The Barometer Online

Issue date: 2/26/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Curtis Barnard Sophomore pitcher Greg Peavey is expected to start today's game against Northern Illinois. Peavey missed his start Sunday, as OSU and Tennessee were snowed out.

The Oregon State baseball team heads south in search of sun, traveling to Tempe, Ariz. and competing in the second annual DeMarini Invitational hosted by Arizona State.

The DeMarini Invitational is a four-day tournament lasting Thursday through Friday. The Beavers will face three opponents in No. 15 Missouri, Northern Illinois and the hosts No. 8 Sun Devils.

OSU will start competition against the Northern Illinois Huskies (1-3) today at 12 p.m. The Huskies trekked to Starkville, Miss., to open the 2009 season against Mississippi State and North Florida. Taking one out of two from a tough Mississippi State squad, the Huskies were unable to carry over their early success, dropping two games to North Florida.

Stealing a perfect seven of seven bases on the year, Northern Illinois strives to put runners in scoring position early in the inning. Orchestrating this attack is offensive leader Jordin Hood, who is recording nine hits in his first fourteen at bats for a remarkable .643 at the plate. Also leading the team with stolen bases, the junior third basemen has twelve total bases and a career total of 13 home runs.

"We really don't know a lot about Missouri or Northern Illinois," head coach Pat Casey said. "And frankly with Arizona State, it generally doesn't matter if you throw a right-hander or a left-hander against them, they're always an offensive club."

Twenty-four hours after the Beavers' first game in Tempe, they will return to the field, facing their toughest competition thus far in No. 15 Missouri. The Tigers have dropped five spots since their original No. 10 ranking after losing four out of their first five.

With losses already to Nevada, Gonzaga and Arizona State, the Tigers hope to rebound against further tough competition.

Leading the pitching attack and earning Missouri's sole win is right-handed pitcher Kyle Gibson. The 6-foot-6-inch junior has appeared in one game for the Tigers, lasting six innings and allowing only three hits. With an ERA of 0.00, the Big-12 standout has recorded a team leading six strikeouts.

Continued...

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