For the third consecutive year, the Oregon State baseball team finished the season with a win. Unfortunately, this time a national championship was not on the line. This game was played at Goss Stadium in Corvallis, not Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha.
The good news is that the Beavers sent their seniors home with a win, as Oregon State (27-24, 11-13) finished the season with a three-game sweep of Pacific, culminating in a 2-0 win on Sunday.
“The players battled their tail off,” coach Pat Casey said. “Pacific played us very well. I’m very proud of our club, I’ve said that all year long.”
Three freshmen combined to shut out the Tigers as Greg Peavey got the start for the Beavers and went five and one-third innings, scattering six hits and striking out five. Kraig Sitton picked up his second win of the season in one and two-thirds innings of scoreless relief, and Kevin Rhoderick pitched the final two innings allowing no hits and striking out three to seal the victory. Rhoderick finished the season with a Pac-10-best 12 saves.
Rhoderick tied Eddie Kunz for third-best in Oregon State history.
Peavey worked in and out of trouble for most of his five-plus innings but never gave up the big hit. After allowing back-to-back hits with one out in the top of the sixth, Casey called on Sitton from the bullpen, and he delivered. The lefty struck out the first batter he faced and induced left fielder John Joines into a ground-out to end the threat.
There was still no score headed into the bottom of the sixth, but John Wallace got things started with a one-out triple down the right field line. On the ensuing at-bat, catcher Ryan Ortiz brought Wallace home with a single to give the Beavers the lead.
They never looked back.
The only other run came in the bottom of the seventh when senior Jordan Lennerton led off the seventh with a solo home run over the left-center fence on the second pitch of the inning. It was his sixth of the season. The home run broke a four-way tie for the team lead. Lennerton finished the game going two for three.
The fate of the team’s post-season hopes was out of the players’ and coaches’ hands headed into the final weekend, as all they could do was sweep Pacific and hope for the best.
“We had a goal this weekend – it was to come out with three,” Lennerton said. “Our pitching staff did a great job, and we hit the ball well.”
It was up to the selection committee whether the Beavers were deserving of making it to the playoffs, and unfortunately the ball did not bounce the Beavers’ way this year, as they were denied a chance to defend their back-to-back national championships.
Despite Oregon State’s brutal schedule and impressive series wins, a few ugly losses and a below-.500 mark in the Pac-10 were likely the dagger in the Beavers’ heart.
“Nobody’s feeling any regrets,” Wallace said. “We played hard all year, we gave it all we got. Yeah, sure, there [are] a few games we could have won, but we had a good year.
“We finished strong. That’s all we can do.”
Although things did not go the Beavers’ way this year, the season was, if nothing else, a learning experience for a young group that learned what it is like to be the target of every team on your schedule.
“I told them if this was meant to be easy, everybody in the stands would have a uniform,” Casey said. “A special place to be is right in that locker room. A special place to be is to have one of those uniforms.”
Ten seniors suited up for the final time, including pitchers Reed Brown, Mike Stutes and Kyle Foster; catcher Eric Ammon; outfielders Chris Hopkins, Daniel Robertson and Braden Wells; and infielders Drew George, Jordan Lennerton and Lonnie Lechelt.
This is one of the most decorated senior groups in Oregon State athletics history, and they take with them a legacy that will be hard for any group behind them to match.
“I was glad some of our seniors got to play,” Casey said. “I wish they all could have played. Great senior kids, great senior class.”
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