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After a good series versus Cal Berkeley, Oregon State stumbled in a big way against Portland this past Tuesday. The Beavs now head to Seattle to try and bounce back from the tough loss. However, the challenge awaiting them this week will be no easy feat. A 3 game series against a strong Washington Huskies team awaits the Beavs this weekend.
This Huskies team sits at 14-6 with wins over good programs this season. The U-Dub baseball program consistently produces quality teams, so it shouldn’t be surprising that the boys in purple in gold are again a quality squad this year. It is also worth noting that there are still a bunch of players on this team that were a part of the Husky squad that went to Omaha for the College World Series just last season. That experience will mean something as they navigate this season, especially against a College World Series contender such as the Beavs.
On the offensive side of the ball, catcher Nick Kahle is the catalyst of this Husky offense. The junior is batting .415 (seriously) with 24 RBI’s. He is one of the most productive players in the entire country to this point in the season and will be the most dangerous batter on this Husky team. Another big contributor for Washington is outfielder Braiden Ward. The sophomore is batting .308, but also leads the conference in stolen bases with 17. These two players provide the biggest impact on the Huskies offense; as they go, so do the Huskies.
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On the pitching side of things, Washington boasts an impressive starting rotation. Jordan Jones, the ace of the rotation has gotten off to the “weakest” start of the three starters with a 3.05 ERA to go with a 2-2 record. I use “weakest” loosely here, as the co-starters boast numbers so ridiculous they make the ace in this rotation look lesser (and he’s not). Sophomore Josh Murgmann has started the year with an undefeated 3-0 record in addition to a fantastic 1.11 ERA. And rounding out the rotation is freshman David Rhodes, but this kid is not pitching like a freshman. The righty boasts a 1.80 ERA along with a 4-1 record. Needless to say, this entire rotation is one of the best in the conference, and possibly the nation. This starting rotation is the strength of the Huskies team and will be a key part of this series.
Conclusion
This Husky team is no joke and will give the Beavers a run for their money this year. The Beavs will need to bounce back quickly if they want to win this series against Washington. Washington has started the season strong and is looking to continue their winning ways against the Beavs.
Schedule
- Game 1: Friday, March 29 - 7:00 PM PT
- Game 2: Saturday, March 30 - 2:00 PM PT
- Game 3: Sunday, March 31 - 2:00 PM PT
How to Watch
Game 1 and 2 will be available on Pac-12 Oregon And Pac-12 Washington. Game 3 will also be on both of these prior mentioned channels in addition to the main Pac-12 network.
How to Listen
For a full list of radio stations across the state that will carry the games, check the game notes provided by OSU athletics. OSUBeavers.com will also have the audio all weekend on TuneIn.
Stats
Click the link here to follow live stats of the series.