No. 4 Oregon State Visits Cal Poly for Weekend Series

In its first 23 games, OSU has kept its opponents to three or fewer runs 15 times, including each of the last six.

OSU infielder, and former Sprague star Joey Wong. Photo: OSU Athletics

CORVALLIS - Oregon State will play its final non-conference before Pac-10 action begins, as the fourth-ranked Beavers visit Cal Poly for games on Saturday at 6:00 PM, Sunday at 1:00 PM and Monday at 1:00 PM.

OSU (20-3 overall) is riding a nine-game winning streak as it gets set to visit the Mustangs (13-13).

"We’ve done some things very well so far, and we have some things that we still need to clean up before we start playing in the Pac-10," OSU head coach Pat Casey said. "The nice thing for our ballclub has been that we’ve had success in winning games, and that’s an important expectation to establish during the non-conference schedule. The fact that we’ve done it against a quality schedule makes it even better.

"That’s the case again this weekend. Cal Poly is an outstanding ballclub that gave Rice - one of the very top teams in the country - all it could handle last weekend (falling 9-8, 7-2 and 6-5 in Houston). We’re going to have to play very well if we want to keep having success."

The Beavers swept San Francisco in a three-game series last weekend, finishing their first homestand of 2007 with six wins in six tries.

OSU is ranked fourth nationally in the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll, fourth by Baseball America magazine, third by Collegiate Baseball newspaper, and fourth by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

Oregon State outscored the Dons 23-5 in last weekend’s series, but the Beavers haven’t had to score a lot to win so far this season.

In its first 23 games, OSU has kept its opponents to three or fewer runs 15 times, including each of the last six.

Oregon State’s pitching staff leads the Pac-10 in both team earned run average (2.66) and opponents’ batting average (.234), and the Beavers are second in team fielding percentage (.978).

OSU is also third in team batting average (.299), fourth in team slugging percentage (.419) and second in team on-base percentage (.403).

OSU’s starting pitching trio of Mike Stutes, Joe Paterson and Daniel Turpen has a combined record of 14-1 with a 2.59 earned run average.

The trio is averaging just over 6.0 innings and 5.3 hits, 1.4 walks and 5.2 strikeouts per start.

The bullpen has allowed just eight of 27 inherited runners to score, and the Beavers have gotten saves from Eddie Kunz (3), Mark Grbavac (2) and Blake Keitzman (1).

Mitch Canham (.382 batting average, 4 home runs, 25 runs batted in) has been among OSU’s leaders at the plate, homering twice last weekend and ranking among the Pac-10 leaders in batting average (fifth), slugging percentage (seventh, .618) and on-base percentage (third, .517).

Drew George (.373, 0, 6), Jordan Lennerton (.368, 1, 19) and Mike Lissman (.333, 3, 22) have also been pacing the Oregon State attack.

Cal Poly is coming off a series last weekend at eighth-ranked Rice, with the Mustangs losing 9-8, 7-2 and 6-5.

Leading CPU at the plate have been junior outfielder Grant Desme (.371, 9, 34), sophomore infielder Brent Morel (.366, 3, 14) and freshman catcher Wes Dorrell (.308, 2, 20).

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