OSU Baseball Clinches Corvallis Regional

For the second time this weekend, Oregon State took down Yale and advanced to 3-0 in the 2017 postseason. OSU joins Cal State-Fullerton, Wake Forest, Louisville, Davidson, and LSU in the group of teams to clinch their spot in the Super Regional round so far. This is the first time that OSU has reached the Super Regional round since 2013. To add to the good news, Steven Kwan was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Corvallis Regional.

Yale struck in the top of the first with an RBI double from Stiegler, but OSU tied it up in the next frame with a sacrifice grounder from Trevor Larnach that scored Steven Kwan. Then in the bottom of the third, the OSU offense opened up with five runs in the frame. Two of those were on fielding errors by Yale and the other three came from a Michael Gretler homer that also scored Larnach and Adley Rutschman.

The Beavers added two more in the fifth with an RBI single from Steven Kwan and Cadyn Grenier stealing home on a wild pitch. One notable stat from the Beavers’ day offensively was Nick Madrigal reaching base on four successful bunts. All in all, both teams played well offensively. Had it not been for the two errors and the home run in the third, this game would have had a much different tone.

Drew Rasmussen got the start in Sunday’s win going four innings and throwing 73 pitches. Rasmussen’s night included five strikeouts, a walk, five hits, and the one run. Brandon Eisert took over in the fifth to add three strikeouts and allowing four hits in 3 and a half innings. Jake Mulholland entered in the eighth to pitch for an inning and two thirds. Max Engelbrekt got the last out in a pitching change made not out of necessity, but more of a situational practice for what may lie ahead.

Next, the Beavers await the winner of Monday’s Clemson vs Vanderbilt game. OSU will play that team in Corvallis in a best of three series with a start date and time to be determined.