2024 College Top 25 Preview: No. 5 Oregon State

Image credit: Travis Bazzana (Photo by Bill Mitchell)

Last season: 41-20 (18-12 Pac-12), lost in Baton Rouge Regional
Final ranking: NR
Coach (record at school): Mitch Canham (131-71, four years)

The good news: This year’s Oregon State team has an exciting blend of experience and fresh faces. It returns five key contributors from last year’s potent lineup, headlined by one of the best players in college baseball and leading hitter Travis Bazzana (.374/.500/.622). Bazzana is not only an outstanding leader in the dugout who makes everyone around him better, but also a high-impact player who can hit for average, power and impact the game with his speed. His highly advanced baseball IQ further enhances his already-impressive toolset. Around Bazzana, the Beavers will have an experienced outfield with veterans Micah McDowell (.342/.428/.509) and Brady Kasper (.304/.400/.558), along with sophomore Gavin Turley (.309/.438/.664). Turley has one of the loudest toolsets of any sophomore in the country and really hit his stride toward the end of the 2023 season. Junior first baseman Mason Guerra (.326/.414/.573) will anchor the right side of the infield, while freshman third baseman Trent Caraway will be the Beavers’ every day third baseman. Caraway is one of the most highly-touted true freshmen in the country, and he is on track to be a big-time contributor in year one. Offensively, they return 63-of-89 (70.7%) home runs from 2023, 92-of-127 (72.4%) doubles from 2023 and 75 of their 89 stolen bases. The Beavers also return a wealth of talent on the mound, including righthanders Jacob Kmatz (5-4, 4.71 ERA) and Jaren Hunter (1-1, 3.03 ERA). Both will pitch in the weekend rotation alongside Arizona transfer Aiden May (5-3, 6.33 ERA). May might have the best pure stuff on the entire staff, and while the back of the baseball card might look modest, he could really thrive if he shows improved command and a refined fastball shape. There are a number of bullpen arms back, including lefty flamethrower Nelson Keljo (2-0, 5.40 ERA), Ian Lawson (3-0, 3.50 ERA) and A.J. Lattery (4-0, 4.05 ERA), who could also be used as a starter if need be. Cal Poly transfer Kyle Scott is expected to handle the closer role (0-3, 4.43 ERA) and brings plenty of polish to the staff.

The bad news: There is very little bad news in Corvallis, but two big-time contributors from last year in first baseman Garret Forrester (.341/.485/.522) and Ryan Brown (4-2, 3.23 ERA) are both now in professional baseball. Forrester was as reliable as they come at the plate, while Brown provided consistency in the bullpen.

Player to know: Washington State transfer Elijah Hainline could the X-factor of this year’s team. He hit .337/.431/.615 last year and then proceeded to have an all-star summer in the Cape Cod League. Hainline’s playstyle is a perfect fit for this year’s team, and he also packs a strong glove at shortstop. He is a quick-twitch athlete with some thump at the plate, and provides an already-loaded lineup with even more depth.

Path to Omaha: Oregon State has not been to Omaha since it last won the national championship in 2018, but this year’s club has all the ingredients to not only return to the College World Series, but also to be the team that dogpiles in the end. It has high-level talent, plenty of experience and a great coaching staff. When you combine those three qualities, you end up with a team that is going to be incredibly hard to beat.

Pos.	Name	Year	AVG	OBP	SLG	AB	HR	RBI
C	Tanner Smith	Jr.	.236	.323	.379	140	3	27
1B	Mason Guerra	Jr.	.326	.414	.573	218	12	56
2B	Travis Bazzana	Jr.	.374	.500	.622	238	11	55
3B	Trent Caraway	Fr.	HS—Dana Point, Calif.
SS	Elijah Hainline	Jr.	Transfer—Washington State
OF	Gavin Turley	So.	.309	.438	.664	149	14	46
OF	Micah McDowell	Sr.	.342	.427	.509	222	7	47
OF	Brady Kasper	Sr.	.304	.400	.558	181	12	41
DH	Wilson Weber	Jr.	.198	.287	.346	81	3	16
Pos.	Name	Class	W	L	ERA	IP	SO	SV
SP	Aiden May	Jr.	Transfer—Arizona
SP	Jacob Kmatz	Jr.	5	4	4.71	73	61	0
SP	Jaren Hunter	Sr.	1	1	3.03	33	28	0
RP	Kyle Scott	R-Sr.	Transfer—Cal Poly
RP	Nelson Keljo	So.	2	0	5.40	22	32	0
RP	Laif Palmer	Fr.	HS—Golden, Colo.