Oregon State stays strong in the College World Series

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BY THE NUMBERS

W23 - For the second time this season, Oregon State holds a 23-game winning streak. On April 9th, the Beavs beat Utah for their 23rd consecutive win. They were and are just one win shy of the Pac-12 record of 24 games.

8 - Eight Pac-12 baseball players appear on the 2017 NCBWA Division I All-America Teams, including four on the first team, three on the second, and one on the third.

41 - Oregon State leads the nation in ERA (1.84) and has the lowest team ERA in the NCAA in the last 41 years with the last being UConn in 1976, 1.71 ERA.

4 - Oregon State is one of four teams to be in contention for the College World Series Final, joining LSU, Florida, and the fourth will be determined after Louisville and TCU play on Thursday.

1 - Oregon State’s Pat Casey was selected the 2017 NCBWA National Coach of the Year after leading Oregon State to one of the most dominating seasons in college baseball history, including a trip to the 2017 College World Series.

NOTES

WEEKLY RECAP: Oregon State is 2-0 in the College World Series going into its game on Friday. The Beavs came back from a 5-1 deficit to beat Cal State Fullerton 6-1 in their first game of the CWS. OSU next bested LSU 13-1.

PREVIEWING THE WEEK: Oregon State and LSU meet for the second time in the College World Series on Friday to determine who plays in the College World Series Final. The Beavs beat the Tigers 13-1 on Monday, June 19th. 

NUMBERS GAME: Arizona is 10th in doubles (133) and ninth in doubles per game (2.25). No. 1 Oregon State is first in ERA (1.84), hits allowed per nine innings (6.22), shutouts (14), WHIP (.97), and WL percent (.933). OSU is also fifth in sacrifice flies (37), fourth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.21), and fifth in walks allowed per nine innings (2.53). Washington is third in fielding percentage (.982). UCLA is 11th in sacrifice bunts (56). Oregon is second in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.25).

INDIVIDUAL STATS LEADERS: UCLA’s Griffin Canning is ninth in complete games (4). Oregon State’s Jake Thompson is second in games started (18). Arizona’s JJ Matijevic is first in doubles (30) and doubles per game (0.51). Matijevic is also tenth in hits (92). Oregon State’s Luke Heimlich is first in ERA (0.76) and fifth in hits allowed per nine innings (5.32). UCLA’s Nick Scheidler and Scott Burke are fifth (36) and tenth (35), respectively, in pitching appearances. Stanford’s Colton Hock is third in saves (16) and Oregon’s Kenyon Yovan is sixth (15). Oregon’s David Peterson is fourth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (9.33) and sixth in strikeouts per nine innings (12.56). UCLA’s Canning and Oregon’s Peterson are tied for sixth in strikeouts (140). Arizona State’s Gage Canning is second in triples (8) and fifth in triples per game (0.15). Oregon State’s Jake Thompson is first in victories (14). Oregon State’s Luke Heimlich is tied for fifth with Oregon’s Peterson in victories (11). OSU’s Heimlich is first in WHIP (0.78).

NCAA TOURNAMENT: Four Pac-12 baseball teams earned berths to the 2017 NCAA Tournament. Oregon State entered the tournament as the No. 1 team in the nation and was joined by Arizona, Stanford, and UCLA.

PAC-12 CHAMPIONS: Oregon State clinched the Pac-12 Championship after the second game of their three game series against Oregon, which ended with the Beavs winning 3-0. The win was also head coach Pat Casey’s 1,000th career win. This marks OSU’s third title in five years and their first since 2014.

COLLEGE BASEBALL FOUNDATION FINALISTS: Oregon State’s Luke Heimlich is the final remaining Pac-12 student-athlete on the College Baseball Foundation Finalist list. The junior appears on the National Pitcher of the Year Finalist list and has helped the Beavs maintain a No. 1 ranking for the majority of the season.

Six Pac-12 baseball players appeared on the Brooks Wallace Award and National Pitcher of the Year semifinalist lists. 

STOPPER OF THE YEAR: Two of five finalists for the NCBWA Stopper of the Year award are Pac-12 student-athlete: Stanford’s Colton Hock and Oregon’s Kenyon Yovan.

The Pac-12 had four student-athletes from four different universities on the NCBWA Midseason Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List, the second most among all conferences.

ALL AMERICANS: Nine Pac-12 student-athletes appear on the Collegiate Baseball NCAA D1 All-American team. Nine Pac-12 freshman appear on the Collegiate Baseball 2017 Freshman All-American list. Three student-athletes appear on the NCBWA 2017 Freshman All-America first team.

The Pac-12 had eight different student-athletes from four different Pac-12 teams featured on Baseball America, NCBWA, and Collegiate Baseball preseason All-America teams.

GOLDEN SPIKES: The USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Semifinalist List features five Pac-12 student-athletes, two from Oregon State, and one from UCLA, Arizona, and Oregon: Oregon State’s junior pitcher Luke Heimlich and sophomore infielder Nick Madrigal, UCLA’s junior pitcher Griffin Canning, Arizona’s junior infielder J.J. Matijevic, and Oregon’s junior pitcher David Peterson.

The USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List features 50 amateurs, seven of which are student-athletes from four different Pac-12 teams. With seven, the Pac-12 has the third-most representatives among all conferences.