CORVALLIS — Plenty has changed for the Oregon State baseball program since it last took the field seven months ago.
Superstar second baseman Travis Bazzana — the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft — is gone. So, too, is a plethora of other big-time contributors who were selected in last summer’s draft. That includes frontline starting pitchers Aiden May and Jacob Kmatz, as well as All-American closer Bridger Holmes.
For a program that is one of college baseball’s blue bloods, though, the expectation hasn’t changed.
“It’s the same as every year: Omaha or bust,” junior outfielder Gavin Turley said.
The Beavers are set to open up preseason practices Friday as they ramp up for their Feb. 14 season-opener against Xavier at the College Baseball Classic in Surprise, Arizona. That will kick off a 21-day, 11-game road stint to kick off the year before OSU makes its home debut March 7 against San Diego.
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Following the collapse of the Pac-12 Conference, Oregon State will embark on a 56-game independent schedule this season that features just 20 games at Goss Stadium. Beavers coach Mitch Canham admits it was difficult to get opposing programs to schedule mid-season matchups in Corvallis, but he sees the long list of road trips as a positive.
“We all love playing at Goss, because it’s the greatest environment in college baseball. But if we’ve gotta play on the road — have less home games during the regular season so that we get more opportunities to play more home games in the postseason — so be it,” Canham said. “Going on the road will help RPI. It’s not easy to create a schedule when during everyone’s bye weekends, they want to play at home. … But that was a big focus for us: find the best competition available for our guys. If we have to travel, then we have to travel.
“That’s something that is a great opportunity for us to work on. Our road record was not as good as home (last season). That’s something we’ve identified, and now we have an opportunity to work on that and fix it.”
What areas will Oregon State look to strengthen during the preseason?
The Beavers won’t waste any time when they kick off practice on Friday; they’re diving straight into live head-to-head scenarios.
“Our (pitchers) have been building up; we’ve faced hitters already, just without defense behind them,” Canham said. “We might not even have guys finishing innings, it’s more getting to the 15-20 (pitch) range and getting those guys to sit down, get back up, build up their arms and get a hitter in the box with a defense behind them. Guys getting out of the box and rounding the bags is going to be important, too.”
From a long-term standpoint, Canham and OSU’s staff are looking for improved defensive performance. Last year’s squad was stung by uncharacteristically sloppy fielding errors during crucial portions of the season.
That was partially due to a spat of injuries that forced several players out of their regular positions.
“It’s good in the sense that if we’re not the best (defense) in the country, we’re always gonna criticize it a little bit,” Canham said. “I still thought our defense did a phenomenal job. Sometimes it’s about having the right guys in there at the right time.”
Oregon State’s revamped lineup features plenty of firepower
Despite losing everyday starters Bazzana, Elijah Hainline, Micah McDowell, Brady Kasper and Mason Guerra, those within the program believe this year’s OSU lineup has a chance to be even more effective than last year’s.
All-conference sluggers Turley and Dallas Macias both made the cut for MLB.com’s latest top-100 ranking of 2025 draft prospects after delivering tremendous sophomore campaigns. Also back is sophomore phenom Trent Caraway, a projected first-round pick who tore the cover off the ball last February and March before suffering a hand injury that derailed the rest of his season.
“I learned a lot from (the injury),” Caraway said. “Just being able to take care of my body. It’s also given me an edge; a chip on my shoulder. I want to get out there with this year’s group of guys and just play, have fun and win.”
As if their trio of returning sluggers weren’t enough, the Beavers added the top player in the transfer portal: former Washington shortstop Aiva Arquette. Tabbed by MLB.com as the No. 7 overall player in the 2025 draft class, Arquette slashed .325/.384/.574 and smashed 14 doubles, 12 home runs and 36 RBIs for the Huskies in 2024.
“Just how calm he is — he’s a pretty even-keeled dude,” Caraway said of what has impressed him about Arquette. “He could be a top-10 pick or a 20th-round pick, but you wouldn’t know it. He just comes out every day and gets after it. Super nice to talk to, nice dude, works hard. … He’s going to be great for us this year.”
Who turned heads for the Beavers during fall ball?
At times last season, junior first baseman Jacob Krieg flashed as much raw power as any player in Oregon State’s lineup.
A massive 6-foot-5, 241-pound slugger who tallied nine homers and 10 doubles in 47 games while splitting time at first base with Guerra, Krieg could be poised to break out this spring.
“He’s opened up his joy for the game, his joy for the day-to-day and it’s transformed his at-bats, his defensive work, you name it,” Canham said. “He’s one guy who I anticipate really showing out for a lot of people this year.”
Canham also praised the progress that Macias made during the offseason and fall ball.
“When it comes to draft day, I think he’s gonna make tremendous jumps,” Canham said of Macias. “This is a guy that we’ve all known, but it seems like no one else has really given him as much attention.”
Turley had a more tongue-in-cheek appraisal of Macias’ offseason strides.
“Dallas is my roommate; love the kid to death, he finally started taking out the trash this year,” Turley said with a smile. “But no, that kid is a workaholic. He’s non-stop (in the hitting facility). Takes an obscene amount of swings and his body holds up. He’s always making little adjustments. It’s no surprise to me; I saw him on that MLB top-100 list and I’m like, ‘Yeah, of course he’s gonna be there.’ I expect him to continue making jumps throughout the season as well.”
Senior catcher Wilson Weber was a breakout star for the Beavers at catcher last year and, by all accounts, significantly upped his game in the offseason.
He’ll get the lion’s share of the work behind the dish for OSU this season, but Canham also spoke glowingly of the team’s reserve catchers.
Bryce Hubbard, a transfer from Northwest Florida State College, will vie for playing time. So will Oregon State’s trio of freshmen: Martin Serrano, Ryan VandenBrink and Kailand Halstead.
Canham compared Martin Serrano to former Beavers’ star Trevor Larnach, who is now an everyday outfielder for the Minnesota Twins. Kailand Halstead has impressed defensively; particularly with his ability to fire quick, accurate throws from a variety of arm slots.
VandenBrink, who starred at West Linn High School, has also drawn favorable comparisons.
“One of the strongest, if not the strongest freshman to ever come through (Oregon State),” Canham said. “We all thought Weber was strong, and he is. But VandenBrink moves some serious weight. He’s clean with the glove, clean with the throws and a big bat.”
Jarrid Denney covers high school sports and Oregon State for the Statesman Journal. He can be reached at JDenney@salem.gannett.com or on X@jarrid_denney
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