#6 Oregon St. (5-0) at San Diego St. (3-1) / 6:00 PM PST / Tony Gwynn Stadium / KEJO 1240 AM & KPOJ 620 AM
On Thursday the Beavers took the first game of the series 8-1 behind another strong pitching performance from Dan Child and the bullpen. It was a close game until the 8th, when the Beaver bats exploded for 5 runs. Oregon State snapped the Aztecs 3-game win streak they'd earned by sweeping #12 San Diego to start the season.
The Beavers are starting senior Matt Boyd (1-0, 2.57) on the bump tonight against the Aztecs. Boyd has had an impressive career out of the bullpen and is trying to prove he can start too. He started 2 games in his freshman year but none in his sophomore or junior seasons. He finished last season with a 4-0 record and a 3.41 ERA. In his first start against Gonzaga, the lefty went earned the win by going 7 innings while allowing just 2 runs on 6 hits. He struck out 4 batters and walked 1.
6'2" junior Philip Walby (0-0, 2.70) is getting the start for San Diego St.. Coming out of high school, Walby was drafted by the Orioles in the 50th round but did not sign. In his sophomore year Walby spent most of his time as a starter before switching to middle relief. He finished with an impressive 1.86 ERA to go along with a 1-0 record. Walby struggled with his control in his first start, walking 5 batters and hitting 1 over just 3.1 innings of work. However he controlled the damage well and surrendered just 1 run.
Max Engelbrekt and Cole Brocker, who combined for 4 scoreless relief innings Thursday, are very likely not available for this game.
In addition to staying undefeated, the Beavers' main goals should be to clean up the fielding miscues and get some more consistency out of the bats, hopefully in the form of runs early.
Oregon State Lineup:
Gordon - RF
Smith - SS
Conforto - LF
Hayes - 1B
Davis - DH
Rodriguez - C
Keyes - 3B
Jansen - CF
Peterson - 2B
Go Beavs!