The Oregon State Beavers’ blistering start to the 2023 college baseball season has been recognized by national voters.
The Beavers on Monday moved into the rankings in five of the six national college baseball polls, surging as high as No. 18 after a suffocating sweep of the Coppin State Eagles at Goss Stadium.
The Beavers (6-1) are ranked 18th in the Collegiate Baseball Top 30, 19th in the Baseball America Top 25, 21st in the Perfect Game Top 25, 24th in the USA Today Coaches Poll and 26th in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Top 30. The Beavers were left out of just one poll, the D1Baseball Top 25, which The Oregonian/OregonLive uses for its rankings.
Heading into the season, the Beavers insisted the goal remained the same for the perennial power program — to chase a national championship. But there were a bevy of questions surrounding a team that had to replace six starters, including its entire outfield, and two-thirds of its starting rotation, including National Pitcher of the Year Cooper Hjerpe.
But after two weeks, any concerns have been quelled. Since suffering an opening day loss in Surprise, Arizona, Oregon State has won six consecutive games, including the commanding series sweep over Coppin State. The Beavers, who have scored 11 or more runs in each of their last five games, steamrolled the Eagles, outscoring them 46-6 while producing 45 hits and 37 walks.
Fifteen Beavers have started a game this season and 10 of them are batting .375 or better, as the lineup has flashed a mix of patience, power and poise beyond its years. Veterans Garrett Forrester (.391, two homers, eight RBIs) and Travis Bazzana (.407, five doubles, six RBIs) have performed as expected, freshman Gavin Turley (.417, three homers, 10 RBIs) has been as good as advertised and newcomer Mikey Kane (.400, 11 runs, five RBIs) has been electric.
And while no one would mistake Coppin State for a baseball power, the Beavers also boast a 14-6 win over an underrated New Mexico team that is 6-1 and an 11-0 victory over UC Santa Barbara, which just finished a three-game sweep of the Oregon Ducks in Eugene.
The Beavers’ next test will come Thursday, when they open a four-game series against Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo.
— Joe Freeman | jfreeman@oregonian.com | 503-294-5183 | @BlazerFreeman | Subscribe to The Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories
