Spring Break
College baseball ready to invade Palm Springs
Oregon State plays host to San Francisco, Oklahoma State, UC Riverside and Texas Tech this weekend in Palm Springs, Calif.
Matt Wilhelmsen
Issue date: 3/5/09 Section: Sports
Coming off an impressive showing at the DeMarini Invitational where the Beavers took three out of four games, the boys look forward to four more nights on the road as they head to Palm Springs for a six-team showdown.
Playing at the legendary Palm Springs Stadium, No. 24 Oregon State hopes to continue their early season success against a list of tough teams. A neutral site to each of the six teams attending, the Beaver will play host in the tournament, facing their first competitor in the University of San Francisco today at 2 p.m.
The Dons have struggled early this season, dropping six out of their first nine games. Expected to throw for San Francisco is the sophomore southpaw Matt Lujan. Debuting for the Dons in 2008, Lujan led the team with a 7-2 record, bringing home Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American honors. Lujan is currently 1-1 with and ERA of 2.25. Holding opposing teams to a batting average of .182, Lujan has struck out six while allowing eight walks.
After opening with San Francisco on Thursday afternoon, the Beavers will face a team just one spot ahead of them in the rankings, No. 23 Oklahoma State. A team that was projected to do well in the preseason, the Cowboys have answered their call with a current record of 6-1.
Outscoring their first seven opponents 67-52, the Cowboys let their bats do the talking, collecting 10 doubles and 11 home runs. Leading the team offensively, junior outfielder Neil Medchill is batting .440 with an on base percentage over .500. With three of the team's eleven home runs, Medchill has collected 13 RBI's and has a slugging percentage of .800.
While Thursday night's match-up between the Cowboys and Beavers will be the most anticipated, Oregon State will have little time to digest the outcome, facing a recent Cinderella school in UC Riverside. The Highlanders are 7-2 on the year, already taking down powerhouses in two Pac-10 schools, UCLA and UC Berkeley.
Standing second in their conference with an ERA of 3.60, Paul Applebee has pitched a league-high 16.0 innings and owns the 10th-best ERA at 2.81. The Highlanders faced 12 teams in the top 25 in 2008, finishing with a remarkable 7-5 record.
Playing at the legendary Palm Springs Stadium, No. 24 Oregon State hopes to continue their early season success against a list of tough teams. A neutral site to each of the six teams attending, the Beaver will play host in the tournament, facing their first competitor in the University of San Francisco today at 2 p.m.
The Dons have struggled early this season, dropping six out of their first nine games. Expected to throw for San Francisco is the sophomore southpaw Matt Lujan. Debuting for the Dons in 2008, Lujan led the team with a 7-2 record, bringing home Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American honors. Lujan is currently 1-1 with and ERA of 2.25. Holding opposing teams to a batting average of .182, Lujan has struck out six while allowing eight walks.
After opening with San Francisco on Thursday afternoon, the Beavers will face a team just one spot ahead of them in the rankings, No. 23 Oklahoma State. A team that was projected to do well in the preseason, the Cowboys have answered their call with a current record of 6-1.
Outscoring their first seven opponents 67-52, the Cowboys let their bats do the talking, collecting 10 doubles and 11 home runs. Leading the team offensively, junior outfielder Neil Medchill is batting .440 with an on base percentage over .500. With three of the team's eleven home runs, Medchill has collected 13 RBI's and has a slugging percentage of .800.
While Thursday night's match-up between the Cowboys and Beavers will be the most anticipated, Oregon State will have little time to digest the outcome, facing a recent Cinderella school in UC Riverside. The Highlanders are 7-2 on the year, already taking down powerhouses in two Pac-10 schools, UCLA and UC Berkeley.
Standing second in their conference with an ERA of 3.60, Paul Applebee has pitched a league-high 16.0 innings and owns the 10th-best ERA at 2.81. The Highlanders faced 12 teams in the top 25 in 2008, finishing with a remarkable 7-5 record.
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