WINNING THE COLLEGE BASEBALL WORLD SERIES REQUIRES TALENT, PERSEVERENCE AND A LITTLE LUCK. WINNING THE SERIES TWO YEARS IN A ROW IS AN INCREDIBLE FEAT. THAT IS WHAT COACH PAT CASEY AND THE OREGON STATE BEAVERS ACHIEVED IN 2006 AND 2007.
COACH CASEY’S 12TH TEAM AT OSU WAS LOADED WITH HOME GROWN PACIFIC NORTHWEST TALENT. DALLAS BUCK AND JONAH NICKERSON ON THE MOUND. DARWIN BARNEY AND COLE GILLESPIE IN THE FIELD. CATCHER MITCH CANHAM WAS THE HEART AND SOUL OF THE TEAM. GILLESPIE WAS NAMED PAC-10 PLAYER OF THE YEAR, LEADING THE TEAM IN HITTING, HOME RUNS, RBI’S AND RUNS SCORED.
THE BEAVERS FINISHED WITH 50 WINS AND 16 LOSSES BUT NEEDED A 5 GAME WINNING STREAK LATE IN THE SEASON TO LOCK UP HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE IN THE PLAYOFFS.
THE BEAVS MARCH THROUGH POST-SEASON WAS INCREDIBLE. OSU SWEPT THE CORVALLIS REGIONAL AND CORVALLIS SUPER REGIONAL, THEN HAD TO BOUNCE BACK FROM A FIRST ROUND LOSS IN OMAHA TO MIAMI AND ANOTHER DEFEAT VS NORTH CAROLINA IN THE FIRST GAME OF THE BEST OF THREE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES. JONAH NICKERSON WON FOUR POST SEASON GAMES AND DALLAS BUCK WON A 3-2 NAIL BITER IN THE FINAL GAME AGAINST THE TARHEELS. NINE MEMBERS OF THE 2006 CHAMPIONS WERE CHOSEN IN THE MAJOR LEAGUE DRAFT.
FORTUNATELY, MANY RETURNED FOR THE 2007 CAMPAIGN. THAT ROAD TO OMAHA WAS MUCH MORE CHALLENGING. OSU HAD A LOSING RECORD IN PAC-10 PLAY AND STAGGERED INTO THE POST SEASON WINNING ONLY 4 OF 12 GAMES IN THE MONTH OF MAY. MITCH CANHAM LED THE TEAM IN BATTING AND HOME RUNS.
COME POST-SEASON, THE BEAVERS FOUND THEIR MAGIC AGAIN, RALLYING TO WIN THE REGIONAL BEATING VIRGINA TWICE ON THEIR HOME FIELD AND SWEEPING MICHIGAN IN THE SUPER REGIONAL. OSU THEN MARCHED THROUGH OMAHA WINNING 5 STRAIGHT GAMES INCLUDING A SWEEP OF THE TARHEELS IN A REMATCH OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES. DARWIN BARNEY AND MITCH CANHAM WERE HONORED AS ALL-WORLD SERIES FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR AND EIGHT BEAVERS WERE CHOSEN IN THE MAJOR LEAGUE DRAFT.
WE WELCOME BOTH THE 2006 & 2007 OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY BASEBALL TEAMS TO THE OREGON SPORTS HALL OF FAME.
2006 Roster – Pat Casey (Head Coach), Marty Lees (Assistant Coach), Erik Ammon, Darwin Barney, Reed Brown, Dallas Buck, Brian Budrow, Mitch Canham, Cory Ellis, Cole Gillespie, Ryan Gipson, Tyler Graham, Mark Grbavac, Kevin Gunderson, Koa Kahaleloe, Greg Keim, Jon Koller, Chris Kunda, Eddie Kunz, Greg Laybourn, Lonnie Lechelt, Mike Lissman, Anton Maxwell, Jake McCormick, Shea McFeely, Jonah Nickerson, Joe Paterson, Casey Priseman, Bill Rowe, Scott Santschi, Mike Stutes, Rob Summers, Daniel Turpen, Geoff Wagner, and John Wallace.
2007 Roster – Pat Casey (Head Coach), Marty Lees (Assistant Coach), Erik Ammon, Darwin Barney, Scott Berke, Reed Brown, Brian Budrow, Mitch Canham, Bryn Card, Brett Casey, Drew George, Mark Grbavac, Chris Hopkins, Koa Kahaleloe, Greg Keim, Blake Keitzman, Josh Keller, Eddie Kunz, Joey Lakowske, Lonnie Lechelt, Jordan Lennerton, Mike Lissman, Anton Maxwell, Jake McCormick, Jason Ogata, Ryan Ortiz, Joe Paterson, Jorge Reyes, Scott Santschi, Alex Sogard, Dale Solomon, Mike Stutes, Daniel Turpen, John Wallace, Braden Wells, and Joey Wong.
(C)2005 RICH HEINS