It is fairly obvious where they got the hats.
I’m no polling expert, but I’d bet that any kid you saw wearing an Oregon State baseball cap at Rosenblatt the past few summers bought it (or had his or her mom or dad buy it) on the heels of either one of the Beavers’ national championship runs at the 2006 and 2007 College World Series.
For a few weeks during those two years, Omaha baseball fans became enamored by Pat Casey’s scrappy, tough-as-nails OSU teams. But depending on how the games go on Friday, the first day of the Corvallis Regional they play host to, the Beavers may match up against Omaha’s baseball team, the Creighton Bluejays.
To learn more about this year’s version of the Oregon State Beavers, we turned to beat writer Cliff Kirkpatrick, who covers OSU for the Corvallis Gazette-Times.
White & Blue Review: The casual college baseball fan in Omaha feels like they know a little bit about Oregon State, thanks to the Beavers’ back-to-back national championship years in 2006 and 2007. What’s the program been like since Pat Casey won those two titles?
Cliff Kirkpatrick: The Beavers missed the playoffs the year after, and made it to a regional the last two years. They brought in highly touted recruits, but they didn’t mesh well with the team concept Casey demands. This year’s group has no superstars, but finds ways to win. Overall, the program follows the same approach of pitching, defense, and small ball before and after the national titles.
WBR: The Beavers haven’t hosted a regional since 2006, the first of those two championship years. How big of an advantage is it for OSU playing at Goss Stadium? How is support for the program?
CK: The Beavers always play well at home, and it’s beyond being comfortable in a stadium. During conference play Goss Stadium is always near full with at least 3,000 loud, supportive fans. And then there’s the weather. You have to be ready to play in cold, wet weather. Rain delays are common. Southern teams are disadvantaged when the weather hits.
WBR: To what do the players and coaches attribute the five-game losing streak, and losing six of their last seven? Where have the Beavers been vulnerable during that stretch?
CK: A lack of focus hit the team, and playing tight. The players knew they were in the postseason so that edge was taken away. Then they realized they were playing for a national seed and Pac-10 title. They pressed too hard and started making mental and physical errors. And the hitting stopped.
WBR: What changed between the Beavers getting blown out 18-0 at Arizona on a Friday night, and OSU winning 14 out of the 15 games, including sweeps against ASU and Stanford?
CK: Nothing changed overnight, but it was a wake-up call. They players decided to focus on the details to win games, and they started to win. Then a confidence grew. They knew they could compete and beat anyone if they play the game correctly.
WBR: What make bullpen guys Matt Boyd and Tony Bryant so tough for batters to solve?
CK: Both are hard throwing. Boyd, the left-hander, is accurate and gets people to swing at his pitch. Bryant, a right-hander, challenges batters and has a mean change-up. They are a good one-two combo in late innings.
WBR: When Oregon State’s offense is firing on all cylinders, who is making it go? Who is the key cog?
CK: The Beavers are not a power-hitting team. They get key hits from everywhere in the lineup. Designated hitter Kavin Keyes has hit well during Pac-10 play. Catcher Andrew Susac started the season on fire, but missed a month with a hand injury. He’s still getting back to speed. Center fielder Brian Stamps is a base-stealing threat, and has started to get on base more.
WBR: Finish this sentence: Oregon State will advance out of the Corvallis regional if…
CK: … they pitch and play defense.
WBR: And this: The Beavers won’t make it past the regional round because…
CK: … they try too hard.