BREAKING NEWS: Oregon State Beavers seeded Cats unexpected College World Series host NCAA Tournament
For the first time in their program’s history, the Kentucky Wildcats will host the NCAA Tournament Super Regional at Kentucky Proud Park. The No. 2 seeded Wildcats will face the No. 15 seeded Oregon State Beavers, with the winner earning a spot in the College World Series.
If Kentucky wins the best-of-three Super Regional series starting Saturday at 6:00 p.m. EST, they will secure their first-ever College World Series appearance. Their opponent, Oregon State, is a seasoned contender with a rich history in Omaha.
Over the past 20 years, Oregon State has been a dominant force in college baseball, winning three national championships (2006, 2007, 2018), making six College World Series appearances (2005, 2006, 2007, 2013, 2017, 2018), and claiming nine Regional titles (2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2024).
The Beavers arrive in Lexington with a 45-14 record, having swept the Corvallis Regional to advance.
“Oregon State is as well-rounded a team as any we’ll face,” said UK head coach Nick Mingione. “They’ve only lost 14 games all year. They excel in pitching, defense, and offense. They have a unique sidearm pitcher, Bridger Holmes, and their team can score in various ways.”
The Beavers are led by Mitch Canham, in his fifth season, who has guided the team to two Regional championships and four NCAA Tournament appearances (excluding the 2020 season, which was canceled due to COVID-19).
Oregon State’s journey to the Super Regionals includes a strong 41-12 regular-season record and a 19-10 mark in PAC 12 play, finishing second in the conference behind Arizona.
Notable regular-season highlights include an 8-1 non-conference win over the eventual No. 11 national seed Oklahoma State and series sweeps of Washington, Arizona State, and UCLA. They also won a road series against Arizona, outscoring them 28-7, and split a four-game series with Oregon.
In the PAC 12 Tournament, the Beavers went 1-1, losing to Stanford and beating Arizona State. Their final NCAA Tournament resume featured a 42-13 record and an 18th RPI ranking, earning them the No. 15 national seed.
In the Corvallis Regional, the Beavers defeated Tulane 10-4, UC Irvine 5-3, and then UC Irvine again 11-6, erasing an early 4-0 deficit to complete the regional sweep and advance to Lexington.
Here’s a detailed look at Oregon State’s road to the Super Regionals, their statistical profile, and an analysis of their offense led by projected 2024 MLB Draft overall pick Travis Bazzana and pitching staff anchored by projected top 100 draft pick Aiden May.
Team Stats
Runs Scored: 516 (13th in country)
Batting Average: .304 (33rd)
On Base Percentage: .426 (8th)
Hits: 608th (35th)
Doubles: 128th (T25th)
Home Runs: 118 (T8th)
Base on Balls: 381 (3rd)
Stolen Bases: 59 (T155th)
ERA: 3.98 (7th)
WHIP: 1.31 (15th)
KPer9: 9.4 (56th)
WalksPer9: 3.80 (34th)
Fielding Percentage: .968 (T183rd)
Individual Stat Leaders
OFFENSE
Oregon State’s lineup features Travis Bazzana, the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. Bazzana, a junior second baseman and the team’s leadoff hitter, boasts a .415 batting average, ranking fifth nationally, and leads the team with 28 home runs, placing him sixth in the country. His .575 on-base percentage is second only to Georgia’s Corey Collins, and his 74 walks are the second-most in the nation, behind Wake Forest’s Nick Kurtz. Bazzana was named PAC 12 Player of the Year.
“We continue to watch video on him. He is a super-talented player. Not only does he have the ability to hit and hit for power, but he can absolutely fly,” UK head coach Nick Mingione said of Bazzana. “This guy is super, super talented on so many levels and his speed is one of the things that changes the game for him. Just because you put him on first base, in one pitch, he could be on second base, and it’s like you just gave up a double. I think we’ll have to be really careful and continue to watch video of what’s the best way to attack him.”
Oregon State’s offense also features standout players like outfielder Micah McDowell and designated hitter/outfielder Gavin Turley. McDowell, a senior hitting .403 with a .500 on-base percentage and 1.167 OPS, returned from an earlier injury and has played 37 games this season. Turley, a sophomore and first-team All-PAC 12 selection projected as a 2025 first-round draft pick, is hitting .284 with 19 home runs, 74 RBIs (tied for 23rd nationally), and a 1.020 OPS.
Additionally, first baseman Mason Guerra has hit 11 home runs, including one in the Regional Final against UC Irvine. Shortstop Elijah Hainline has a .286 batting average with 11 home runs, and left fielder Dallas Macias boasts a .326 batting average and a .398 on-base percentage.
Oregon State’s offense ranks eighth nationally in on-base percentage (.426) and third in walks (381). The team is tied for eighth in home runs (118) and ranks 13th in runs scored (516).
“After watching them, there are a lot of similar characteristics,” Mingione said, comparing Kentucky and Oregon State’s lineups. “They have the ability to steal bases, hit home runs, and hit for average. Their lineup is filled with guys who know how to work and manage their way through an at-bat, which is very similar to us.”
PITCHING STAFF
Oregon State’s pitching staff boasts the nation’s seventh-best ERA at 3.98 and ranks 15th in WHIP at 1.31. The rotation is headlined by right-handers Aiden May and Jacob Kmatz, both from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Sandia High School graduates. They are friends with Kentucky shortstop Grant Smith, another Albuquerque native.
“It’s crazy. I don’t face many New Mexican players, so this weekend will be cool,” Smith said. “We’re all great friends. I played against them in high school, and they’ve improved a lot since then. They’re having a great year, and it’ll be fun.”
May, an Arizona transfer and first-team All-PAC 12 selection, is ranked No. 82 on MLB.com’s 2024 Draft big board. In 13 starts, he has a 2.88 ERA, a 7-0 record, a .210 opponents’ batting average, and 79 strikeouts in 68.2 innings. Highlights include 8.0 shutout innings with 14 strikeouts against Oregon, 7.0 innings with one run and seven strikeouts against Arizona, and 5.2 innings with nine strikeouts against Tulane in the Regional.
“The first guy [May] hasn’t lost a game all year,” Mingione said. “He’s got velocity, off-speed pitches, and a moving fastball, making him tough on hitters.”
Kmatz has a 3.29 ERA, a 7-2 record, a .209 opponents’ batting average, and 88 strikeouts in 82.0 innings. His notable performances include 7.0 innings with one run against UC Irvine, 6.1 innings with one run and 10 strikeouts against Oregon, and 6.0 innings with one run and eight strikeouts against Arizona.
OSU’s third starter is freshman Eric Segura, with a 4.93 ERA, a 6-1 record, and a .242 opponents’ batting average in 15 starts.
The bullpen features dominant right-handers Bridger Holmes and Joey Mundt. Holmes, MLB.com’s No. 192 prospect for the 2024 Draft, has a 1.97 ERA in 25 relief appearances, holding batters to a .148 average, with 45 strikeouts in 32.0 innings and seven saves. During regionals, he pitched 3.0 scoreless innings in three appearances. Mundt has a 2.17 ERA in 23 relief appearances, a .170 opponents’ average, 31 strikeouts in 29.0 innings, and allowed just one home run all season.
Other bullpen contributors include southpaw Nelson Keljo with a 4.20 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 40.2 innings, righty Kellan Oakes with a 4.43 ERA and a .234 opponents’ average, and righty AJ Hutcheson with a 4.56 ERA, a .165 opponents’ average, and a WHIP under one at 0.97.