything worse than what we watched last year.

          Reply
  102. 5

    Just saw a comparison with CSF team stats to OSU and they are very similar in offensive production, however, looking at the RPI is a major as CSF currently at #144 and the Beavs #11 so obviously the beavers have played a tougher schedule. CSF is only 10-7 at home so that’s not too impressive but as I’ve said, it’s baseball and any team on any given day can beat a better team and that happens a lot. Hopefully, the beavers come out and play with their hair on fire and at a minimum win 2 out of 3 as sweeping on the road is a tough thing to do. I’d like to see them sweep so we will see.

    Reply
  104. 1

    Freeman up with a piece on Fullerton, includes a quiz question.
    Also included are these comments/facts about Dorman’s guys:
    “Oregon State enters the weekend ranked among the national leaders in multiple statistical categories, including: 18th in ERA (3.91), 19th in WHIP (1.29), 10th in strikeouts per nine innings (10.9), 16th in hits allowed per nine innings (7.47) and 23rd in strikeout-to-walk ration (2.66).”

    No paywall here:
    https://archive.ph/xRlVt#selection-295.0-295.287

    Reply

    • I think the issue is those numbers would be a lot better, and we’d have lost a lot less games, if we remove about six or seven total innings, over the course of the season.

      And I wouldn’t remove any from the UCI Friday game.

      Those situational breakdowns can be corrected.

      Reply
      • 2
        5

        OSU and 0regon are addicted to foreign students. They pay 250% tuition compared to in-state students. I could see how that would incentivize some potentially shady people to slip into the student body.

        Reply
        • 3

          We have some, but we’re not at all reliant or addicted.

          We have about twice as many at 2k, while our enrollment is about twice what Nikegon’s is.

          The real difference is that we have a ton more in-state students, compared to Cal State Eugene.

          Reply
    • 2
      3

      You know I don’t like the idea of giving academic or athletic scholarships to foreigners who don’t or haven’t paid taxes that support our public schools. We have plenty of US kids that could use a full ride. I’m tired of watching sports (olympics, golf, etc …..) where foreign athletes went to our public universities where we trained them only to compete against and often lose to them.

      Reply
  106. 10
    1

    “it’s baseball and any team on any given day can beat a better team and that happens a lot“ this makes it sound likes I either team has a 50-50 chance, verse so you are saying there’s a chance. Given the talent gap between OSU and most of there schedule you are saying “that’s baseball” way more than you’d expect.

    What some have excused as “that’s baseball”, I argue is “that’s bad baseball”

    A bad hop, “that’s baseball”, a questionable third strike, “that’s baseball”, losing the ball in the sun, “that’s baseball”…etc.

    Consistently giving up 10+ runs, “that’s bad baseball”, striking out 15 times, “that’s bad baseball”, failing to execute a bunt, “that’s bad baseball”, multiple errors per game, “that’s bad baseball”.

    Reply
    • 7

      Yep. Good take Ackrite.
      A pattern has been predictable and repeated over the course of 3-4 seasons which means it is more of a program issue than a one-off circumstance. I don’t disagree with the concept “that’s baseball” when you see something happen you’ve never seen before in a game. But when the same things are repeated several seasons in a row, “that’s bad baseball” applies instead.

      Reply

      • I posted a story above about two teams ending long losing streaks. One team at about 41-42 straight games, the other at 100. In a double header against each other, they each won a game, ending their losing streaks.

        I fully expected a “that’s baseball!” response…

        Reply
        • 4

          Understand the context and you’ll understand the phrase, “that’s baseball.” I think ohiobeav understands the context of that phrase as it’s really not that complicated.

          Reply

      • The key word is “pattern”. I’ve never been a snapshot guy to make a judgement on how good or bad something is based on a snap shot. You look at the trend or pattern. Good performance typically has been trending up and bad performance down.

        Reply

  107. “Former Oregon State defensive coordinator Keith Heyward Jr. has a new job in football.

    Heyward was hired as the defensive backs coach for California, the team announced Thursday. He joins the Golden Bears after resigning from his position with the Beavers in January.

    Heyward previously spoke to The Oregonian/OregonLive about his decision to resign after one season in Corvallis, citing the death of his father prior to the 2024 season and the hospitalization of his mother, among other life events that took a toll.

    “I felt like this is the best time for me to take a step back and take care of some personal things with my family and make sure I’m good, and they’re all good,” Heyward said at the time. “I’ve been grinding in this business for 20 years. I’ve been focused on ball and college. It doesn’t allow you to take time for your family. So, I’m going to just take time to center myself and take care of my family.”

    After roughly three months away from the game, Heyward is back in the coaching ranks with the Golden Bears.

    — Ryan Clarke covers college sports for The Oregonian/OregonLive. ”

    And he’ll be back in Reser for the 25 season opener…

    Reply
    • 5
      1

      It is still a sad sequence of events from a family perspective. Perhaps KHJ needs to write a self help book so more people can learn how to take care of themselves and their family in a mere 3 month stretch. Sounds like a miracle spring if he was able to address everything that wasn’t a priority over the 20 years he was just grinding at football in only 3 months.
      Let’s just agree that he wasn’t a good DC, and Bray gave him room to exit gracefully. The cover story is kind of blown if he jumps back into coaching after a 3 month break. I’m pretty sure Wilcox didn’t make the first call on the Cal job either.

      Reply
      • 9
        1

        It will be much more satisfying to see the D playing aggressive and trying to win.

        And he’ll probably be better as just a secondary coach and happier.

        Reply
      • 1
        1

        I mean… his mother might have been released from the hospital and gone through enough rehab to take care of his younger siblings in three months.

        You mock the death of someone’s father and the hospitalization of his mother?

        Reply
        • 1

          Jack, he has suspiciously bounced around for a while. This isn’t a one time thing. In all seriousness though I hope he’s found a good balance and what he’s looking for.

          Reply

          • His father dying has nothing to do with bouncing around.

            You’ll recall his hire was my biggest skepticism last year, because we’ve seen his defenses play. He’s like Lupoi–a great recruiter, but not that great as a coordinator, if good at all. This is why Nikegon has a real DC “sharing” DC duties with Lupoi. If you want to pay the big bucks to draw these recruiter types away from wherever, you need to give them the jobs that justify that type of money.

            But I can see him not even being focused on the team last year, due to circumstances. Not being there to help his mom and siblings (who are still underage) deal with mourning the loss of his father, I could have predicted the stress would have put someone like his mother in the hospital. That’s just stuff you need to go home and take care of.

            Reply
  108. 3

    Beavs up 3-2 as Fullerton 1b opens the b4 with his second HR tonight, he has the only hits for them.
    Krieg a HR and SacFly, Caraway a SacFly.
    Keljo at 42 pitches, Fullerton arm about done, 88 pitchs.
    LOB 6 for Beavs

    Reply
    • 2

      Beavs should snag him in the portal for next year. We got to have at least one sport where we prosper off of the farm system.

      Reply
  109. 1

    Titans tie it at 3 on a Segura WP, followed by a passed ball.
    After 6 full, game is still in question, Beavs have left 8 on base, several of those in scoring position.

    Reply
  111. 3

    Segura gets through the b8, 6-3 Beavs.
    Segura pitch count is 48, he’s gone 4 innings giving up 2 hits and 1 run.
    Middle of Fullerton line up due in the 9th

    Reply
    • 5
      1

      Segura really helps out the pen, starting the stretch of 7 games in 9 days by going 5 full, giving up 1 run, 2 hits. Had 2 bb (both in the ninth) and k’d 7 tonight. 73 pitches. That’ll do.
      Oh yeah, 15 lob for the Beavs.

      Reply
  114. 6

    Crazy story about Tennessee qb and his “contract negotiations” not going well. He came in as a freshman at $2m NIL deal over 4 years, and took them to the playoffs. Entered spring wanting a bump in his NIL and decided to sit out spring practice until it was renegotiated to $2.5m.
    Tennessee has cut him from the team and have decided to move on rather than deal with him. Heupel only has 2 inexperienced freshman on the roster so Tenn will be shopping for another qb before fall.

    ESPN wrote this article without any self awareness that they are the cause for such breaking news in the college athletics world, and present it like it is a normal part of any college athletics program to deal with salaries, contract negotiations and holdouts. ESPN has ruined college football.

    Reply

    • Pure free market economics occurring in collegiate sports right now. Could see a domino effect as a school could choose to upgrade from what they currently have.

      Reply
      • 2

        FWIW, MM has already signed to play for the beavers. It used to be once you signed an LOI, you couldn’t get out of that agreement, however, I don’t know if that’s still the case in today’s wild, wild West in college sports.

        Reply
    • 2

      Are agents commissions kept “secret” in these deals? Seems like his agent was in for a hefty increase if he could have got the 4 mil done. Looks like he overplayed his hand. I think the answer to all this madness has to be that the players are employees with two-year contracts, buy-outs, etc. Otherwise, it’s just chaos.

      Reply

    • It appears Tennessee cut him after he told them he had entered the portal.

      I’m guessing he had a better offer and just wanted Tennessee to match or come close.

      Reply

      • I have a connection to a major UT donor (think $20m +) and Im told they didn’t even go to the donors asking for the additional $. Good for UT having a backbone, but if you are a player go get your money.

        Reply
  115. 2
    3

    Interesting article in O-live yesterday about the Friday night piggy back approach starting Keljo for 4-5 innings and then coming in with Segura for the remainder of the game. That could really help in the post season bc both of them have fewer pitches on their arms going into the post season and could potentially be starters in a regional in separate games. So this approach has seemed to be very effective in using both guys in the same game. It certainly worked out very well yesterday to open the series. I think it’s a great strategy that could be very effective in the post season.

    Reply
    • 1
      1

      I’d add that this streak of 7 in nine days should give Dorman a basis for planning for the post season (assuming there will be a post season for the Beavs).
      Watch how he handles the staff over the next few games. I’m particularly interested in the lead up to UCLA.

      Bruins just lost to UofW, at home. Their SOS is 68 vs Beavs 50 and their RPI is about 10 spots lower than the Beavs. Still, their #10 ranking makes this an important game to say the least.

      Reply
      • 1

        Still a few potential road opportunities for quad 1 wins. 3 in Eugene (ducks currently sit at 63).

        4 at Hawaii. They currently are 49 in RPI.

        3 at Iowa might be a stretch. They sit at 79th.

        I dont see any home quad 1 games left

        Reply
        • 1
          1

          Just win.
          Looking at Top25, UCLA, Irvine, Oregon are all there right now and the Beavs still can look good against every one of them.
          Just win.

          Reply
      • 3

        Agreed that there is still plenty of opportunities to improve on the RPI and national rankings. I don’t see where he will make any changes to the rotation now as I think that’s set and the guys in the bullpen are also set with Hutcheson, Palmer, Oakes, Douglas, DeCremer, Queen, and Mundt, but I think the x factor could be Kmatz as he’s looked very effective in his limited role. Mundt is good for a few batters but beyond that he has been spotty at best. Edwards and Fraser gives them added depth but I’m not very familiar with those guys.

        Just keep getting better down the stretch run bc there’s enough talent to get to a super and possibly Omaha so we will see.

        Reply
  116. 1

    I don’t think anything benevolent is going to fall the Beavs way. If there’s any doubt, who would stand up for OSU’s post-season selection as an independent?

    Reply
  118. 1

    Weber moved from cleanup to 9th gets a single to start the t3, kid is gonna be tired if not given some rest in this stretch of road games with only two days off in nine.

    Reply
    • 2
      1

      Anybody paying attention to this is getting a demonstration of two priciples:
      1) put the ball in play
      2) make ’em throw strikes
      Now 11-0 still no outs t3

      (ADDED) Ha,ha, downvoter didn’t watch the t3. Missed the bb’s, bloop hit, Titan error.

      Reply
      • 1
        4

        Ask if i give a shit about down votes.

        Call em as I see em.

        Despite today, I think a super regional is a stretch and their ceiling. Def a regional team

        Reply
  120. 1

    Long leash for Dax thanks to a 12 run 3rd, should allow the pen more rest in addition to what they got last night. May have plenty of rested arms for UCLA, etc.

    Maybe get Weber some rest later in this one?

    12-0 going to the t4

    Reply
    • 2
      1

      Isn’t going to change anything. The big boys will just find ways to get money to players or their families. Cash is king

      Pandora’s box has already been opened. There is no going back

      Reply
      • 1

        Turn out the lights, the party is over. It is an inevitable as long as ESPN is still calling the shots. The only hope would be that the NIL being a factor for SEC alums giving to buy rent a players will ruin a lot more fans than they think.

        Reply
        • 2
          1

          Plenty of fans have already been ruined by this mess, it’ll only make a difference if ESPN sees a serious drop in revenue. Follow the money.

          Reply
      • 1
        1

        Jekyll=”that’s baseball…” ; Hyde=”that’s baseball…” also, if I have figured out the context correctly. A bad bullpen is only a catch phrase and not a program weakness or something to be concerned about. Don’t worry, it’s just baseball, not true competition where excellence is usually the goal.

        Reply
        • 5
          2

          It is concerning.

          Dorman still needs to go

          Imagine how good this team could be with a competent pitching staff.

          I’ve seen enough of Dorman and been saying it for at least 3 years now. Shit hasn’t changed

          Reply
    • 5
      1

      How many other tired idioms do you have for this team?
      Expect the unexpected doesn’t apply in this case. We actually can expect the bullpen implosion since it has happened many times already. This is a weak bullpen, good arms but all very inconsistent. It is to be expected and that is the definition of bad baseball. They know the team weaknesses but don’t do anything to change or adjust. Beavs may still win the game but it doesn’t change my concerns about the bullpen problems or the reality of patterns that are well established.

      Reply
      • 4
        2

        Just hit the x and stop reading his tripe.

        One of his previous examples was ask Mike Parker who’s watched this program for 26 years.

        Well, last night even Parker was befuddled by Wilson Weber attempting to get a runner on a back pick with 2 outs in the 9th and a 4 run lead. The throw went into the outfield allowing both runners to advance.

        Certainly a head scratcher. Segura eventually rendered it moot by striking out the batter. But again the question is why? Who cares about the runners? They can’t beat you. Focus on the out at the plate to end the game?

        That’s baseball? Yeah. Bonehead baseball.

        Reply
      • 1
        3

        You take stiff way to seriously. You need to relax and stop living and breathing with every win, loss, error, bad outing, good outing, etc. it’s baseball and if you can’t handle the ups and downs and the unpredictably of it, maybe you should find another sport to follow. If you don’t like my comments, feel free not to read them as I’m tired of you whining like a little bitch.

        Reply
  126. 5
    1

    I’m saying it now. This bullpen, or lack thereof is extremely alarming. If the Beavs get sent to the southeast for a regional or super? This bullpen will get lit the fuck up in that environment by a power hitting team

    Reply
  127. 2
    1

    The inconsistent BP finally comes around to end it, 17-10.
    Edwards and Queen get the last 9 outs, giving up zero hits and leaning on some good outfield D (Edwards) and 3 k’s (Queen).
    With the shot to his ankle, Zak wasn’t able to get the rest for the BP some had hoped for. Pitching gonna be dicey for next few games, as usual.
    Still would like to see Weber get a break.
    Multi hit games for: Weber, Talt, Arquette, Jones, and of course Singer.

    Reply
  128. 2
    7

    Dodgers lose 16-0 at home to the cubs. So come on and tell me again that baseball isn’t unpredictable and expect the unexpected.

    Reply
    • 1

      Impressive to score 17, just for fun here are the scoring plays:
      homer, single, error, double, walk, wild pitch, triple, double, fielders choice, walk, sac fly, fielders choice, homer.

      Put the ball in play, make ’em throw strikes….no need to swing for the fences.

      Reply
    • 4
      1

      Big deal, Arkansas/Tennessee/LSU losing to other top 10 SEC teams doesn’t allow the Beavs to gain ground. It’s tje same story with football and basketball, when your entire conference is ranked, losses dont hurt as much

      Reply
  132. 2

    Is there any downside to saving Ethan Kleinschmit for Tuesday’s game against ranked UCLA? The following weekend series is against CSUN, he could either start that Sunday or come in as relief only if the series needed him to. Help me understand the decision to have him start today.

    Reply
    • 1
      2

      This is a weird case, as an independent, where I think the Tuesday’s appear to matter just as much as a weekend series. There is no division to win. Does the downside of losing to a non-ranked team today exceed the upside of beating a ranked team on Tuesday? Is there some sort of gentleman’s agreement that Mitch made with other coaches when getting teams to play us on Tuesday? Meaning, if we play you on a Tuesday we promise to not start a weekend starter because we know you won’t likely have that option?

      Reply
      • 1
        1

        lol…
        Despite the posing, these are some decent points.

        I think it has more to do with the number of games in this stretch and having your best arms available over as much of it as possible.

        Maybe the pen steps up and the bats are hot, just because it’s UCLA. But if they don’t, we get Kleinschmit to end this stretch of games. What’s important is for him to set the tone today.

        Reply
        • 1
          1

          Good questions, I’ve had this on my mind as well. Never know what Dorman is thinking.
          Having the best arms available for as many innings as possible is, I think, the deciding factor.
          I’d say a win vs #10 UCLA would outweigh a loss today vs an unranked team in a series you’ve already won.

          Reply
  133. 1

    Hutcheson comes to start the b7, gives up a HR on first pitch.
    If he is expected to get the last 9 out and does so then how many pitches does he have in the tank for UCLA?
    Who’ll be the primary reliever on Tuesday?
    1 down b7, Beavs up 8-4

    Reply
  137. 4
    1

    I don’t log in much during baseball season but I had to chime in to say that Casey would have benched Carraway long before he finally wore out Canham’s patience today, who sat him in the 9th. He hasn’t been making good choices at the plate for a while but this bare-handed stuff in the field was the breaking point. He should sit for quite a while in my mind. He’s hurting the team almost as much as middle relief.

    Reply
    • 3
      2

      I think it right but with Trosky out all season, the Beavs might not have too many options at the hot corner. I’d think with arquette strong arm and size, he’d be a great guy at the corner but then you need to find someone at SS. Trosky would have given the Beavs more options bc of his versatility and his bat.

      Reply
  139. 3
    4

    OSU was the only team in the Top 10 to go 4-0 this week.. arky and ole miss went 2-2 while LSU went 1-3 and most of the others went 3-1. I expect the beavs will move up in the polls but you never know bc it’s the polls. Lol

    Reply
  140. 4
    1

    On the topic of starting pitching, two new starters this year and they are doing well. Props to them. I have to remind myself Whitney is a freshman.

    Reply

  142. “CORVALLIS — Amid several staffing shuffles for Oregon State football this offseason, Rod Chance figures to be a crucial presence for the Beavers in 2025 as both the secondary coach and co-defensive coordinator.

    With head coach Trent Bray calling the plays on defense, Chance’s enthusiastic and motivational demeanor is front and center in the OSU locker and meeting rooms. As is Chance’s track record of coaching future NFL players in the secondary, dating back to his time at Oregon.

    Last year, the ‘what’ was in the room, but the ‘why’ wasn’t necessarily in the room,” Chance said. “I think it’s hard to run someone else’s defense without knowing the intent of every single call.”

    With the departure of Keith Hayward Jr., the presence of Bray in the various defensive meeting rooms has been a positive and influential move, Chance said. He appears happy to collaborate.

    “I’ve been around some programs where the head coach keeps the temperature a little warm,” he said with a grin. “So, for me, it’s a little bit different. Having (Bray) in the room, it increases the sense of urgency for everyone in the room. Coaches, players included. It ups my game knowing the head man is in there with you on a daily basis.”

    Bray’s presence, combined with a shift in responsibilities that includes A.J. Cooper moving from coaching inside linebackers to joining Chance with the secondary, has several Beavers staffers feeling more confident in the structure of the program moving forward.

    A more individualized approach to coaching is evident, coaches say, but the real value lies within the ability among those coaches to collaborate and communicate successfully, Chance said.

    “The thing that’s changed is the titles. There’s always been multiple guys in multiple rooms,” Chance said. “Whether it was a defensive back (graduate assistant), or if it was an analyst in different rooms. It’s always been multiple guys in a room, but now what you’re getting is more guys who may be a bit longer in the tooth in terms of football. Some more experience to add to those positions as well.

    “Now, it’s a little bit more collaborative a process on the interior to put our heads together and come up with something schematic.”

    The desired identity remains the same for the Beavers defense despite the staffing changes and a new batch of transfers at multiple positions. OSU, like any college football program, wants its defense to lead with physicality and have a “pressure-oriented mindset” up front, Chance said.

    The defensive front has plenty of room to improve in terms of pressure, and believes it will make major strides with its various additions, especially on the edges. If Oregon State is going to improve on a 5-7 record last season, coaches believe it will start with its defense — even with the excitement buzzing around new quarterback Maalik Murphy on the other side of the ball.

    “The success of this team is going to go through the defense,” Chance said. “If we can play this game with physical edges, winning on top and forcing guys to make plays. We’re going to make you make plays, not give up plays. We believe that if we make other teams make plays, they’ll have to be good enough to beat us.

    “The mentality is just to be consistent. Year two in the system, a little bit more familiarity, players know the ‘why’ and coaches know the ‘why’ as well. It’s just good synergy amongst the players and the staff.”

    — Ryan Clarke covers college sports for The Oregonian/OregonLive. Reach him at RClarke@Oregonian.com

    Reply
  143. 3
    1

    Polls don’t matter. That’s just what have you done recently and where you started at the beginning of the year.

    RPI is what matters. Beavs have 7 home games left and 14 road games left.

    Tough game vs UCLA on Tuesday. Road wins go a long ways, not calling this a must win but it’s really helps.
    UCLA has lost only one weekday game. They are 21-5 at home and have only played 9 games away from home. Have to hope the weekday pitching can do enough to keep the Beavs in the game. Offense will definitely need to stay hot to win.

    Reply
    • 1
      6

      Yes, college baseball polls matter, particularly for determining seedings and potential home-field advantages in the NCAA Tournament. While rankings don’t directly determine who wins games, they do influence the NCAA’s selection process and can impact a team’s postseason performance.
      Here’s a more detailed look:
      Why they matter:
      NCAA Tournament Selection:
      The NCAA uses a variety of factors, including RPI, to determine tournament seedings and regional hosts. Higher-ranked teams are more likely to be selected and have an advantage in the tournament.
      Home-Field Advantage:

      Regional and super-regional hosts often have a home-field advantage, which can be significant in the NCAA Tournament.

      Recruiting:
      While not the primary factor, rankings can play a small role in recruiting, as they can indicate a team’s overall strength and standing in the college baseball world.

      Media Attention:
      Highly-ranked teams tend to receive more media coverage and attention, which can boost their popularity and support.
      How they’re calculated:

      Coaches’ Polls:
      The USA TODAY Sports poll is a popular coaches’ poll that ranks teams weekly based on coach votes.

      RPI:
      The RPI is a mathematical algorithm that factors in a team’s strength of schedule, win-loss record, and quality of wins.

      Other Ranking Systems:
      Various ranking systems, like the Road2Rosenblatt KSI Ratings Index, attempt to measure a team’s overall strength and performance, according to Bleacher Report.

      In summary: While rankings aren’t the sole determinant of success, they do play a role in the NCAA Tournament selection process, home-field advantages, and recruiting, making them a significant factor in college baseball.

      Reply

    • Nah. RPI and rankings are both lesser factors. The 3 key factors related to postseason are conference affiliation (SEC), location (Southeast US) and ESPN tv preference for game times and matchups.

      Reply
    • 4
      4

      Nah. RPI and rankings are both lesser factors. The 3 key factors related to postseason are conference affiliation (SEC), location (Southeast US) and ESPN tv preference for game times and matchups.

      Reply
  146. 2
    1

    Have a beverage of your choice! Brock Huard stepping away from broadcasting so he can be in the sidelines with his son’s HS football team….

    Reply
  147. 5

    RE: Jade Carey, at collegiate championships tomorrow:

    ““It’s definitely crazy to think back to my time before Oregon State,” Carey said. “I feel like I’m a completely different person. College gymnastics has really allowed me to come out of my shell and fall in love with gymnastics again. It can be really taxing and hard in elite, doing the same things over and over, but being on a team for the first time was something really special.”

    Carey committed to OSU when she was 14 years old, nearly eleven years ago. In the past eight years, Carey said she hasn’t had more than a week off from gymnastics.”

    Wow. That’s commitment.

    Reply
  148. 1

    Saw that a Hunter Haines from West Linn is entering transfer portal at WSU. Would he be a good pickup for the Beavers? Maybe not so much this year, but the next couple ? Assuming he doesn’t transfer again….

    Reply
  149. 1
    2

    Looking at the comparisons, offensively UCLA has put up a lot of runs so they out perform the beavers in several offensive categories. I’m not sure who is starting tonight for the Beavs, perhaps Laif Palmer, but whoever it is, they need to be on their game as UCLA looks to be very good.

    One major difference in the UCLA team over past teams is their offense appears to be their strength and the pitching at least statistically and seem to be as strong as in prior seasons. However, stats often don’t tell the entire story.

    As far as RPIs are concerned, the Beavs are #10 and UCLA #20 and UCLA has lost some close games too. All in all, this should be an interesting matchup with two solid teams.

    Reply
  150. 2

    Fingers crossed on this one but Queen gets the start. I’m guessing he will be on a very short leash.

    I think the upcoming series with CSUN is less of a threat to OSU than UCLA so throwing some quality arms tonight at UCLA might not be a bad idea with CSUN just around the corner.

    CSUN is 8-23 I don’t view them the same threat level as UCLA and beating UCLA will go a lot further in the national polls and RPI rather than than beating CSUN.

    That said, it is baseball and anything is possible and you can’t take any team too lightly but I’d rather see Leif Palmer on the mound to start tonight versus Queen.

    I hope the coaching decision works out but Queen has not been terribly impressive so we will see. Go Beavs!

    Reply
  155. 1
    1

    Talt an “unbelievable” catch to close out the 2nd inning, per Parker.
    Funny, you EXPECT that of Talt; seems the opposite goes for Caraway.

    Reply
  158. 6
    1

    That’s the kind of game we’ve been looking for all year. A win with little drama.

    Walks are still a concern but UCLA really never threatened even with the free passes.

    Reply
  162. 2
    2

    Interesting comments from last night’s broadcast as the commentary repeatedly was that savage was prioritizing his pitching for this weekend’s conference series and that was why he threw so many pitchers. Yet, no mention that the beavers really have to do the same thing with mid-week games bc every game they play is the equivalent of a conference game whether it’s a mid-week game or a weekend series.
    The bottom line is we didn’t face their frontline pitchers and they didn’t face ours either. However, our offense produced and their offense didn’t.

    Based on what I watched, UCLA plays in a very weak B10 conference with the exception of maybe Iowa and Oregon.

    Reply
  163. 1

    The wisdom of Coach Slime:

    “We coming? Yeah, and Sanders, the Pro Football Hall of Famer making another mark in the coaching ranks, is staying, too, having recently signed a five-year, $54 million extension that makes him one of college football’s highest-paid coaches.

    Asked about the significance of his new deal, Sanders put it in a larger context that involves resources for the once-sagging football program that he has revitalized.

    “We had to make sure we have the foundation that we need to be successful in this turbulent time in college football,” he said. “Because if the same teams keep going to the playoffs every year, that tells you something about the collectives and the NILs. I don’t think it says too much about the programs and coaching – I mean, there are some great coaches, don’t get me wrong. There are. But if the same teams go every year and they’re spending the same amount of money, it’s hard to compete with an institution that’s spending $25 million on freshmen alone.

    But our kids come out here to play for me and this staff. They don’t come out here for a bag, because they understand the real finances are garnished in the NFL, not with the NIL.”

    Reply
  164. 1

    So apparently CAL RB Ott to Oklahoma?

    The Beavers’ season opener is looking more winnable….

    Unless the Beavers have key players hit the portal!

    Reply

  166. “The irony hung thick in the air, like the springtime pollen in East Tennessee.

    Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said “no one is bigger than the” program, explaining why the Vols were moving on from money-hungry starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava. In the next breath, Heupel explained that the Vols would pursue a transfer quarterback to fill the void created by Iamaleava’s departure.

    Article Summary
    Josh Heupel said no one is bigger than Tennessee’s program as he said farewell to quarterback Nico Iamaleava. His next move? Hunt for a transfer QB.

    Coaches bemoan lack of roster control, but their demand for transfers contributes to transfer supply.

    Tennessee sued the NCAA, spurring a settlement that further empowered athletes. Beware of the monsters you help create.”

    https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2025/04/16/nico-iamaleava-tennessee-college-football-transfer-portal/83081838007/

    Reply

  167. I have a loose connection (think friend of a friend) to a major UT donor ($20+ million) and I was told they didn’t even reach out to try to raise the additional money.

    Reply
  168. 2
    2

    Beavs WBB has signed Utah transfer 6’8″ Nene Sow for finally from Belgium. If they can develop the 6’5″ Spaniard they picked up last season and this new transfer has some decent talent, they could have a nice group of talent as the Beavs picked up two more players from Australia,ba 6’1″ wing that is apparently deadly from the 3 point range and another 6′ wing.

    Reply
      • 2
        1

        We shall see but Rueck seems to have the knack for getting the most out of the talents he’s got to work with. I remember Rees first year after she transferred from Utah and she was okay but really excelled in her final year.

        I’m guessing the 6’5″ Spaniard will be a very productive player next season.

        Reply
  169. 1

    Up above, F nemac linked the D1 field of 64 projection. The wise guys who do this for a living have both nike and Gonzaga, along with Kansas, in the Corvallis regional. So after a weekend with Mark Bankers old employer we’ll all get a preview of the regional?

    They don’t call this stuff “way too early” for nothing.
    Just win.

    PS: What ever happened to Aaron Fitt?

    Reply

    • When possible the NCAA tries to keep travel at a minimum and there are rules about conference affiliation, so I’m guessing they had Dux and Zags slotted as 2/4, and matched them to the nearest host, who isn’t in there conference. If you look at their projection, you’ll see this logic throughout.

      But yes it is a “way too early”, I was most surprised at GT at 7. I’m also happy to see the Beavs at 8, but it matches their RPI rating. I don’t think the RPI knows what to do with ORST independent heavy road/neutral site schedule.

      Reply

      • Being independent and best in the West is what gets us at least a regional. However much we get beat up in the process determines the super.

        Reply

    • That stadium has everything but seating…(in that shot). I get it’s the press box, but so much infrastructure, so few seats…that stadium seats 27,150…maybe they expand if they join the PAC….won’t be much of a homefield advantage…

      Reply

      • More money in those boxes than in the seats. They have a burm situation for their east side, like we used to have. That will be where they build next. And they’ll probably extend the horse shoe.

        Reply
  172. 3

    Jackson Bowers apparently turning heads at TE (even outshining Riley Williams). Lots of paper talent in that room; hopefully it shows up on the field.

    Reply
  173. 3

    “In ‘stacked’ Oregon State tight end room, BYU transfer standing out

    CORVALLIS — Beefed up in the transfer portal, the tight end position is showcasing its depth and talent for Oregon State as spring football progresses.

    The Beavers added Central Catholic (Portland) alum and former Miami tight end Riley Williams in the portal, along with BYU transfer Jackson Bowers. Both have shown themselves as fierce blockers and reliable targets across the middle for new quarterback Maalik Murphy this spring.

    OSU also brings back Bryce Caufield, forming a steady trio. But among the three, it appears Bowers has found a distinct rhythm with Murphy thus far, which doesn’t diminish the contributions of the imposing Williams or reliable Caufield.

    “We’re stacked,” Bowers said. “We’re definitely a very stacked tight end room. When I was at BYU, we had a lot of good tight ends, but we’re surrounded by a lot of athletes here. Riley is an NFL tight end, Bryce is an NFL tight end, and I’m hoping to be an NFL tight end someday.”

    Bowers and Caufield are 6-4, and Williams is 6-6. Even against a long and lanky OSU secondary, the trio’s size and strength is apparent on a day-to-day basis. For a revamped Beavers defensive line as well as linebacking corps, that can sometimes pose a significant challenge.

    “Blocking-wise, I feel like I’m manhandling people and doing my job every time,” Bowers said. “Passing-wise, every time the tight ends are thrown the ball, I feel like we have a good day at practice. That connection is there.”

    Bowers appeared in just five games across two seasons at BYU as a four-star prospect out of Mountain View High School in Arizona. Williams was a four-star recruit as well, playing for IMG Academy in Florida for one year following three seasons at Central Catholic. Williams eventually earned regular appearances for the Hurricanes across two seasons, amasssing 15 receptions for 187 yards and 1 TD in 21 total games.

    Both are seeking a career reset in partnership with the veteran quarterback Murphy.

    The zip on throws from Murphy is something that has stood out to Bowers, who said the ball arrives — hard and fast — in his hands the instant he turns around on some routes. Working with a quarterback of Murphy’s caliber and experience, along with developing into an NFL tight end, was the biggest draw to OSU, Bowers said.

    Bowers hopes the scheme and his defined role will become second nature by the end of fall camp, so he can truly show what he’s capable of. Given some of the catches and blocks Bowers has made in the open portions of spring practice so far, it appears he is well on his way.

    “Just want to perfect my technique in everything that I do so there’s no thinking with what I’m doing,” Bowers said. “Just going and executing it and finishing the play, not what my first step is, just going beyond the basics.”

    — Ryan Clarke covers college sports for The Oregonian/OregonLive.

    Reply
  178. 5

    Segura comes in b5 with bases loaded after Keljo walked 3 guys. Still 9-3 but tough spot for Segura to step into. Apparently, Keljo has been recovering from a tricep injury.

    Reply
  182. 3
    1

    Oregon State’s Jade Carey came up short in her bid to win NCAA gymnastics all-around gold Thursday night at Fort Worth, Texas.

    Carey, in contention to win the school’s first all-around title with vault remaining, took a hop after dismounting, costing her the difference.

    Carey scored 39.6250 in all-around to take fourth. Carey tied for second last year. The all-around champion was Oklahoma’s Jordan Bowers, who scored 39.7125.

    Reply
  184. 8

    Great effort by Jade Carey but she came up just short. Had a chance on the last event, but had a hop on the landing of the vault. Still, great season and will go down as the GOAT of OSU gymnastics.

    Reply
  185. 1
    2

    Now 13-7 b8 one out. I’m not sure who is in a worse slump? Macias or Caraway. Man, we need their bats to get going soon as the season is in the stretch run.

    Reply
    • 2
      1

      Miiiiiitch has stuck with Caraway for so long, isn’t it time for him to watch from the dugout for a game or two? No time like the present.
      As to which slump is worse, clearly Caraway. After all, he’s had about 3 times as many AB’s as Macias.

      Reply
  187. 2
    4

    16-11 as Oakes comes in and shuts them down with bases loaded and nobody out. Does walk in a run but then gets two Ks to end the games. 9 game winning streak and 29-7. Pitching ths series has been an adventure…..

    Reply
  189. 1

    Baseball America joins D1 in putting up a “way too early” forecast of regional sites.
    They have Cal Poly, Kansas St, and Central Connecticut coming to Corvallis.
    A couple differences between the two guesses:
    1-BA doesn’t go along with Ackrite’s belief that the NCAA tries to keep travel to a minimum
    2-More importantly, BA has the Beavs a 9 seed and thus not as likely to host a Super.

    We’re at the point where these things change weekly, right?
    BTW, BA has nike traveling to Anteater Field for a regional.

    Reply
    • 1

      Travel is absolutely a factor in baseball America projection. Regional host align exactly to their top 1-16 in their top25 poll. If they were ranking 1-64 then Louisville would be the 2 in the UCI region as number 17 in there top 25, but as you note Dux are headed there.

      I would agree the correlation isn’t as strong as the D1 projection but to say it isn’t a factor is wrong and lazy on your part.

      Reply
  190. 2

    Fallah to OSU as in the Cowboys and Lelivicious is headed to TCU. Meanwhile, WT is probably going back to the international circuit for one and dones. Whatever happened to recruiting HS players?

    Reply
  192. 4
    2

    West VA football team has 30 players in the portal. Wow…I guess Rich Rod is going to go through what the Beavs went through a few years ago. The portal and NIL is going to kill college sports unless someone steps up and implements governance and oversight as it’s just way out of hand.

    Reply
    • 1

      A lot of schools have a bunch of walk-ons above the 105 roster limit and several who wouldn’t make a regular roster spot if it wasn’t expanded.

      Reply
  194. 1
    3

    Here we go again as Beavs were up 5-0 in the second and now it’s 5-3. Either the Beavs starting pitching is mediocre or they can sure hit the ball….. probably a combo of both. It looks to be another high scoring affair today.

    Reply
  196. 1

    Kmatz comes on the begin the b5, has a 11-4 lead thanks to Arquette’s Grand Slam in the top of the inning.
    Here we go with Dormans guys showing what they’ve learned.

    Reply
  198. 1
    1

    Did anyone just hear Parker explain why Jacob Kreig’s walk up song is Dear Mr Fantasy (a late 60s song by Traffic.). I have been wondering about that for a while and would love to hear the backstory on that. thanks

    Reply
  199. 3

    15-12 Beavs but Beavs bp gives up 5 in the b9.. The winning streak is now 10 and good thing CSUN didn’t have any pitching bc they hit the heck out of the ball

    Reply
  201. 3

    And we thought it was a tinkle issue. Baylor has zero players remaining on their roster from last year. Wow. Good the Rataj transferred there.

    Reply
    • 1

      Apparently little protection for QBs, with many “sacks” by D. Some OLine are out with injuries, Hankerson did not suit up. D dominated. Murphy with a 30 yard TD to TE Jensen was only TD.

      “But Murphy showed flashes of evident arm talent and quick decision-making, despite playing behind a banged up offensive line and facing near-constant pressure. Murphy connected with tight end Cooper Jensen for a 30-yard touchdown during the third quarter and was efficient with his intermediate throws.

      OSU’s success providing pressure also came as a result of its long, lanky secondary keeping a mix of Beavers wideouts mostly in check. There were big plays and busted coverages, as is expected in spring ball as players familiarize themselves with the playbook, but for the most part there weren’t glaring errors from defensive backs.

      “We definitely achieved (our goal) today,” Taylor said. “Just knowing our assignment, doing what we’re supposed to do, and playing fast and physical.”

      Bray is back in the defensive coordinator seat as well, something the second-year head coach said he enjoyed.

      “It was great,” Bray said. “It felt good to be coaching, to be involved and have hands in it.”

      While one could look at the sacks and pressures on Saturday and wonder if Murphy will be fighting for his life this fall behind a struggling offensive line, Bray said injuries — some out of precaution as there isn’t a sense of urgency during the spring — kept several expected contributors on the sideline. And there is always the transfer portal to fill any holes the Beavers might identify.”

      Still, plenty to improve from an execution standpoint once the calendar hits August.

      “Obviously dinged up (on the offensive line) with some guys that will play for us that will be back in fall,” Bray said. “Those guys got an opportunity to get a ton of reps in spring. When you talk about who can play, more guys who can play winning football, I thought the spring was really good for that group.””

      Reply
      • 1

        Thanks for the info.
        I hope they looked horrible so agents aren’t nagging players to level up. Now get things dialed in for the fall.

        Reply

    • Have to accept that the Beavs are a stepping stone school in this environment. Men’s bball is a hot economy where job hopping pays.

      Reply
      • 1

        Advertise the mbb names and new team payments. “We’ll coach you up, get you noticed, but we want a percentage of your new deal.”

        Reply
  204. 1
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    Clemson, Tennessee and Georgia, all ahead of the Beavs in the rankings, lose today so it might be another opportunity to move up in the national rankings. I guess we will see Monday when the updated standings are released.

    I seem to recall that someone said last week after 3 SEC teams ahead of the Beavs had losing weekends that it was a big deal bc they were SEC teams beating up on each other. Yet, the beavers moved ahead of a few of those teams in the rankings as I thought they would.

    Since Georgia has lost the first two games of the weekend on the road to Vandy, the Beavs could move ahead of the Dawgs in the rankings but I guess that’s no big deal…..we shall see come Monday…..whether the Beavs sweep and Georgia losing the series to Vandy was on fact a big deal.

    Reply
      • 1

        We dropped in to RPI this weekend, in national polls it may help but our overall resume is worse after playing CSUN. Guessing auburn drops below us after 0-3 weekend but LSU might go ahead of us.

        National polls are nice and it makes everyone feel good but plenty of times you see the Committee take a team in the top 8 in most polls and they end up in the mid teens and of the cusp of hosting because the underlying metric aren’t great.

        Reply
    • 2
      1

      The rankings wont help us as much as RPI.
      Like Ackrite said. A top 10 team losing to another top 10 team doesnt hurt all that much. While OSU needs to play nearly perfect baseball to finish the season because they cant afford to lose to an LBSU or Iowa (or Oregon which seems to be sliding lately. It sucks but we need Oregon to stay high in the rankings)

      Reply
      • 2
        4

        You all might be discounting OSU’s national championship pedigree and that is a significant benefit for the beavers national reputation going into the post season and committee consideration.

        I recall that after the end of last season, OSU was predicted by a major CBB prognosticating service to make Omaha this season and there were several reasons for that despite no conference affiliation.

        While it’s certainly a disadvantage not playing in a conference bc they won’t play in a conference tourney and have an automatic bid opportunity, I still think their overall record as well as their pedigree will overshadow that issue.

        In fact, OSU baseball is much like ND in football in terms of national attention and respect bc of those national titles as well as top level players and having two recent #1 picks.

        That said, OSU needs to continue to win despite what happens with the SEC teams. If they continue to surge and stay away from a string of losses in the last 2 weeks of the season and get to 42 wins, they’ll be a top 8 seed.

        Their remaining schedule is tough enough with games on the road with Hawaii, Oregon and Iowa as all have RPIs in the 50’s and have solid records. They don’t have to win all of the remaining games, but if they can go 12-5 and end up 42-12, they will get a top 8 seed. However, given the performance of the pitching staff at CSUN, they will really need to get better performances out of the entire staff so that’s a big “if” IMO.

        Go Beavs.

        Reply
        • 2

          We also dont have a conference tournament to help pad our resume before final rankings come out. That’s when Lucy pulls the football

          Reply
        • 2
          1

          All your evidence is anecdotal, lets look at last year. Oregon State was ranked 6-8 in the major nation polls prior to the tournament, end up being seeded equivalent to 15th seed opposite #2 overall seed in Kentucky.

          12-5 they end up as host with a potentially long trip to SEC country for Supers. Can lose 3 max going 3-1 against Hawaii and the DUX. If we want to be a top 8, we have to leave no doubt. Last year we left doubt when we didn’t end strong and that was with the benefit of a conference.

          Reply

          • “All your evidence is anecdotal, lets look at last year. Oregon State was ranked 6-8 in the major nation polls prior to the tournament, end up being seeded equivalent to 15th seed opposite”

            And the Beavs last game is May 17. Which i previously brought up

            Reply
          • 1

            Major difference last year was the last 25 games of the regular season the Beavs went only 15-10 and that’s a big reason they dropped out of hosting a regional and a national seed. They got swept by California, lost to Nevada, lost to WSU…..those were bad losses. So if they have another bad stretch like last year, it will be a similar outcome to last year.

            However, looking at the top 15 teams,b they all have 5-6-7-9-10 losses so it also depends how those top 15 teams finish out the season too. That’s why 4+5 more losses sprinkled out over the last 17 games is not necessarily an automatic DQ from hosting and being #8 seed.

            Reply
    • 1

      Gundy saying the right things here:
      “You have an identity and you have a core,” he said. “You have what you do over and over again, and you have to get good at it. Those things need to be tailored to who you have. You build on top of those things…

      Bray on the QB’s:
      “…We have two really good quarterbacks who could both be in the game at the same time. We can do a bunch of different things. It is exciting how our playbook can grow with those guys.”

      Got to balance having a core, tailoring to the players you have, and growing the playbook. Will we end up, as in the past, hollering, “just run the ball!!!”?

      Reply
    • 1

      “Seeing the defense and the way he is running it reminds me of my first year at Oregon State in 2023 (when Bray was D-coordinator),” [Nikko] Taylor said. “It is beautiful. Coach Bray loves the game. He is always trying to look out for our best interests. I appreciate that about him.

      “You look at last year’s defense compared to this year, it is night and day. This year it is super-detailed, plus Coach Bray has upped the intensity. He expects the best from us. That is what we are giving to him.”

      Hopeful signs on defense with Bray back at the helm.

      Reply
  208. 2
    3

    Three national championships and two #1 draft picks is anecdotal not to mention a rich history of sending multiple players into the MLB? Those are facts that aren’t overlooked by national experts when talking about OSU’s baseball pedigree. In other words, OSU has earned the respect of national experts on the field and read ght now they are ranked and projected to be a national seed. Certainly lots of baseball left to play and they have two long winning streaks this season of 11 and 10 games.

    Finish the season strong and losing a few games mixed into the final 17 will get them there bc there’s really no other West coast teams that will jump ahead of OSU unless they Beavs collapse. Since the NCAA wants regional representation, outside of OSU, there’s no other West coast teams that has is ahead of OSU in the RPI or national rankings.

    Reply
    • 3

      Intended for the comments by Ackrite above. In addition, strong regional representation means more eyeballs on the playoffs and the West Coast has a lot of eyeballs to view the playoffs.

      Reply
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        All those things are true and valid. But when it comes down to a decision between OSU pedigree with a sketchy RPI or choosing another top 15 SEC team as a top 8 seed, ESPN steers it to the SEC 100% of the time.
        Ackrite is spot on again and you are mistaken again.

        Reply
        • 4

          Sketchy RPI currently at #9 and that’s sketchy? Lol. You might want to look in the mirror to view wrong. And, the Beavs just last week moved ahead of three SEC teams that had losing records for the weekend…Georgia just got swept by Vandy too.

          Go to the dictionary and look up wrong and you will see ohiobeav. Lol

          Reply
          • 1

            Georgia lost 3 and is still #1 in the RPI, ORST won 4 games on the road, one versus a top 15 team and drop 2 spots. The pedigree argument is anecdotal/wishful because it was nearly identical last year with a similar resume and they ended up as the 15th seed.

            Losing 5 game between now and the end of the years means you have bad loses or lose a weekend series, both would keep ORST from being a national seed. Nebraska is falling in the RPI and very well may end up as two quad 3 loses by the end of the season. They got a big bump from beat us but that is wearing off.

            Reply
          • 1

            No, last year was not nearly identical bc the Beavs went 15-10 over the last half of the season and got swept by California, lost to WSU and had some other untimely losses. So that late season swoon cost them a national top 8 seed.

            At this point this season, were currently on a 10 game winning streak. So comparing last season to this season is not an accurate comparison bc we still have 17 games left to play.

            Last year down the stretch the Beavs faded and this year they haven’t done it so far. Given nearly every team in the top 15 RPI has 5, 6, 7, 9 or 10 losses, it’s very possible to lose 4-5 games ,and still get a top draw depending on what other teams in the top 15 do. Just just string consecutive losses together or get swept in a series.

            Reply
          • 1

            “Georgia lost 3 and is still #1 in the RPI”

            This factoid alone reminds us that RPI is massively flawed. It’s a narrow feedback loop designed to reward certain conferences.

            Reply
  209. 1
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    Just watching the Ducks play UCLA and the Ducks lineup has 7 guys hitting over .300 and their leadoff is tied in the nation with 18 HRs. That sounds very impressive but I’m not sure how good the B10 pitching really is. I guess the Beavs will find out next weekend and hopefully the Beavs pitching is a lot better than it was against CSUN.

    Reply
  210. 2

    “New Oregon State quarterback Maalik Murphy took a deep shot on the very first play of Saturday’s spring game, overthrowing a wide open Darrius Clemons on a would-be touchdown.
    …
    The competitive part of you wishes you hit more of those vertical throws,” OSU offensive coordinator Ryan Gunderson said. “That has been a major point of emphasis for us this spring. There was some good stuff on offense last year, but we were not explosive. We need to hit bigger shots down the field, we need to win, we need to break tackles on long runs just every now and then to be more explosive.”

    Murphy was efficient and showcased quick decision-making on short and intermediate throws, particularly up the middle of the field. He took and missed a few other deep shots, and eventually connected with a wide-open Cooper Jensen for a 30-yard touchdown — the only trip to paydirt on the day for the Beavers’ offense as Murphy faced constant pressure behind a banged-up offensive line.
    …
    Gabarri has had a heck of a spring, and Gabarri is going to play,” OSU head coach Trent Bray said. “Whether he’s QB1 or not, we’ve got two really great quarterbacks who can both be in the game — even at the same time. We’ve got a lot of ways to utilize them, which is exciting in how our playbook can grow with the two of them.”
    …
    The line to get autographs and photos with Murphy stretched more than 20 yards on Saturday, even as most players, family and fans had already cleared the field. He made time for each person with an air of humility and kindness, his family looking on while wearing orange and black No. 6 jerseys.”

    Reply
        • 1

          Just for the record:
          “Stop trying to establish the passing game and just run the ball…”

          I expect variations of this to be submitted throughout each game in the fall. I’m hopeful Gundy isn’t Langsdorf 2.0, especially since Langdorf is now in the building. Ugh I forgot about that bit of off season news.

          Reply

          • With the offensive line needing healthy players, who will also need time to get on the same page, it seems like keeping it simple, running the ball, and making good use of 3 TEs for run blocking and intermediate routes might be best…too many deep shots for “explosive” or “chunk” plays, or getting cute with two QBs can put them quickly behind the chains and put the OLine in bad position.

            Reply

          • Bray and Gunderson both paid homage to three staff members outside the official coaching staff — Danny Langsdorf, Robb Akey and Mark Criner.

            Langsdorf, whose title is “offensive senior quality control analyst,” was Oregon State’s offensive coordinator under Mike Riley from 2005-13 and at Nebraska from 2015-17. Langsdorf, the coordinator during Gunderson’s career as a QB at OSU, has been O-coordinator at Temple the past three seasons.

            “Having Danny in that room is super helpful for me, talking with the players when I am doing coordinator stuff,” Gunderson said. “To have a guy who has coordinated for a long time, it has been invaluable.”

            Reply
    • 1

      But RPI has drop to 11, DSR is at 15, and only 9 total Q1/Q2 wins. These metric mean more than National polls. IF they keep winning they’ll climb the polls and secure a national seed, but there is little room for error if they want a national seed. Good news is Tennessee’s RPI drop to 12.

      Reply
      • 1

        LSU went 3-1 last week with a midweek McNeese St win and 2 of 3 close ones against #19 Alabama, and somehow they jump past Oregon State in the rankings. Turns out losing to ranked SEC teams isnt the kiss of death for other SEC teams.

        Reply

    • I like his Hudl tape. I think he’s a better S than CB, but he can do both. Long arms and sticky hands. He uses both in tackling, as well, which helps him wrap up.

      Reply
  213. 3
    2

    The Oregonian sports headline today reads Oregon baseball moves up in polls after beating UCLA but no mention of the Beavs. Lol. Go figure.

    Reply
  214. 1

    Mid week starts early with games tonight and tomorrow vs Gonzaga. As stated before, there’s little room for error so losses here hurt.

    Gonzaga is coming off a series loss at USC and at the end of a two week road trip. Likely down to very little pitching.

    Whoever starts tonight needs to go at least 5-6 innings. Mitch has yet to have guys throw back to back games. I’d imagine Queen gets the start here with Palmer and DeCremer following. Then Tuesday, likely Oakes followed by Hutcheson and Mundt.

    Reply
    • 5

      Well, that prediction is a little off bc they only play 55 games in the regular season but I would agree that a record with 45 wins and RPI and a top 10 ranking will get them a national seed. Now is all they have to do is go out and go 15-3 the rest of the regular season. I guess we will see but 15-3 is asking being very optimistic imo. Tonight would be a good start to the last 18 games.

      Reply
  216. 2

    The next one and done for MBB is Zekiah Ekissi. I don’t know where he’s from but I do know he will be a one and done bc that is the new tradition for OSU MBB as a farm system.

    Reply
      • 1

        Yeah, it wasn’t great but I agree with the announcers that his hand got in under the tag but also probably not definitive enough to over turn.

        Reply
    • 1
      1

      Never seen a play like that before. That’s baseball, you should relax and just expect the unexpected.

      It did look like his left hand was under the tag, but he did slow down on the landing, blame the turf because guys can’t slide like Pete Rose anymore.

      Reply
          • 2

            Ha ha. Maybe I was trolling you a bit. But it is a perfect application of your trope isn’t it? I’m just telling you your own garbage. You’ve gloried in those foolish takes for well over a month and can’t deal with it if I actually present them in this situation? Good grief man. You are touchy. We are all rooting for the Beavs.

            Reply
    • 4

      They always seem to play the Beavs tough. They’re now 18-18 but they have some good arms on the mound. I thought the Beavs would win with a HR but they get it done with essentially a swinging fungo.

      Reply
  228. 3
    1

    Is it just me or have the Beavers changed their strength and conditioning philosophy? Under Casey, you’d see a lot of the team looking like shortstops and second basemen (in part, because Casey figured those positions translated easily to the other field positions. Now, it seems most of the team looks stronger around the shoulders and the neck sizes have increased. This team has 11 fielders listed above 200 pounds. The 2018 team had six.

    Reply
    • 1

      Every year the science gets better at optimizing strength training for baseball and best practices are easily spread. Might expect nearly all the roster to get near 200 pounds with the new baseball training center.

      Reply
      • 3
        1

        I think you’re right, but from a fan standpoint, is this a good thing?
        Kinda ties in with the trend toward nothing but HR’s and K’s.
        What’s gonna become of small ball?……..on that note, has anyone else been surprised with the amount of small ball Miiiitch has rolled out so far?

        BTW, don’t the Beavs have an outstanding middle infield?…..really enjoy those two!!

        Reply
  229. 3

    The AB braintrust was clamoring for Beaver football to take more innovative approaches for years. Well, we have it now.

    -HC who’s really a defensive coordinator with a braintrust of former coordinators and HC’s to consult
    -Openly talking about using 2 QB’s at the same time
    -Recruiting G5 freshmen after they’ve shown they can hang at the D1 level
    -Recruiting a kicker from Japan

    Necessity is the mother of invention and all that.

    Reply
  231. 1

    Oregon State and Montana have agreed to a nonconference football game for the 2026 season.

    The Beavers and Grizzlies will play September 19 at Reser Stadium. It takes the place of a previous nonconference game against San Diego State. Starting in 2026, SDSU becomes a Pac-12 member and will play conference against Oregon State.

    Oregon State and Montana have played 16 games, the last time in 1996. The Beavers lead the series 12-2-2.

    Reply
  232. 1

    “College football burns as sport’s leaders eat cake and avoid hard truths”

    The absurdity would be hilarious if it weren’t so dangerously reckless.

    College football is dying, everyone. And the sport’s leaders don’t really care.

    Somewhere in Las Colinas, Texas, in a posh $600 a night five-star hotel, the muckety-mucks of the College Football Playoff are dining on five-star meals and bickering about playoff formats and automatic qualifiers and generating revenue — and getting nothing done.

    That’s four of these highfalutin’ meetings in the last four months, thank you. With nary a thing to show.

    Meanwhile, the college football world is crumbing around them.

    A quarterback just held a football team hostage because none of those muckety-mucks had the foresight to make sure NIL deals had buyout clauses. Or had – and I know this is a foreign idea – a plan.

    One plan. Any plan.

    One that doesn’t include the Tennessee quarterback failing to get a restructured NIL deal days before the spring transfer portal opened, and leaving to sign with UCLA. That doesn’t include the UCLA quarterback, who three months earlier transferred to Westwood from Appalachian State, leaving UCLA before playing a snap and signing with – wait for it – Tennessee.

    All in a matter of a week.

    Back in Las Colinas, the 10 conference commissioners and the Notre Dame athletic director – at the behest of their university presidents (don’t ever forget that part) – will continue to play the charade of we’re for all of college football. For a better and equitable game.

    When they all know damn well the SEC and Big Ten own the show. It’s their script, their three-card monte.

    They strut around the meetings with their big sticks and passive/aggressive attitudes, knowing they can whack anyone out of line with a simple execution of we’ll take our ball and go home.

    Translation: the television networks want us, not you — and we’ll start our own playoff if we don’t get our way.

    Group of Five schools spent time and money developing the players, they should get something in return. I mean, other than the Big Ten and SEC telling them to take it ? or you’ll get even less College Football Playoff money.

    If a team is going to pay $1 million for the best tight end in the MAC, surely they’ll pay $1.2 million to cover the talent fee. And yes, the talent fee is part of the salary pool.

    See how easy that is? See how that could, at the very least, give pause to a team contemplating a raid of Group of Five schools?

    It’s so much easier when the villain and hero roles are clearly defined, and frankly, I don’t think the SEC and Big Ten give a flip about being the villains. But, buddy, can they put on a show like they do.

    We all know what the SEC and Big Ten want, and we all know they’re going to get it. The idea that the rest of college football has any power over them by holding out possible format changes for the final year (2025) of the old CFP contract is comical.

    The Big Ten and SEC: we want a 14-team structure for the new CFP contract beginning in 2026, with four automatic qualifiers each. And we’re going to hold play-in games during championship weekend.

    The rest of college football: if you do that, we’ll be really mad ? and, and, and, well, we won’t vote for the straight seeding you want for the 2025 CFP!

    Heavens, not that.

    But they’ll argue day after day over these inane topics, while the core of the sport is rotting. Because university presidents care about how it looks ? not how it works.

    How it looks like the NCAA (see: the 300-plus university presidents, not some singular boogeyman) has done everything it can to promote player empowerment, but did so at the cost of critical structure.

    How it looks like the NCAA will share billions with the players, who haven’t earned a penny in media rights revenue for decades upon decades. But they’re only really sharing about 20 percent of athletic-related university revenue — which has many buckets of cash, not just media rights revenue.

    How it looks like the NCAA is begging Congress for help with federal NIL reform, and throwing its arms up in despair when there’s nothing to show for it. When those same university presidents know the only group on the planet more dysfunctional than the NCAA is Congress.

    But sure, let’s argue for months – at posh resorts, no less – about circular arguments that will end when and where the SEC and Big Ten want them to end, anyway.

    Let’s put on a dog and pony show so it looks like we know what in the world we’re doing, while the perfectly imperfect sport of our past is dying on the vine for all to see. Let’s avoid all hard truths, and incessantly blather on and on about formats and automatic qualifiers.

    Meanwhile, Tennessee and UCLA just completed the first-ever effective college football player trade right under the collective noses of those who preach about a better and more equitable game.

    But buddy, they sure can put on a show.

    Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network.

    Reply
    • 1

      He paints with a broad brush, but then pleads the. G5 case? I get what he’s trying to say, but he should have proofread this.

      Reply

      • I do agree with the main point though, college football is not in a good place. A “Super League” would get very boring, very fast. Fix the transfer rule to 1 free one, the next one costs a year of eligibility. NIL deals all have the same start date and must be reported or its a violation. ONE transfer window after the season is totally complete. It isn’t like these schools can’t get a player “caught up” if they are a couple of weeks into a semester.
        There, I fixed college football. (Though I’d love for the conferences to get back together again too). I do like the idea of a “transfer fee” as well. Ten percent of the NIL deals?

        Reply
  233. 0
    3

    D1 has projected the Beavs as #7 national seed but of course that’s all subject to change so just keep winning…..ugly or pretty but it doesn’t really matter at this point. Go get #12 in a row today.

    Reply
    • 1
      1

      Sounds like the 2025 deal is done and should get announced in the next day. Most games are with CW and a few others with a large scale media partner.
      And whatever that media partner is, there appears to be q correalation between our 2025 media partner and the 2026 longer deal’s partner.

      Reply
    • 2

      You know I was curious if they had other options at 3rd and with Santana flashing leather at 2nd base, it does appear that Singer is capable at third so that could play itself out the remainder of the season if Caraway struggles in the field. You could put TC as DH and maybe tighten up the infield defense…

      Reply
  237. 1
    1

    12 in a row with the Duck traitors this weekend. The ducks pitching hasn’t been great lately and they do have a very productive offense but I’m not convinced the B10 has great pitching so we will see. The rivalry games are tough and the weather doesn’t look very promising either.

    Reply
    • 5

      My kid just smoked a line drive off Pike…straight to Cenerfirlder…don’t move a step. So I guess that’s our highlight.

      Reply
    • 2
      1

      “There were upwards of 60 Major League Baseball scouts in attendance when Puyallup High School played Mount Vernon in the season-opening game in early March at Everett’s Funko Field.

      National scouts flew in from all over the country and joined local scouts from most, if not all of MLB’s teams to watch and evaluate two players: Mount Vernon’s Xavier Neyens, the No. 1 rated prospect in the state and Puyallup’s Mason Pike, the No. 2 rated prospect in Washington.

      Most years, Pike would be the top-ranked prospect in Washington, but Neyens — a chiseled, 6-foot-4 lefty with plus power — is projected as a first-round, top 20 pick in this year’s MLB Draft. Pike could hear his name called shortly thereafter.

      “He’s got a shot to be in the first round, second round,” longtime Puyallup coach Marc Wiese said.

      That would make Pike the highest player ever drafted from Puyallup. It’s easy to see why teams like Pike, who was The News Tribune’s 2024 All-Area player of the year. His fastball sits in the mid-90s, sometimes touching 97 miles per hour. He throws a nasty slider, a curveball and a changeup — all for strikes. In the past couple of years, he has been virtually unhittable at the high school level, compiling a 0.95 earned run average last spring with 95 strikeouts in 66 2/3 innings.

      In a home start against Curtis on Wednesday night, Pike threw a complete game shutout, going seven innings, allowing one hit, walking two and striking out eight — the latest dominant effort in a high school career chock-full of them.
      …
      “As far as the Pacific Northwest goes, he’s one of the most impressive pure athletes I’ve evaluated in seven or eight years up here,” Doyle said. “Really twitchy, really explosive. He’s really good with the bat in his hands and on the mound. He can do it all. … He has the ability to throw five pitches and can throw them all for strikes.”

      AN ELITE FOUNDATION

      Doyle can get technical, too. He likes Pike’s arm slot and arm extension and thinks it’ll translate to the professional level. He’s particularly intrigued by Pike’s fastball spin rate, which has been measured at over 2,800 revolutions per minute (RPM). The average spin rate for a four-seam fastball for a Major League pitcher is around 2,300 RPM.

      But what exactly does that mean in tangible terms, how does it translate into effective pitching and why does it have scouts interested? In a word: movement.

      “His fastball (spin rate) is truly absurd,” Doyle said. “You put that into a professional development system, that input is something that can translate enormously into fastball shapes. RPM’s don’t mean much in and of itself, but if you give a pitching coach, a player development person that player and they can get his spin efficiency optimized, he can do some explosive things with the fastball that other guys cannot.

      “The spin is the clay to a bigger picture. Mason’s got some of the best baseball clay, from a spin perspective, of anybody in the country, regardless of amateur, professional. He has the foundation to build a special fastball.”

      Doyle thinks Pike has a legitimate shot to be an MLB starter one day and predicts he will be drafted in the second round and will command somewhere in the neighborhood of a $2 million signing bonus — a figure more in line with a first-round signing — because of his leverage as a high school player.

      Pike, who has long been committed to Oregon State, will have a decision to make: turn pro straight out of high school or play college ball.

      “I try not to think about it,” Pike told The News Tribune after a Puyallup game against Curtis on Tuesday afternoon. “I just try to think that I’m playing at the next level and it doesn’t matter to me.”

      There’s question as to whether his professional future is at pitcher or as a position player. Pike, who is batting .409 with eight doubles midway through the season, said he still wants to play in the infield and hit, too.

      “I want to do both,” he said. “That’s a big goal for me.””

      https://amp.thenewstribune.com/sports/high-school/article304434606.html

      Reply

      • So my questions are, assuming the above is reasonably accurate:

        ““His fastball (spin rate) is truly absurd,” Doyle said. “You put that into a professional development system, that input is something that can translate enormously into fastball shapes. RPM’s don’t mean much in and of itself, but if you give a pitching coach, a player development person that player and they can get his spin efficiency optimized, he can do some explosive things with the fastball that other guys cannot.”

        1) Is OSU pitching coach Dorman that guy?

        2) is OSU the better place to get infield and batting reps compared to the pros?

        3) can the OSU collective offset the pro signing bonus enough to make it worthwhile for Pike to go to pro in college?

        Reply
        • 3
          1

          Probably not
          Yes
          Unlikely

          The best approach is to let the other high ranked players recruit him into the culture and contrast 3 years at OSU as a possible superstar vs 3 years of in AA ball in Cedar Rapids playing in obscurity and climbing on your ow.

          Reply
          • 1

            There’s also the question of wanting to play on a team while developing similar skills. The minors are about development. Teamwork will be just a concept, when you’re being sent here and there in moving up and/or trade deals.

            Reply
      • 2

        B10 is always bad, and 1 bid league until the traitor’s joined. Most likely a 4 team league this year with UCLA, USC and the DUX being 3 out of the 4. That being said 3 out of 7 losses are against bottom 3rd of the B10.

        Reply
        • 1

          USC, really?

          But, the BA piece linked above doesn’t disagree with the 4 bid thought, they like Iowa’s chancees and say it’s, “…shaping up to be a three-to-five bid Big Ten”

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          • 1
            1

            Yes USC, they are 26-14, 11-7 in conference with an RPI of 40’s and SOS of 70’s is clearly on the bubble and projected as a 3 seed by both D1 and Baseball America. I’m not sure who the 5th would be maybe Michigan??? But Iowa, and the 3 traitors are in the conversation for sure.

            Reply
  240. 1

    Beavs basketball picks up a forward from Southern Indiana. 6-8, 200 pounds. Looks to be another one of those diamonds in the rough that Tinkle always seems to pull out of nowhere.

    Reply
      • 3
        1

        That just needs to be assumed at this point. Tinkle’s goal is to build a team that can win in Year 1, understanding there will be no Year 2.

        If you think about it, he’s actually the perfect guy for this role because he’s always had to rebuild every year anyway!

        Reply
  241. 3
    1

    How ’bout the infield Mitch sent out yesterday? I think Pat would be happy with the combo of Singer, Arquette, Santana, and Krieg.
    Said it long ago, as have others, Caraway might contribute best in the DH rotation.

    Reply
    • 1
      1

      The obvious item to note is though the Beavs are ranked -#3 and have a top ten RPI, they project as a 9th seed regional and have 6 SEC teams ahead of them as top 8 seeds. This is what has happened most years to west coast teams and the OSU pedigree doesn’t garner a top 8 seed ahead of SEC teams.
      It is just a guess by this writer, but the psychology and arguments are being propagated ahead of time in order to create an acceptance of the narrative that 6 SEC programs deserve to host regionals and super regionals if they win. It is an uphill battle and the Beavs had to be head and shoulders above those SEC teams in order to get a super regional. But they won’t get it.

      Reply
      • 1

        “Just win!” I have my doubts given the pitching, but 3-1 against both Oregon and Hawaii and no bad losses and RPI should be in the top 8 and lock a national seed. I do believe the margin for error for a national seed is razor thin, but an achievable.

        Beavs have never made Omaha without hosting the super. Even in 2007 we host against Michigan because they started a stadium remodel prior to the start of super regionals.

        Reply
  243. 2

    The Akron Beacon Journal has an article on Bazzana playing in Akron. They’re making noise like he won’t be there long. And some of the names they drop for comparison are eye-popping.

    Reply
  244. 1
    2

    According to Canzano, he expects the Pac12 will announce their 2025 media partner by early tomorrow morning.
    Part of the timing is because they cannot finalize it till one opponent finalizes an agreement to play a Friday game next year instead of Saturday. Basically a formality at this point.
    The other factor in the timing is they dont want to have the NFL draft steal the news headlines.
    My guess is they’ll announce it late tonight rather than early in the morning. I guess we’ll see soon enough.

    Reply
    • 1
      2

      UNLV would be a great add bc it’s a good TV market, solid recruiting and its football program appears to be on the upswing. I still like Texas State for obvious reasons so hopefully we see this come to an end very soon. However, the mediation between the MWC and the PAC is supposedly the X factor in whether UNLV is added.

      Reply
      • 2

        Newsflash: All our games are on in the Vegas market, regardless. Everyone’s games are on. It is not a new market for anyone, and adding UNLV might not even be noticed by the market itself.

        Reply
  246. 2

    How many years have we been waiting for Oregon State to be part of a “media deal?” Ugh, I remember right before the break-up, Canzano was expecting one any day!.

    Reply
    • 1
      1

      Wait… the news is all Dolphin Boy?

      Why do people do this to themselves… then pretend it’s the Pac 12’s fault that some hack continues to lie to them?

      Reply
      • 2

        He is named CLownzana for a reason. That guy is a full blown charlatan and a hypocrite. He has been pretending to be relevant for a long time. He’s always been a hack and is basically a radio troll, and now a youtube troll as well.
        CLownzana and WIlner are both trying to salvage incomes out of predictions and PAC12 future but they don’t know anything more than the rest of us do. Both desparate to stay relevant to the current news cycle but lack new information.

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        • 4
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          There’s a reason you never see Wilner’s name floated with these dumb rumors.

          He still has a job which relies on him being factual.

          Reply
  247. 5
    1

    I don’t think too many beaver fans will ever forget how DolphinBoyII and Brenda the opportunist Tracey worked to kill the beavers chances in the 2017 CWS for what might be the greatest beaver team never to win a CWS. Those two literally killed Luke’s career and the Beavs shot.

    I also remember Greg Street behind homeplate and his obvious bias against the Beavs with some of the most horrific balls and strikes ever called in a baseball game.

    That team was something like 54-4:and on the verge but those Douche bags did their best to kill it for the Beavs.

    Canzano and Tracey were the biggest douche bags of all with their appearance of holier than though morality and we found out that was just a facade.

    Still to this day Canzano’s excuse that he wasn’t aware the DolphinII was a sponsor of his radio show was unbelievably transparent especially when I had heard him promote their business on a previous radio show.

    What could have and should have been.

    Reply
    • 2

      All true and I’ll go back further:
      He stirred up a struggling Huskies team by calling them soft all week before the Beavs went to Seattle and Markus Wheaton nearly ended up paralyzed by a vicious and dangerous hit. We all knew it was the Husky “statement” response to Canzano and not a true football play.

      Reply

    • I don’t agree with ignoring the blame Casey should take. He failed to challenge a play that likely leads to them not needing the game the ump botched.

      That shouldn’t be ignored.

      Reply

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