The No. 2 Oregon State baseball team stayed a perfect 4-0 last weekend in Surprise, and will look to do the same this weekend in a four game series with Nebraska. The Beavers are off to its fifth 4-0 start in the last seven seasons, including the last three straight. The Huskers (3-1) won their season opening series against UC Riverside, and put up at least seven runs in each game.
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Oregon State: Senior Bryce Fehmel was named Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week for the second time in his career. He allowed only one run on one hit, and a total of three baserunners in eight innings as the Beavs cruised to victory.
Nebraska: Sophomore Jaxon Hallmark was named Big-10 Player of the Week after going 8-for-18 at the plate. He also drove in 10 runs, scored five runs, and added two doubles and a stolen base.
Nebraska quick hitters: The Huskers outscored Riverside 33-9 over the final three innings of their four-game series… Nebraska’s recruiting class was ranked 16th by D1Baseball.com, and their roster includes 15 new players, 11 of whom are freshman.
What this means: Oregon State’s bullpen will have to continue their success from last weekend against a team that thrives in the late innings. Last weekend, seven relievers combined to allow nine hits, three runs (1.80 ERA) and six walks with 13 strikeouts.
Joey Mundt allowed two of those runs in the ninth inning of Fehmel’s gem, but the rest of the Beaver bullpen has been superb. Brandon Eisert has already racked up two wins in relief, and solid outings from Nathan Burns and Dylan Pearce contributed to an all-around solid pitching weekend.
Head to Head: OSU leads series 6-1, including two wins last season; all games have been at a neutral site.
Game 1: Thursday, February 19
First Pitch: 12:00 p.m. PT
Probable Starters: Kevin Abel (0-0, 7.20) vs. Kyle Perry (0-0, 0.00)
The Beavers will send their ace back to the mound to start the series after a rough outing the first game of the year. Abel should bounce back; I don’t expect another slow start.
Game 2: Friday, February 20
First Pitch: 12:00 p.m. PT
Probable Starters: Bryce Fehmel (1-0, 1.12) vs. Chad Luensmann (0-0, 0.00)
Fehmel pitched a gem in his last start, going eight strong allowing only one run. The senior right-hander will look to dominate again.
Game 3: Saturday, February 21
First Pitch: 4:00 p.m. PT
Probable Starters: Grant Gambrell (0-0, 0.00) vs. Nate Fisher (1-0, 0.00)
Gambrell went 3.1 innings in his start, giving up two hits and two walks. Gambrell looks to put together a quality start, unless pitching coach Nate Yeskie changes his rotation.
Game 4: Sunday, February 22
First Pitch: 8 a.m. PT
Probable Starters: Sam Tweedt (0-0, 1.93) vs. Colby Gomes (0-0, 0.00)
Tweedt went 4.2 innings, one-third short of being eligible for the win. He allowed six hits while striking out four during his first start of the year. Tweedt will have to put up a solid outing to put his name on the short list for the Sunday starter.
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Pleasant Surprises: Alex McGarry broke through last weekend, going 7-for-11, scoring three runs and driving in seven. McGarry’s key singles throughout the weekend kept OSU alive in several games, and included a walk-off game winner.
Kyler McMahan was 4-for-9 with two runs scored over the weekend. McMahan seemed comfortable in center field, and figures to find his way into the lineup regularly.
Preston Jones flexed his power this weekend with a nice home run to lead off the game Monday. Jones is a speedster and if the power remains on display, he could become a nightmare for opposing pitchers.
Malone's diving catch: Tyler Malone started in right field, and showed off his wheels as well as his bat. Malone went 5-for-10 with two doubles and three RBI, but his highlight of the weekend might be this.
Adley: You already know how good he is, but here’s more evidence.
