Travis Bazzana’s offseason is starting to look a lot like his regular season: resoundingly successful.
The Beavers’ second baseman on Wednesday was named to his fourth All-American team, landing a spot on Baseball America’s third team.
It’s the latest recognition for the sophomore from Sydney, Australia, who since the end of the 2023 season has been named a second-team All-American by Collegiate Baseball and the American Baseball Coaches Association, a third-team All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and a third-team Academic All-American by College Sports Communicators. Bazzana also was named to the All-Pac-12 First Team and All-Defensive Team.
The assortment of accolades are an apt reward for one of the best individual seasons in Oregon State history, during which Bazzana batted .374, with 11 home runs, 20 doubles, 78 runs scored, 55 RBIs, 59 walks and 36 stolen bases. He finished with the most stolen bases and third-most walks in program history.
Along the way, Bazzana spearheaded a midseason offensive renaissance for the Beavers, who rebounded from a dreadful start to Pac-12 play to finish second in the conference and earn a No. 2 seed in the NCAA baseball tournament.
The resurgence started when Oregon State coaches moved Bazzana into the leadoff spot on April 1 before a doubleheader at the University of Washington. He responded by hitting a grand slam, double and triple, while driving in five runs, as the Beavers won both games.
Oregon State caught fire shortly after the doubleheader sweep, slugging its way to a 25-11 finish, including 15-6 in Pac-12, and Bazzana emerged as the heartbeat of the team. Coaches and players credited his tenacity and electricity on the base paths — he stole 30 of his 36 bases after moving to the top of the order — for fueling the offensive surge and helping create a new, aggressive identity for the team.
The Beavers’ season ended with a thud — they went 0-2 in the Pac-12 baseball tournament and lost in the Baton Rouge Regional — but Bazzana rarely cooled. He was selected to the all-tournament teams at the Baton Rouge Regional and Pac-12 Tournament.
Bazzana, who is playing in the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League this summer, will be one of college baseball’s best returning players next season, when the Beavers will have expectations of making a run at the College World Series.
— Joe Freeman | jfreeman@oregonian.com | 503-294-5183 | @BlazerFreeman | Subscribe to The Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.