March 30th – April 1st at Oregon State
Husky Record: 15-7
Husky Road Record: 6-4
Oregon State University
Location: Corvallis, OR
Mascot: Beavers
Enrolment: 20,600
Coach: Pat Casey (19th season)
Conference: Pacific-12
National Ranking: 23rd Collegiate Baseball
Record: 15-7
Home Record: 4-3
PAC-12 Record: 4-2
2011 Record against Huskies: 2-1
Preview: Oregon State is probably the best team Washington has faced so far, and the Dawgs are on the road which will provide an extra challenge. The Beavers have a complete offense. They hit nearly three extra base hits per game showing their power, and are sixth in the nation with 36 sac bunts showing their ability to play small ball. They are also excellent at drawing walks as demonstrated by their .398 team OBP and 110 walks which ranks first in the PAC 12 and 24th in the nation. Oregon State’s greatest weakness is their defensive which has a tendency to make errors. They have committed 31 in the 22 games they have played as opposed to the mere 16 committed by the Huskies.
Washington will have to take advantage of Oregon State’s average pitching staff to win games in this series. The Husky pitching staff, which will likely start Aaron West, Tyler Davis, and Austin Voth, a trio who are 10-1 on the year, will be the key to containing the Beavers and getting another series win.
The Dawgs are yet to break the national rankings, but they are gradually gaining recognition from voters. A Series victory over another ranked opponent this weekend would bring Washington one step closer to finding themselves in the top 30.