Oregon State Beavers Baseball Preview: Outfield

With the Oregon State baseball team set to open its 2020 season in Surprise Ariz. on February 14th against New Mexico, BeaversEdge.com Managing Editor Brenden Slaughter starts the first article of a series where we take a look at Beavers' 2020 roster in terms of the outfield, infield, and pitching staff.

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Lettermen Lost

Tyler Malone

-> After spending three seasons in Corvallis, Malone declared for the MLB Draft and was selected in the 27th round by the San Diego Padres. After becoming an Oregon State legend for his heroic efforts in Omaha as a sophomore in 2018, Malone's junior season was perhaps the low-water mark in his Oregon State career as his average dipped significantly (.278 - > .218) without having big bats around him.

Elliot Willy

-> After spending the past three seasons in Corvallis, Wily isn't on the Oregon State roster in 2020. He saw most of his action during the 2019 season as a redshirt-sophomore when he appeared in 17 games (five starts) and batted .174 with two doubles and four home runs.

The Returners

Joe Casey (L-L): 6-foot, 190 pounds, Rs-Jr

-> The son of the Oregon State great figures to be one of the Beavers' leaders on and off the field in 2020. We caught up with Casey not long ago to preview the season and I couldn't have been more impressed with his leadership and maturity. He'll be looking to build off a solid 2019 campaign where he played in 43 games (33 starts) and tallied a.254 batting average with eight doubles, one triple, three home runs, and 13 RBI. Look for the younger 'Case to have a big season...

Preston Jones (R-R): 5-foot-11, 199 pounds, Sr

-> Back for his final season, the Vancouver, WA. native figures to be the Beavers' starting center-fielder. Arguably the fastest player on the roster, Jones has the ability to cover a lot of ground quickly and has a reliable glove. He'll be looking to return to 2018 offensive form (.288) compared to 2019 (.228), but he boasted Pac-12 Defensive Honors in 19, so expect him to give steady offensive and defensive production this season.

Kyler McMahan (R-R): 5-foot-10, 176 pounds, Jr.

-> A Pac-12 Honorable Mention in 2019, McMahan will be looked to for consistent offensive and defensive production in 2020. He appeared in 52 games in 2019, earning 42 starts, and held a batting average of .245 with 10 doubles, one triple, one home run, and 15 RBI. If McMahan can up his consistency behind the plate and become a dangerous top of the lineup hitter with speed, there's a good chance he'll have a strong season.

Greg Fuchs (L-R) 6-foot, 203 pounds, So

-> Fuchs saw action in 20 games as a freshman and sported a .167 average with one double and four RBI. He could be in line for an increased workload as the Beavers will be looking to see which lineups fit early in the season in Surprise.

Note: Kyle Dernedde, Zach Clayton, and Alex McGarry will be on the (IF) article.

Newcomers

Jacob Melton: (L-L) 6-foot-3, 191 pound So.

-> Melton comes to Corvallis after spending a season at nearby Linn-Benton CC under former Oregon State great Andy Peterson. He tallied a.365 average with 14 doubles, seven triples, three home runs, and 39 RBI's and could be poised to seize a starting spot in the Beavers' outfield. Lineups will be extremely fluid in the early going with a lot of games in short amounts of time, but Melton's potential is intriguing as he boasts a big bat and very good speed (16 stolen bases).

J.D. McLaughlin (R-R): 6-foot-3, 194 pounds - Chandler, AZ

-> Mclaughlin comes into Corvallis as the No. 14 prospect in Arizona per Prep Baseball Report and the 3rd ranked outfielder. He batted .386 as a senior, collecting seven doubles, one triple, four home runs, and 36 RBI. McLaughlin's prep resume is quite impressive and I expect him to get an opportunity to play early in the season.

Micah McDowell (L/R): 6-foot-1, 187 pounds - Nova Scotia

-> In McDowell, Canham and Co. are bringing in one of the top Canadian Players as the Nova Scotia native is chock-full of impressive accolades. He's ranked as the No. 3 prospect in Alberta by Prep Baseball Report and was listed as the top outfielder. Look for him to be in the mix early as he boasts impressive experience for a freshman.

Wyatt Young (R): 5-foot-10, 202 pounds - Houston, TX

-> The versatile Young played a little bit of everywhere in high school as he saw action in the outfield, first, third and on the mound, but figures to be an outfielder in Corvallis. He was rated among the top 40 outfielders in the state of Texas. As a senior, he helped Kinkaid to a conference championship as he hit .372 with 12 doubles, nine home runs, 39 RBI and 13 stolen bases. Additionally, he tallied a .798 slugging percentage and 1.294 OPS. With Young boasting a big bat and having the ability to cover ground quickly, look for him to see the field early.