247 SPORTS: Ducks-Beavers baseball rivalry resumes after year-long hiatus (1 photo, article)
Ducks-Beavers baseball rivalry resumes after year-long hiatus
Oregon State finds itself at No. 16 in the country according to D1Baseball.com, which gives Oregon their second straight ranked road series. The Beavers had a disappointing 2020 season, finishing the shortened campaign at just 5-9. Oregon State’s downfall in 2020 came primarily because of their inexperience as a ballclub.
The Beavers offense in 2021 has hit the ground running, which is probably an understatement. With six batters with over 35 plate appearances this season, the lowest batting average of those six sits at .275. Ryan Ober is the proud owner with that batting average, and Ober has driven in 11 RBI’s on the season, good for second on the team.
With those numbers, it’s worth noting that Ober usually hits second in the Beaver lineup, as this is one of the deepest lineups the Ducks will face all season long. Hitting eighth is shortstop Andy Armstrong, who has brought some real offense to the bottom of the lineup, hitting an absurd .429 on the season in 42 plate appearances, with 18 hits, one home run, five doubles, and nine RBI’s. Preston Jones, hitting .351 with 10 walks on the season, sets the table for the Beavers, as former coach Pat Casey’s son Joe hits cleanup.
As a redshirt junior, Casey is hitting .311 on the season, solidifying the Beavers offense, having already hit three home runs on the season, and driving in a team-high 13 RBI’s. If there’s one thing Casey has struggled with this season, it’s the swing and miss potential with his bat. Casey has registered 18 strikeouts and just four walks this season, dropping his on-base percentage to .392, which happens to be one of the lowest for the everyday starters. While it may be low compared to the rest, a .392 on-base percentage is still impressive. It just goes to show how impactful the Beavers offense has been this season.
Lastly, it seems Oregon State is running a bit of a platoon at first base, but the Beavers seemed to have found their man 11 games into the season. Jacob Melton started all three games against BYU and upped his season average to .435 in 23 plate appearances. Melton hit either ninth or second, but that hasn’t stopped him from collecting six RBI’s in his 10 games played, with only six starts.
For years Oregon State has produced big league talent on the mound. Big-league talent has come from other positions from the Beavers, but the pitching has been their forte while under former head coach Casey. The rotation is a solid suit for the Beavers, headlined by 2018 College World Series star Kevin Abel. Abel is most known for his heroics in the World Series, alongside former No. 1 overall pick Adley Rutschman. Abel has returned to his dominant self after losing two years due to injuries. His fastball is sitting in the low 90s, with a devastating changeup/curveball mix.
Abel will confidently throw his curve or changeup at any point in the count, while his changeup is one of the best pitches thrown in college baseball. The downward tilt and excellent arm speed create, essentially, an optical illusion for the batter, who sees the pitch out of his hand like a fastball before it tumbles down at 10-12 miles per hour slower than his fastball.
With that, Abel is rocking a 0.57 ERA, allowing just one run in the 15.2 innings pitched, striking out 26, and holding opponents to a .094 average. The rest of the rotation is exciting, with all four starters having an ERA under 3.30. Cooper Hjerpe has thrown 16 innings on the season, allowing three earned runs on the season, striking out 16, combining for an ERA of 1.69.
This series will be a real challenge for Oregon, as Oregon State has played some lesser competition this year but has won 10 straight. Despite the lower competition, Oregon State took care of business, sweeping Grand Canyon in Phoenix, and as mentioned, sweeping BYU in Corvallis. The Ducks and Beavers didn’t meet in 2020 but will meet six times in 2021.
