Two Oregon State Beavers are in contention for one of college baseball’s most prestigious individual awards.
Outfielder Gavin Turley and shortstop Aiva Arquette have been named semifinalists for the Dick Howser Trophy, awarded annually to the best player in college baseball.
The standout sluggers are part of a 67-player group, unveiled Thursday by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, that hails from 39 different colleges. Oregon State is one of 10 schools that boast multiple semifinalists.
Arquette and Turley, who are nearing the end of All-America-caliber seasons, boast remarkably similar statistics heading into the final series of the regular season.
Arquette leads the Beavers in batting average (.344), home runs (17), RBIs (59), runs scored (57), hits (66) and slugging percentage (.677), while ranking second in doubles (11) and stolen bases (six). He’s also walked 37 times.
In addition to the Dick Howser Trophy, the 6-foot-5 junior shortstop from Kailua, Hawai’i, also landed on midseason watch lists for the Golden Spikes Award and the Brooks Wallace Award.
Turley, meanwhile, ranks second on the team in batting average (.340), home runs (15), RBIs (56), hits (65) and walks (41), third in runs scored (45) and first in doubles (12).
The 6-1 junior outfielder became the Beavers’ Home Run King in April and enters the final weekend of the regular season with a school-record 48 homers in his career. He also has 176 career RBIs — three shy of tying Michael Conforto’s all-time OSU record (179).
The Beavers have produced Dick Howser Trophy semifinalists three times in the last four years. Second baseman Travis Bazzana and closer Bridger Holmes landed on the list last season, while left-hander Cooper Hjerpe and outfielder Jacob Melton did so in 2022. Bazzana and Hjerpe went on to become finalists.
One Oregon State player — catcher Adley Rutschman in 2019 — has won the award, which has been handed out since 1987.
Finalists for the 2025 trophy will be announced on Thursday, June 7.
— Joe Freeman | jfreeman@oregonian.com | 503-294-5183 | @BlazerFreeman | @freemanjoe.bsky.social | Subscribe to The Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.
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