#11 UCLA (25-8, 10-5) at Oregon State (24-11, 6-6) at 5:35 PM PDT - Goss Stadium at Coleman Field, Corvallis, OR - KEJO 1240 AM & KPOJ 620 AM - Video and Audio Stream on Beaver Nation Online, for a fee
After a road trip weekend and a home non-conference series, Pac-12 baseball returns to Goss Stadium this weekend with a key series between UCLA and Oregon St.
The eleventh ranked Bruins took 2 of 3 at Arizona last weekend to move into a 3 way tie for first place in the Pac-12 race with the Wildcats and Oregon. The Beavers took all 6 non-conference games they have played since getting swept at Arizona St. in their last conference action.
Oregon St. is in 5th place in the Pac-12, 2 1/2 games back, but the Beavers have 3 games in hand against all 4 teams ahead of them.
Oregon St. Sophomore LHP Ben Wetzler (4-1, 2.98 ERA) and UCLA Sophomore RHP Adam Plutko (4-2, 3.40) ERA will square off in a showdown of a couple of the Pac-12's best starting pitchers.Plutko went 6 innings last Friday in his last outing, but didn't get a decision, leaving with the Bruins tied 3-3 with the Wildcats. Arizona ultimately scored in the 8th, to take a 4-3 win, the only game the 'Cats got from the Bruins on the weekend. Plutko allowed 11 hits and issued 2 walks, and 3 earned runs, and did not strike out any Arizona batters.
Wetzler didn't get a decision either, though he worked an out into the 7th inning against Arkansas Pine Bluff last Friday night, before turning the ball and the game over to the Beavers' bullpen "Killer Bs" with Oregon St. down 3-2. Cole Brocker got an out, Matt Boyd got 4 more, and the win, and Tony Bryant the 3 9th inning outs and the save, while the Beaver offense got 2 runs to take the lead in the bottom of the 7th, and an insurance run in the 8th.
Beaver fans of course remember last year's series against UCLA, in which Oregon St. took the first 2 of the 3 games in Los Angeles, including Josh Osich's no-hitter on Saturday that handed the Bruins a 2-0 loss.
It was the first no hitter in the conference since 1994, and earned Osich Pac-10 and National Pitcher of the Week honors. Osich's masterpiece was also only the 4th no-hitter in Oregon St. history, and the first by a single pitcher since a 7 inning no-hitter in 1947.
Will this weekend's series, which continues with games on Saturday (televised by ROOT Sports and FSN) and Sunday, both at 1:05, produce another historic gem?
Go Beavers!