OSU SB: Beavs to Wrap ’24 Regular Season in Berkeley

CORVALLIS, Ore. – After winning their final home series of the season, the Oregon State softball team will close the 2024 season in Berkeley with a three-gameset against California this weekend.  

Opponent                                           Day/Time                                            Stream

California                                             May 3 / 3 p.m.                                   Pac-12 Networks

California                                             May 4 / 2 p.m.                                   Pac-12 Networks

California                                             May 5 / Noon                                     Pac-12 Networks

Leading Off

  • Oregon State closes the season at Levine-Fricke Field with a three-game series with the Golden Bears.
  • Each of the three games this weekend will be televised with the first two to national audiences.
  • Last year, these two sides split the three-game set at Kelly Field to open up OSU’s home slate.
  • The Beavers secured the series over Utah last weekend with a pair of comeback wins on Friday and Saturday before dropping the finale on Sunday.
  • Maddy Clark’s three-run homer in the first gave OSU a 4-3 lead they’d take the distance.
  • Abby Doerr broke the middle game open for the Beavs with 3 RBI for the 6-3 win on Saturday.

By the Numbers

2: OSU had two – Madi Simon (Puerto Rico; silver) and Grace Messmer (Canada; bronze) – medal in the fall’s Pan-American games in Chile.

2: Oregon State has tied twice in the Berg era, last coming in the the previous meeting with the Golden Bears.

4: Oregon State will play in its fourth California locale this season. Earlier, the Beavs played in Fresno, Cathedral City and Fullerton.

5: The Beavers have racked up five home wins versus teams in the top 25 since last April. Wins have come over No. 8 Stanford, No. 9 Washington, No. 12 UCLA, No. 20 Oregon and No. 21 Arizona. 

8: Including California, the Beavers will finish the regular season having played eight opponents from the Golden State. 

8: With the win on Saturday, the Beavers clinched their eighth season in the Berg era with at least 20 wins.

64: Logan Hulon, Sarah Haendiges and Ellie Garcia make up the sole trio in the Pac-12 in which all have recorded 64 Ks in 2024. 

The Opposition

  • OSU and California will meet for the 134th, 135th and 136th times this weekend.
  • The Beavers have won four of the last six over the Golden Bears, having swept the series when these sides last met in Berkeley.
  • Cal enters the final regular season series off a 2-1 weekend in Tempe against Arizona State. The Golden Bears used six runs in the third inning of the finale to down the Sun Devils.
  • The Golden Bears will have one more midweek contest (5/1 vs. Nevada) before meeting the Beavers.

·         Seeding in next week’s Pac-12 Tournament is still up for grabs as the Beavs and Golden Bears will battle.

Pac-12 Tournament Awaits

·         Following this weekend’s series, the Beavs will compete for the Pac-12’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in the league’s conference tournament.

  • OSU will venture to the other side of the Bay Area to Stanford for the second edition of the tournament.

Round Tripper Tidbits

·         Oregon State improved to 4-0 on the season when they hit at least two home runs following Sunday’s win.

·         Both Madi Simon (6th inning) and Lici Campbell (7th inning [walkoff]) launched (two-run) homers over the left field wall to help push the Beavers to the win over the Cardinal. 

  • All four of these instances have happened in Pac-12 play (3/8 v. Arizona (game 1), 3/15 at Arizona State, 3/16 at Arizona State and 4/14 vs. Stanford)

·         Campbell slugged two two-run homers in a four at-bat stretch (4/14 vs. STAN, 4/19 at ORE)

Leading the Pac

·         Oregon State is the only school in the Pac-12 with three or more pitchers to have recorded at least 64 Ks this season.

·          Hulon leads the staff with 80 while Haendiges has 65 and Garcia follows with one fewer at 64.

·         Hulon’s 80 Ks places her 10th among Pac-12 arms while Garcia and Haendiges sit at 12th and 13th, respectively.

Sister, Sister (x2)

• The Beavs have two pairs of sisters on the team: Abby and Paige Doerr of Coburg, Ore., and Deja and Tiara Westbrook of Arcadia, Calif.

Putting in Extra Work

• OSU has played in three extra-inning contests this season, all of which took place last month and two were in the Beaver State. 

• The three are the most in a season since 2022, which also had three.

• 2023 did not have any games go longer than seven frames.

• Game two at Portland State went to 11 innings, marking the longest game for the Beavs since a 10-inning affair in a 2022 home win over Utah.

• For the second consecutive series finale at Washington, the game needed more than seven as the Beavs and Huskies played nine.

Beaver Staff Notes

• Beaver fans will see a mix of familiar and new faces inside the dugout this season.

• Marcie Green makes her return to Oregon State where she will lead the pitching staff. She was previously in Corvallis from 2013-2022 where she capped it off with a trip to the Women’s College World Series in her final season.

• Working primarily with the fielders and hitters, Matt Lisle joins Berg’s staff with years of experience in college softball, baseball and even Major League Baseball.

• Starting his journey from student manager in 2018, Dominic Garcia enters his first year as a member of the coaching staff. The Beaver alumnus worked his way up to head student manager to video coordinator last season and will oversee player development, technology and data.

• Entering her third year with the program is Sarah Hoechlin, who serves as the Director of Operations. The OSU alumna spent two years as a student manager before a stint with the Corvallis Knights.

Nine New Faces Join the Dam

• The Beavers welcomed nine new student-athletes, two transfers and seven freshmen.

• Hulon (Texas) and Deja Westbrook (Cal Baptist) came via the transfer portal to Corvallis.

• Alysa Del Val, Doerr, Leah Mays, Kaylee Oh, Taverli Tennant, Tiara Westbrook and Ashley Wolfe all are freshmen.

Softball America Accolades

 Kiki Escobar was tabbed by the publication as the sixth-best second baseman in their preseason rankings.

• In their Top 100 List, she was ranked 95th while Sarah Haendiges placed a few spots ahead at 87th.

OUR MISSION
Oregon State Athletics strives to Build Excellent Authentic Visionary Student-Athletes (Go BEAVS)