Arizona State (22-8, 5-3) @ Oregon State (23-7, 4-1) - 1:05 PM (PDT) - Goss Stadium at Coleman Field, Corvallis, OR - 1240 KEJO/860 KPAM/KPAM.com - Live Video on BNO, for a fee
Oregon State and Arizona State meet at 1:05 PM west coast time today to conclude the three game series between the Beavers and Sun Devils. After today's game, the Beavers will begin preparing for a three game series at Stanford next weekend.
Oregon State comes into today's game with a record of 23-7, 4-1 in the Pac-10. The Beavers have good wins against Gonzaga (2), Connecticut, Oregon, Long Beach State (2), Arizona (2), and Arizona State (2). Their bad losses have came against Texas A&M Corpus Christi, Seattle University, and UC Santa Barbara. The Beavers are currently on a five game winning streak after defeating Arizona twice last weekend, Portland on Tuesday, and Arizona State on Friday and Saturday. Oregon State is currently ranked 18th in the nation.
The Sun Devils come into the game with a record of 22-8, 5-3 in the Pac-10. Their good wins have came against Oklahoma (2), Cal State Fullerton, Arizona (3), and Oregon (3). Arizona State's bad losses have came against Delaware, Auburn, and Oral Roberts.
Yesterday, the fifth ranked Sun Devils saw a 6-2 lead vanish after giving up three runs to the Beavers in the seventh, the game tieing run in the eighth by Brian Stamps on Tyler Smith's single, and another one in the ninth inning, when Stamps drew a game winning walk off walk, giving the nineteenth ranked Beavers a 7-6 upset win. After today's game, the Sun Devils will head back to Tempe and begin preparing for a three game series with the Washington State Cougars, beginning on Friday at 6:30 PM Pacific.
Ben Wetzler (4-1, 4.15) will get the start for the Beavers, while Arizona State will send out Jake Barrett (3-2, 4.46). In Wetzler's last start, Ben went 6 innings, giving up 3 runs (All earned) on 7 hits. In Barrett's last start, Jake went 7 innings, giving up 0 runs on 4 hits.
Last year, Arizona State went 51-14. The Sun Devils went 3-1 against the Beavers in 2010. Before this season, Arizona State was banned from postseason play for 2011, among other punishments, but the Sun Devils are currently appealing the suspension. If the NCAA does not uphold the previous ruling before postseason play begins, then the Sun Devils will be able to play in this season's NCAA Tournament.
The weather is is expected to be alright for the duration of the game. The Weather Channel calls for 57° and partly cloudy at 1:05 PM, with showers beginning towards the later innings. They should have no problem getting at least five innings in.
Go Beavers!