10 Takeaways from Oregon State's series win vs UCLA
It was an up and down weekend for the Oregon State Baseball team, getting the usual top-notch pitching performances on Friday and Sunday but were blown out on Saturday. A curious weekend to say the least, but nevertheless, the Beavers managed to take two out of three games from the Bruins, giving them their ninth straight Pac-12 series win dating back to last season. Let’s dive into the top 10 takeaways from the weekend in Westwood.
Related
Oregon State Spring Analysis: Defensive Line | Safeties | Outside Linebackers | Cornerbacks
DON'T MISS: BeaversEdge Q&A with Gary Andersen - Part I | Part II
1-on-1 interviews with Oregon State's Coordinators: Kevin McGiven | Kevin Clune
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1. OSU's offense is inconsistent
On Friday night, it took extra inning magic to push the Beavers to four runs. On Saturday, they struggled all night to muster just one run. And on Sunday, the Beavers needed eighth and ninth inning heroics to get two on the board. However, the counterargument is that the Beavers are “clutch” and they are getting timely hitting at the right time. In addition, UCLA has a really good pitching staff and was tied for second place in the Pac-12 heading into the weekend. I’ll give OSU a pass this week because of the opponent, but the Beavers need their bats to heat up in the second half of the season.
2. Drew Rasmussen?
It was reported by D1Baseball that the Beavers' ace would be making a return to the mound this weekend. However, based on the layout of the games, he didn’t pitch. Personally, I thought Saturday’s game would have been a great time for Rasmussen to pitch and work off some of his rust. The game was out of hand early, and the opportunity for him to pitch seemed golden.
3. The return of Luke Heimlich
After a so-so performance against Washington last weekend that resulted in a loss, the Beavers' ace was sharp against the Bruins. He pitched 7 1/3 innings with 10 strikeouts against two hits and three walks. This was vintage Luke Heimlich and for Beaver fans, it’s good news to see him respond after not being himself up in Seattle.
4. Hello, Beaver State
Once OSU’s plane crosses into the state of Oregon, they will not have to leave the state again this season until the College World Series should they make it that far. Given OSU’s standing, they are almost locked to be a national seed, guaranteeing them the regionals and super regionals in Goss Stadium should they make it that far. The only road trips the Beavers have left is to Keizer to take on the Portland Pilots, and Eugene to take on the Ducks. Now the Beavers just need some good weather (not holding my breath) to get fans to Goss Stadium.
5. Home stretch
With the season entering its second half, the Beavers will play four more Pac-12 series (USC, CAL, @ Oregon, Washington State) before ending the season with a four game series against non-conference foe Abilene Christian. With that being said, the Beavers will see only one team with an overall record above .500 (Oregon). Two of the teams left on OSU’s schedule (Washington State and Abilene Christian) are the worst teams in the Pac-12 and Southland Conference respectively. The biggest concern is that these upcoming opponents could hurt OSU’s No. 1 RPI.
6. Ducks coming to Corvallis
The Beavers certainly don’t have much time to rest on their laurels as rival Oregon is coming to Corvallis on Tuesday for a non-conference showdown. The Ducks come into Goss Stadium with a losing record in Pac-12 play, largely due to their inconsistent play. George Horton’s squad can play with anyone one day, but the next they get blown out. Being consistent in the Pac-12 is no easy task and the Ducks will be looking to get back on track against the Beavers. The question is, will the Beavers perhaps give Drew Rasmussen the ball on Tuesday?
7. Locking down the Pac
After taking two out of the three games from the Bruins, the Beavers have now extended their Pac-12 lead to five games. The lead is essentially six given that the Beavers hold the tiebreaker against the Bruins who still sit in second place with seven losses. It’s safe to say that the Beavers have been the class of the Pac-12 this season. They are running away with what usually is one of the deepest conferences in the country. Given their five game lead on the next best team, the Beavers could be in a position to run away with the conference title in the next coming weeks. This elite team is taking advantage of a “down” year by Pac-12 standards.
8. The rich get richer
I mentioned earlier that the Beavers now have Drew Rasmussen available and for a staff that already has four pitchers that have been in the top five in the country in ERA, this is like finding a million bucks on the ground. Jake Thompson, Luke Heimlich, and Jake Mulholland all have an ERA less than 1.06 and now the Beavers will get a guy back who has a perfect game on his resumé. Not too shabby. If OSU can find a way to get Rasmussen primed for the stretch run, he could offer OSU a fresh arm that is one of the best in the country.
9. Nick Madrigal and Steven Kwan
This duo is starting to turn some heads. They have been 1 and 2 in the lineup for Pat Casey for the last five games and have given OSU power and speed at the top of the order. Both of these guys are tremendous at making contact, bunting, and plate discipline. Madrigal has an on base percentage of .441 while Kwan is .360. These guys get on a lot and set the stage well for hitters like KJ Harrison, Jack Anderson, Michael Gretler, or Cadyn Grenier.
10. Beavers will stay No. 1 in the polls
Despite a puzzling 7-1 loss to the Bruins on Saturday, the Beavers will most likely hold their No. 1 spot in the rankings. UCLA was in the mid 50’s or 60’s in RPI and shouldn’t hurt OSU’s RPI too much. Based on the rest of the nation, I would guess that the Beavers stay No. 1 in every poll and continue to be projected as the top overall seed in the postseason projections.
Bonus Prediction
The Beavers will go 4-0 this weekend, defeating Oregon on Tuesday while sweeping the visiting USC Trojans.
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Oregon State Spring Analysis: Defensive Line | Safeties | Outside Linebackers | Cornerbacks
DON'T MISS: BeaversEdge Q&A with Gary Andersen - Part I | Part II
1-on-1 interviews with Oregon State's Coordinators: Kevin McGiven | Kevin Clune