Oregon State Baseball Preview: Pitching

Ahead of Oregon State’s season opener this week, we conclude our team preview with the pitching staff. Oregon State returns 11 pitchers, and have four incoming freshmen arms.

Interim Head Coach Pat Bailey has already said how excited he is to get to work with such a deep pitching staff, and pitching coach Nate Yeskie is one of the best in the nation at developing young pitchers.

RELATED: Oregon State Baseball Preview: Infield | Outfield

Oregon State Beavers Baseball: Opening Series Preview

Luke Heimlich: While losing one of the more controversial names in college baseball, the Beavers also lose one of their key starting pitchers from last season. Heimlich posted a 2.92 ERA to go along with a 16-3 record. He also struck out a team-high 159 batters, over 50 more than the next closest, Kevin Abel (108). Heimlich’s void leaves the Friday starting role up for grabs; that competition should heat up prior to conference play.

Kevin Abel: After one of the most legendary pitching performances in recent CWS memory, the Beavers return the sophomore righty. Abel posted a 2.88 ERA, while striking out 108 batters and tallying eight wins. He will look to build upon his impressive freshman season. Abel will be one of the best Saturday starters in the country, and his pitch command combined with strong velocity will be dangerous for opposing hitters.

Bryce Fehmel: The senior captain is one of many veterans on this staff. Fehmel posted a strong 10-1 record last year along with a 3.19 ERA. He and Heimlich were the only pitchers to start 20 games, and Fehmel had one complete-game shutout.

Fehmel has struggled giving up the long ball, as he allowed 11 home runs last season. However, he still was second on the team in innings pitch. I anticipate Fehmel taking on a heavy workload, as long as he is able to keep the ball in the park.

Jake Mulholland: Recently name to the Stopper of the Year Award Watchlist, Mulholland has been a force in the bullpen since his freshman season. Mulholland posted 16 saves last year, while holding opponents to a .194 opposing batting average. His ERA of 2.20 was lowest on the team, and he also struck out 42 hitters in his 45 innings pitched.

Mulholland, a third-team All-American last year, will look to post numbers similar to his freshman campaign again. His dominance in the bullpen does not signal a move to a starter, but he does have starting pitcher-caliber stamina.

Brandon Eisert: Eisert went 5-3 in 2018, compiling a 2.53 ERA in his 27 relief appearances. He also struck out 52 hitters in 57 innings and posted five saves. Eisert doesn’t have a high velocity, but his pitching motion has a low release point that is hidden to hitters, giving them less time to hit the ball. This has helped Eisert become very effective in long relief situations, as he has the stamina to go several innings in one outing. Eisert has been a great arm out of the bullpen for Yeskie, as he was also named to the Stopper of the Year Award Watchlist.

Christian Chamberlain: Another strong lefty arm who appeared out of the bullpen last season, Chamberlain seems like another strong candidate to make the jump to the starting rotation. He posted a 3-0 record in 20 appearances last season, starting three games and totaling 49 strikeouts. His 3.54 ERA will likely drop with another year under his belt.

Chamberlain is a proven strikeout pitcher, as proven with his 11 strikeout performance in a CWS relief appearance. He worked a stellar 4.2 innings in relief of Heimlich, allowing only two hits and no runs in the eventual loss. Look for Chamberlain to make a big jump in year two.

Grant Gambrell: The hard-throwing 6-foot-4 righty was expected to make a big jump last season, but never seemed to put it all quite together. He went 5-1 in 14 games, starting 12 and appearing in two from the bullpen. However, his 4.40 ERA is lackluster, considering he struck out 57 batters in 57 1/3 innings. Gambrell has the pieces to be a dominant starter, but he hasn’t tapped into his full potential yet.

Dylan Pearce: Pearce quietly posted solid numbers in relief last year with a 3.49 ERA in 25 appearances. He struck out 27 batters and added two saves as well. Pearce is a senior after transferring from Southwestern Oregon Community College where he started for two seasons. Pearce has the starter experience, and expect him to receive several starts, and potentially be in the fold for the Sunday job.

Jordan Britton: The lefty senior posted a 2-0 record with a 3.18 ERA last season in five relief appearances and three starts. He struck out nine batters in 17 innings, and is a consistent midweek starter. Britton has experience from the bullpen, as well as a starter, and he figures to be used in both roles this season.

Sam Tweedt: The redshirt senior from Salem flashed signs of greatness in 2015 and 2017 (he did not play in 2016), but posted a 7.16 ERA in 16.1 innings last year. He started six games in 2015 and 2017 posing a sub-three ERA in both seasons. Tweedt will look to take the next step in his game as he's expected to be a starting pitcher for the Beavers this opening weekend.

Mitchell Verburg: Verburg is a third-year sophomore after redshirting last season. However, in 2017, he posted a .093 ERA in 9.2 innings, and saved two games. Verburg will be a solid right-handed option in a lefty-heavy bullpen.

Nathan Burns: Burns went 1-1 in 2018 with a 5.52 ERA in 10 appearances, with one start. He struck out 14 in 14.2 innings, and had several key relief appearances. Burns figures to take on a bigger role in 2019, continuing to add solid depth to the pitching staff.

Joey Mundt: Mundt is a 6-foot-4 freshman from the Bay Area. He went 2-2 his senior year, striking out 56 batters in 44 innings to compliment a 2.23 ERA. His brother, Johnny, is a tight end with the Los Angeles Rams, and playing division one sports runs in the family.

Jake Pfennigs: Pronounced ‘fen-igs’, Pfennigs and Mundt were two of the names Pat Bailey mentioned during his last press conference as freshman arms that stood out to him. Pfennigs stands at 6-foot-7 and was selected in the 35th round of the 2018 draft by San Diego, but did not sign. He posted a 1.91 ERA his senior season, with a spotless 3-0 record. Pfennigs also struck out 39 in 36.2 innings. He figures to see some work on the mound this year.

Bret Soulages: Soulages went 2-1 as a pitcher his senior year. His junior season, he racked up five wins in 52.2 innings, posting a 2.13 ERA. He also struck out 54 batters. Soulages has another strong arm in a very deep staff.

Andrew Walling: Walling is a left-handed pitcher, who also plays first base. The 6-foot-3 freshman from Longview was the second ranked player in the state of Washington, earning first-team all-league honors all three seasons at R.A. Long High School.