• Earlier today the NCAA announced two big changes to their participation guidelines. First, players that play in four games or less don’t lose a full season on competition. So basically a player could play in four games their freshman year, suffer a season ending injury in the fourth and use their redshirt, and then still have four full years to play.

Second, players looking to transfer no longer have to get permission from their current school to do so. There are still rules set up for each conference that players would have to follow.

• The Oregon State basketball program has lost a lot this offseason, but it looks like they’re getting closer to locking down former BYU forward Payton Dastrup. Dastrup averaged 6.4 points with 89 rebounds and 19 blocks in two seasons with the Cougars and would provide some much needed front court depth for the Beavers in 2018.

• On the baseball front, Oregon State had another successful draft. A good news/bad news situation that came out of that was three of their signees for 2019 were selected. Included in that group was shortstop Jayce Easley who was drafted in the fifth round by the Texas Rangers. This week, it was reported that Easley signed his contract with the Rangers, meaning he won’t be a Beaver after all. Sad face.

Lone Star Ball, SBN’s Texas Rangers site talked a bit more about it.

• In other baseball news, most of the major outlets reported their All-America teams today. A LOT of Beaver players’ names came up. By my count, almost half the roster.

Luke Heimlich was also named National Pitcher of the Year by the College Baseball Foundation.

The Beavs begin their College World Series slate this Saturday afternoon.

ICYMI

College World Series Team Preview: Mississippi State Bulldogs

College World Series Team Preview: North Carolina Tar Heels

Quick Links: Oregon State Basketball Broke Even Financially Last Season

JUCO WR Trevon Clarke Commits To Oregon State