The Oregon State baseball team finished in the top 10 once again this week.
In the D1Baseball Top 25, the Beavers made their debut on Monday at No. 7, earning their second preseason top 10 ranking. Last week, OSU debuted at No. 10 in the Perfect Game Top 25.
The D1Baseball Top 25 is used by The Oregonian/OregonLive to determine its rankings, and there are five major college baseball polls.
In Monday’s poll, which is full of East Coast, SEC, and ACC teams, the Beavers stand out. In addition to being the top-ranked West Coast team, Oregon State is the only non-SEC and ACC school to rank in the top 10. Oregon (ranked No. 12), UC Santa Barbara (22) and Oregon State were the only three West Coast teams to gain berths in the preseason poll.
The Beavers’ former Pac-12 rival, Arizona, made their debut at number 21.
No. 1 Texas A&M, No. 2 Virginia, No. 3 LSU, No. 4 Tennessee, No. 5 Arkansas, and No. 6 North Carolina are the six teams that are rated higher than Oregon State and play in the SEC or ACC. On February 21, Oregon State will play Virginia in the Karbach Round Rock Classic, a highly anticipated preseason game.
The Beavers are starting at No. 7 in the D1Baseball preseason Top 25 for the second straight season. OSU qualified for the program’s seventh super regional, where it lost to the Kentucky Wildcats in Lexington, Kentucky, and missed the College World Series despite finishing the season inside the top 10 polls.
Numerous fresh faces will determine Oregon State’s success in 2025. Second baseman Travis Bazzana, the first overall pick, rotation mainstays Aiden May and Jacob Kmatz, closer Bridger Holmes, starting shortstop Elijah Hainline, outfielder Micah McDowell, and first baseman Mason Guerra were among the seven Oregon State players chosen in the 2024 MLB draft.
However, OSU coach Mitch Canham, who is starting his sixth season, has added a lot of skill to the team.
The Beavers have five players on D1Baseball’s list of the top 150 MLB draft prospects: left-hander Nelson Keljo (82) and junior outfielders Gavin Turley (62) and Dallas Macias (65), transfer shortstop Aiva Arquette (No. 6), and sophomore third baseman Trent Caraway (16).
After starting practice on January 24, Oregon State takes on Xavier in Surprise, Arizona, on February 14 to kick off the season.
Joe Freeman | 503-294-5183 | @BlazerFreeman | [email protected] | For the most recent news and top stories, subscribe to The Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts.
