| 16 February 2011
Ben Johnson is a former three-time All-PAC-10 shortstop at Oregon State University and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1990 MLB Draft. A four-time conference Coach of the Year in the Midwestern and Mt Hood Conferences while leading Sheldon High School and Hood River High School to conference championships, Johnson also coached at Willamette University and served as an Associate Scout with the Kansas City Royals. A featured baseball writer with Beyond the Beat, Johnson is also the creator of College Baseball Stars.com.
The Oregon State Beavers were smitten by the injury bug last year and could face a stiff test early with nine pitchers on staff listed as freshman or sophomores.
For a team that struggled to hit for power and average consistently during the 2010 season, this season brings an even greater challenge with the new Batted Coefficient of Restitution(BBCOR) bat standards that have reduced the often criticized trampoline affect of the titanium bats, which now place the advantage squarely with the pitchers. Actually, this might be good news for the Beavers. They have always hung their hat on outstanding pitching, great defense and a timely offense focused on winning innings.
The new bat standards will place an emphasis on everything the Beavers value and build the foundation of their program upon.
Considering the Beavers have increased their overall team speed in the recruiting process, the program should also be better suited to return to its aggressive mantra on the base paths.
Programs that pride themselves on playing small ball, invoking the entire gamut from run-and-hit, to double steals, to a multifaceted bunt game attack, like Oregon State, Oregon, Texas and Cal State Fullerton, should thrive with the new bat standards, while the southeast programs in the SEC and ACC may struggle as they rely on the smash ball techniques surrounding the three run homer in creating the big inning.
In a nutshell, Oregon State - even with a staff full of young arms - is returning to their vaunted underdog role where they are the hunter rather than the hunted.
If the program expects to get back to its lofty accomplishments of the recent past, Sam Gaviglio (JR-RHP, Ashland H.S., Ashland, OR) will have to return to his freshman form where he was named to the Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American team. Battling arm soreness most of the season, he failed to live up to the hype surrounding the expectations coming off a strong freshman campaign.
He was not alone.
The biggest power arm on the staff, Josh Osich (RJR-LHP, Bishop Kelly H.S., Boise, ID.) , who commands a fastball as high as 97-mph, did not see action at all in 2010 due to a severe arm injury that required surgery, but fellow teammate Ryan Gorton (Jr-RHP, Tigard H.S., Tigard, OR) should see considerable action with all the arms that were lost due to graduation and the draft.
The Beavers are expecting big things out of Ben Wetzler, a freshman left-hander from Clackamas H.S. in Portland (pictured above), who has impressed with his gutsy competitiveness and unwillingness to back down in any environment or situation he has been thrown into during the fall and winter workouts.
Those four make up the core of the Beavers pitching staff with the likely rotation as follows:
Friday Starter: Sam Gaviglio (3-4, 5.60 ERA, 45 K's, 62.2 Innings, .278 opponent average)
Saturday Starter: Ryan Gorton (3-2, 5.30 ERA, 26 K's, 37.1 Innings, .342 opponent average)
Sunday Starter: Ben Wetzler (All-State Freshman who guided team to Oregon 6A State Title in 2010)
Closer: Josh Osich (0-0, 2.05 ERA, 34 K's, 26.1 Innings, .170 opponent average in 2009)
In light of the fantastic pitching, the major question for the Beavers is, if the pitching holds up against such a monstrous gauntlet of stars found throughout the conference, will the bats show up to provide much needed run support in a season that is expected to play out with less hits and quicker ball games that could be completed within 100 pitches and a two-and-a-half hour time frame?
That will be the focus when Oregon State takes to the field.
The Beavers come in at #22 in the non-conference ranking of schedules, and travel the first two weekends playing a three game round robin between Gonzaga and Fresno State at Beiden Field in Fresno. The Bulldogs, who won the national title in 2008 following the Beavers back-to-back accomplishment, have been tabbed as an early dark horse to win the national title by many college baseball prognosticators.
After opening in Fresno, Oregon State travels to play in what used to be the "Whataburger Classic" in Corpus-Christi, Texas. The Beavers draw UCONN, a team that the Oregon Ducks eliminated last year winning two close ball games at the Norwich Regional, but a team coming into 2011 that has five of the Top-100 players in the country on one team.
It will be an early test for the Beavers, as will getting the most from a young pitching staff for Pat Casey and Oregon State throughout the season.
photo: oregonlive.com
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
