Oregon State Baseball: An Early Look Ahead At 2024

With the Oregon State baseball team officially turning the page and looking ahead to the 2024 campaign, BeaversEdge takes an in-depth look at the offseason for the Beavers, graduates, potential early departures, the incoming recruiting class, and much more!

Out Of Eligibility

RHP Trent Sellers

C/IF TJ Wheeler

RHP Ben Ferrer

-> Losing Friday night starter Sellers and his innings/strikeout production will be tough for the Beavers to overcome, but it's not a massive detriment to next season's success. Losing Ferrer out of the 'pen hurts the experience a bit, but the Beavers have some good arms coming up... Wheeler played sparingly this season...

MLB Draft Eligible / Decisions To Make

LIKELY Draftees

IF Kyle Dernedde (Jr.) > Transfer Portal

RHP AJ Lattery (Jr.)

RHP Ryan Brown (So.) - Drafted By Oakland

OF Micah McDowell (Jr.)

IF Garret Forrester (Jr.) -> Drafted by Pittsburgh

-> Of this grouping of likely draftees, only Forrester currently appears on the MLB Draft Top 200 prospects list, so there's an outside chance we could see a guy or two return for their senior seasons. Forrester seems like a near-lock to depart, but maybe the prospect of playing with his brother in 2024 has appeal... With Dernedde, Lattery, Brown, and McDowell, it's hard to say, and it will largely be dependent on where each guy is drafted and how much they value another year of school vs turning pro... That being said, I wouldn't be shocked to see at least one guy elect to return, but we'll see...

TBD

OF Brady Kasper (Jr.)

LHP Justin Thorsteinson (Jr.) -> Transfer Portal

RHP Rhett Larson (Jr.)

RHP Ian Lawson (Jr.)

RHP Jaren Hunter (Jr.)

RHP Braden Boisvert (Jr.) -> Transfer Portal

-> All of these players are also draft eligible, but I'm not so sure who gets picked out of this group. Kasper seems the most likely, but I could see the majority of this list returning next season. Would be surprised if Larson, Lawson, or Hunter departed...

We'll See

RHP Joey Mundt (Jr.)

RHP Brock Townsend (Sr.)

-> The status of these two players is interesting as Mundt hasn't pitched since 2021 due to injury and Townsend was suspended for the 2023 campaign for violating team and university rules. Whether either, both, or neither return for the 2024 campaign is very much in question...

Who's Back

OUTFIELD

Gavin Turley (Fr.) -> So.

Easton Talt (Fr.) -> So.

Canon Reeder (Fr.) -> So.

Dallas Macias (Fr.) -> So.

Ruben Cedillo (So.) -> Jr.

INFIELD

Mikey Kane (So.) -> Jr. -> Drafted by Chicago

C Tanner Smith (So.) -> Jr.

Mason Guerra (So.) -> Jr.

C Wilson Weber (So.) -> Jr.

Travis Bazzana (So.) -> Jr.

Jabin Trosky (So.) - Missed All of 2023 Due To Injury -> So.

Brandon Forrester (Fr.) -> RsFr.

Ely Kennel (Fr.) -> So. - Transfer Portal

Jacob Krieg (Fr.) -> So.

Tyree Reed (Fr.) - Missed All of 2023 Due To Injury -> > Transfer Portal

Tyce Peterson (Fr.) -> So.

PITCHERS

RHP Jacob Kmatz (So.) -> Jr.

RHP Victor Quinn (So.) -> Jr. -> Transfer Portal

RHP David Grewe (So.) -> Jr. -> Transfer Portal

RHP AJ Hutcheson (Fr.) -> So.

LHP Nelson Keljo (Fr.) -> So.

RHP Aiden Jimenez (Fr.) -> So.

LHP Tyler Mejija (Fr.) -> So.

RHP Logan Miller (Fr.) - Missed All of 2023 Due To Injury -> Fr.

RHP Isaac Hill (Fr.) - Class Of 2022, Wasn't On Roster in 2023 -> Fr.

RHP Gibson Marshall-Inman (Fr.) Class Of 2022, Wasn't On Roster in 2023 -> Fr.

Who's Coming In (2023 Recruiting Class)

FULL STORY (Includes Stats + Quotes From Mitch Canham)

Outfielders/Infielders

Zach Blair, OF, Camas, Wash. Outfielder - L/L - 5-11, 165

Carson McEntire, OF, Peoria, Ariz. - Outfielder - R/R - 6-1, 190

Reeve Boyd, INF, Seattle, Wash. Infielder - R/R - 6-1, 190

Dawson Santana, INF, Lake Oswego, Ore. - Outfielder - R/R - 6-1, 190

Trent Caraway, INF, Dana Point, Calif. - Infielder - R/R - 6-2, 200 (Could Sign in MLB Draft, No. 67 currently)

Evan Gustafson, C, Eau Claire, Wis. Catcher - L/R - 6-2, 200

Anthony Marnell IV, C, Las Vegas, Nev. - Catcher - S/R - 6-2, 190

Levi Jones, INF, Portland, Ore. - Infielder- L/R - 6-1, 175

Pitchers

Bryce Johnson, RHP, Sammamish, Wash. - RHP - R/R - 6-3, 215

Easton Corey, RHP, Pendleton, Ore. RHP - L/R - 6-6, 220

Dane Lais, RHP, Oregon City, Ore. - RHP - R/R - 6-4, 205

Eric Segura, RHP, Soledad, Calif. - Outfielder - R/R - 6-1, 190

Drew Talavs, RHP, West Linn, Ore. - Outfielder - R/R - 6-1, 190

Paul Wilson, LHP/INF, West Linn, Ore. - Outfielder - R/R - 6-1, 190 (Could Sign in MLB Draft, No. 51st currently)

Matthew Morrell, RHP/OF, Placentia, Calif. - Outfielder - R/R - 6-1, 190

Laif Palmer, RHP, Golden, Colo. - Outfielder - R/R - 6-1, 190

-> Mitch Canham and Co. are bringing in another solid recruiting class this offseason as Perfect Game has this 2023 class as the 19th-best in the country... The biggest key here will be the statuses of Trent Caraway and Paul Wilson... Both are likely to be drafted high in the MLB Draft (see links above), but if one or either pulls a surprise and goes to Corvallis that could be very significant...

What The Lineup & Pitching Rotation Could Look Like

EARLY LOOK AT A POTENTIAL LINEUP

DH - Mason Guerra, Tyce Peterson, or Dallas Macias

LF - Gavin Turley

CF - Dallas Macias, Canon Reeder, Ruben Cedillo, or Easton Talt

RF - Brady Kasper

C - Tanner Smith or Wilson Weber

1B - Jacob Krieg or Mason Guerra

2B - Travis Bazzana

3B - Mikey Kane or Jabin Trosky

SS - Jabin Trosky or Mikey Kane

-> A lot of either or's in this rough draft of a starting lineup, but this is roughly what I expect it to look like... there's potential for decent change depending on if some likely draftees choose to return, but as of now, here's what I'm thinking it'll be close to next season...

Starting Pitching Rotation

Friday - Jaren Hunter or Jacob Kmatz

Saturday - Nelson Keljo

Sunday - Hunter or Kmatz

Midweek - AJ Lattery (if he returns)

Bullpen: AJ Hutcheson, Aiden Jimenez, Tyler Mejija, TBD

-> Next year's starting rotation will be interesting, but given that Kmatz is due back and should be healthy, and the likelihood that Hunter will also return due to the injury this season, the crux of the starting lineup looks solid. Additionally, I expect Nelson Keljo to be a breakout player next season... Canham has mentioned his potential to be a starter and given the Beavers' lack of left-handed depth, putting him as a starter could be an ideal situation...